Internal Medicine Today
Year:2009 | Volume:15 | Issue:2|Papers Count:11

Background and Aim: Statins provide effective secondary prevention in cardiovascular disease. However, it remains controversial that how soon statin should be started after an Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). We hypothesize that statins should be initiated without delay.Materials and Methods: In this interventional study we had two groups of patients in cardiovascular research center of Mashhad University of medical sciences in 2007 with acute ST elevation Myocardial Infarction (MI), which in one group (150 cases) statin was started early after Myocardial Infarction (MI) and in the second group (150 cases) not receiving statin or it started after at least 48 hours. The data were analyzed with student t-test and x2 test.Results: The first time Statin receivers had lower (all cases) 7 day mortality and better outcomes. Our study showed that major cardiac events are also lower in the study group.Conclusion: These data suggest that very early Statin therapy is associated with reduced mortality rate in patients with myocardial infarction.

Background and Aim: Today we know well that radicals cause molecular transformations and gene mutations in many types of organisms. Oxidative stress is well- known to cause many diseases, and scientists in many different disciplines became more interested in natural sources which could provide active compounds to prevent or reduce its impacts on cells. Antioxidants, which can inhibit or delay the oxidation of an oxidizable substrate in a chain reaction, therefore, appear to be very important in the prevention of many diseases. The number of antioxidant compounds synthesized by plants as secondary products. This study was designed to evaluate antioxidant activity of the essential oil and ethanolic extract of Iranian Anethum graveloens. Materials and Methods: In this research antioxidant activities of the samples were determined by two different test systems namely 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and b-carotene/linoleic acid assays.Results: The essential oil of Anethum graveloens and their extract were able to reduce the stable free radical DPPH with an IC50 of 41000, 340 mg/mL and in b-carotene/linoleic acid assay, exhibiting 32% and 56% inhibition at 2 g/m L, respectively. These parameters in BHT were 5 mg/mL and 95%, respectively.Conclusion: In conclusion, the antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Anethum graveolens was significantly higher than that of essential oil (p<0.05), which was due to difference in their phenolic content. A high correlation was found between the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content.

Background and Aim: The “nil by mouth” policy of women during labor is an unnecessary medical intervention, however no science evidence has supported it. Up to now the finding from trials, which examined the effecting during labor on birth outcomes, does not provide convincing evidence to change practice. Changing policy NPO for women during labor require many trials. This study examined the effect of food intake during the first stage of labor on maternal and fetal outcomes in the low-risk pregnant women.Materials and Methods: This study is a randomized clinical trial which was done in 22 Bahman hospital in Gonabad. 180 low-risk pregnant women in active phase of labor randomly were assigned to either an intervention or usual care group. Women in the intervention group (n=87) were selected and received one of the three diets (three dates and water or three dates and tea or 110 cc of orange juice) during the active phase of labor. Conversely, the control group (n=90) underwent fasting.Results: The second phase of labor duration was smaller than that of the control (p=0.047). The incidence of vomiting and active stage labor length were unaffected by food intake.Conclusion: The intake of carbohydrate foods during labor cause the reduction of the second stage of labor duration in spite of lack of accelerated vomiting incidence.

Background and Aim: Ziziphora tenuior is a traditional herbal medicine widely used as a mild sedative, spasmolytic and antibacterial agent. In this study the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Ziziphora tenuior on visceral pain was investigated.Materials and Methods: This experimental study performed on 40 N-MRI male mice (28±3g). Animals were randomly grouped into control, positive control and receivers of Ziziphora tenuior extract. Control and positive control groups received normal saline and indomethacin (5mg/kg), respectively. Treatment groups were injected with 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract of Ziziphora tenuior. All injections were performed intraperitonealy (ip). Animals were injected with acetic acid 0.6% (10ml/kg) for visceral pain induction, 30 minutes after of each intraperitoneal administration. Antinociceptive effects were recorded by counting the number of writhes during 30 minutes. The data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software and One-Way ANOVA test. The significant was shown with (p<0.05).Results: Hydroalcoholic extract of Ziziphora tenuior at 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg and Indomethacin (5mg/kg) induced a significant reduction in pain response when compared to control group.Meanwhile, 75mg/kg of extract showed the most effect (p<0.05).Conclusion: This study confirms the antinociceptive properties of Ziziphora tenuior in comparison to Indomethacin, however further studies are necessary to find out a suitable place for antispasmodic effect of Ziziphora tenuior.

Background and Aim: Campylobacter is a major cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis and poultry meat is an important source of human outbreaks of campylobacteriosis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of campylobacter in poultry carcasses in Gonabad poultry slaughterhouse.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a number of 100 samples from broiler poultry carcasses were randomly collected by using rinse test in Gonabad poultry slaughterhouse. The samples after enrichment in Exeter broth were plated on skirrow agar with 5% hemolysed, defibrinated horse blood and then incubated for 48 h at 42oC in microaerophilic condition. Suspected colonies with gram negative staining and rod shape were tested for oxidase, catalase, hippurate hydrolysis and Darty mortality.Results: from 100 examined samples, 31 (31%) were found positive for campylobacter spp.Biochemical differentiation of the produced campylobacteria isolates showed that C.jejuni was frequently isolated (61.29%) than C.coli (38.71%).Conclusion: The present results showed that chicken carcasses proved to be reservoir of campylobacter. Consequently, implementation of good cooking techniques and washing carcasses perfectly are necessary. It is also necessary to improve quality control for campylobacter spp. In chicken abattoirs.

Background and Aim: Conceptualization of God is one way in which the multivariate domain of religious beliefs has been operationalized. This study was carried out in order to evaluate the relationship between Religious beliefs and coping strategies in students of Shiraz University.Materials and Methods: In this study, 251 college students were selected by using a stratified random sampling procedure. Carver’s coping strategies questionnaire and Gorsuch's God concept scale were used for data collection. The data was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and step-by- step regression.Results: The result showed that problem-focused coping strategy was found to correlate positively with the benevolent, omni-ness, valuable God concept and negatively with the irrelevant, punishing, distinctness God concept. Benevolent god concept is capable to predict problem directed strategies nearly 12 percent itself.Conclusion: Considering the significant role of religion in heath, emphasizing on it in the field of training and treatment could be helpful in improving mental health of the society.

Background and Aim: Henna is a small shrub known for healing attributes. In this study we evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Henna extract against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeroginosa by detecting the lowest concentration that inhibits the growth of the microorganism.Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial activities of Henna extracts were determined against twenty five isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and 25 isolates of Pseudomonas aeroginosa. Primarily the antimicrobial activity of the extracts was determined using agar dilution assay, as recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standard (NCCLS).Results: The results demonstrate a wide range of activities of the different extracts against the bacteria tested. MIC50 for Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeroginosa in watery extract was 2.5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml and in ethanolic extract was 3 mg/ml and 3.5 mg/ml respectively.Conclusion: These findings support the use of Henna in the treatment of skin and wound infection.Also Henna appears to be a promising agent for prophylaxis against skin disease.

Background and Aim: Previous studies were carried out on blood subjects with migraine. Blood calcium and magnesium don’t reflect the body content of it. This research was designed to measure intra cellular magnesium and calcium concentration. The aim of this study was to measure red blood cell magnesium and calcium in patients with migraine.Materials and Methods: In this research Red blood cell magnesium and calcium concentration were measured in 21 patients with migraine and 24 normal subjects without migraine. Magnesium and calcium levels were determined by atomic absorption.Results: In this study differences between the magnesium and calcium levels in the two study groups were found. In comparison with normal subjects, migraine patients had higher red blood cell magnesium levels (8.409±0.516, 7.866±0.687 mg/ml, p>0.05). Also, In comparison with normal subjects, migraine patients had higher red blood cell calcium levels (14.255±0.453, 3.799±0.176 mg/ml, p<0.05). The data were expressed as the mean ± the standard deviation, and they were statistically analyzed with Student t-test.Conclusion: Change calcium, magnesium level in migraine agreement with previous studies of a possible role for magnesium and calcium in migraine patients. Therefore, according to our data changing magnesium and calcium levels is related to migraine pathophysiology. In future with control calcium and magnesium level in migraine patients, we can use for improving the status.

Background and Aim: Daily increasing usage of psychoactive drugs among youth is one of the significant damages and catastrophic cases of today. Since these substances are new, the people information is not enough about them, and then this study was conducted to determine the knowledge and attitude levels of Gonabad university students toward psychoactive drugs and its abuse prevalence.Material and Methods: This descriptive study was done on 350 students of Gonabad universities of Payam-e-noor, Azad and medical sciences in 2008. Research tool was a questionnaire including some questions on student’s knowledge, attitude and usage of psychoactive drugs. The collected data analyzed by SPSS 11.5 by statistical tests such as chi-square, Fisher exact test and Student t- test (p<0.05).Results: The knowledge of 21.7% of the students was weak, 77.1% average, just 1.1% was well and the attitude of 15.4% was weak, 63.1% average, and 21.4% was well. The prevalence of drug abuse was 6% that had a meaningful relationship with attitude and sex, dwelling location, income, father job and other substance abuse.Conclusion: In general, the student knowledge and attitude toward psychoactive drugs is not well. Incorrect attitude well-being life, live in rent houses without enough control over it, are from effective factors for tendency to these substance abuse. It seems that basic programs design is necessary to improve knowledge and attitude of students, parents and educational institutions more control over their children and students.

Background: Mesocolic hernias are extremely rare. Their exact incidence is still unknown. The clinical features are nonspecific and range from bilious vomiting and chronic abdominal pain exacerbated by meals, to asymptomatic presentations incidentally discovered during surgery.Preoperative diagnosis still is difficult in spite of imaging techniques currently available.Case report: In this study we report mesocolic hernias in 43 year-old male patient, which presented as small bowel obstruction without any prior abdominal surgery.Conclusion: Since mesocolic hernia can become life threatening if complications of obstruction by strangulation or volvulus occur, early diagnosis of this disorder is essential. A high index of suspicion with prompt surgical intervention may be the key to the reduction of morbidity and mortality in such patients.