Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences
Year:2011 | Volume:10 | Issue:3 (40)|Papers Count:11

Background and Objectives: Delivery is one of the greatest events in the life of a pregnant woman. Although it is considered to be a natural phenomenon, it is potentially dangerous. Entonox gas used for pain relief and is reasonably effective in labor analgesic practice. The purpose of this study was to compare the APGAR score of the neonates were born to mothers who treated with entonox gas with those who their mothers did not received this gas.Materials and Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 270 pregnant women hospitalized at the labor ward of Shahidan Mobini Hospital of Sabzavar were included using simple available sampling method. They were then separated into two groups, case and control, based on their specifications. The data gathering tool for this study was a questionnaire of "investigating the effect of entonox gas as a no-pain labor agent on Neonates’ APGAR" which is individually filled out for each patient by obstetrician colleagues. The APGAR scores of infants were recorded at 1st, 5th, and 20th minutes. The statistical analysis of data was performed by t -test, Chi-Square and Fisher tests using SPSS software.Results: That there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, pregnancy period, and using labor induction. The APGAR scores of the case group at 1st, 5th, and 20th minutes postpartum were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05).Conclusion: Regarding the importance of controlling pain during delivery and its effect on reducing the mother’s stress, using of entonox gas can be a good option for relieving pain during delivery moreover, it can improve the APGAR score.

Background and Objectives: Osteoarthritis is the most common arthicular disease of human. Medical managements of this disorder are mostly limited to relieving pain usually by NSAIDs. However, due to many side effects of these medications, especially on elderly patients, long-term therapy with these drugs is of major concern. In this study, the analgesic effect of carbamazepine on knee osteoarthritis was compared with diclofenac as a NSAID and placebo.Materials and Methods: In this double-blind randomised clinical trial study, 60 patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis were investigated for 12 months. The patients were then categorised into three groups; carbamazepine, diclofenac, and placebo groups. After two weeks of treatment, the pain relief rate was re-evaluated for each patient using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The data was then analysed using Chi-Square test.Results: Patients categorised as carbamazepine and diclofenac groups showed a marked pain relief after treatment period compared to the placebo group (p<0.05 vsp=0.12 respectively). However, the analgesic effect of carbamazepine was not significant compared to diclofenac.Conclusion: Carbamazepine has a same analgesic effect on knee osteoarthritis as NSAIDs. So, it may be a favorite alternative to NSAIDs in patients who are not able to tolerate the detrimental effects of these drugs.

Background and Objectives: Consumption of mineral bottled waters has been considerably increased in the recent years. These waters have some specific mineral and chemical properties which can affect human health. In this study, the quality of bottled waters also known as "mineral bottled waters" are investigated in terms of physical, chemical, and microbial parameters, water hardness, curative properties and also the accuracy of the properties printed on their labels.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 13 brands of mineral bottled waters, available in Kerman markets, were included to investigate seventeen chemical, physical and microbial parameters. The mean value of each parameter was calculated and compared with the standard values and also with the values printed on their labels. In addition, the water hardness and curative properties of different brands were studied based on their ion concentrations.Results: The results of this study showed that 54% of waters were categorized as hard or very hard waters. No microbial contamination was found and none of them had curative properties. A comparison between the chemical properties of these waters and the standard values of drinkable and mineral waters indicated that while all tested waters had a fluoride concentration of lower than standard values, the Cl- (50 mg/l) and NO3- (8 mg/l) concentrations were higher than the standard levels in seven percent of samples. Also, the concentrations of K+ and Na+ were higher than the permitted levels in 23% and 46% of the samples, respectively.Conclusion: The different properties of the mineral bottled waters investigated in this study were consistent with the standard levels. However, even a few inconsistency with standard criteria regarding ion concentrations or other propertis may have a detrimental effect on health status which should be taken into account by relevant authorities. Manufacturers also need to adhere more to all realted standard rules and regulateins.

Background and Objectives: Nowadays, throughout the world particularly in developed countries, an important part of the material and spiritual resources devoted to children and their physical and psychological needs. Of course, in this regard, parents have a major responsibility to provide children with their basic rights. The aim of this study was to survey the middle-school students’ viewpoints about respecting their rights by parents.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1016 male and female middle-school students of Gorgan city were included in 2008 using a randomised multistage cluster sampling procedure. A questionnaire containing 31 specific questions obtained from the United Nations Child Rights Charter was individually filled out for each student. The data was then analyzed by descriptive and nonparametric statistical tests using the SPSS software.Results: Our findings showed that 70.6% of students stated that their rights were completely respected by their parents. The relationships between student's gender (p=0.04), parents education (p=0.001), father's job (p=0.001), family income (p=0.001), and family size (p=0.001) with respecting children rights by parents were statistically significant.Conclusion: Although, many aspects are involved in promoting the physical and psychological well-being of children, the role of parents is of critical significance. Results showed that overall the satisfaction rate of children regarding respecting their rights by parents was reasonable.

Background and Objectives: Running is a basic pattern of the movement causing improvement of functional disorders of the lower limbs. The aim of this study was to determine the suitable method in running exercise (forward or backward) for improvement of the lower limb function.Materials and Methods: In this interventional study, 40 healthy female subjects with the range of 18-24 years old were included. They randomely separated into two groups, forward and backward running groups. The interventional programme included two methods of running undertaken three days per week for a period of six weeks. Four types of the lower limbs functional tests; Modified Romberg, Vertical Jumping, Single Leg Hop Test for Distance, and Single Leg Hop Test for Time were applied to determine the suitable method of running. The measurements were carried out as pre- and post- tests. For analysis of data, paired and independent t tests were used.Results: During backward running, there were statistically significant differences (p<0.05) between pre- and post- tests in all four measurement methods, and it improved the lower limb function. However, these findings were observed only in two methods of measurement during forward running (p<0.05).Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the effects of backward running exercises on lower limb function tests are significantly more effective than forward running and it may improve dysfunctions of the lower limb.

Background and Objectives: Local journals also known as "small journals" are those published for fulfilling the scientific needs of certain communities. The present article is dealt with the problems of these journals and provides some suggestions on how to overcome their pitfalls.Materials and Methods: The Pubmed search engine (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed) was explored using the following keywords of the titles of articles; “small journals”, “local journals”, “small scientific journals” or “small medical journals”. This search strategy retrieved 8 papers. In the next step, and by searching the reference lists of the retrieved papers, the most relevant and up-to-date articles were selected for this review study.Results and Discussion: Evidences suggested that the "small or local journals" have a number of pitfalls including; being published usually in local languages which are not familiar to most people, dealing with general issues rather than specific fields, having low circulations, and confronting enormous difficulties in punctual publications. Nevertheless, by removing the above-mentioned obstacles, these journals can still play an important role either in knowledge dissemination and sharing experiences or improving the health levels in local communities.Conclusion: Small journals could possibly be able to overcome their problems utilising the following strategies;. displaying a firm commitment to their responsibilities, precise planning, creating networks with other local or mainstream journals and seeking support from local, national and international scientists.

Background and Objectives: Disturbances of zinc (Zn) homeostasis have been associated with several diseases including diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to compare the serum level of zinc in diabetic type 2 patients with those of non-diabetic control subjects.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 35 diabetic patients referred to the Rafsanjan Diabetes Clinic and 35 healthy non-diabetic controls were selected using simple random sampling method. Both groups aged ³30 and had a similar gender distribution. A pre-designed questionnaire was completed for each participant. A fasting blood sample was individually drawn for fasting blood sugar (FBS) and Zn measurement. The data was then analysed using student's t test.Results: Results of this study demonstrated that the difference in mean serum level of zinc between the two groups was statistically significant, 10.58±2.27 mg/dl for patient group versus 16.62±5.04 µg/dl for control group (p=0.001). There were no marked differences in terms of age and gender distribitions execpt that for the FBS level.Conclusion: Our findings showed that the serum level of Zn in the diabetic patients is lower than control group. Further studies are warranted to determine whether zinc supplementation can be used as an adjunct in diabetes management.

Background and Objectives: Apoptosis is a physiological mechanism of cell death and it can be triggered by a variety of internal and external stimuli. It has been shown that some opium derivatives promote cell apoptosis. This study was designed to examine the influence of opium addiction on testicular cell apoptosis in Wistar rats.Materials and Methods: This experimental study was performed on 7 opium-addicted as case group and 7 normal rats as control group. In the case group, animals treated with peritoneal injections of opium twice a day at 8 a.m and 8 p.m for 8 days based on the following regimen; at the first day 30 mg/kg, second day 60 mg/kg, third day 90 mg/kg, fourth day 120 mg/kg, and from fifth to eighth day 150 mg/kg. The control group received only normal saline. Apoptosis was then evaluated by TUNEL and DNA fragmentation assays.Results: The results of this study showed that the rate of testicular cells apoptosis in opium-addicted rats were significantly higher than the normal rats (p<0.001).Conclusion: These results indicated that opium addiction may play an important role in testicular cells apoptosis and as a result can cause testicula dysfunction and reduced testosterone production which may culminate in infertility.

Background and Objectives: Different neuromuscular variations have been reported in the arm. In this case, a rare concurrent neuromuscular variation in right arm and a muscular variation in left arm are reported in a cadaver.Case report: During dissection of a cadaver, we found that the biceps brachii muscle had an additional head [third head] in both sides associated with a neural variation in the right side. In this case, the musculocutaneous nerve did not exist and was replaced by the branches of lateral root of the median nerve.Conclusion: The finding of this report, might be a major of significance for both anatomists and surgeons to reduce the prospective complications of surgery.