Journal of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences
Year:2004 | Volume:11 | Issue:2 (32)|Papers Count:10

The old crisis if drug addiction cause never-ending concern for mankind. Now that we observe an increasing trend in the social inclination towards narcotics, the researchers, concerned with the necessity of information about factor endangering human life, and accrual of medical information parallel with national socio-economic development, adopted another outlook to study one of the major cause of drug addiction, i. e. physical illness. 300 addicts referring to Rezi Hospital and Shafa Specialized clinic for the treatment of addiction in Tabriz, Iran. Relevant data on biography and physical examination were collected. Current narcotics – opium and heroin – were the focus of the study. Our finding revealed that 15.3% of the subjects turned to drug abuse due to their physical illnesses with skeletal-muscular, nervous and digestive disorder in 19.5%, 17.5% and 17.5% respectively. In 50%, addiction had occurred from 20 to 40 years of age. The most common narcotic (71.7%) was opium to begin with and smoking has been the most common method of substance abuse (45%). It is concluded that the approach to encountering physical illnesses especially those of skeletal- muscular, nervous and digestive system is to be corrected in the society and specialists must pay attention to probable risk and occurrence of addiction in physically afflicted patients.

Atherosclerosis, mostly caused by hypercholesterolemia, is the most common cause of cardiovascular diseases in the world. Many studies with human and animal subjects have indicated that vascular responses to acetylcholine in atherosclerosis is significantly reduced. Different hypotheses have been proposed in the Atherosclerosis mechanism, but the exact mechanism is not clear. This study, therefore, is conducted to study the effects of hypercholesterolemia on cardiovascular parameters (including blood pressure, pulse, and vascular responses to vasodilators such as acetylcholine) and their probable mechanism in male rates. Hypercholesterolemia was induced by adding cholesterol (2%) to rats’ diet for 24 weeks. Blood sampler were abstained at the beginning and end of this period from rats’ eye sinus (1.5 ml). Arterial blood pressure and cholesterol level remarkably increased in subjects of the study and responses to acetylcholine significantly reduced. In vitro experimentation revealed that phenylephrine increased response in isolated aortic rings (from hypercholesterolemic male rats); while, acetylcholine decreased their responses administration of amniogounidine (100 mg/kg body weight, 2 hrs prior to thiopental injection) Significantly improved rats’ response to acetylcholine. Also, incubation of tissue with aminogouiding significantly increased the response to acetylcholine. Our findings revealed that activation of L – arginin nitric oxide pathway played a significant role in impaired vascular responses in hypercholesterolemia and that inhibition of this pathway can improve vascular responses to vasodilators such as acetylcholine.

The isolated rat colon and the isolated guinea pig ileum were studied. The main purpose of this study was to elucidate the possible involvement of gap junction channels (GJCs) in smooth muscle function. Carbenoxolone (0.1-200 µM) decreased contractile responses of the isolated rat vas deferens and colon to various stimuli in a concentration-dependent manner. Carbenoxolone also reduced both amplitude and frequency of the spontaneous mechanical activity of the isolated rat colon. A similar inhibitory effect of carbenoxolone (0.1-200 µM) was observed on contractile responses of the isolated guinea pig ileum to electrical field stimulation, acetylcholine and KCl. In the presence of carbenoxolone (10 µM), contractile responses to L- NAME were reduced by about 65% and 80% of control in the isolated rat colon and the isolated guinea pig ileum, respectively. The present data, therefore, suggest an important role for modulation of intercellular communication via GJCs in regulating the tone of smooth muscles of rat vas deferens, rat colon and guinea pig ileum.

One of the main purposes of prenatal care is the estimation of gestational age. Sonography plays an important part in the measurement of gestational age by measuring femoral length, scapular length, biparietal diameter and abdominal circumference. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 220 single-fetus pregnant women with 16-40 weeks of gestational age in Kerman, Iran. Findings revealed that scapular length and biparietal diameter were of higher correlation with gestational age than other parameters. Multivariate regression indicated that estimation of the gestational age by each single parameter was far better than a multivariable system. This study confirmed that sonography was a valuable device for the estimation of gestational age and from among parameters we studied, biparietal diameter and scapular length are more accurate indices while other parameters such as femoral length and abdominal circumference may also be considered valuable.

This study is conducted to compare contrast sensitivity and visual acuity values in Emmetropia and Ammetropia conditions. 30 subjects (60 eyes) with the age range of 19 to 29 years were examined with Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity and E-Snellen visual acuity tests. Monocular and binocular contrast sensitivity and E-Snellen visual acuity were measured with best correction and different defocus levels of +1.00 and +2.00. The findings revealed a significant relationship between the two charts in Emmetropia (P=0.0001). Also, in Ammetropia both contrast sensitivity and visual acuity showed reduction with +1.00 defocus lens, but more reduction for contrast sensitivity with +2.00 defocus lens (P=0.0001). It is concluded that contrast sensitivity can provide complete and accurate information about visual performance in comparison with visual acuity test.

Malnutrition is one of the important problems of the Third-world countries including Iran. Unicef reports a total of 40,000 daily deaths due to malnutrition. The present study is conducted to study the nutritional status of children under two years of age in Birjand, Iran. The study was cross - sectionally conducted on 1545 subjects referring to Health-treatment centers in Birjand; Growth indexes including age, sex, parental education and occupation and number of siblings were recorded through a checklist. Prevalence of malnutrition was measured by Gomes and Water low standards. According to the findings obtained from Gomes (Weight – for – age), water low (weight- for-height) and Water low (height – for – age),41%, 23.1%, and 28.9% of the subjects suffered from malnutrition respectively and malnutrition increased in proportion with the increase in age (P<0.001). According to weight – for – age and height – for – age criteria, malnutrition is of higher prevalence in male subjects. However, it showed no significant relationship with parental occupation and education and socioeconomic status. Nutritional status of children in Birjand is better than those in sistan province while it is of no remarkable difference with the status of children in Kerman. Parental training about the nutritional requirements of their children is recommended to enhance the health and economic status of families.

About 5 million children gre exposed to malnutrition due to deprivation from breastfeeding. Most false information leading to problems in lactation arise from the inappropriate practice and caregiving of health care personnel. This study was conducted to study the knowledge, attitude and practice of rooming-in of the infant and mother by the nursing and midwifery staff of hospital in Mashad, Iran. In this analytical descriptive study, 150 nurses and midwives from Mashad hospitals were randomly selected through cluster and stratified sampling. Relevant data were collected through observation and questionnaires. Findings revealed that the nurses’ and midwives knowledge about RI were good (22.1=3.9); their attitude was agreeable (22.8=4); nurses had poor practice (20.22=10.02) while midwives had medium tanking practice (29.7=10.8). No significant correlation was found between knowledge of RI and variables such as age, and type of hospital while it indicated a significant relationship with occupation (p=0.0001), degree (p=0.0001), year of graduation (p=0.001) and experience (p=0.005). No significant relationship was discovered to exist between attitude and variables such as occupation, age, degree, work experience and type of the hospital but it indicated a significant relationship with the subjects’ year of graduation (p=0.025). Also, nurses practice of RI did not correlate with occupation, age, year of graduation, work experience and shifts; however, it was discovered to significantly correlate with degree (p=0.005) and type of hospitals (p=0.0001). Midwives’ practice of RI did not correlate with age, degree, work experience and shifts of work but it had significant relationships with year of graduation (p=0.014) and type of hospitals (p=0.0001). Breastfeeding workshops, college training plans and clinical instruction give rise to the knowledge, attitude and practice of RI. No significant correlation were found between nurses’ and midwives’ knowledge and attitude (p=0.0001, p=0.3), between nurses attitude and practice of RI (p=0.045 , r=0.2) and between knowledge and practice of RI in nurses and midwives. Based on the findings and low rate of practice of RI by the subjects of the study, more training plans are suggested to be implemented to enhance the quality of practice and to motivate nurses and midwives.

Essential hypertension, as a health problem, and Also as an important risk factor in many other diseases such as cardiovascular and venal diseases has attracted the attention of many health-related organizations. In this analytical study, carried out as a case – control design, the relationship between dimensions of lifestyle and essential hypertension was investigated. A sample of 149 patients with essential hypertension and 149 other patients without hypertension problems hospitalized in the same hospital were selected as experimental and control groups respectively. A questionnaire was designed by the researchers to measure lifestyle dimension such as nutrition and sleeping patterns , smoking and physical activity. Based on chi-square and Pearson correlation coefficient statistical tests, our finding revealed significant relationships between essential hypertension and factors in lifestyle such as nutrition patterns and

Psychologists have long been thinking about this issue that some personality types might have had higher IQs than other types: a conjecture not improbable for common sense. Eyseuck, the eminent British Psychologist, described introvert people with higher IQs in comparison with extroverts. We followed two objectives in this study: (1) relationship between IQ and personality types and (2) gender– related correlation of the issue in 297 university students who were randomly selected from among the male and female students of two universities in Tabriz, Iran. Raven IQ test and Eyseuck personality inventory were administered and both groups responded simultaneously. Tests were scored and t-test and chi-square were utilized for analysis. No significant relationship was found between IQ and Eyseuck personality types (introversion – extroversion, neuroticism – emotion stability) among male and female students. Also, it was revealed that introverts and extroverts were not significantly different as for their mean IQ. Although the findings sound interesting, judging about behavioral and Psychological traits of human beings demand more extensive studies. There fore, achieving a decisive conclusion, as a scientific principle, will be possible only with further research and spending sufficient time and control.