Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Year:2008 | Volume:10 | Issue:1|Papers Count:11

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most important metabolic disorders worldwide. Usage of medicinal plants for decreasing blood glucose level is clinically important. In this study the effect of oral administration of aromatic water of Ficus carica leaves on blood glucose level in diabetic rats was investigated.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, forty male rats from Sprague Dawley race weighing 200-250 grams received ip 65 mg/kg streptozotocin and were randomly divided into 4 groups (one control and three experimental). Experimental groups received aromatic water of Ficus carica leaves in doses of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.4 mg/dl in a gavaged way. Control group received only distillated water. Blood glucose was measured after administration of aromatic water of Ficus carica leaves at intervals of 0,3, 6, 12 and 24 hours.Results: At intervals of 3,6, 12 hours after administration of aromatic water of Ficus carica leaves with doses of 0.1 and 0.4 mg/dl, blood glucose level decreased significantly (P<0.001), while 24 hours after administration blood glucose level showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) only with dose of 0.4 mg/dl.Discussion: Results showed that the consumption of aromatic water of Ficus carica leaves orally decreased blood glucose level in diabetic rats.

Background: Leishmaniosis has remained a serious public health problem in several parts of the developing world. Effective prophylacyic measurements are hampered by imprecise understanding of different aspects of the disease, including its immunoregulation. A better understanding of immunoregulation in human visceral leishmaniosis may be useful both for designing and evaluating immunoprophylaxis.Materials and Methods: This before-after interventional study investigated immunoregulatory mechanisms among 32 patients with visceral leishmaniasis in Shiraz (Iran) in 2007. The plasma cytokine (IFN-gamma, IL-10 and IL-12) levels of participants were measured before, during active disease and at different periods up to 2 months after treatment.Results: Elevated plasma levels of IFN-g, IL-10 and IL-12 which were observed during active disease, decreased significantly after treatment. The main candidate for blunting IFN-g activity seems to be IL-10, since the level of this cytokine which highly elevated in plasma decreased sharply after treatment.Discussion: Results suggest that IFN-g and IL-10 are the molecules most likely involved in determining fate of the disease. After treatment, there is a long delay before the immune profile returns to its normal level which precludes using plasma cytokine levels as criteria for certain cure diagnosis of the disease.

Background: Since Coagulation and flocculation are essential processes for turbidity removal from drinking water, many studies have been conducted on different coagulant.Materials and Methods: The present study - a pilot scale experiment- was conducted in the laboratory of water and wastewater chemistry of Zahedan public health school in 2007 to compare the efficiency of PAC, Ferric chloride and aluminum sulfate as coagulants. To do so, lab experiments were performed using distilled water containing synthetic Caoline. Eight turbidity levels (10-80 NTU), five pH levels (5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0 and 7.5) and five coagulants doses (5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg/l) were used for the jar test. Rapid mixing for all experiments was 380 rpm for one minute and slow mixing was 30 rpm for 20 minutes. Finally, at the end of every experiment, residual turbidity was measured by turbidity meter; in addition, removal efficiency for various conditions was determined by covariance and regression analysis.Results: The results showed that an increase of aluminum sulfate dose up to 40 mg/l can increase removal efficiency to 99.9%. The highest removal efficiency for ferric chloride occurred at feed dose of 20 mg/l and primary turbidity of 10 NTU, while for PAC the highest removal efficiency (99%) occurred at 40 mg/l. Effect of pH in turbidity removal for all experiments was similar.Discussion: Finally, it can be concluded that the best coagulant for turbidity removal (pH=5.5-7.5) is aluminum sulfate, because as the coagulant dose rises up the removal efficiency increases significantly. Efficiency removal, also, depends on the initial turbidity.

Background: Nurses legally and ethically have the responsibility for patients care and care quality. Patients, in turn, have the right of getting a favorable and high-quality care. The first step in planning programs for nursing care quality improvement, is reviewing its current quality level. This study was, therefore, conducted to survey nurses’ performance quality and patients’ satisfaction in hospital cardiac care units.Materials and Methods: An explanatory cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 28 nurses and 70 patients from four Cardiac care units (CCU, PCCU) at two public hospitals in Arak (Iran). Data were collected via a survey using nursing care quality checklists and patients satisfaction questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis was undertaken to identify the quality of nurses’ performance and patient’s contentment.Results: Chi square and t-paired tests did not show any significant relationship between nurse's demographic data and quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction. Also, results showed that quality of nurse's performance was poor, intermediate, and good at rates of 28%, 64% and 8% respectively. Of which quality of educational and therapeutic performances were strongest and weakest of all respectively. Also, the majority of patients (71.42%) had relative satisfaction from presented nursing cares.Discussion: The results of a high-quality nursing care to patients have positive effects on patients, care givers and nursing profession itself. Nurses as the biggest group in the health care team, have a major role in care quality improvements and patients’ satisfaction; therefore, it is necessary to take some actions to help them enhance their performances.

Background: Pityriasis rosea (PR) is an acute self limiting skin disease whose etiology, in spite of, several studies is still unknown. However, there is a hypothesis suggesting that infectious agents specially viral agents like HHV6 and HHV7are responsible for PR.Materials and Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial study was performed at a dermatology clinic in Zahedan (Iran) in 2006. One hundred and twenty nine consecutive patients with PR were randomly assigned into two groups: treatment group (n=65) who were treated for 1 week with oral acyclovir (800 mg 5 times daily) and control group (n=64) who received placebo (Vitamin E; 100 mg 2 times daily). All the patients were assessed at admission (week 0) and at weeks 1 and 2.Results: The ratio of female to male participants was 2 to 1consisting 88 females (68/2%) and 41 males(31/8%). In the 7th and 14th days of assessment (P=0/001) response to complete treatment and relative treatment in case group showed a statistically significant increase compared to control group. Formation of new lesions in the 1st week (P=0.006) and in the 2nd week (P=0.001) had a statistically significant increase in control group in comparison with the case group.Discussion: We could not evaluate the efficacy of treatment in virus replication since the rate of HHV7 and HHV6 infection is high; moreover, evaluation of the antibody titer in such patients’ serum especially in adults does not provide valuable information. However, the results of this study showed that high dose of acyclovir can be effective in treatment of patients with PR with sever skin eruption especially if it is administered in the first week of skin eruptions when the replication of virus has a high rate.

Background: Since radiography has some problems, Electronic Apex Locator is applied in endodontic treatment for young children. But the accuracy of this equipment in roots with resorption is questionable; therefore, the present study was conducted to compare the accuracy of Dentaport ZX in length determination of resorbed roots and non resorbed roots in primary teeth.Materials and Methods: Clinical evaluation of the accuracy of Dentaport ZX was carried out in 52 primary teeth with vital pulp tissue planned for extraction. The length of the canals was estimated with Dentaport ZX after removing pulp tissues. Then, the teeth were extracted and the real lengths of canals were measured by K-files # 15 with a precision of 0.1mm. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and intraclass correlation coefficient tests at the 5% level of significance.Results: Accuracy of the Dentaport ZX in roots without and with resorption in the range of –0.5 to +0.5 from apical foramen was 96.1% and 89.1% respectively and in the range of -0.2 to +0.2 from apical foramen was 84.3% and 53.1% respectively.Discussion: Results showed that the Dentaport ZX’s accuracy in determining the length of nonresorbed roots is higher than that of resorbed roots.

Background: Oxytocin is a hormone whose role is already known in many physiological processes. Also, resent studies have shown its role in human psychiatric fields such as love, emotional relationship between couple, mother and infant and maternal behaviors. The aim of this research was to investigate the role of oxytocin in levels of anxiety in the normal parturition Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was carried out on 80 pregnant women in active phase of labor in Darab (Iran) in 2007. Subjects were randomly assigned into two groups of 40 to receive either intravenous oxytocin or placebo. Anxiety traits were calculated with Berger scale.Results: Mean of the age and parity in case group were 24.3 and 3 and in control group were 25.3 and 2.9 respectively. The two groups were not statistically different considering age (P=.35), parity (P=0.84), education (P=0.07) and socio-economic situation (P=0.07). In case group, level of anxiety before and after induction was 54.7 and 27.4 respectively that is significant (P=0.000). Likewise, in control group, level of anxiety was 50.8 and 32.3 before and after induction that is significant (P=0.000), too. Level of anxiety was not significantly different before induction in the two groups (P=0.05); however, after induction, level of anxiety indicated a higher decrease in case group compared to that of control group (P=0.04).Discussion: These results confirm previous findings and indicate the psychiatric roles of oxytocin in maternal mental health.

Background: Proteinuria and hematuria are two important modifiable risk factors for the progression of chronic renal failure. The purpose of the present study was to identify the prevalence of these abnormalities among school aged children undergoing urinary screening.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among school children aged 7-15 years in Zahedan (South East of Iran) in 2003. A total of 1,169 children (51% girls) were selected at random using multistage cluster sampling method. The first morning urine was examined twice by a simple dipstick read based on changes in colour and positivity of proteinuria and hematuria. Those who had abnormal results in the first screening test with dipstick were tested again microscopy.Results: The overall prevalence of urinary abnormalities was 2.2 % among school children. Proteinuria was three times more frequent in girls compared with boys (1.05% vs. 0.33%). The proportion of hematuria was also two times higher in girls than boys (2.1% compared with 1%).Discussion: There is a considerable burden of urinary abnormalities among school children in Iran. Therefore, a simple dipstick method for the early detection of proteinuria and hematuria has significant value in identifying asymptomatic school children with possible renal disorders.

Mumps is a disease caused by a virus that usually spreads through saliva and can infect many parts of the body, especially the parotid salivary glands. Miscellaneous complications of the mumps are already known. Although mild leucopenia and rarely mild thrombocytopenia are normally reported with mumps, they are not the causes of pancytopenia. In this report a 14-year old-girl suffering from mumps who got pancytopenia and then persistent leucopenia is presented.