JOURNAL OF ILAM UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES
Year:2003 | Volume:11 | Issue:38-39|Papers Count:11

Cardiovascular disease is a cause of death in most cases in different countries. Serum cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein B100 (apo-Bl00) and lipoproteine (a) [LP(a)] are cardiovascular risk factors. Recently, elevated plasma total homocysteine concentration in patients with coronary heart disease is being considered a high risk factor. The study group consisted of 50 patients with coronary heart disease and the control group of 50 normal volunteers. Plasma total homocysteine was determined by high performance liquid chromatograph. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride were measured enzymatically. Lp(a) and apo -BI00 were measured by mionoelectroforesis. The mean of total plasma homocysteine values in patients with coronary heart disease (20.59 µmol/l) was significantly higher than that of the control group (12.78 µmol/l) (p-value =0.001). No significant correlation was proved between total plasma homocysteine and other risk factors. Considering the results of this study, total plasma homocysteine is an independent risk factor for CAD in our study population. Since the mean of total plasma homocysteine values in our patients and control group was relatively high in comparison with most other populations ,it may be the main cause of high  rate of cardiovascular diseases in some areas of Iran.    

Iron -deficiency aenemia (lDA.) is a public health problem in developing and even industrialized countries. Pregnant women and children under 5 years old are among the high - risk populations .Our main objective in this study was to obtain the prevalence of anemia and IDA. In the end of pregnancy. We analyzed the blood of 378 pregnant mothers in the labor rooms of Hamadan (western Iran) hospitals .Hemoglobin concentration (Hb), hematocrit, serum iron, total iron binging capacity (TIDC),transferring. Saturation (Fe/TIBC*100) and serum ferritin were analyzed.Then a questionnaire for epidemiologic data, level of education, etc. was filled out through interview. The mean values of hematological indexes were as follows: Hb 13.35 g/dl; hematocrit 41.2%; mean corpuscular volume (MCV). 90.3 0; transferring saturation 20.4% and serum ferritin 41.74 ng/ml ,4.8°k of the mothers were anemic at the time of the study according to low serum hemoglobin (Hb<11 g/dl); 12.2% of the subjects had low serum rerritin (SF<12nglml);11.4% were Iron - deficient and 2.4% of the mothers had iron deficiency anemia. The prevalence of IDA was 2.4%, which is lower than that found in other areas of Iran and Asia. It was concluded that the preventive programs to control Iron - deficiency anemia in Hamadan have been successful on pregnant women.  

In the last few years, many studies have been carried out concerning the effects of fumes of welding on the respiratory system. Perhaps, the importance of this is revealed when we know that welding is one of the most common industries in the world and workers are estimated to make up more than 1°1'0of the work force of industrialized countries. The aim of this study was to clarify if the spirometry tests can be utilized as screening indices in a health program and prevention of respiratory diseases among welders. On the other hand, we wanted to know about the chronic effects of exposure to welding fumes on spirometry tests. Results of previous studies are controversial to answer these questions. In this research, 195 welders who were working in the body part of a large welding plant of a large automobile manufacturing company were studied. Results of spirometry tests were evaluated in a five years interval (the course between two spirometries). A questionnaire was provided and the data including duration of welding, previous job, smoking habits & respiratory complaints was collected .The mean decrease of spirometric indices was accordingly as follows in this five years; FEV1 0.48L R(0.3-1.41), FVC 0.77LR[(-0.8)-2.46], FEV1/FVC 2.7% R[(-5)-16 ], FEF 25-75% 0.4L R [(-0.89)-2.53], MVV 16.56L/min R(1-81). There was a significant decrease in FEV1, FVC (p=0.05) in smoker& non - smoker welders (adjusting the effect of age and smoking) .Pattern of respiratory impairment in smokers war mixed and in non - smokers was restrictive .Coughing was a common symptom following welding. The findings imply that welding is a high risk job for respiratory system. These effects indicate the need of adequate ventilation, proper respiratory protection & improvement of the work air -conditions. Spirometry test and exact questionnaire are needed for health program of welders and can be utilized for health programs and prevention of respiratory diseases among welders.  

This study is a descriptive - analytic research carried out as a cross -sectional method in Zarjeen Baft factory in Dam. Data collection tool was a questionnaire consisting of demographic as well as technical information such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurement and sound scale pressure by sound level meter, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire was based on similar studies fulfilled by other experts in this field. The reliability of the questionnaires has also been approved by statistical texts such as test -retest method which gained a highly confirmed score (α=0.85). The results showed the minimum sound scale pressure for the case group as 79-95(bobbin coilling) and the maximum sound scale pressure for the case group as 104dicible (welding). The analysis of sound scale pressure in A indicated that there was a significant difference between sound scale pressure in both the case and control groups .The study which was done considering the blood pressure situation in the case and control group according to the definition of WHO showed that 88.9% people in the case group had normal blood pressure compared with that of 96.7% in the control group .The analysis of systolic and diastolic blood pressure using the test showed that there was no significance between the means of systolic blood pressures in both groups. However, a significant difference was observed between diastolic blood pressures of the groups.  

Self - medication is considered a main cause of boundless consumption of drug in Iran. Considering current complex kinds of drugs, this approach may not only aggravate the patients' conditions, but also make them lose their money and even their lives. So, self - medication conducted by residents of Rasht was studied. In this descriptive cross - sectional research, 1200 people were randomly selected from different parts of the city. Questionnaires along with interviews were used to gather the needed data. The findings implied a significant relation between self - medication and demographic variables such as sex, educational level and people's financial possibilities (p<0.001). In other words, this was committed by women more than men -an increase in education level caused more tendency to self - medication while more – income decreased such tendency .It was also shown that diseases tried to treat through self - medication were; headache (25%), colds(21%), muscular and bone pain (19%) , abdominal pain(14%), diarrhea (11%) , fever and sore throat (7%). Unprescribed drugs were respectively used through self - medication as follows; sedatives(23%) ,vitamins (20%) , anti - cough syrups (15%), anti biotics (14%), diarrhoea and vomiting drugs (13%) and anti - acides (11%). Considering the results of this research, informing people of harmful consequences of self medication through mass media can be regarded as an effective measure to keep the society safe and aware of its harms.  

This case - control research has covered two groups of suicide committers and non- committers to identify the effective factors on the subject Each group of 56 people (male & female)were matched according to these five variables; age, sex ,marital status, education Level and employment state. Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) questionnaires, Pickle Life events inventory and Billings & Moss Coping strategies were used to collect the data. The findings proved a significant different between suicide committers and the group without any history of suicide attempts, (p<0.01).The general results also implied that such attempts have occurred due to some specific personality traits as well as different life stresses interacting with current uneffective strategies against suicide attempts in Ilam.  

Early hypocalcemia, which occurs during the first 48 hours of birth, is an important electrolyte disorder of neonatal period. Any delay or failure in the diagnosis of this disorder may result in dangerous and irreversible complications such as seizure and death. Thus, this retrospective - cross sectional study was designed to evaluate prevalence, etiology and clinical presentation of early neonatal hypocalcemia among cases admitted at hospitals of Hamedan in 2002. Material & Method: This study was done by preparation of the checklist of necessary information gotten from the patients, Ides and then analysis of the data with SPSSI0 software. 25 cases (13.9%) out of 180 neonates of less than 48 – hour-old had hypoclacemia, 17cases (68%) of them experienced asphyxia, 7 cases (28%) prematurity, 17cases (28%) prematurity and lease (4%) was infant of a diabetic mother. Clinical presentations of early hypocalcaemia were: Seizure (45%), decreased neonatal reflexes (37%) and excitability (18%). The findings imply that early neonatal hypocalcemia was relatively frequent in our study group and its clinical presentation was similar to other studies carried out in other countries ,but the first cause of this disorder in our study was asphyxia while it was prematurity in other countries. There is a significant correlation between neonatal asphyxia and prematurity with early neonatal hypocalcemia.  

Ascaris Iumbricoides is one of the most common intestinal parasites in the world. This parasite causes 8% to 15% clinical signs in patients. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the parasite causes malnutrition in children. The present study was done to determine the different kinds of clinical signs in the patients refferred to Hamadan faculty of medicine in 2001. The feacal samples of 274 patients of Hamadan hospitals and clinical centers referred to Hamadan faculty of medicine with Formol -Eter method were examined. Clinical signs of patients were noted, finally, the data was analyzed. 16.4% of patients were found to be infected with Ascaris which was the most common parasite observed in 6-10 year old patients .Abdominal pain, nausea (14.40/0-35-5%.) were the most common clinical signs respectively. These signs were also the more common ones in 1-5year old children. Nausea in 11-15 year old patients was the most common sign. In Hamadan, the prevalence of Ascaris compared with other parts of Iran was relatively high. Abdominal pain was the most common sign. In 6-10 year old patients, this sign was also the most common. Nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting signs in this study were similar findings in a number of previous studies.