Showing papers in "Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences in 2006"

Efficacy of AIDS prevention training program on knowledge, attitude and practice of Chabahar sailors, Iran

Abstract: Background: AIDS is one of the epidemic diseases around the world and in the developing countries in particular. To define the pattern of transmission of AIDS in the southern regions of Sistan-va-Baluchestan province namely Chabahar this research was done on Chabahar sailors traveling regularly between Chabahar and overseas. Material and Methods: This research is a Quasi-Experimental study carried out with 130 participants. Questionnaires were used as the data collection tool. Questionnaires were completed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of the sailors about AIDS. Then training programs including the educational materials, lectures, face to face discussions, and educational films were presented. Knowledge, attitude and practice of the sailors were evaluated for the second time two months after the educational programs. The data were analyzed according to suitable statistical methods. Results: 21% of sailors had history of sexual intercourse while residing in abroad; and our health educational programs promoted knowledge (27.74 vs. 36.33), attitude (29.45 vs. 42.48) and practice (23.91 vs. 30.45) significantly. Conclusion: Use different educational methods for improvement of knowledge, attitude, and practice of sailors (as a high risk group) have to be considered seriously and by health managers.

Epidemiological evaluation of fatal occupational accidents and estimation of related human costs in Tehran

Abstract: Background: The human being has an important role in the production cycle and it cannot be possible to use him like other manufacturing organizations. Death due to occupational accidents causes loosing years of life, years of working and other relegated costs in addition to hardware assets’ loss. Therefore, controlling the rate of accidents has been one of the continuous efforts of human. The target of this research is estimation of fatal occupational accidents and related human costs. Material & Methods: This research was performed as a cross sectional study in 2003. Population of study included all dead insured staff, about 231 person, in Tehran province. The required data for this survey was collected through particular checklists by referring to various branches of the social security organization. The data then were evaluated by means of Excel and software that had been designed for this purpose. Result: In these three years 19.8 percent of all accidents happening for insured staff occurred in Tehran. 3.1 percent of which led to death. This research showed that 7552 years of life and 3656 years of work were lost because of the occurrences of occupational accidents. Findings also showed that human cost for each fatal occupational accident was 3.3 milliard Rials. Conclusion: Reading the significant costs caused by occupational accidents, it is really important to recognize the accidents’ causes, control the rate of them and provide sufficient and appropriate occupational health and safety services.

Knowledge and attitude survey of high school students of yazd province of iran about hiv/aids

Abstract: Background: The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic is in its third decade and presently no single disease has attracted as much attention in the international community as AIDS. This Cross-Sectional study carried out in order to determine and evaluate the knowledge and attitude of high school students about AIDS in Yazd province at 2005. Methods and Materials: 2146 high school students in different grades from four cities of Yazd province were selected through cluster sampling and evaluated by Self-Administered questionnaires. Results: Although most of the students had an accurate knowledge about modes of HIV/AIDS transmission, but there were significant misconceptions about the disease and modes of HIV/AIDS transmission, but totally, the majority of students (35.2%) had a good knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Most of the student (36.3%) had a positive attitude; however, regarding the proportion of 32.4%, negative attitude towards HIV/AIDS was common also. The knowledge and attitude regarding the academic grade of students was significantly different (p<0.001). Additionally, attitude of girls was significantly more positive than boys (p<0.001). Radio and Television (63.9%) were the main sources of information and 21.2% of student named Internet as one of information sources. The Majority of students (56.1%) spoke with their friends about HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: According to the results, it can be recommended that schools have to be regarded as one of the main foci of activities in the strategies of AIDS risk reduction, and education of high school students (as one of the most important risk groups) about all aspects of HIV/AIDS, have to be seriously considered by the education policy makers.

The survey of the result and the associated factors in the preinternship examination at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in September & Mars 2001

Abstract: Background: The pre-internship is the most important examination of the Medical students, which can assess their professional abilities. The present research has described some important factors, about these exams. Material &methods: This study was done in 2002 on 99 medical students who participated in the examinations in September and Mars 2001. For the analysis, the scores of 13 courses of the stagery periods, the final scores (pre-internship and basic sciences) and some demographic factors were collected. To analyze t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and linear regression were used. Result: The participants and failed students were 35 and 9 in September and 64 and 10 in Mars examinations respectively. The mean scores of examinations were significantly different (p=0.034). The means of the pre-internship examinations for sex and quota system (Sahmieh) were significantly different in September and total, the means for marital status have significant differences only in Mars, and the means for the age in both examination and total were significantly different. Furthermore, the mean scores of Eye and Infectious disease, the means of different periods, and the final scores were significantly different between pass and fail students in both examinations. In September, the highest correlation between pre-internship scores and the courses or the means are for eye and infectious disease, and the mean of stagery period. In Mars examination, the highest correlation between pre-internship scores and the courses or the means, belongs to the means of stager and physiopathology periods and the final basic sciences score respectively. Also the regression equation for the pre-internship score was calculated. Conclusion: The variables of age, marital statues, quota system and sex, the mean of three periods and the score of eye and infectious disease are the important variables which more associated to the scores of the pre-internship examinations.

Assessment of survival without cardiac disease of thalassemic patients of shiraz, iran, 2005

Abstract: Background: Thalassemia is the most common hemolytic anemia in the world. Absence or irregular chelation therapy in these patients leads to cardiac complications such as heart failure, precarditis and arrhythmia. These complications are among the most common cause of death in thalassemic patients. The purpose of this study was investigation of survival without cardiac disease and effective factors in these patients. Methods and materials: In a retrospective study (with enumeration method) the survival without cardiac disease was studied in 806 thalassemic patients (406 male and 400 female) referring to Cooley’s ward of Dastgheib hospital in Shiraz using a data collection form. In addition to determination of age of cardiac disease incidence to survival analysis, demographic information and age at onset and type of transfusion and age at onset and method of chelation therapy also specified. Our data analyzed using descriptive and analytical (Kaplan-Meier and Log Rank test) statistic. Results: The age range of the subjects was from 1 to 43 years (mean ± SD: 15.34 years ± 6.82). The prevalence of cardiac disease was 15.9%. The mean age of onset of cardiac disease and mean age of patients with complications were 16.93 ± 5.44 and 19.6 ± 5.8 respectively and the estimated average years of survival with cardiac disease was 2.67 years. The median of survival without cardiac disease was 31.5 years and the estimated rates of survival without cardiac disease of 20 and 25 years were 75% and 69% respectively. There was a significant association between cumulative probability of occurrence of cardiac disease and age, education of parents and age of chelation therapy onset. Conclusions: Early onset of blood transfusion with late onset of chelating therapy increases the occurrence probability of cardiac disease. Educational level of parents and education of parents and patients about thalassemia and its complication would be very helpful in prevention of complications.

Prevalence of hepatitis c among diabetes mellitus patients in zahedan

Abstract: Background: Several clinical studies have recently claimed that HCV infection could trigger the onset of diabetes mellitus (DM). In order to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among patients with type 1, 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and investigate the influence of several epidemiological factors on HCV infection, we conducted this study. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study we evaluated 505 diabetic patients (135 male, 370 female with the mean age of 54.5 years) who had referred to Diabetic clinic in Boo-Ali hospital (a teaching hospital in south east of Iran) in 2004. Serologic testing for anti- HCV was done using a third–generation commercial Enzyme–Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Real–time–PCR (HCV RNA) in order to confirm the anti-HCV positive samples. Diabetic patients were divided in two groups according to their HCV antibody status and were analyzed for the following variables: age, sex, type of diabetes, duration of disease, mode of therapy, late diabetic complication, previous blood transfusions, intravenous drug addiction, hospital admissions and major surgical procedures. Then results were compared with the findings from blood donors. Results: HCV infection was detected in one patient who had history of hospitalization and blood transfusion. However, a higher prevalence of HCV infection was not observed in diabetic patients in comparison with blood donors (P=0.46).There was no correlation between HCV and diabetic type, duration, age, sex (P>0.05). Conclusions: Upon the results of our study, we conclude that HCV infection is not a trigger factor for DM; therefore it should not be listed among the various extrahepatic manifestations of this viral infection. Although, further studies, possibly multicentre, are needed to estimate prevalence of HCV in diabetic patients.

A case report: intestinal obstruction in laparatomy with diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy

Abstract: Approximately 1% of pregnancies are ectopic. The incidence of ectopic pregnancy (EP) appears to be increasing especially among young women. The diagnosis of EP is often based on clinical suspicion and usually the history and physical findings aren t typical. In this article we report a 42 year old female with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, 17 days retard of mense and vaginal bleeding. In paraclinic work up there was positive Grave Index test and -HCG titer was 18000 mu/ml and according to sonography findings a 7×8cm mixed echo mass in cul-de-sac was present and uterine cavity was empty. In Laparatomy there was partial obstruction in small intestine with adhesion bands from the site of salpingectomy related to a previous ectopic pregnancy. This condition (intestinal obstruction with complete abortion) is very rare in ectopic pregnancy differential diagnosis.

Determining the diagnostic value of alkaline phosphatase in comparison with parathyroid hormone (PTH) of renal osteodystrophy for treatment with calcitriol in hemodialysis patients

Abstract: Background: Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) is one of the most important tests for treatment of hemodialysis patients with calcitriol. This drug should be started when the PTH>200 pg/ml. However, the appropriate level of serum alkaline phosphates (ALP) for starting calcitriol is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine serum ALP as cutoff point for treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism with calcitriol. Method and Material: This study was a cross sectional. The serum level of PTH and ALP were measured in 75 chronic hemodialysis patients. Results: The correlation between PTH and ALP in diagnosis for treatment with calcitriol was significant (Kappa test P-Value=0.000). In determination of diagnostic value of ALP (at level 300IU/L) for treatment with calcitriol, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 88.9%, 93.9%, 66.7%, 98.4% and 93.3%, respectively. The cutoff point of ALP for treatment with calcitriol was 300 IU/L (normal 100-290 IU/L). Conclusion: These findings suggest that serum ALP is a good test for treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism. The results also indicate that calcitriol administration should not be started with ALP<300 IU/L.