جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « پیش بیمارستانی » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

Acinetobacter baumannii, a non-fermenting Gram-negative coccobacillus, exhibits high resistance to antimicrobial compounds. Biofilm formation is a crucial feature in many Acinetobacter species, contributing to their antibiotic resistance. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of ompA, csuA, bap and pgaB genes in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii with biofilm formation ability.

In this cross-sectional study, 49 isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii were collected from patients hospitalized in the health centers of Borujerd City. Acinetobacter baumannii isolates were confirmed by biochemical tests. In these isolates, the biofilm production ability was investigated by microtitreplate method. Then, using PCR method and specific primers, ompA, csuA, bap and pgaB genes were identified.The collected data were analyzed descriptively and analytically using SPSS version 16 software. Data analysis was done with Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and P<0.05 was considered as the basis of significance.

The presence of ompA, csuA, bap, and pgaB genes was detected in 87%, 92%, 98%, and 100% of the isolates, respectively. Additionally, the microtitreplate method revealed that biofilm formation was strong in 3 isolates (6%), moderate in 17 isolates (35%), and weak in 29 isolates (59%).

The prevalence of genes associated with biofilm formation in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates was high. This suggests that the studied isolates possess a significant ability to form biofilm structures.

Nosocomial infections are considered as the important parts of the treatment challenges in hospitals. The genus Artemisia is widely distributed in Iran. Their species produce antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal compounds belonging to different groups including phenols, terpenoids, sterols and polyacetylenes. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the in vitro effects of different hydroethanolic extracts of Artemisia species against bacterial strains in nosocomial infection.

12 different extracts, including 50% and 70% hydroethanolic extracts were prepared from the aerial parts of Artemisia ciniformis, A. turanica, A. kopetdaghensis, A. khorasanica, A. vulgaris, and A. sieberi. The winterization of the extracts produced corresponding defatted extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the extracts against the bacterial strains Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Acinetobacter sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococus epidermidis, Micrococcus luteus, Klebsiella  pneumoniae and Escherichia coli were measured using the microdilution broth method. Total phenolic contents were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method.

Among the extracts analyzed in this experiment, the lowest MIC value was observed for the 50% hydroethanolic extract of A. turanica (0.25 mg/ml) against S. epidermidis. The largest range of bacterial sensitivity (6 strains) was related to the 50% hydroethanolic extracts of A. turanica (defatted and non-defatted) and A. kopetdaghensis (defatted). The growth of S. epidermidis was inhibited by all of the extracts. The highest total phenolic content and yield of extraction were recorded for 70% hydroethanolic extract of A. sieberi and 50% hydroethanolic extract of A. ciniformis, respectively.

The 50% hydroethanolic extract of A. turanica was superior to the other extracts in terms of the in vitro antibacterial spectrum and selective potency. A. turanica and A. kopetdaghensis are probably suitable choices for further phytochemical and antibacterial investigations.

Hospital infections are one of the modern medical problems. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of educational intervention based on the health belief model regarding the preventive behaviors of hospital infections in midwifery trainees of Shahrekord Azad University in 2023.

The present study is a semi-experimental intervention study, with an intervention and a control group, conducted on midwifery trainees of Shahrekord Azad University,. The sample size included 36 people in each group and simple random sampling method was used by randomly assigning the individuals to each group. The data collection tool was a questionnaire of preventive behaviors against hospital infection based on the health belief model. After completing the pre-test questionnaires, the educational content was provided to the intervention group and then a post-test was conducted one month later. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS20 and conducting paired and independent t-tests.

The mean age of the participants in the study was 21.68± 0.90. The results of the paired t-test showed that in the intervention group, the mean score of knowledge increased (0.5±0.38) (p<0.05), guidance for action (2.83±1.08) (p<0.05) and preventive behavior (2±1.59) (p<0.05) was significant after the training and the reduction of perceived barriers (2.64±0.83) (p<0.05) was also significant. Independent t-test showed that the mean score of guidance for action (p<0.05) and preventive behavior (p<0.05) after training in the intervention group was higher than the control group.

Training about hospital infection prevention was associated with increasing awareness, reducing perceived barriers, increasing guidance for preventive action and behavior. Therefore, appropriate  training of people at risk, especially medical science trainees, can be effective in prevention.

The presence of microbial agents on different hospital surfaces is considered a harmful factor to health. The use of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) for health purposes has been evaluated in more than 50 countries. The present study aimed to assess the disinfection effect of Sanitizon solutions and common disinfectants (Sayasept HP and Sayasept 420) on the reduction of microbial load in Shohada-ye Ashayer Hospital, Khorram Abad.

In this experimental study, 200 samples from intensive care units were prepared and studied in seven experimental groups (one control group and six different types of disincentives) in six different hospital departments. The samples were cultured on specific culture media. The results were analyzed using SPSS software (version 23). The germicidal power of disinfectants was investigated according to standard 10504 and diffusion method in agar.

The use of disinfectants caused a significant decrease in the microbial load compared to the control group. Disinfection solutions led to a decrease in the number of colonies from 113 to 12. Moreover, all disinfectants had germicidal and fungicidal power according to the standard (reduction of four logarithms of bacteria). The Sanitizon solution succeeded in removing all microorganisms and reducing more than seven logarithms of test microorganisms. Sanitizon caused a more marked reduction of gram-negative bacteria and fungi compared to other disinfectants.

As evidenced by the results, Sanitizon can be used along with other common disinfectant products to clean surfaces. The intermittent use of disinfectants with different active substances reduces the probability of resistance in microorganisms.

Nursing care is an essential part of health care services and should be fully provided. Missed nursing care is a major threat to patient safety and health care quality. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount and reasons for missed nursing care in infection control and prevention from the point of view of care providers working in the medical, educational, and therapeutic center of Besat Sanandaj during 2023.

This cross-sectional study was conducteed in Besat Hospital, one of the teaching hospitals of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. The research samples in this cross-sectional study included 389 nurses and midwives working in Besat Hospital who were included in the study by census. To collect data, three tools were used: a demographic information registration form, a questionnaire on the missed nursing care in infection prevention and control, and a questionnaire on factors related to missed care.

The findings of the present study showed that the average score of missed nursing care in infection prevention and control was 75.83 ± 23.28 and below the average. The most important missed nursing care from the point of view of the nurses and midwives of Besat Hospital was the use of personal protective equipment by the service personnel of the department (4.88 %), the report of the patient's infection status when transferred to another department or paraclinical unit such as radiology (3.86 %), and teaching patients about bathing before surgery (3.86 %). The most important factor of forgotten nursing care was unexpected increase in workload and number of patients in the ward (79.69 %) along with insufficient number of nursing and midwifery personnel in the ward (32.75 percent). A statistically significant relationship was observed between forgotten nursing care in infection prevention and control with the related factors (P = 0.0001), (R = - 0.1940).

The missed nursing care in the prevention and control of infection from the point of view of nurses and midwives of Besat Hospital was average. The most important factor was the unexpected increase in the workload the number of patients and the lack of personnel. The people participating in the research emphasized the role of systemic, organizational, and management factors in preventing effective infection control. Therefore, it seems necessary to reduce the factors that cause missed care with proper planning and management by reducing nurses' workload and providing budget and manpower.

Patient falls are common in hospitals, leading to financial loss and potential harm to patients, staff, and the organization. They can often be prevented with proper planning. This study aims to identify strategies to prevent patient falls and provide evidence to develop safety initiatives.

Our review used the Arksey and O’Malley scoping review model to identify strategies for preventing patient falls. We conducted searches with relevant keywords in the PubMed and Web of Science databases until May 25, 2024. In the final stage, we consulted with 18 experts using the Delphi method to gather their opinions. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method.

Out of the 4202 studies initially found, 19 articles were chosen. The solutions to prevent patient falls can be grouped into six general categories: planning (which includes quality improvement programs, establishment of patient safety culture, patient fall prevention guidelines and programs), physical space (involving patient room design and the location of treatment staff), equipment (such as monitoring and alarms, pressure sensors, and standard beds), human resources (including communication networks between nurses and other treatment staff, as well as factors like self-efficacy and responsiveness of nurses, and their motivation and job satisfaction), training (covering education and patient participation, training of nurses and treatment staff, and electronic training), and control of executive processes (involving evaluation of risk factors and process control). The highest level of agreement among the members was on the equipment dimension (9.76), and the lowest was on the human resources dimension (8.65).

Patient falls are a common safety concern in hospitals and can be prevented with proper planning. Each hospital should use a combination of prevention methods tailored to its specific conditions.

Fungal infections are increasingly common in the hospital environment and the risk factors for these infections continue to increase and can become a serious threat to the life and health of employees and patients. The aim of this study was to explain the principles of prevention of fungal infections in hospitals at different stages of construction activities. This study is of the type of narrative review study, which is based on a comprehensive search of the key words "hospital fungal infections", "construction activities", "preventive requirements", "schools", their combination in the database. Valid citations available on national and international lines such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, Science direct, and Persian SID, Irandoc and Magiran databases were done from 1391 to 1401. Preventive health requirements were then formulated prior to, during and following the implementation of hospital construction projects. According to several reports, more than 5000 deaths occur annually due to fungal infections related to construction and reconstruction activities in hospitals and health care centers, and transplant patients who are infected with Aspergillus. They face mortality between 74 and 92%. As a result, it is very necessary to prevent the spread of fungal spores through activities such as construction and renovation and to prevent the spread of fungal infections in hospitals. Because these activities predispose conditions for the spread of fungal infections and increase in mortality. It is necessary to design, implement, control and monitor preventive measures as a main strategy in three stages, including before the start of the project and simultaneously with the design of construction activities, during implementation and after the completion of construction operations by the infection control team of the hospital.

The Study of the microbial health of food products, cosmetic products, industrial effluents, and hospital wastes is important because they are related to human health and hygiene in society. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the microbial quality in food, cosmetics, industrial effluents, and hospital wastes in Hamadan province.

In this study, microbial tests were performed for the detection and counting of bacteria, molds, and yeasts based on the culture method in 15 food products and 5 cosmetic products. Also, industrial waste microbial tests (counting total and fecal coliforms) were used by MPN method in 38 units. Microbial tests of 14 hospital units were performed by biological vial test, and class 6 microbial test.

Based on the obtained results, the microbial tests in 4 food products exceeded the permissible consumption limit and the rest of the products were reported as negative. Out of 5 cosmetic-sanitary products, was not allowed only one product with microbial load. Also, were reported the results of microbial tests in industrial wastes in the winter of 1401, 6 industrial units as positive, and in the spring of 1402, 2 industrial units were reported as positive. In the investigations of hospital waste, in the winter of 1401, the microbial tests of all units were negative, and in the spring of 1402, two hospital units were positive.

Considering the importance of health in society, the requirement of microbial tests at the level of hospitals and industries should be taken into consideration.

The least expensive way to prevent hospital infections is hand hygiene. This study investigated the causes of non-observance of hand hygiene in the intensive care unit (ICU) department of the studied hospitals and effective strategies to reduce it.

This interventional study was conducted in the ICU wards of six hospitals (A-F) affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 2018-2020. In order to improve the process of hand hygiene, the - nine step FOCUS-PDCA method was used. In each hospital, hand hygiene compliance was measured in five different situations (before contact with the patient, before aseptic procedures, after contact with the patient fluids, after contact with the patient, and after contact with the environment), in three professional career subgroups before and after the implementation of the intervention, using the World Health Organization checklist by the trained people. The data were analyzed in SPSS software version 24.

In all the hospitals under study, the level of hand hygiene compliance in all five situations had a significantly increasing trend, so that at the end of the study in the six medical centers, the level of hand hygiene compliance reached above 41%. In all medical centers, nurses had the highest amount of hand washing. After the intervention, the average level of hand hygiene in all hospitals increased significantly (p<0.01) and reached41.6%. Also, the level of hand hygiene in all job professional subgroups showed a significantly increasing trend (p<0.01) in which the nurses had the highest scores. An increasing trend was observed in all five different situations of hand hygiene in all hospitals (p<0.01).

The findings of the present study showed that the implementation of the FOCUS-PDCA model in the hospital can increase the level of hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers, especially nurses.

Since 2019, the spread of the coronavirus has caused an epidemic worldwide, and the transmission of the disease through respiratory droplets has been declared as the primary method of transmission in 2020. However, in this study, the indirect transmission of the virus through sewage has been investigated.

Wastewater related to hospital and urban wastewater treatment plants in 5 regions of Ardabil province (northwest of Iran) were investigated. A total of 22 samples were kept in pre-test conditions (temperature -20 degrees Celsius) and were used to identify the viral genome. Specific primer and chain reaction probes targeting ORF1ab and N (nucleoprotein gene) genes were used.

In this research, out of all the samples collected, the result of 3 samples was positive. All three positive samples are related to incoming sewage.

The results of this research showed that sewage epidemiology (WBE) can be considered a cost-effective method for diagnosing and predicting pathogenic agents and an effective method for making decisions to protect citizens' health.

Increased waste production during patient treatment emerges as a serious issue following infectious disease outbreaks. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on medical waste production in Mashhad, Iran.

In this study, 4 referral (R) and 2 non-referral (NR) hospitals were examined. The quantity and quality of waste produced before (2018-2019) and during COVID-19 (2019-2020) were extracted from hospital records and noted in standard medical waste management checklists. Also, the number of hospital visits due to COVID-19 was determined and entered into the study by referring to the Treatment Deputy of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

The results showed that the mean waste production was 449.50 ± 49.45 kg/day and 436.04 ± 107.55 kg/day in 2018-2019 (before COVID-19) and 2019-2020 (during the outbreak) in R1, respectively, 3000.26 ± 227.46 kg/day and 3279.72 ± 153.00 in R2, 544.53 ± 107.10 kg/day and 666.32 ± 156.68 in R3, and 476.72 ± 15.96 kg/day and 635.41 ± 54.88 kg/day in R4. Also, the mean waste production was 219.6 ± 36.90 and 199.06 ± 49.58 kg/day in NR1 and 112.1 ± 29.55 kg/day and 108.8±59.1 kg/day in NR2 before and during COVID-19, respectively. Field surveys showed that despite the increased amount of waste production, all waste management stages, such as collection, transfer, and disposal, are being implemented in accordance with the guidelines.

The results of this study showed that the medical waste production rate is related to the prevalence of diseases. Considering the importance of medical waste management, it requires careful and correct application of national and international guidelines.

Proper management of hospital waste is crucial due to its impact on health and the environment. Assessing the effectiveness of the management system using models can lead to improvements.

This study aims to evaluating the health-environmental and management performance of hospital wastes using the EFQM excellence model in three selected hospitals. (two military hospitals and one civilian hospital).

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a detailed questionnaire was developed to investigate waste management strategies by reviewing literature and conducting unstructured interviews with employees and managers of selected hospitals. The questionnaire was validated through expert reviews, and its reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. A performance evaluation model was designed based on the EFQM organizational excellence model, using nine criteria in the form of “enablers” and “results”. Cochran’s formula was utilized to determine the sample size, and the results were analyzed using SPSS23 software. ANCOVA was employed to compare the selected hospitals, and Bonferroni’s post hoc test was used for pairwise comparison.

Results showed that the criteria (leadership, policy and strategy) and (healthenvironmental risk assessment and management) in hospital (A) and the criteria (partnerships and resources) and (Key performance results) in hospital (B) as well as the criteria (risk assessment and management) and criteria (community results) in hospital (C) are considered as their most important waste management strength. The comparison of these hospitals using the statistical method of univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) reveals a significant difference in the average of the criterion (partnerships and resources) in hospitals (C) & (B), and the criteria (community results) in hospitals (A) & (B) are significant.

The senior hospital managers are confident that they have established an effective organizational structure and process management  system. They believe this system will lead to sustainable improvement. They also recognize the need for shortterm and long-term plans to address areas needing further improvement.

Background &

Burns are one of the most common problems worldwide. Burn wound in cases of hospital infection is one of the main causes of death of these patients. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the prevalence and type of wound infection in burn patients admitted to 5 Azar Hospital in Gorgan.
Materials &

In this retrospective descriptive study, out of a total of 99 cases of patients with 2nd degree burns and above who were hospitalized, 62 cases were included in the study and 37 cases were excluded due to the death of the patients or incomplete information. Demographic information, underlying disease history, duration of hospitalization, percentage of burn, type of burn and type of infection were monitored with the help of HIS system and recorded in the checklist. Data were analyzed with SPSS22 software and mean, frequency, chi-score, Fisher's exact and U-Man-Whitney tests at a significance level of 0.05.

Out of 62 patients, 55 (88.7%) patients had an infection and 7 (11.3%) patients did not have an infection. The most common cause of infection were Gram-negative bacteria (32.3%). Infection had a statistically significant relationship with the total length of hospitalization (p=0.009), burn percentage (p=0.004) and burn site in the upper limbs (p=0.022). Infection had no significant relationship with demographic characteristics including gender, previous history, age and body mass index.

The percentage of burns and the place of burns in the upper limbs and the duration of the patient's stay in the hospital are effective in causing and the rate of infection. As a result, reducing the time of the patient's stay in the hospital prevents the infection to some extent.

Trauma injuries are one of the major health problems in the world. Although several programs have been implemented to reduce the rate of traumatic injuries, the rate of injuries is still increasing. The present study aimed to investigate the frequency of trauma in trauma patients referred to the emergency department of Imam Khomeini Hospital in order to reduce mortality and increase the final improvement by adopting appropriate methods to prevent and reduce trauma statistics and trauma control. Patients suffered severe injuries.

This retrospective study was performed over a period of 6 months 2016 on trauma patients referred to the emergency department of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia. Type of trauma, mechanism of its action, and other necessary information were extracted from the patients' files and recorded in the relevant checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21.

In this study, 17,790 trauma patients were examined. In terms of gender, 4736 (26.6%) were female and 13542 (73.4%) were male. The mean age of trauma patients referred to the emergency department was 30.70 ± 18.26 years. Of 68 patients died in the emergency department, 24 (35.3%) died within the first hour of admission, 38 (55.8%) within 23 hours, and 6 (8.9%) after 24 hours.

The most common causes of trauma were vehicle accidents, fights, and falls from a height. There was a significant difference between the sex of patients and the type of trauma (P=0.001), however, there was no significant relationship between the type of accident and the age group of trauma patients (P=0.34).

At the global level, the provision of health services even in the smallest units is complicated, and organizations providing health services are facing various challenges, including the increase in care costs and the reduction of health and treatment fund. The purpose of this research is to identify effective dimensions and components in the formation of financial knowledge and skills needed by hospital managers.

Based on the exploratory approach, this research was conducted qualitatively through phenomenological method. In terms of the result, it is among developmental studies. Necessary analyses were done using the 7-step Colaizzi technique and with the help of Max Kyuda software. Purposive sampling method was used, and data was collected through interviews with 10 financial experts of Iranian hospitals in 1400. Then, data were analyzed, and finally, dimensions and components were extracted.

The main components in determining the financial knowledge of hospital managers included basic information related to financial flow, hospital financing system, financial management and funding, basic accounting and financial information, auditing, management accounting and evaluation, legal and regulatory frameworks in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the payment system, and financial incentives and contracts. In a nutshell, 145 key concepts were extracted.

According to the results of the research, it is necessary to compile appropriate topics and develop educational resources to improve the financial knowledge and skills of hospital managers. It is necessary to prepare and formulate a suitable tool to measure knowledge and financial skills of hospital managers and determine their strengths and weaknesses for the purpose of targeted training and also as one of the requirements for the selection of hospital managers. It is recommended to periodically train the managers of the organization by holding in-service training courses.

 Surgical Site Infection (SSI) occurs within 30 days after surgery and involves the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the surgical incision. In addition to harming the patient, surgical site infection imposes a high cost on the health system. This research aimed to estimate the cost of surgical site infection in a hospital Iran.

 This descriptive study was conducted in a university hospital in Kashan in 2016. The cost of diagnosis, treatment and care of SSI was identified and calculated by an experienced medical doctor and two experienced nurses by studying the patient's medical record. Data were analyzed with SPSS software (version 16) and using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.

 The prevalence of SSI was 1.04% in the hospital. The median additional cost attributable to SSI per patient was 33,089,572 Rials (997 US$), which includes the cost of medication (7,838,412 Rials), tests (1,294,244 Rials), and imaging (1,462,692 Rials). ), re-surgery (7,938,158 Rials) and other services (14,556,066 Rials). The cost of SSI has a significant association with patient age, diabetes, type of surgery, duration of surgery, placement of device in the patient body, patient length of stay in the hospital before infection and patient hospitalization department (p<0.05).

 Surgical site infection imposes a high cost on the patient, the health insurance organization and the hospital. Health system policy makers and hospital managers should use appropriate interventions to prevent and control surgical site infections

In hospitals, the emergency department is a complex healthcare environment, and it is necessary to attention to nosocomial infections. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of nosocomial infection program in the emergency department.

This descriptive study was conducted in hospitals of Gorgan, Iran, in 2022, using the WHO checklist with 96 questions in 9 section staff; patients, environment, equipment, drug, prevention of infections wound, urinary, respiratory, and blood. Data were collected via observation and interviews. A checklist containing 45 questions was used to determine the impact of staff awareness on the infection control program, in 4 sections oftheoretical knowledge, performing procedures, immunization, and environmental hygiene.

The results show that 82.46% of the infection control program was satisfactory. The percentage of scores for different sections of nosocomial infection program including staff, patients, environment, equipment, drug, infection prevention of wound, urinary, respiratory and blood  was 79.31, 77.78,  81.25,  83.34, 100, 44.34, 75.00, 87.88 and 100, respectively. Moreover, the percentage awareness score for emergency medicine specialists, general practitioners, medical interns, and nurses was 100, 95.83, 87.5, and 79.92, respectively.

The implementation quality of the infection control program was acceptable and satisfactory. However, some factors were lower than the desired level, which could be dangerous for medical staff, patients, and visitors. The medical staff believed that the support of the senior managers of the University was essential for the implementation of an infection control program, and also holding training courses, and accelerating data sharing.

The delay from the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) symptoms to seeking medical help can have life-threatening consequences. This study was performed to determine the pre-hospital and in-hospital delay in treating the patients with AMI hospitalized in the hospital of Bonab city, Iran.

The present study was a descriptive, cross-sectional study performed from February 2020 to August 2020. Among 265 patients diagnosed with AMI referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Bonab city, 247 patients were eligible to include in the study. The data was collected by a three-part questionnaire including demographic information, the patient's medical history, and reasons for the delay in pre-hospital and in-hospital treatment. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were checked by content validity and intra-class correlation coefficient, respectively. The data were analyzed in SPSS version 16 at a significance level of less than 0.05.

Most of the patients (%74.5) attributed symptoms of AMI to gastrointestinal and respiratory problems. The mean time for decision-making was 2.31±2.99 hours. Moreover, just a few numbers of them (%6.5) informed the emergency medical services after the onset of symptoms. The mean time of transmission of patients to the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) was 3.81 hours. From them, %62.34 had not received thrombolytic therapy. Also, the mean time of taking the first dose of aspirin since the onset of symptoms was 3.75±2.99 hours. There was a significant relationship between decision-making time and sex (p= 0.03), rural residence (p= 0.04), and the job of the patients (p=0.001).

Prolonged delay was related to delay in patients’ decision-making for informing emergency medical services as well as referral of primary care services to the CCU ward. Interventions should be taken to recognize cognitive and behavioral factors involved in decision-making. New public health strategies should be developed to facilitate rapid access to acute care for AMI and to increase knowledge of people about the signs and symptoms of AMI.

Background & Aims:

 Copper-61 (61Cu) is a radioisotope with a half-life of 3.33 hours which decays to nickel-61 isotope byβ+  emission (61%) or electron capture (39%). This radioisotope can be used in the evaluation of the blood supply of the heart and low-oxygen cancer tissues imaging with PET. 61Cu is mainly produced by bombarding zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) targets in medium cyclotrons. The aim of this study was to investigate the 61Cu production yield via the reactions of 64Zn(p,α)61Cu, natZn(p,x)61Cu, 61Ni(p,n)61Cu, and natNi(p,x)61Cu in hospital cyclotrons.

Materials & Methods:

In this experimental study, the excitation functions of these reactions were calculated by TALYS-1/96 and EMPIRE-3-2-2 codes, and the best energy with highest reaction cross-section and lowest impurity was determined. The stopping power and target thickness at the selected energy were calculated by SRIM-2013 code. 61Cu production yield was obtained by integrating the production yield formula in MATLAB environment, and compared with the results of MCNPX-2/6 simulation and experimental works.

The maximum yield of the TALYS code for 64Zn(p,α)61Cu, natZn(p,x)61Cu, 61Ni(p,n)61Cu, and natNi(p,x)61Cu at 14, 14, 9 and 20 MeV were 113/29, 55/07, 498/51 and 46/51 MBq/µAh, respectively. The maximum yield of the EMPIRE code for 64Zn(p,α)61Cu and 61Ni(p,n)61Cu at 14 and 9 MeV were 183/24 and 497/21 MBq/µAh, respectively. The maximum yield of MCNPX code for 64Zn(p,α)61Cu and 61Ni(p,n)61Cu at 14 and 9 MeV were 90/73 and 470/26 MBq/µAh, respectively. The maximum experimental yield of 64Zn(p,α)61Cu and 61Ni(p,n)61Cu at 14 and 9 MeV were 155 and 461/32 MBq/µAh, respectively.

It could be concluded from the comparison of simulation and experimental results that these results are in concurrence with 61Ni(p,n)61Cu at 9 MeV, and this reaction in this energy is the best reaction for producing 61Cu in hospital cyclotrons.