Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Volume:13 Issue: 3, 2011

Stroke is the third common cause of disability and death. Diagnosis of stroke is based on its clinical manifestations and/or observation of infarct in the neuroimaging. Standard battery of diagnostic investigations and classification criteria is required for detection of stroke etiology. This review article deals with the diagnosis and management of brain infarction particularly in our country and is provided for non-neurologists. Using online scientific search engines and in some parts referring to laboratory archives constituted base of this review article. Acute stroke management is almost similar in its various etiologies. Neuroprotective drugs have little value in acute stroke management. At present time, a few Iranian medical centers have infrastructure of thrombolysis therapy. Prevention of stroke is based on the detection and control of its risk factors. Aspirin, 80 mg per day is the most common drug for stroke prevention. Co-administration of aspirin 80 mg/d and Dipyridamole 200-400 mg/d increases the preventive effects of aspirin. Clopidogrel 75 mg/d is the stroke preventive drug of choice in patients with peptic ulcer and coronary artery disease. Co-administration of aspirin and clopidogrel is more effective in stroke prevention but has more hemorrhagic complications. Using warfarin for stroke prevention is suggested only in patients who have facilities for repetitive coagulation tests. Carotid endarterectomy is indicated in symptomatic patients with more than 70% stenosis of extracranial internal carotid artery, if performed only by vascular surgeons experienced in carotid surgery. Many stroke patients are managed by general practitioners and non-neurologists, e.g. internists, cardiologists and neurosurgeons. This review article provides continuous medical education according to Iranian medical curriculum

Increased bacterial resistance to antibacterial agents is one of the most common problems in medicine. Herbal remedies used in the traditional medicine provide an interesting and unexplored source of assessing new drug. The purpose of this study was to determine antibacterial activity of methanol extract and essential oil of aerial part of Achillea wilhelmsii against bacteria. Achillea wilhelmsii C-Koch is an endemic plant that has relatively wide distribution in different parts of Iran. The concentrations of 20, 30, 50 and 400 mg/ml of methanol extract were prepared. Antibacterial activities were examined by agar dilution and well diffusion methods against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, E. coli and Pseudomonas aeroginosa. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) or Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) was carried out by tube dilution and well-diffusion methods. Methanol extracts exhibited inhibitory effects on S. aureus, B. cereus and E. coli with a range of MIC values extended from 6.25 to 25 mg/ml. Essential oil at concentration of 1000µg/ml was active against S. aureus, B. cereus and E. coli. They did not have any activity on P. aeroginosa. Methanol extract and essential oil of aerial part of Achillea wilhelmsii inhibited growth of pathogenic bacteria especially gram positive bacteria. Clinical applications of these materials needed further investigations.

Cytokines play an important role during labor of full – or pretern delivery. In umbilical cord blood, Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was thought to be a marker of defense to stress, surgery and infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytokine IL-6 concentrations in the mother and neonate depends on the mode of the delivery. This study was done on mothers and neonates in 80 single term deliveries (vaginal and cesarean) in Mahdieh Hospital in Tehran. Age of mothers was 21-39 years old, parity was 1 and 2. There wasnt history of underlying disease and drug usage in mothers and neonate was AGA and apgar was more than 8. There wasnt clinical evidence of infection in neonate and mothers. IL-6 was evaluated by enzyme-immunoassays in maternal serum and neonatal umbilical cord. Data were analyzed with SPSS and were applied fishers exact test for compare means. There were 37 vaginal deliveries and 43cesarean section. The mean (±standard error) of maternal IL-6 concentration in vaginal delivery (0.18±0.02) was significantly (P=0.000) higher than cesarean section (0.1±0.02) and neonatal IL-6 concentration in vaginal delivery (0.17±0.03) was significantly (P=0.000) higher than cesarean section (0.07±0.01). Results show that vaginal delivery cause to increase IL-6 compared to cesarean section in mother and neonate.

Postoperative ileus is common after cholecystectomy, causes gas retension, distention, nausea, vomiting, and even pain. Chewing gum is a type of sham feeding that may reduce the duration of postoperative ileus. This study determines the effect of chewing gum in the immediate postoperative period to facilitate ileus recovery following cholecystectomy. This is a randomized controlled trial in 2009. Twenty-four patients undergoing cholecystectomy and they divided in to two equal groups (n=12). Patients in group A chewed sugarless gum there time after surgery, each time 20 miniutes in 4, 10 and 18 hours after finishing sugery. Demographics, intraoperative, and postoperative care data did not reveal any significant difference between two groups. The data resending the first passage of flatus, defecation and bowel sound in every 2 hours for each patient completed in questioning. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version-13.5 and student t-test. The first bowel sound heard 3 ±1.3 and 2.8 ±1.3 hours post-operatively in cases and controls, respectively. The above findings were not significant between two groups. Furthermore gas passing reported at 18.3±10.5 and 36.28±12.6 hours post-operation in case and control groups respectively. The first defecation was occured at 36.8 ±21.7 and 69.5 ±19.2 hours after operation in case and control groups, respectively (p =0.001). This study showed that the chewing gum can help bowel movement after cholecystectomy.

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common malignancy in men and the eighth most common in women. It causes 8% of all malignancies in men and 3% of all malignancies in women. The trend of bladder cancer increasing in Iran. This study was conducted to estimate the survival rate of bladder cancer based on life table method. In this study, at first, data were collected based on individual variables of 514 patients suffering from bladder cancer and referred them to cancer registry center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences from 2001-2009. Data were collected at two stages and analyzed by life table method and Wilcox on test. Significant level considered at 0.05. Our findings showed that probability of survival accumulation at the end of 1, 3,5,10 years in patients with bladder cancer were equal to 0.8989, 0.7132, 0.5752 and 0.2459 respectively. There was significant difference in survival rate among age groups and treatment types (p<0.05). However, we did not observe any difference in survival time based on smoking (p=0.578), alcohol (p=0.419) and education level (p=0.371) of patients. The overall survival rate of bladder cancer in the present study was less than other areas. Patients’ age and treatment type were the influential factor in survival time. So continuous screening for early diagnosis suggested for older people.

Adolescence is a period of major changes in various aspects of physical, mental and social caracters they may get. There are new requirements for the changes have been occurred. Attention to these needs, in turn, are faster and better compatibility and increase self-esteem. Self-esteem is the basic factor of personality development in adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of educational group therapy on self-esteem of adolescent girls.

This is a quasi- experimental study. Seventy-one adolescent girls of 13-15 years old were selected cluster-randomly from guidance school and divided in two groups of experimental and control (35 cases, 36 controls). Self-esteem of adolescents in two groups measured using Pop test. Then the educational group therapy plan was utilized based on promotion of adolescent’s self- esteem at 10 sessions for case group. Self-esteem rate was measured just after the performance of planned session and were analyzed with SPSS-14 software.

The results of the study indicated that performing educational group therapy session can increase the mean self-esteem score for case group (84.74) comparing to control group (74.05). Independent t-test shows significant difference between self-esteem score in case and control groups.

According to our results the authors suggest that using educational group therapy plan is an effective approach in increasing self-esteem in adolescent girls and may improve mental health. Therefore, we suggest this plan for increasing self-esteem of adolescents in the schools.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its squeals are major global health problems. This study was conducted to evaluate HBsAg persistence, risk factors of HBV infection and changes of liver function tests among chronic HBV carriers in Kashan. This descriptive study was performed in HBsAg positive blood donors who detected after blood donation since 10 years ago. They were requested to retest HBsAg. A questionnaire consisting demographic and history of risk factors of HBV infection were filled by interviewing and then blood was taken for HBsAg test. Who had HBsAg positive test HBeAg, liver function tests were measured. The results were analyzed χ2, Fisher exact and t-tests using SPSS-13 software. A total of 150 HBsAg positive blood donors persistence of HBsAg in 88% and clearance was seen in 12% of cases. There was no significant statistical correlation between risk factors of HBV infection, with persistence of HBsAg. HBeAg was positive in 18.2% of HBsAg positive cases. There was no statistical correlation between ALT, AST and ALP with HBeAg. Chronic hepatitis B infection was detected in three patients. Considering the lower rate of clearance of HBsAg and detecting cases of chronic hepatitis; periodic examination of liver function tests seems to be essential in follow up in chronic HBV carriers.

Hepatitis B viral infection is a great global problem. According to high prevalence of infection in some parts of Iran, identifying etiologies and risk factors of the disease is an important issue in controlling infection in the community. The objective of this study is to compare the risk factors of HBsAg positive blood donors during a 10 year-period time-course. We conducted a retrospective study in 1200 HBsAg positive blood donors referring to blood bank center in Zahedan during the years 1378, 1383 and 1387. Demographic variables and several risk factors were evaluated and compared during those years. Our findings revealed significant statistical changes in age and education. Age was decreased and the disease was increased in illiterate cases during the study years. Risk factors that showed significant increasing changes during that time-period were history of dental procedures, surgery, hospitalization, endoscopy, positive family history for HBsAg, addiction to non-injectable drugs, living with positive HBsAg partners and intra-venous drug users. Decreasing the mean age of the patients during those years reflects increasing high risk behaviors among young people. Neonatal and family vaccination and screening family members, especially mothers could prevent this devastating disease. Following hygienic rules in the hospital is another important preventive measure. Premarital screening especially in high risk individuals is an effective preventive way to decrease the disease in the society.

Primary dysmenorrhoea has an important effect on women's quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology of primary dysmenorrhea and its relationship with exercise and dietary habits among high-school girls.

In this cross- sectional study, a cluster sample of 200 high-school girls was selected. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire and a Visual Analogue Scale for measuring pain.

The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 91%. The severity of pain has a negative significant correlation with consumption of particles of food and dried fruits and a positive significant relationship with consumption of the cucumber, meat, and dairy products. There was a significant different between severity of dysmenorrhea and doing or not doing exercise.

High prevalence of dysmenorrhea and correlation between dietary habits and exercise with dysmenorrhea indicates the necessity for education and more researches around different food regimes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of personality disorders among female prisoners of Zahedan prison. This is a descriptive survey and the statistical sample constituted of 80 female prisoners in Zahedan prison. All participants were assessed by Millon’s multi-axis clinical questionnaire. Our results indicated that prevalence of personality disorders in the study sample in question was 95%. Anti-social personality disorder with about 86.2% prevalence was the most common disorder. Drug-dependence and sadistic-aggressive personality with 60% and 56.2% prevalence, respectively, were in next places. The findings show that the statistical society in question represents high prevalence of personality disorders. This illustrates the need for broader investigations, preventive measures, and mental health-related cares.