Epidemiology and Health System Journal
Volume:10 Issue: 4, Autumn 2023

 Ocular traumas are among the most important causes of visual acuity loss and acquired unilateral blindness in children, with permanent effects on their psychological and social development. The epidemiology of ocular traumas, especially those of children in different societies, is affected by the culture and level of education, lifestyle, and socioeconomic level. Considering that no accurate statistics on these injuries have been reported in Hamadan, Iran, this study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of various types of injuries in children following ocular traumas in Hamadan.

 This cross-sectional study included 293 patients under 18 years of age with ocular trauma who were visited in Farshchian Sina hospital in 2019. A detailed medical history was obtained including demographic information, type of injury, initial and final visual acuity, cause of injury, mother’s occupational status, and the delay between trauma and the examination, and the examiner-recorded definitive care. Finally, the data were analyzed using Excel software, and a significance level of 0.05 was used.

 Out of 293 patients examined, 38.91% were female, and 61.09% were male. Children aged 1-5 years (30.72%) were the most commonly affected group, followed by those aged 6-10 years (29.35%). There were 19 cases of chemical injury, 33 cases of penetrating trauma, and 241 cases of blunt trauma. The mean initial vision in patients was 0.31±0.347 logMAR, and the mean final vision was 0.06±0.084 logMAR. In 94 patients, it was impossible to check visual acuity due to their lower age. Besides, 49.83% of injuries happened at home.

 In this research, the most common type of ocular trauma was blunt trauma in male patients, which occurred at home in the presence of the mother. Therefore, it is obvious that the most effective way to prevent these incidents is that parents should pay more attention to their children, implement well-established safety precautions while playing at home, and use standard play equipment.

 High-risk oncogenic genotype human papillomavirus (HPV) infection induces cervical cancer (CaCx), a common cancer in women globally. Women living with human immunodeficiency virus (WLHIV) have a greater risk of hr-HPV infection and perseverance, enhancing the risk of defects in the cells of the cervix and aggressive CaCx. However, its prevalence in WLHIV is not apparent. The main objective of this research was to explore the types and prevalence of HPV infection by genotyping HPV among a cohort of WLHIV attending an antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic in Mukono, Uganda.

 A cross-sectional study was conducted among women aged 25 to 49 years attending an ART clinic in a public health facility in Mukono, Uganda. Systematic random sampling was used to select 342 WLHIV from a target population of 3000. Only participants who had an Xpert HPV test between July 2021 and December 2022 were selected and interviewed, and their responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

 Slightly more than half (56.7%) of the participants were under 35 years old, married (52.6%), and with a primary level of education (51.2%). The prevalence of hr-HPV was 39.8% (95% CI: 34.40-44.78). Of the total participants, 136 (39.8%) were high-risk HPV positive, with HPV 16, HPV18/45, and other hr-HPV types (31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68) being positive in 23 (6.7%), 21 (6.1%), and 110 (32.2%), respectively, while 17 (12.5%) had mixed hr-HPV infections.

 There is a high prevalence of HPV infection among WLHIV, underscoring the need to frequently screen and diagnose CaCx pre-cancerous lesions for its effective prevention.

 COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis, and treatment require the identification of high-risk variables. Thus, this study compared the personal, clinical, and paraclinical characteristics of deceased and surviving COVID-19 patients.

 This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on COVID-19 patients in the University of Medical Sciences Hamadan hospitals from September 2021 to June 2022. A total of 1948 COVID-19 patients were included in the census. Personal, clinical, and paraclinical data were collected from the medical record. Chi-square, independent t-test, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data in SPSS, version 24.

 Individual, clinical, and paraclinical variables differed significantly between deceased and surviving COVID-19 patients (P<0.05). Age (over 60 years), complications after COVID-19, frequent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use of antifungal drugs, oxygen therapy, underlying disease, insulin, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, angiotensin II receptor blocker, acidosis, cancer, hypertension, antibiotic use, C-reactive protein, creatinine, bilateral lung involvement, and high levels of potassium were the strongest abnormal predictors of death in COVID-19 patients.

 Identifying the differences between the deceased and the survivors of COVID-19 in terms of individual, clinical, and paraclinical variables and comparing them with each other in terms of these variables can help in the diagnosis, monitoring, risk assessment, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19.

 Genetics and environment are synergistic in multiple sclerosis (MS). Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II has a strong genetic association with MS. The aim of this study was to determine the association of HLA rs3135388 and rs9271366 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with MS.

 The rs3135388, rs9271366, and rs422951 SNPs were genotyped in 173 Iranian relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 200 matched healthy controls, using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using statistical software to estimate the risk factor for disease. The allele and genotype frequencies of SNPs were determined based on data analysis using SPSS, version 20.

 Our results identified a strong association in the allele distribution for both rs3135388 and rs9271366 SNP, such that the A allele of rs3135388 (OR=1.765; 95% CI: 1.071–2.909) and the G allele of rs9271366 were found to be more frequent in MS patients than in healthy controls (OR=1.861; 95% CI: 1.025–3.3378). The mutated G allele for rs422951 SNP was relatively frequent (OR=1.128; 95% CI: 0.745–1.707).

 Our findings revealed the critical role of the rs3135388 and rs9271366 SNPs in MS disease progression. Genotyping MS patients could facilitate personalized medical management.

 Today, the role of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) vaccines in preventing the disease and reducing the severity of the disease is undeniable; however, there is a possibility of serious adverse events following immunization (sAEFI) that might be life-threatening. The present study was designed to identify the frequency of the most common sAEFI in hospitalized people after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in the south of Iran.

 This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022. In total, since the start of the COVID-19 vaccination program in the city of Larestan, in the south of Iran, a total of 68 sick people have been hospitalized due to complications caused by the vaccine. The research tool of the present study was a standard checklist called the sAEFI of the COVID-19 vaccine.

 A total of 68 hospital cases were reviewed. The mean age of the individuals with sAEFI was 59.78±12.70 years, and 21 (56.8%) of them were females. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was the most common 24 (64.9%) sAEFI. Based on the results, 2 (5.4%) had acute coronary syndrome (ACS), 2 (5.4%) had Guillain-Barré syndrome, and 2 (5.4%) had a stroke.

 It can be mentioned that there is always a possibility of sAEFI, but its frequency in the general population is extremely rare. However, the most common sAEFIs included adverse drug reactions, stroke, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. The readiness of health care staff for early detection of possible sAEFI can be effective in reducing the severity of the sAEFI.

 Back pain is one of the most common and often neglected problems in pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of back pain and its associated risk factors during the trimesters of pregnancy in pregnant women referring to selected healthcare centers in Shahrekord from 2022 to 2023.

 This cross-sectional study was conducted on 521 eligible pregnant women referring to selected holistic healthcare centers in Shahrekord, Iran, during 2022-2023. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics checklist completed as a self-report, and the presence of back pain was evaluated based on the perception and feeling that the mother herself had of any pain in the lower back area. The data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26), and P<0.05 was considered the significance level.

 The prevalence of back pain in pregnant women was 62.7% in general, with a significant difference among trimesters of pregnancy (P<0.001). Among the investigated risk factors, there was a significant association between employment (P=0.01), type of delivery (P=0.002), type of anesthesia (P<0.001), history of back pain before pregnancy (P<0.001), and standing break of more than three hours (P<0.001) and the prevalence of back pain. In addition, increasing gestational age (P<0.001, odds ratio=1.308, 95% confidence interval=1.255–1.363) was a significant predictor of back pain in pregnancy.

 The results revealed that more than half of women experience back pain during pregnancy, and the most powerful factor in the prevalence of this disorder is increasing gestational age. Considering the high prevalence and effects of pain on the quality of life of pregnant women, it is important for service providers to identify and develop policies and design effective interventions to prevent or solve this problem.

Rabies virus is responsible for 60000 deaths annually worldwide, and over 95% of all human rabies deaths occur in developing countries. In Iran, the annual number of animal bites is 180 per 100000 people, and rabies control programs focus more on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). In this study, the data on people whose death was caused by rabies were obtained from the WHO Collaborating Center (CC) for Reference and Research on Rabies (Pasteur Institute of Iran) from 2011 to 2022. Data analysis showed a remarkable increase in human rabies mortality rate after 10 years in Iran in 2022, with 14 cases. Then, the causes were investigated despite prevention measures. The increase in human rabies cases in Iran indicates that the currently used control methods are insufficient. Controlling the population of stray dogs, sterilization, and vaccination coverage of 70% are the most essential and basic steps in preventing rabies.