دکتر منوچهر احمدی هدایتی

Cystic fibrosis is a rare genetic disease which causes widespread inflammation in the body and has a poor prognosis due to various complications, especially respiratory system involvement. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of cystic fibrosis and determine its epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical features in Kurdistan province, Iran, between 2010 and 2020.

This cross-sectional study included cystic fibrosis patients admitted to Besat Hospital in Sanandaj (as the only referral specialized center for pediatric diseases in Kurdistan Province) between 2010 and  2011. Epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical data of the patients were collected by a checklist. Using SPSS software version 22, data were analyzed by using Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation coefficient.

During the study period, we found 19 patients with definite diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, 14 (73.7%) male and 5 (26.3%) female, with mean age ± standard deviation of 11.10 ± 9.7. Based on the data of the birth rate in kurdistan Province during the study period, the incidence of cystic fibrosis in Kurdistan Province was estimated to be one in 15,000 live births per year. 4 patients (21.1%), had positive family history. The main symptoms of these patients were steatorrhea (94.7%), cough (89.5%), dyspnea (78.9%), growth disorder (73.7%), heart disorders (63.2%), jaundice (57.9%) and finger clubbing (36.8%).

Although cystic fibrosis is not very common in this province, identifying at-risk parents and early diagnosis of the disease can be beneficial for increasing life expectancy and quality of life and reducing health costs.

People spent most of their time indoors. Therfore, quality of  indoor air ,especially in the therapeutic settings is of particular importance. This study aimed to determine the level of pollutants in indoor and outdoor air of Tohid Hospital in Sanandaj.

In this cross-sectional descriptive study 120 indoor and outdoor air samples were collected by TES-5200 copper counterpart machine made by TES company in Taiwan. Particulate matter samples were collected from 9 wards and also 3 stations in every ward in the hospital. Also air samples were obtained from 3 selected stations outside the hospital. Samples were taken from the selected sites  twice. The results were analyzed by Excel and SPSS software.

According to the results of this study, the highest and lowest concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM4, PM7, PM10) belonged to the emergency room and the operating room, respectively. The highest level of PM1 concentration was detected in the ICU ward. There was no significant relationship between temperature and particle concentration and also between moisture and particle concentration in the wards of the hospital. In regard to particulate matter, the emergency department was the most contaminated ward and the operating room had the best condition.

The relationship between the concentrations of particles in the outdoor and indoor air indicated the penetration of these particles from outside into the hospital building. Also, outdoor air can affect indoor air quality.