seyed masoom masoompour

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF), a sinus tract between the bronchial system and the pleural space, is associated with COVID-19 and can lead to pneumothorax, which increases the mortality rate. Due to the analytical status of COVID-19 patients, sealing the BPF necessitates the least minimal invasive treatment. Herein, we demonstrated a technique of sealing post-COVID-19 BPF with direct injection of cyanoacrylate glue under the guidance of a computed tomography scan. Following glue injection, the BPF was completely sealed in all four patients. In conclusion, in COVID-19 patients with small and distal BPF, percutaneous glue injection is recommended for BPF closure.

 Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a leading cause of maternal mortality. However, diagnosis of PTE can be challenging during pregnancy, and there is no consensus regarding the best diagnostic approach.

 The current study aimed to evaluate the applicability of clinical symptoms and diagnostic tests in ruling in or ruling out PTE during pregnancy.

 In this one-year, cross-sectional, descriptive study, we evaluated pregnant or postpartum (six weeks postpartum) women suspected of PTE, who were admitted to the internal medicine intensive care units (ICUs) of hospitals (Namazi and Shahid Faghihi hospitals), affiliated with Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran, during August 2016-July 2017. The participants underwent electrocardiography (ECG), serum troponin-I and D-dimer measurements, chest X-ray, color-doppler sonography (CDS) of the lower extremity venous system, transthoracic echocardiography, pulmonary perfusion scan, or pulmonary computed tomography angiography (CTA). The participants’ clinical manifestations were also assessed.

 A total of 103 women, with the mean age of 30.37 ± 5.35 years, were included in this study. Seventy-seven women underwent pulmonary CTA or pulmonary perfusion scan. PTE was documented in nine cases. Dyspnea was the most common symptom. The respiratory rate, cough, dizziness, and fever on admission had significant correlations with the final diagnosis of PTE (P = 0.01, 0.03, 0.007, and 0.04, respectively). The ECG study of one case with PTE showed right axis deviation, while the ECG findings of the other eight cases showed no specific pattern. The chest X-ray findings had no significant correlation with the final diagnosis of PTE. Overall, 38 women underwent CDS, one of whom presented with deep vein thrombosis. The serum D-dimer level was positive in three cases with documented PTE (normal in one patient with PTE), and the serum troponin-I level was positive in one case with the final diagnosis of PTE (normal level in two patients with PTE).

 Based on the findings, clinical symptoms and biochemical tests alone are not reliable for ruling in or ruling out PTE during pregnancy, and CTA and pulmonary ventilation/perfusion scan should be performed for these cases.

 We evaluated to see if the algorithmic approach of pulmonary embolism (PE) [Wells’ score, followed by D-dimer test and computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA)] is appropriately followed in teaching hospitals of Shiraz, Iran.

 From October 2012 to October 2013, we prospectively calculated Wells’ score for all patients who underwent CTPA with clinical suspicion to PE; patients with low probability who had not checked the D-dimer or had low level of D-dimer were considered as non-adherent to the guideline and those with high level of D-dimer or high probability of Wells’ score were labeled as adherent to the PE guideline. CTPA scans were independently reported by two radiologists.

 During study period, 364 patients underwent CTPA to rule out PE, of which 125 (34.3%) had Wells’ score > 4 (high probable risk) and 239 had Wells’ score ≤ 4. Amongst low probable risk patients (Wells’ score ≤ 4), only 32 patients had undergone the D-dimer test (23 patients had high level of D-dimer). Based on the algorithmic approach, patients with suspected PE, patients with high probability (125 patients), and patients with low probability with elevated D-dimer level
(23 patients) were considered as adherent to the PE guideline; consequently, the total adherence to PE guideline was 148 out of 364 (40.6%).

 We followed the algorithmic approach guideline in about 40.0% of cases; however, we should pay more attention to the algorithmic approach in patients with suspected PE.

Associations between hookah and opium use and an increased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) have been suggested in a few studies, but more research is needed on the nature of these associations. We aimed to investigate the association between hookah and opium use and the prevalence of IHD in a population with relatively high prevalence of these exposures in Iran.

Using baseline data from the Pars Cohort Study (PCS), a prospective study of individuals aged 40-75 years in Fars province, southern Iran, we calculated adjusted and crude odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the independent association of hookah and opium use with prevalence of IHD.

Of 9248 participants, 10.2% (95% CI: 9.5, 10.9) had self-reported IHD. Prevalence of ever use of hookah and opium was 48.9% (95% CI: 44.6, 53.6) and 10.2% (95% CI: 8.3, 12.5) among those with IHD, and 37.0% (95% CI: 35.7, 38.3) and 8.1% (95% CI: 7.5, 8.7) among those without IHD, respectively. Adjusted OR for the association with prevalence of IHD was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.46) for hookah use and 1.71 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.24) for opium abuse. No dose-response association was found between hookah and prevalence of IHD.

Hookah and opium abuse were associated with prevalent IHD in this study. Although more research is needed on these associations, particularly in prospective settings, reducing hookah and opium use could potentially reduce IHD risk.

Despite preventable and curable nature of chronic obstructive respiratory diseases (CORDs), these are still remains as a growing problem, both in developed and developing countries. One of the major reasons for this ignorance is lacking of precise information on the prevalence of CORDs and their major determinants..
This protocol study aimed at providing a population-based data for the prevalence of CORDs and exploring its socioeconomic determinants in adult population of Shiraz, Iran..
This adult respiratory disease study was designed as a cross sectional survey among urban and suburban population of Shiraz, Iran, during August to December 2015. The local ethics committee of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences authorized the protocol, which adhered to the tenets of the declaration of Helsinki (1975). The study included more than 6,000 noninstitutionalized inhabitants older than 20 years, from the 9 municipal districts of Shiraz city. The sample consisted of 0.5% of the 1,219,237 total inhabitants in the survey area. The sample selection was based on the stratified random sampling method proportionate to the number of municipal districts and strata. After obtaining official permissions, trained interviewers visited the selected homes and completed the data collection form and main questionnaire. Following the completion of recruitment and an initial analysis process, we called and invited the participants with the COPD diagnosis score more than 19.5 to pass the spirometry test in the clinic. The main questionnaire that covered respiratory symptoms was developed from prior validated questionnaires that had been used in several studies. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 15.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois, USA). A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant..
In this protocol study, we shared our standard protocol considering perfect selection of the study samples and precise examination procedure with effective quality assurance strategies..
We anticipate that future reports from the Shiraz adult respiratory disease study would estimate the prevalence of CORDs and their related determinants in the community. Moreover, it will identify patients who should be targeted by respiratory disease prevention programs..

Investigating the conditions and the appropriateness of admission of patients in hospitals is an important issue which can improve the efficiency of health care delivery. Intensive care unit (ICU) is important due to applying expensive financial sources; therefore, its efficient application is of great priority. In this regard, the current study aimed to determine the financial burden of inappropriate admissions in internal intensive care units (IICUs)..
It was a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014. A total of 294 patients admitted to IICUs of Shahid Faghihi and Nemazee hospitals of Shiraz, Iran, in 2012 were enrolled into this retrospective study. The study was conducted in two phases, using the guidelines of American critical care association (ACCA) and experts’ opinion to investigate the financial burden of inappropriate admissions in IICUs of the above-mentioned hospitals..
The results showed no statistically significant relationships among insurance status, insurance type, age, gender and inappropriate admission by applying Chi-square. Among 294 admitted patients under the study, the inappropriate admissions were 11.2% based on the guidelines and 13.6% based on the experts’ opinion. The level of agreement of the guidelines and experts’ opinion for the inappropriate admissions was 0.076 based on Kappa coefficient. The total financial burden imposed on the insurance agencies and the patients by inappropriate admissions was US$ 47867.78 based on the guidelines and US$ 83241.68 based on the experts’ opinion..
Inappropriate admissions to ICUs may impose additional costs to the health system and the patients on one hand, and deprives other patients from receiving health services. Therefore, it is crucial to effectively plan for the application of ICU beds..

Tracking turnaround times (TATs) can improve the quality of care and decrease the economic burden of patient care..
The aim of this study was to measure current TATs in a hospital emergency department (ED) and to analyze the contribution of prelaboratory and laboratory phases to the total TAT..
This cross-sectional study was performed during November and December 2014 and included all patients admitted to the ED and for whom the physician had ordered routine hematology and chemistry tests. The total TAT comprised seven time points and six time intervals. The start point was when the test was ordered by the physician, and the end point was when the results were verified and reported. The data were analyzed with SPSS software (version 11.5). A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant..
During the study period, time data were provided for 1400 ED tests. The mean total TAT for all tests ranged from 1.3 to 3.1 hour. On weekdays, the longest TAT (2.5 ± 0.9 hours) was on Sundays, and the shortest TAT (1.9 ± 0.7 hours) was on Fridays (P This study suggests that the mean TAT in this teaching hospital is longer than the benchmark. Further research is needed to determine the causes of delays and develop interventions to solve this problem..

The purpose of our study was to evaluate an inexpensive and available method to reduce mucous impactions in mechanically ventilated patients. This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 40 mechanically ventilated patients aged 15-90 years. The patients were randomly allocated into two arms; 20 cases and 20 controls. The cases received N-acetylcysteine via their nebulizers, and the control group received normal saline three times a day for one day. We measured the density of respiratory secretion, plateau and peak airway pressures, and O2 saturation at baseline, 12 and 24 hours later. Although the mean secretion density was significantly lower in the NAC group (F (1, 38)=8.61, P=0.006), but a repeated measures ANOVA with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction determined that the effect of NAC on mean secretion density did not differ significantly between time points (F (1, 38)=3.08, P=0.087). NAC increased O2 saturation significantly between time points (F (1.92, 73.1)=4.6, P=0.014). The plateau airway pressures were relatively stable throughout the study in the normal saline and NAC groups (F (1.95, 37.1)=0.67, P=0.513). The peak airway pressure did not change significantly during the study in the normal saline and NAC groups (F (1.52, 56.4)=0.91, P=0.384). Considering the limitations of the study, nebulized NAC in mechanically ventilated patients was not effective more than normal saline nebulization in reducing the density of mucous plugs. The peak and plateau airway pressures were relatively stable throughout the study in both groups.

Evaluation of hospitals performance determines what hospitals really do, and define deficiencies with regard to the original standards and identify opportunities for improvement.. We investigated trends in the performance of a hospital with capacity utilization measures used in Pabon Lasso (PL) model.. In this cross-sectional descriptive study from March 2008 to March 2012, we retrieved all performance data from the Hospital Information System of Shahid Faghihi Hospital, a public teaching hospital in Shiraz, Iran. Measurements included changes in the trend of three indices: bed turnover, bed occupancy rate, and average length of stay.. The trends in hospital performance showed a decrease in mean (median) hospital stay from 6.77 (± 3.11) days in 2008 to 4.25 (± 2.70) days in 2012. In 2008, bed turnover was 50.03 times/year, bed occupancy rate was 92.9% and turnover interval was 0.51 days. In 2012, these indices were 60.8 times/year, 70.9%, and 1.74 days, respectively. These measures in PL model showed that Shahid Faghihi Hospital was located in zone 4 during 2008-2009, zone 1 during 2010-2011, and zone 3 during 2012, indicating an acceptable degree of efficiency and an optimal level of performance.. This hospital showed relative improvements in all capacity utilization measures in 2012. Future efforts should examine new interventions to further increase the hospital’s performance capacity..

Pulmonary embolism is considered as a great masquerader due to its frequent nonspecific signs and symptoms. Typically pulmonary embolism is under-diagnosed or over-diagnosed. In this study a patient with pulmonary embolism is reported in which the patient exhibited two unusual manifestations namely; right upper quadrant abdominal pain and ST-T elevation in anterior precordial leads. Due to the fact that the patient did not display typical pulmonary embolism symptoms and its major risk factors, extensive workup to discern the cause was carried out. The examination included abdominal sonography, kidney ureter and bladder Computed Tomography scan (CT-scan) and coronary angiography. Eventually after a six-day delay, pulmonary embolism was diagnosed by spiral chest CT scan. This case and several other similar reports underlines the fact that while various other common causes may exist for right upper abdominal pain, one should always consider pulmonary embolism as a possible cause especially when backed up with ECG finding.