Journal of Disease and Diagnosis
Volume:12 Issue: 3, Jul 2023

 Major depressive disorder (MDD) generally occurs together with depression in patients with no history of manic, mixed, or hypomanic episodes. The suicidal ideation in MDD patients is very common and can potentially be considered an emergency circumstance in many cases. Among the developed drugs and medicines, ketamine (KET) is a potential option to treat patients with MDD. This study aims at investigating the effect of KET on the treatment of suicidal ideation and the reduction of the intensity of symptoms in patients suffering from MDD.

 This randomized double-blind clinical trial was performed on 30 patients who suffered from MDD and had suicidal ideation at Ibn Sina Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran, during 2016-2017. The patients were divided into two groups: the KET group which received 0.5 mg/kg of intravenous (IV) KET diluted in 500 mL of normal saline over 30 minutes and the control group which received 500 mL of normal saline without KET over 30 minutes.

 According to the statistical analysis, 24 hours after the intervention, suicidal ideation score reached 2.53 and 20.6 in the KET and control groups, respectively. In fact, KET caused a significant reduction in the score of the suicidal ideation (SSI) (SSI<4) in comparison with the control group (P<0.001).

 It was observed that KET can play a key role in the treatment of depression disorders, especially severe and life-threatening forms that require immediate intervention, such as the use of electroconvulsive therapy.

 Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder with the most severe and devastating effect on a person’s life. Given that schizophrenia treatments have different effects on the duration of hospitalization and reduction of positive and negative symptoms, we decided to conduct a study to evaluate the duration of hospitalization according to the type of treatment in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in Ebn-e-Sina hospital in Bandar Abbas.

 In this retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study, the files of 75 patients with schizophrenia admitted to the psychiatric ward of Ebn-e-Sina hospital in 2019-2020 were included after obtaining the approval of the ethics committee. A group of patients was treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and typical antipsychotic drugs, and another with ECT and atypical antipsychotic medications until the acute phase of the disease subsided. The patient’s file information was summarized and arranged in a checklist prepared by the researcher and then statistically analyzed using SPSS version 22.0.

 The patients’ most commonly received treatment was typical and atypical antipsychotic medications combined with ECT (60.0%), followed by combination therapy (29.30%), atypical antipsychotic medications (8.00%), and typical antipsychotic medications (2.70%), respectively. Considering the specific objectives of this study, it was found that the mean length of hospital stay in the 4 treatment groups was significantly different (P=0.006).

 The duration of hospitalization in the combined with ECT group was significantly longer compared to the others.

 Diabetes mellitus is the most common chronic metabolic disorder that increases both susceptibility and mortality rates in patients with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a study on diabetic patients with COVID-19 to investigate the relationship between laboratory indicators and peripheral oxygen saturation (SPO2 ).

 In this analytical-cross-sectional study, the required information of diabetic patients with COVID-19 admitted to Taleghani educational hospital in Abadan from March 20, 2020 to March 19, 2021 was obtained by referring to the hospital information system of Abadan University of Medical Sciences and patient files.

 Two hundred patients were studied, of which 88 (44%) were men and 112 (56%) were women. The mean age of the studied patients was 60.57±14.84. Among all the investigated markers, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum glutamate oxalate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and respiratory rate (RR) were higher than the normal range, while SPO2 was lower than the normal range. Based on the linear regression analysis results, a significant relationship was observed between the decrease in SPO2 of patients with disease outcome, duration of hospitalization in the intensive care unit (P<0.001), RR (P<0.001), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (P=0.02), CRP+3 (P=0.002), platelet (PTT) (P=0.03), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (P=0.002), and LDH (P=0.003).

 The results showed that some laboratory diagnostic markers were higher than the normal range, while SPO2 was lower than the normal range. Moreover, a significant relationship was found between SPO2 index and disease outcome, duration of hospitalization in intensive care unit (ICU), and some diagnostic markers of the liver, inflammation, and coagulation.

 Diabetes leads to some motor function dysfunction. The aim of this research was to compare the effect of eight weeks of strength training, water exercise, and omega-3 consumption on the motor function of diabetic men with peripheral neuropathy.

 Among the diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy (30-60 years old), 80 people were purposefully selected and then randomly divided into four groups, including 8 weeks of taking omega-3 supplements, 8 weeks of strength training, 8 weeks of water training, and control (20 people in each group). Eventually, a one-way analysis of variance was used for the group comparison of variables.

 In terms of simple reaction time, strength training (P=0.03) and water training (P=0.01) were lower than the control group. In addition, the water exercises (P=0.04) and strength training (P=0.04) were lower than the consumption of omega-3. However, in terms of the balance score, strength training (P=0.001), water training (P=0.001), and omega-3 consumption (P=0.01) were higher than the control group. Similarly, water exercises (P=0.02) and strength training (P=0.03) were higher than the average consumption of omega-3. Regarding the leg muscle strength score, the strength training (P=0.001), water training (P=0.001), and omega-3 consumption (P=0.003) were higher than the control group. Finally, the strength training (P=0.012) was higher than the mean consumption of omega-3 (P=0.012).

 In general, strength training, water exercise, and omega-3 consumption improved motor performance in diabetic neuropathy men.

 Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide; therefore, finding efficient alternative treatments to control the disease and improve patients’ neurological symptoms is of paramount importance. The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of adding ozone therapy to classic treatment in improving neurological symptoms and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) as well as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP) in the rehabilitation phase of patients with ischemic stroke.

 This interventional study was performed on 72 patients with stroke. Using Random Allocation Software, the participants were divided into two groups: control (medical treatment and physiotherapy, n=36) and intervention (ozone therapy plus medical treatment and physiotherapy, n=36). Ozone therapy was performed by major autohemotherapy using the standard protocol. Disease severity was determined by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) at the beginning and end of the study. TNF-α and HS-CRP serum levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This research project was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20200202046342N1).

 The results of the study showed a significant decrease in the NIHSS score and HS-CRP as well as TNF-ɑ serum levels in the patients receiving both classic and ozone treatments compared to those receiving only classic treatment (P<0.001).

 According to the study results, ozone therapy combined with medical treatment improved neurological symptoms in the rehabilitation phase of patients with ischemic stroke.

 Today, diabetes is considered one of the main causes of death so that the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of interval training with resveratrol on some apoptotic indices of the hepatocyte tissue in diabetic male rats.

 In this experimental trial, 42 male rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, including diabetic saline, diabetic, healthy, supplement, interval exercise, and resveratrol supplementation+interval exercise (7 mice in each group). The program of interval training groups and resveratrol supplementation+interval training on the treadmill included 3 sessions per week, and each session was 10 sets of 1-minute activity that started with 14 meters per minute and reached 28 meters per minute in the eighth week. BCL2, BAX, and CASPASE-3 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits (Zelbio, Germany, Catalog: RK03522, RK03549).

 CASPASE and BAX -3 levels were higher in diabetic-saline and diabetic groups compared to the other groups (P=0.001). Bcl-2 levels were lower in diabetic-saline and diabetic groups in comparison to other groups (P=0.001). The mean BAX/BCL2 ratio was higher in diabetic-saline and diabetic groups (P=0.001). Interval exercise and resveratrol administration alone or especially resveratrol intervention combined with interval exercise caused a significant decrease in mean CASPASE-3 and BAX concentrations (P=0.001), BAX/BCL2 ratio (P=0.001), while a significant increase in the BCL-2 concentration (P=0.001) in the myocyte tissue.

 The results demonstrated that exercise could increase BAX and BCL-2. This improvement was greater when combined with resveratrol.

Lifestyle has historically been linked to the progression of different chronic diseases. The amount of convenience accessible for our use has expanded in the current period of modern technology, communication, and technological devices. Nevertheless, it has also resulted in an upsurge in issues related to emotional and mental wellness. Asthma, coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes, lung cancer, and other disorders are all classified as lifestyle diseases. This theory contends that illnesses are brought on by an individual’s actions. The transition from an indigenous to a contemporary way of life, with high-fat and high-calorie meals paired with increasing emotional strain, has exacerbated the issue at hand. Obesity, asthma, diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, chronic liver disorders, CHD, metabolic syndrome, depression, and cancer are all on the rise due to alterations to dietary habits and an increasingly unhealthy way of life. According to joint research by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), India lost around $236.6 billion in 2015 as a result of a sedentary way of life and consumption of unhealthy foods. Unhealthy eating, decreased physical activity, increased cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, insufficient sleep, and anxiety due to increasing job pressure are all examples of poor lifestyle choices.

 Postauricular cutaneous mastoid fistula (PCMF) is quite rare. Possible triggers include a radical mastoidectomy, chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), or the spontaneous exteriorization of a mastoid cholesteatoma through the postauricular skin surface.

Case Report: 

This study reported a 62-year-old woman who presented with a right-sided discharging postauricular lesion for two years and a history of ear discharge over the past 20 years. Physical examination revealed a 10×8 mm fistula with a pearly white tissue at the opening and mucoid discharge. Otoscopy represented an attic cholesteatoma as the potential underlying cause, and computed tomography demonstrated a soft-tissue density in the middle ear extending into the mastoid cavity and towards the cutaneous postauricular area. The PCMF was surgically closed using a temporalis muscle rotational flap with no recurrence at the 6-month follow-up.

 Overall, surgical closure with a temporalis muscle rotational flap appears to be an effective technique for treating PCMF.