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Association of serum magnesium levels with risk factors, severity and prognosis in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients
Get PDFBackground: Stroke is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide. One of the factors that affect the occurrence of stroke can be attributed to changes in the levels of trace elements. Accumulating evidence has been shown that magnesium, as an important element, is a new predictor of stroke. We aimed to determine the levels of Mg in ischemic stroke patients in comparison with those having the hemorrhagic type. Methods: This study was conducted on 447 stroke patients. Demographic characteristics of patients, stroke severity, and risk factors such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia were recorded. Stroke was diagnosed based on the neurological examination and neuroimaging findings e.g. computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The colorimetric technique was used to determine the concentration of Mg at 450 nm according to the commercial kit. Results: The mean of magnesium levels in ischemic patients was significantly higher than that in the hemorrhagic patients (P=0.001). Difference in magnesium status was associated with gender in thrombotic patients (P<0.05), while hyperlipidemia was associated with the status of magnesium in embolic patients (P=0.012). Furthermore, magnesium levels were correlated with ischemic heart disease in embolic (P=0.011) and sub-arachnoid hemorrhagic (SAH) patients (P=0.012), and with diabetes mellitus in thrombotic patients (P=0.012). Magnesium status was associated with the severity of ischemic stroke at the time of discharge in ischemic patients (P<0.001). Mg levels had the best area under curve (AUC) for the discrimination of ischemic patients from hemorrhagic ones. Conclusion: Magnesium levels were higher in ischemic patients compared to hemorrhagic ones, and these levels were associated with many risk factors contributing to a stroke. Magnesium may be used as a new predictor of stroke in ischemic patients as opposed to hemorrhagic ones.  
Comparison of Two Manual Therapy Techniques in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Get PDFBackground: Manual therapy techniques are part of physiotherapy treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) which are classified into two groups including nerve mobilization and mechanical interface mobilization. The aim of the study was to find which manual therapy method-technique directed to mechanical interface and nerve mobilization–has superior beneficial effects on clinical and electrophysiological findings in conservative management of patients with CTS. Methods: Thirty patients with CTS participated into two groups namely: mechanical interface and nerve mobilization in this randomized clinical trial. The intervention was performed three times weekly for 4 weeks. Mechanical interface mobilization was directed to structures around the median nerve at the forearm and wrist. Techniques of median nerve gliding and tension were used in the nerve mobilization group. The outcome measures included visual analogue scale (VAS), symptom severity scale (SSS), hand functional status scale (FSS) and motor and sensory distal latencies of median nerve. Paired t-test and ANCOVA were used for statistical analysis. Results: At the end of the 4th week of the treatment, the mean of VAS, SSS and FSS significantly improved in both groups (p<0.05), but the difference was not significant between the two groups (P>0.05). Although the mean of motor and sensory distal latencies of median nerve at the end of the treatment period only improved in the nerve mobilization group (p<0.05), the difference was not significant between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Mechanical interface mobilization and nerve mobilization techniques are not superior to each other in reducing pain and improving hand symptoms and functional status
Concurrent Bilateral Synchronous Testis Tumors of Different Histology: A Case Report
Get PDFBackground: Bilateral synchronous testis germ cell tumors with different histopathology are not common. Case Presentation: Here, a case of 27-year-old male who is reported presented with bilateral testicular swellings. There was a high α-fetoprotein level with bilateral lesions on scrotal USG. Bilateral orchiectomy was performed. According to pathology report, there was a right testicular seminoma and left testicular mixed germ cell tumor composed of seminoma, yolk sac tumor and embryonal carcinoma. Conclusion: He received one cycle of chemotherapy with BEP regimen
Foreign body ingestion and aspiration at a pediatric center in northern Iran
Get PDFBackground: Aspiration or ingestion of foreign bodies (FBs) is a common health problem leading to hospitalization of children around the world. The purpose of this study was to detect the FBS of aspirated or swallowed in children. Methods: The present cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 77 hospitalized children due to FBs aspirated or swallowed from 2008 to 2013 at Amirkola Childrenchr('39')s Hospital. Information including demographic profile, type of FBs and their location, clinical manifestations, treatment used and possible complications were extracted from their medical records, and the data were analyzed. Results: Out of 76 cases, 51 (67.1) were boys; 47.4 of children were 1-2 years old (mean age 2.6±2.2 years), and 67.1 of the bodies were in the gastrointestinal tract. The most common FBs were foodstuff (42.1), metallic bodies (39.5) and non-metallic bodies (18.4), respectively. The most common symptoms were cough (84) in respiratory FBs and vomiting (57) in gastrointestinal FBs. The mean duration of hospitalization was 74.8±57.1 hours in gastrointestinal FBs and 126.7±56 hours in respiratory FBs. There was a significant statistical relationship between location of FBs (p=0.000) and type of swallowed or aspirated bodies (p=0.041) with the duration of hospitalization. No mortality was observed. Conclusions: Findings show that foodstuffs are the most abundant FBs aspirated or swallowed in children aged 1-2 years. Obviously, educating parents and caregivers to take required care of children, especially while eating in this particular age group, is a key element in reducing such injuries
Curriculum evaluation of health education and promotion in elementary third grade textbooks based on health system development components
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The selection of healthy behaviors in elementary school is very important; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the curriculum of health education and promotion in elementary third grade textbooks based on health system development components.
METHODS: This descriptive study was performed via content analysis using Shannon Entropy Technique. The content was evaluated in terms of responsive design (elementary third grade textbooks), 12 main components and 58 sub-components of health education and promotion.
FINDINGS: The results of Shannon Entropy content analysis showed that by evaluating all 6 books of the elementary third grade, the mental health component with 645 cases had the highest frequency, and the least frequency was related to disability with 7 cases. Of the 2415 frequencies of health components in the third grade schoolchildren, 39,456, 60, 54, 295,41, 539, 645, 12, 19, 7 and 248 cases were related to physical health, nutritional health, circumambient health, environmental health, family health, safety incidents, physical activity, mental health, prevention of high-risk behaviors, disease control and prevention, disabilities as well as public and school health, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that among health components in elementary third grade textbooks, the nutritional and mental health components had the highest coefficient of importance and disability component had the lowest coefficient of importance. Therefore, teaching health components in schools can be done by managing, planning, educating and paying attention to the type of nutrition and health behaviors of students. Moreover, not paying attention to it will harm not only the students but also the society
CD-1a immunoexpression in oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid reaction
Get PDFIntroduction: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an immunologically mediated mucocutaneous diseases. Langerhans cells (LCs) are antigen presenting cells resident within oral mucosa which, together with intraepithelial lymphocytes, play a role in mucosal defense. The aim of present study was to determine the immunohistochemical expression of LC in Oral Lichenoid reaction (OLR) and OLP compared with normal oral mucosa (NOM).
Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 61 oral mucosal specimens diagnosed histopathologically as OLP (n=31) and OLR (n=30) and 11 NOM were used to study the immunohistochemical expression of CD1a. The CD1a positive LCs in three regions (basal, suprabasal, and connective tissue) were counted in six randomly selected fields. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 24, T-test, ANOVA, LSD, Games-Howell tests. P<.05 was considered significant.
Results: CD1a expression in OLP and OLR was significantly higher compared to NOM (P<0.001). CD1a expression in OLP was also significantly higher than OLR (P=0.009). There was a statistically significant difference between the three groups in basal, suprabasal and connective tissue regions (P<0.001). The mean of CD1a positive cells in the basal, suprabasal and connective tissue regions was significantly higher in the OLP group than OLR and NOM. Also, in comparison between OLR and NOM, the OLR group had significantly more CD1a positive cells (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Increasing the number of CD1a in OLP and OLR compared with the NOM indicates the role of LC in the pathogenesis of these diseases
Neurologic manifestations in patients with COVID-19: A case series
Get PDFBackground: There are very few reports about the neurological complications of COVID-19.We describe two COVID-19 patients with neurologic presentations. Case Presentation: Herein we present neurological manifestations in 2 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The patients showed most common symptoms of COVID-19 along with common conflicts in CT scans of lung such as ground-glass opacities (GGOs). First case revealed two episodes of generalized tonic–clonic seizures; brain CT scan in second patients revealed an extensive hypodense lesion in the left cerebellar hemisphere. All cases received supportive care, antibiotics, and antiviral medications. All cases were discharged with a good general condition. Conclusion: The current case series report the association between neurological involvements and COVID-19. Clinicians should be aware of neurologic symptoms in the setting of COVID-19, which might even be the first presentations of this infection
Comparison of the calcium-related factors in Parkinson's disease patients with healthy individuals
Get PDFBackground: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases (ND). Studies have demonstrated that biochemical markers have an association with PD. We aimed to investigate an association of biochemical markers including calcium, vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), parathormone (PTH), and phosphorous with PD. Methods: This study was conducted on 139 PD patients and 100 healthy individuals. Serum levels of calcium, phosphorous, ALP, PTH and vitamin D were evaluated. Furthermore, student’s t-test and logistic regression models were used by SPSS. Results: The mean levels of calcium (9.4±0.7 and 9.0±0.8 ) and vitamin D (29.7±22.1 and 25.8±23.7) were higher in PD patients as compared with healthy controls, which only status of calcium being significantly different in the two groups (P<0.001). Levels of ALP (202.4±96.7 and 242.9±142.4) and phosphorous (3.6±0.6 and 4.22±1.1) were significantly different comparing PD patients with healthy subjects (P<0.01, P<0.001, respectively). ALP and phosphorous were significantly different in the two groups (OR=0.996, CI 95%, 0.994-0.999, P <0.001, OR= 0.475, CI 95%, 0.325-0.694, P<0.001, respectively). Furthermore, increased levels of calcium resulted in an elevated risk of PD (OR= 2.175, CI 95% 1.377-3.435, P <0.001). Conclusion: Results show that mean levels of calcium are higher in PD patients relative to healthy controls. Thereby, higher levels of calcium may be associated with PD
Systemic effects of starved fibroblasts culture supernatant on immunosuppressed rats treated with cancer stem cells
Get PDFBackground: The present study aimed to investigate and compare the effect of starved fibroblast culture supernatant (SFS), DMEM and normal saline alone or along with LA7 on dexamethasone-treated immunosuppressed Wistar rats. Methods: After the isolation of fibroblasts from the fresh foreskin of children, it was cultured in serum-free DMEM, and the supernatant collected after 16 hours (16h-SFS). This solution and the other treatments were injected subcutaneously into the rats from each group once daily for 14 days. The liver, intestine and lung histology along with blood cellular and biochemical characteristics were studied. Results: The results showed that dexamethasone as immunosuppressant reduced the body weight. The histological change in the liver was mild fibrosis induced by LA7+16h-SFS. Also, among the different blood cellular and biochemical indices measured,  the eosinophil percentage in the 16h-SFS treated rats ,  glucose levels in the 16h-SFS+LA7 group and triglyceride concentrations  in the 16h-SFS group were changed (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that the secretions of starved fibroblasts especially that combined with LA7 cancer stem cells could induce some minor histological and biochemical changes in immunosuppressed rats, and also it opened a new window for subsequent investigations on unknown mechanisms related to this work
The Causes of Neonatal Death in the NICU
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To reduce neonatal death, it should be studied the causes of it in any region or medical centers and with appropriate measures we can improve quality of health care and treatment. To achive this goal, this study was conducted in one of the 3rd referral mother-infant care level centers.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was done in intensive care unit (NICU) of Ayatollah Rohani Hospital, affiliated by Babol University of medical science, from 2009 to 2017. The causes of neonatal death were identified based on ICD10 (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) by laboratory, clinical and Para clinical evidence recorded in patients sheets.
FINDINGS: Of the total number of 4029 admitted infants in NICU, 276 cases (6.7%) died that 99 (35.9%)of them died within the first 24 hours. The average annual death was 6.7±1.85 and the gestational age was 29.9±4.77 weeks. These infants were born with an average birth weight (g) of 1300.5±810.04 and lived at average 7.99±10.14 days. The most common causes of death in neonates were sepsis and DIC fallowing it 33.4%, extreme premature less than 26 weeks 18.4%, congenital anomalies 14.8% and respiratory distress syndrome 14.1%.
CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, although severe sepsis and prematurity were the most common causes of death after the first 24 hours, RDS management was more favorable than sepsis, and measures should be taken to reduce sepsis