Introduction: Death of a patient is an unavoidable stage of nursing and in many cases nurse is the only person who takes care of the patient at the time of death. An experienced and committed nurse obliges her/himself to care for the patient before and after death in the best way possible.           

Materials and Methods: This research is a descriptive study that carried out in order to determine knowledge and attitude of the nurses about pre and post-death cares. The samples were 227 nurses of Imam Khomeini Complex Hospital. The number of subjects chosen from each hospital was proportional to the number of nurses of that hospital. The samples were selected randomly. Data were collected by a questionnaire, validity of which was confirmed by content validity and reliability of it was confirmed by test-retest method. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics.

Results: Results showed that in majority of the nurses level of knowledge about pre-death cares was moderate and was poor about post-death cares. The majority of the nurses had a positive attitude about pre-death cares and a relatively positive attitude about post-death cares. There was not any sample with negative attitude about pre or post-death cares.

Conclusion: Regarding the undesirable level of knowledge and positive attitude of the nurses under study concerning pre and post-death cares and considering that the necessity for improving the knowledge is training and education, the results of this research can help authorities to provide training and educational programs for enhancing nurses’ knowledge regarding pre- and post-death cares.

Introduction: One of the main aims of religions is to improve psychological health in society and interpersonal relationships. It has been shown that religious education can be used in primary and secondary prevention of psychiatric disorders.

Material and Methods: The samples of study were the teachers of guidance schools of the capital city of Tehran. The samples were 40 depressed female teachers that were chosen randomly among the 30-40 year old teachers who were not using any drugs. Data gathering tool was a questionnaire containing Hamilton test with 24 questions about mood disorders (including depression). Another questionnaire including demographic characteristics and questions regarding change of mood after attending religious education classes was also used.

Results: The results showed that 90% of the subjects were satisfied with religious methods such as prayer, fasting and blessing for decreasing their depression 92.5% were satisfied with regular education of religious values. A total of 80% of the samples believed that training by a particular teacher would influence their interest in the religious values 55% reported calmness after praying. There was a significant differences between the mean score of depression before and after attending religious education classes (p=0.000).

Conclusion: According to the findings of this research, education of the religious values can affect anxiety, sadness, hopelessness, sleeplessness and lack of appetite and depression. Performing religious acts such as prayers causes a type of relaxation and good feeling in the patients.

Introduction: The delivery of placenta and membranes (third stage of labor) is an important stage of delivery. Complications of this stage can increase maternal mortality rate. There is controversy regarding the routine use of oxytocic drugs in this stage of labor. These drugs may shorten duration of third stage but have side effects. Furthermore, management of delivery in physiologic way causes minimum damage to the mother and newborn.

Materials and Methods: The present research is a clinical trial study. A total of 94 subjects were divided into two groups. All subjects in active group received 10 units of Syntocinon in 500 cc serum. The cord was clamped and cut after cessation of pulsation and the placenta was delivered by Brandt–Andrews maneuver. Women in the physiologic group received 1cc of placebo in 500 cc serum, no clamping of the cord was attempted until pulsation had ceased and the placenta was delivered by minimal traction on the cord and with maternal effort without any maneuver.

Results: Two groups were matched in the subjects’ characteristics. The rate of postpartum hemorrhage in physiologic group (14.58%) was higher than active group (10.64%) but the statistical tests showed no significant differences between two groups (p=0.2945). The mean duration of the third stage of labor in the physiologic group (13 minutes) was longer than active group (9 minutes) but the statistical test showed no significant differences between two groups. The statistical tests also showed no significant differences between rate of retained placenta (p=0.5) or piece of the placenta and membranes (0.2428) in two groups.

Conclusion: Statistical tests showed no significant differences between duration and complications of the third stage of labor in two groups. The routine use of Syntocinon in management of third stage of labor can not be recommended.

Background & Aim: Labor pain is one of the most intensive type of pain and regarding its control still is a problem in many countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of transcendental meditation on pain and length of active phase of labor in primiparous women.

Methods & Materials: This study configured as a semi-experimental clinical trial work. Samples was selected by convenient sampling method and contained as 90 primiparous women’s (45 case and 45 control) whom refer to clinic and delivery room in Fatemieh Hospital of Hamadan. Samples were divided into two random group and accomplished to experience and observation transcendental meditation method used for training pregnant woman within third trimester of pregnancy (28th-30th week) and performed by them for two time a day during 10 to 15 minutes. The case and control groups were matched according their age, education and occupation case and control group were confined to bed when they were in the beginning of active phase (3-4 cm of dilatation). Collecting of data, questionnaire information of biophysical and other equipment for recording biophysical developments and other McGill instrument was used to record severity of pain. Reliability and validity instrument in the prior researches have been test. The length of active phase was measured over maternal and recorded.

Results: The results of this study showed that there is significant differences in the level of pain at the beginning of first, second and third hour of active phase of labor in case and control group (p<0.001). Also, the length of active phase of labor showed significant difference between case and control group (p<0.001). Although, the body temperature and systolic blood pressure in two group showed no significant differences but there was meaningful differences in diastolic blood pressure (p<0.029), however this differences was in normal range. Regard to rate of breathing significant differences has been shown in case and control group (p<0.006).

Conclusion: Transcendental meditation in participated samples over this research among the mothers agony experience group has less pain within all active phase hours.

Background & Aim: Pain control in newborns is one of the important tasks, which produced many controversies in pediatric medicine. Nowadays, it is proposed the usage of non-pharmacologic pain control methods. This study has been done to investigate the effect of breast feeding on pain control in newborns.

Methods & Materials: A clinical trial was designed to evaluate analgesic effect of breast-feeding during injection of hepatitis B vaccine. 130 newborns had been referred for hepatitis B vaccination, were selected from Mirza Kochak Khan Hospital, Tehran, Iran. After describing the procedure was described the testimonial was took from parents. They were divided randomly in tow groups. In cases group, feeding was begun two minutes before injection and continued for 45 seconds. In the control group injection was made without breast feeding. Pain assessment was performed with Douler Aigue Nouveaune (DAN) scale.

Results: In the case group 35.4% of newborns got 4 points and no one got more than 7 points according to DAN scale. In contrast the control group 32.4% got 8 points or more and no one got less than 3 points. The mean of pain severity in case group was 3.5 and in control group was 6.7 and it show significant difference according to Mann-Whitney U test (p<0.0001).

Conclusion: This study shows that breast-feeding can significantly reduce pain in newborns. Therefore, we suggest this simple method generally for all painful procedure to prevent the development of possible permanent psychological effects in newborns.

Background & Aim: Screening methods of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis is controversy. The survey of relation between GDM and its risk factors helps to determine screening methods. This study was performed to find weather the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is influenced by higher hemoglobin (Hb) level and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) before 14 weeks gestation in GDM women and healthy women.

Methods & Materials: In this case-control study, 33 pregnant women with GDM in case group (diagnosed according to the Carpenter and Costan criteria) were compared with 33 pregnant women in control group without GDM after 24-28 weeks&apos gestation. Data were gathered using a questionnaire and a data registration form by interview and biophysical methods. The data were analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-squared, Fisher exact test, two samples Kolmogrov-Smirnov test, and Pearson correlation coefficient).

Results: There was no significant difference between two groups in demographic factors and medical history. T-test showed a significant difference between the amount of Hb in the control group (13.23±0.078 gr/dl) and the case group (12.23±0.70 gr/dl) before 14 weeks gestation (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between MCV level in two groups (P=0.294). Also MCV level before 14 weeks&apos gestation was 86.92+ 4.51 fl in the case group and 85/56+5/84 fl in the control group.

Conclusion: The result showed that GDM women had higher Hb level than the control group before 14 weeks&apos gestation. It seems that a high maternal Hb in the first trimester is a risk factor for GDM and it can be used for screening and diagnosing of GDM. Also more investigations of the logic of routine iron supplementation in pregnant women who have a high level of Hb are suggested.