Showing 45 results for Moradi
K Holakouie Naeini, A Moradi, F Pourmalek, S.r Majdzadeh,
Volume 1, Issue 1 (3 2005)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The campaign to eliminate measles and rubella (MR) is one of the most important current health projects in Iran. One of the basic requirements of this program is the creation of an efficient system for collecting data on MR morbidity and mortality, people's knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding MR prevention, and people's participation in the eradication drive. The present study was done to assess people's knowledge, attitude and practice in relation to the current anti-MR campaign.
Materials and Methods: This cross- sectional study was carried out fur months after the mass (anti-MR campaign (performed in May 2004). The target population included at the people aged 20-25y who lived in areas covered by Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. The calculated sample size was 384, using a 2-stage sampling procedure. We used X2 tests, odds ratios and confidence intervals to detect relationships between various categorical variables. We also performed Cronbach's alpha test to assess questionnaire reliability, and principal component analysis to ensure construct validity.
Results: Data were collected on 390 individuals. The percentages of people with an acceptable level of knowledge, attitude and practice were 63.3%, 53.6% and 93.1% respectively. After controlling for confounders in a logistic regression model, it became apparent that knowledge concerning the mass immunization campaign was related to the individual's own education and that of his/her mother. Attitude was found to be affected by factors such as education, marital status and the family's main income level. The practice component, on the other hand, was not significantly related to any of the variables included in this study.
Conclusion: The positive achievements of this program should be used in planning any future immunization campaigns. Particular attention should be paid to factors that affect overall coverage. These include human resources, equipment, vaccines and other materials, service uality, the cold chain, information provided to the public, and people's as well as providers' knowledge of the immunization program, the target diseases (s) and the vaccines.
N Abdolahi, Aa Keshtkar, Sh Semnani, Ghr Roshandel, S Beshrat, Hr Joshaghani, A Moradi, Kh Kalavi, S Beshrat, A Jabbari, Mj Kabir, A Hosseini, M Sedaghat, A Danesh, D Roshandel,
Volume 2, Issue 3 (24 2006)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: To determine the prevalence of HBV infection in the Golestan Province (southeastern part of the Caspian littoral, Iran).
Methods: A single cluster study was conducted in 2005, based on a sample of households, representative of the population aged 25-65 years in Golestan. All participants were invited for face-to-face interviews to gather demographic data. Blood samples were drawn and analyzed for serum markers of HBV infection such as HBsAg and HBcAb by the ELISA method. Factors associated with hepatitis B seroprevalence were analyzed using SPSS13 and STATA /8.
Results: A total of 1850 subjects were screened. The age- & sex-standardized prevalence for HBsAg positivity was 9.7% (95%CI=0.07-0.11). Rates were higher in males than in females (10.8% vs. 8.6%) (OR=1.28 95% CI=0.9-1.7). HBV seroprevalence in unmarried individuals was significantly higher than in those who were married (OR=2.13 95%CI=1.29-3.5). HBsAg(+) status was more frequent in urban areas (OR=1.46 95% CI=0.9-2.3). Thirty-six percent of population was HBcAb positive. HBcAb(+) prevalence was significantly higher in females (OR=1.46 95% CI=1.19-1.8) and married people (OR=1.58 95%CI=1.02-2.45), and also in urban areas (OR=1.34 95% CI=1.09-1.6).
Conclusions: This study shows that the prevalence of HBsAg(+) status in the Iranian province of Golestan is at a level regarded as "high" by the World Health Organization. It is higher than reported by pervious studies in Iran so it is important- especially for health providers and policy makers- to recognize risk factors and design appropriate prevention programs.
A Fadaee, F Mosaddegh, M Alimoradi, Ma Pourhoseingholi,
Volume 2, Issue 3 (24 2006)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: There are near two million people from around the world have planning to journey for Hadje ceremony. Old age, Crowding dormitory, close contact, poor sanitation, poor health services, different community pattern, high temperature and other factors cause the infectious diseases particularly respiratory infection more than ever Influenza occur more common and cause more discomfort during this ceremony. This study in 1381 Clear the effect of influenza vaccine compare with placebo in this group of population Pilgrimage group.
Methods: This study had interventional randomize clinical design on 156 pilgrims in Abhar City. The pattern of the cases selection for reducing of bias effect was every other pilgrim for vaccine injection. All of the cases before, during and three week after return back from this ceremony had close health services. All the pilgrims had private document for recording the events.
Results: About 147 of pilgrims experienced had pulmonary infection (93% in case and 96% in control). There was no difference in either cases or control groups
Conclusions: There is no benefit for using influenza vaccine other than its indications in the patients but it needs additional studies.
S Mehrabi, A Delavari, Gh Moradi, Esmailnasab N Esmailnasab, A Pooladi, S Alikhani, F Alaeddini,
Volume 3, Issue 1 (21 2007)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: Tobacco smoking is known to cause a huge burden of disease throughout the world: smoking is responsible for 4 million deaths per year. This study is performed in order to fill the existing gaps in information regarding current trends for lifestyle and tobacco-related disease in Iran.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study performed with the help of a questionnaire and using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. The final sample size, after the screening of the data, was 84706 out of 89457 records.
Results: From a total of 84706 people in this study, 49.7% were men, 52% were uneducated and 64.8% cane from urban areas 79.9% did not smoke, 15.3% smoked actively, 2.1% were non-active smokers and 2.7% were ex-smokers. The prevalence of smoking was higher in people aged 35 to 64 years (P<0.001). Quitting rates increased with age, especially in women (P<0.001). Smoking was more prevalent in men (P<0.001) and in rural areas (P<0.001). The average number of cigarettes smoked per day was 14.69. Smoking prevalence was lower among adults with higher levels of education compared to those with lower education levels (P<0.001).
Conclusions: This nationwide survey provides a baseline for future longitudinal studies of smoking in Iran. There is a need for effective smoking prevention and cessation programs with a focus on the young population.
M Khabazkhoob, A Fotouhi, Mr Majdi, A Moradi, Z Haeri Kermani, M Seyed Nozadi,
Volume 3, Issue 1 (21 2007)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: To determine the risk factors for acute diarrhea disease in children.
Methods: This study involved 220 cases and 220 controls in Dr. Sheykh Hospital, a specialzed pediatric hospital in Mashhad. Cases were children seen in the emergency department with loose watery feces, diagnosed as acute diarrhea by the physician. The controls were selected from the same setting as the cases and included children with traumas, burns, acute respiratory complaints and other diseases.
Results: In univariate logistic regression, variables having a significant relationship with acute diarrhea disease included formula feeding in the first 6 months of life, antibiotic therapy over the preceding 15 days, mother's employment, mother's acquaintance with oral rehydration solutions, place of residence, and disruption in the water supply in the week before illness. We performed multiple logistic regression to examine the role of these variables as independent risk factors for acute diarrhea. Use of formulas before 6 months of age (OR=3.21, 95%CI: 1.77-5.79), and type of residence (OR=1.83, 95%CI: 1.24-2.71), and mother's employment (OR=2.48, 95%CI: 1.2-5.06) were the factors that remained in the multiple logistic model and had a significant relationship with the disease.
Conclusions: This study identified some environmental risk factors for acute diarrhea disease. High-risk groups and mothers of children under 5 years of age should be aware of these risk factors in order to prevent disease in their children. Prevention of acute diarrhea in children can significantly reduce the current burden on the health system.
M Khabazkhoob , A Fotouhi , A Moradi, K Mohammad ,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (18 2008)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: Malnutrition is widely regarded as one of the factors affecting quality of life. The adverse effects of malnutrition have been documented in various age groups. School problems, learning difficulties, humiliation and teasing from peers are some of the most common complications of obesity and excessive thinness. The goal of this study was to determine the BMI and some of the factors affecting it in the students of Dezfool.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study and using random cluster sampling, 5726 students from 39 clusters were selected and anthropometric measurements were performed in the schools and under standard conditions. Cases of obesity and thinness were identified using BMI percentiles for age and sex (NCHS). A Body Mass Index above the 95th and below the 5th percentile was defined as obesity and thinness respectively.
Results: This study involved the participation of 5508 students (96.2%). The prevalence of thinness was 33% (1716) with a 95% confidence interval of 27.3%-38.8%. The prevalence of obesity was 2.6% (157) with a 95% confidence interval of 1.7%-3.4%. There was no significant difference between the prevalence of obesity or thinness between the two sexes (P>0.05). The prevalence of obesity and thinness significantly increased and decreased respectively with aging (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Malnutrition among the students in Dezfool predominantly takes the form of thinness, while obesity is not a serious problem in this population overall, these findings indicate poor nutritional status. High-risk groups have been identified and they must become the target of interventions by the Health and Education Ministries.
M Khabazkhoob, A Fotouhi, Mr Majdi , A Moradi , A Javaherforoshzadeh , Z Haeri Kermani , H Ghodsi ,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (18 2008)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: Exclusive breast-feeding during the first 6 months of life is the best type of nutrition for the infants in terms of fulfilling their its physical and emotional needs. The incidence of many kinds of infection decreases with breast-feeding. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of exclusive breast-feeding infants aged less than 6 months in Mash'had and to look at some factors that affect breastfeeding.
Methods: This population-based survey used a stratified cluster sampling method to draw 30 clusters containing a total of 1450 infants aged 7-12 months. Data collection was performed using both questionnaires and interviews with mothers. Exclusive breast-feeding was defined as nursing through the first 6 months of life without any other food intake except drugs and vitamin supplements.
Results: The study achieved a response rate of 87.4% in mothers 51.2% of the infants were male and the remaining 48.8% (618) were female. The overall prevalence of exclusive breast-feeding during the first 6 months was 56.4% with (95% CI: 49.7%-63.2%). The figure was 57.2% (95% CI: 49.9%-64.4%) for boys and 55.7% (95% CI: 48.7%-62.6%) for girls. In this survey, 91.7% of the infants (95% CI: 88.7%–94.7%) had received breast-feeding immediately after birth. In multiple logistic regression analysis, the mother's age, her awareness of the adequacy of her milk, and advice from others to use formulas were the factors that had a significant relationship with breast-feeding in the first 6 months.
Conclusions: Almost 43% of infants had received alternative nutrition such as family food or formula. Considering the important effect of breast-feeding, provision of educational programs by the Health Ministry to raise the mothers' awareness of breast feeding can be a priority in children's health.
M Naghavi, F Abolhassani, F Pourmalek, N Jafari, M Moradi Lakeh, B Eshrati, N Mahdavi Hezaveh, H Kazemeini, A Tehrani Banihashemi, Sh Shoaee,
Volume 4, Issue 1 (22 2008)
Abstract
Background & Objective: Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) summarizes the fatal and nonfatal outcomes of diseases and injuries in one number and gives a quantitative assessment of the health of a population. Estimating the burden of diseases and injuries in Iran in terms of DALY both nationwide and in 6 provinces.
Methods: We used slightly modified versions of the methods developed by the World Health Organization for estimating the burden of premature mortality, disability, and the DALY.
Results: The DALY rate per 100,000 was 21572 and 62% of this was life lost due to premature mortality the remaining 38% was due to disability from diseases and injuries. Fifty-eight percent of the total DALYs had been lost due to non-communicable diseases, 28% due to external causes (injuries), and 14% due to communicable, maternal/ perinatal and nutritional illnesses. The group of diseases and injuries with the highest burden in males waz intentional and unintentional injuries (2.789 million DALYs), while in the female population this position was held by mental disorders with 1.191 million DALYs. The single most important cause of burden was traffic accidents in males and ischemic heart disease in females. Disease burden showed considerable variability between different provinces.
Conclusion: The profile of health and disease in Iran has generally shifted from the predominance of communicable, maternal/perinatal, and nutritional illnesses towards predominance of non-communicable diseases and injuries at the national level. These figures on disease burden at population level are the most objective evidence that can be used in policy making and management of health programs, health research, and resource development within the health sector.
S Mehrabi, A Delavari, Gh Moradi, E Ghaderi,
Volume 4, Issue 3 (20 2009)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: There is geographic variability in the prevalence of asthma. Since there is inadequate of study on asthma in Iran, this study was performed in order to determine the prevalence of asthma in Kurdistan province.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed as part of Iranian national survey to determine the risk factors of non communicable disease.
Results: This study includes 500 men and 500 women. Prevalence of history of asthma was 2.3%. There was no statistically significant association between asthma and place of residence, smoking and body mass index. Asthma were found in 6 (1.8%) of men and 17(5%) of women (p=0.02). Prevalence of asthma increased with increasing age (p<0.001)
Conclusions: The prevalence of asthma in this study was similar with other studies in Iran and seems lower than similar countries.
Gh Hassanshahi, M Kazemi Arababadi, Er Zarandi, M Moradi, R Vazirinegad, H Yousefi Darehdor, Se Pourhosseini, Sma Sajadi, M Arasteh,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (20 2009)
Abstract
Background and objectives: People with thalessemia and chronic renal failure on maintenance hemodialysis are prone to blood-born infections, especially hepatitis C due to the long-term transfusion. Recently, hepatitis C has been one of the main health concerns in these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C and its risk factors in these groups of patients in Kerman province of Iran.
Methods: HCV RNA in blood sample of 384 patients (203 hemodialysis cases and 181 thalassemia cases) was evaluated.
Results: One hundred thirty (130) out of 384 were infected by HCV. Infected male was predominant (83%).
Conclusions: It seems that the frequency of hepatitis C infection in Kerman is higher than the other provinces of Iran. Therefore more attention should be paid to screen of blood before transfusing for these group of patients.
M Moradi Lakeh, M Montazer, M Moradi, Smh Mahmoodi, Sap Alemzadeh Bahreini, S Askari,
Volume 5, Issue 3 (20 2009)
Abstract
Background & objectives: The trend of stunting indicates of long term health status and the efficacy of different health interventions for chronic malnutrition in children. The objective of this study was to investigate the trends of stunting prevalence in preschool children living in rural area of Robat-Karim.
Methods: The method of Age-Period-Cohort analysis was utilized. Existing height data of all children whom registered in health houses of Robat-Karim health network were converted to Standard Deviation Scores (SDS) using Anthro2005 software The SDS≤ -2 for height-for-age was defined to be the moderate/severe forms of stunting. Age-Period-Cohort analysis was done with two graphical and statistical methods. The statistical method was based on logistic regression modeling in which stunting was assumed to be the dependent variable and age, birth cohort and time period were independent variables.
Results: Growth data of 970 (51.9%) boys and 898 (48.1%) girls were analyzed. The overall stunting prevalence was estimated 8.0%. This estimation by Logistic regression models (P<0.001) and graphical analyses were similar and showed that the prevalence of stunting has a decreasing trend in different birth cohorts and time periods. The prevalence of stunting was higher in the 2nd and 5th-6th years of life. The stunting prevalence was significantly higher in boys (9.3%) and non-Iranian children (9.5%) (P<0.001).
Conclusions: The prevalence of stunting appears to be decreasing in the investigated population. Appropriate interventions is thought to be essential for reducing stunting of 2nd and 5th-6th years of life, boys, and non-Iranian children.
K Holakouie Naieni, A Ostovar, A Danesh, S Sadjedinejad, L Ghalichee, Gh Moradi, Ma Mansournia, Ss Hashemi Nazari,
Volume 6, Issue 2 (22 2010)
Abstract
Background and objective: The nested case-control study has become popular as an efficient alternative to the full-cohort design. This study compares the results of a nested case-control analysis approach with the full cohort analysis.
Methods: A cohort of 276 subjects (new cases from a TB registry) was used for this study. Cox Regression model was used for the full cohort analysis. In order to do the nested case-control analysis, for each death, three random controls were selected from those who did not suffer from the outcome at the time of the outcome took place. Case control data was analyzed by the conditional logistic regression model.
Results: Results from both cohort and nested case-control analyses show that treatment group is the only variable that affects on the outcome. Gender, place of residence, and age has no effect on the outcome. For binary exposure variables with trivial effects (e.g. Gender and place of residence), the relative efficiency of nested case-control study design is approximately 75%.
Conclusion: Results of this study show that nested case-control study is not only an easy and cost-effective method for data analysis but also is as robust as cohort analysis in rate ratio and its variance estimation.
Kh Rahmani, M Zokaei, F Bidarpoor, Sh Babahajiani, P Nessaei, Gh Moradi ,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (Vol 10, No 1 2014)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the trend of mortality of children under five years old in Kurdistan Province during 2007 to 2011.
Methods: The data of this descriptive-analytical study on deaths and births was collected from provincial deaths registry system and Civil Registration System during 2007 to 2011. The main indicators including under-five mortality, infant mortality, and neonatal mortality rate during the given period were studied. The relationship between variables was calculated using chi-square test.
Results: The neonatal mortality rate changed from 13.5 per thousand live births in 2007 to 12.2 per thousand live births in 2011. During the same period of time, the infant mortality rate and under-five mortality rate declined from 17.1 and 20.2 to 14.9 and 17.4 per thousand live births, respectively. A significant relationship was found between gender and infant mortality. Among the major causes of mortality, prenatal diseases, especially infant diseases, were the most common cause of death in the neonatal period.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, although there was a reduction in the under-five mortality rate during these years, the observed decline, especially the decline in infant mortality rate, was very slow. There are still some preventable causes of death in children which require more attention by the health system and researchers
M Habibi, Kh Moradi, M Pooravari, S Salehi,
Volume 11, Issue 1 (Vol 11, No 1 2015)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: This study examined the prevalence of behavioral disorders in middle and high school students in the Province of Qom.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed to investigate 762 students (382 middle and 380 high school students) who were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data collection was performed suing the Woodworth Personal Data Sheet (WPDS), and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test.
Results: The finding showed that the prevalence of behavioral problems in the total sample, and middle and high school students was 19.82, 22.72, and 17.1%, respectively. The prevalence of behavioral problems was higher in boys versus girls, is the middle school versus the high school, and in urban areas versus rural areas. The aggressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder – Psychasthenia had the highest and lowest prevalence in both the middle and high school students, respectively. The educational level of students, parental education, parental divorce, parental death, and family income had significant relationships with behavioral disorders.
Conclusion: The prevalence of behavioral problems in the Province of Qom was found to be in the middle range in comparison with other studies conducted within and outside the country. However, attention should be paid to mental health policy-making in adolescents to decrease behavioral problems and prevent future issues.
J Hasanzadeh, F Najafi, M Moradinazar,
Volume 11, Issue 1 (Vol 11, No 1 2015)
Abstract
The time series is a collection of observation data that are arranged according to time. The main purpose of setting up a time series is to predict future values. The first step in time series data is graphed. Using graphs can provide general information such as uptrend or downtrend, seasonal patterns, periodic presence, and outliers in time series graphs. After graphing the data, if a good forecast is required, stationary data can be used. Differencing or decomposition methods can be used to make the data stationary. Then, a correlogram can be used to identify the order moving average and autoregressive model. The parameters of the model are examined using T-test. If the parameters are significant and the residue is independence, the predicted values can be evaluated using the mean absolute percentage error.
Mr Ghadirzadeh, A Shojaei, A Khademi, M Khodadoost, M Kandi, F Alaeddini, S Moradi,
Volume 11, Issue 2 (Vol 11, No 2 2015)
Abstract
Background & Objectives: The number of road traffic accidents (RTAs) and their mortality are increasing in the world. In Iran, RTAs have caused life losses and economical damages. Death is the most important consequence of the accidents in terms of social, economic, and even political expenditures. This paper reports the statistics of the mortality status in the last decade.
Methods: A 10-year study was conducted on national and provincial data of the last decade collected by Legal Medicine Research Center. The population information provided by the National Center of Statistics was used. SPSS 15.5 and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 were used for data analysis.
Results: Between 2001 and 2010, the annual average of 34.6 per hundred thousand people were killed in traffic accidents, more than 80% of the casualties are men. The highest number of deaths and injuries was observed in 2005 and the lowest occurred in 2001. RTAs had a descending trend trough the last decade but the rate of injuries increased. The death rates in Semnan, Qazvin, and Kerman were the highest and in Tehran, Ardabil, and West Azarbaijan were the lowest.
Conclusion: Although mortality rates due to RTAs declined during the last four years of the study period, direct and indirect costs of deaths resulting from RTAs in Iran are a sign of crisis.
P Kimyaiee, M Bakhtiyari, M Mirzamoradi, S Ashrafivand, Ma Mansournia,
Volume 11, Issue 3 (Vol 11, No 3 2015)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: GTN is a general term for an extensive range of malignant trophoblastic diseases including invasive mole, choriocarcinoma, epithelioid trophoblastic tumors and placental site trophoblastic tumors. The aim of this study was to predict the risk of GTN in patients with molar pregnancy in Tehran.
Methods: All cases with partial and complete mole with a record of at least 4 titers of β-hCG were included in this study. Before and after fitting the appropriate model for calculating the area under the curve of each predictor variable, the type of the relationship (linear or non-linear) was first determined using locally weighted scatter plot smoothing (Lowess Smoother) and fractional polynomial regression (Fracpoly); then, a model tailored to data processing was used for drawing the ROC diagram.
Results: Nonparametric chi-square analysis indicated no significant difference between the components of high-risk molar pregnancy and GTN (P=0.39). Generally, among 201 cases of molar pregnancy, 61 (30%) had one of the components of high-risk molar pregnancy. The ROC curve with an AUC of 0.86 showed that the regression slope of β-hCG with 73% sensitivity and 88% specificity could be used as a predictor.
Conclusion: The serum β-hCG measurement after 21 days of molar pregnancy evacuation and the slope of the linear regression line of β-hCG were found be good tests to distinguish between patients who will benefit from spontaneous disease remission and patients developing GTN.
B Piroozi, A Mohamadi Bolban Abad , Gh Moradi,
Volume 11, Issue 4 (Vol 11, No.4, Winter 2016 2016)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Responsiveness is a response to the reasonable expectations of people about non-clinical aspects of the health system. The purpose of this paper was to assess the responsiveness of the health system after the first year of the health system reform in Sanandaj in 2015.
Methods: This descriptive-analytic and cross-sectional study was conducted on 646 households in Sanandaj. The World Health Survey (WHS) questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data was analyzed with SPSS 16 as well as descriptive statistics and ANOVA.
Results: All dimensions of responsiveness, except for choice, were 100% important according to the respondents. In inpatient services, social support (100%) and confidentiality (96%) had the best performance while communication had the worst performance (49%). In outpatient services, confidentiality (100%) and autonomy (42%) had the best and worst performance, respectively. In inpatient wards, a significant difference only in “quick attention” dimension was observed among responsiveness dimensions with regards to proprietorship of the health care center (P-value=0.03). On the contrary, this difference was not significant in outpatient wards.
Conclusion: In this study, communication (time to ask questions about health problem/treatment, clarity of providers explanations), autonomy (participation in treatment decision-making, possibility of obtaining information on other types of treatment) and quality of basic amenities (cleanliness inside the health facility, available space in waiting and examination rooms) were identified as priority areas for actions to improve the responsiveness of the health care services.
Gh Moradi, M Sehat, Aa Haghdoost, M Karami, R Chaman, Z Khazaei, E Goudarzi, M Asadi Lari, E Mostafavi, K Holakouie Naieni ,
Volume 12, Issue 0 (Special Issue Vol.12 2017)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Epidemiology is a tool and a field of science which provides evidences necessary to make decisions. It is known as one of the basic sciences of public health. This study aimed to identify strategies for the promotion of epidemiology by Iranian Epidemiological Association so that people graduated in this field would become able to play an effective and positive role in different parts of the country.
Methods: This study was conducted in 2015. The views and opinions of the members of Iranian Epidemiological Association were collected by email. The views of the members were classified using qualitative methods.
Results: The results of this study helped to identify some of the strategies for the promotion of the position of epidemiology in Iran’s health system by the members of Iranian Epidemiological Association.
Conclusion: Iranian Epidemiological Association can play a more effective role in the promotion of epidemiology in the health system. Effective communication with the members, holding group meetings, advocacy and negotiation, reporting the activities of the Association continuously, identifying national problems and seeking solutions are some of the strategies that can help to enhance the role of the Association and promote the position of epidemiologists in Iran.
H Hatami, A Gharib, A Khodamoradi,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (Vol 12, No 2 2016)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Hirschsprung's disease is one of the congenital movement disorders of the bowel whose accurate and timely diagnosis in childhood is important. The disease occurs due to lack of ganglion cells in the distal part of the digestive system and leads to functional obstruction of the colon. Recently, by the frozen section method, the diagnosis and treatment of the disease is possible through one-stage surgery with fewer complications and lower costs without the need for early colostomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of frozen section in Hirschsprung's disease.
Methods: this retrospective study was done on 406 frozen section results obtained from patients admitted to Mofid Hospital during 1389-90. We evaluated the frequency of “positive” and “negative” samples and compared them with the results of the permanent section. Moreover, the validity, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of frozen section were calculated.
Results: After examining 406 frozen section samples and comparison with the results of permanent section, the results were consistent for both methods in 369 cases (90.89%) while the results were inconsistent in 37 cases (9.11%). Frozen section showed 7 (1.7%) false negative and 30 false positive (7.3%) cases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of frozen section was 94.44%, 89.29%, 79.87%, and 97.28%, respectively.
Conclusion: Frozen section is a good tool for screening and diagnosis. Its power to rule out the disease is rather more than its power to confirm its presence. so it is capable of ruling out the disease in 97% and confirming its presence in 80% of the cases.
