Payavard Salamat

Application Of Web Information Quality Criteria At Gonabad University Of Medical Sciences

Meisam Dastani

Background and Aim: The Internet is an essential tool to access information in the new era, and the quality of information obtained from the web is very important. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to investigate the familiarity with and the application of criteria used to assess the quality of such data at Gonabad University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This survey study was done in the second semester of academic year 2012-2013. The population of the study consisted of all 235 bachelor students at Gonabad University of Medical Sciences. A five-item questionnaire based on the Likert scale was used for data collection the reliability and validity of this questionnaire had been determined by similar studies. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20 and descriptive statistics. Results: The results of this study revealed that most of the students paid much attention to the relevance of information (59.1%). Value-addedness (47.7%) and understandability (44.7%) enjoyed the next highest priorities. Consistency (19.1%) and credibility (12.8%) had the lowest priorities among students in terms of interest and application. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the students of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences did not pay attention to all information quality criteria in the web rather, they paid more attention to the relevance and valueaddedness of the information while searching the web.

Data Mining And Analysis: Reporting Results For Patients With Asthma

Mostafa Langarizadeh

Background and Aim: Data mining is a very important branch in deeper understanding of medical data, which attempts to solve problems in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. One of the most important data mining applications is to examine the existing data patterns. The present study aims to examine the existing data patterns of patients with asthma. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on 258 patients with respiratory symptoms, who referred to Imam Khomeini and Masih Daneshvari Hospitals in 2009. All records were entered into Excel software, and data mining add-ins were used. Analyses such as key influencers, cluster analysis of patients, and detecting exceptions have been done. Results: The most common clinical sign of asthma among subjects was severe coughing, which was highly affected by thrills. The data were aggregated into 5 clusters for more general analyses. Their common denominator was then identified and the records with exceptional features were determined. Then, following cost analysis and setting the threshold value at 612, a questionnaire was developed based on data features for diagnosis of asthma. Conclusion: The developed framework for data mining and analysis is an appropriate tool for knowledge extraction based on the data and their relationships. Meanwhile, it can identify and fill the existing gap in medical decision- making when using clinical guideline

A Comparative Study Of Medical Journals And Articles Growth In Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office Member Countries

Aref Riahi

Background and Aim: Scholarly journals are quite necessary for each society’s scientific life, especially the medical society, because they represent the academic community’s achievements to a large extent at regional, national and international levels. The present research, therefore, aims at a comparative study on the qualitative and quantitative growth of journals and articles in medical sciences and related fields in Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) member countries in Scopus. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive survey with a scientometric approach. The population of the study includes scientific journals and articles in medical sciences indexed in Scopus database. In this study, EMRO academic products and 140 scientific journals have been investigated. Results: The results show that a large number of member countries’ scientific works have been produced and published in medical fields (The main topic of 144,628 out of 573,067 documents published by these countries has been medical fields). Meanwhile, the number of journals which were indexed during the studied period increased from 17 to 127. Conclusion: The production of scientific documents and academic journals in the field of medicine in EMRO member countries has increased during the studied period and has had a considerable leap in the final years. Academic articles have increased along with the increase in scientific journals in these countries.

Isolation And Identification Of Burkholderia Cepacia From Respiratory Secretions In Cyctic Fibrosis Patients

Mohammad Mehdi Soltan Dallal

Background and Aim: Cystic fibrosis is a common hereditary and autosomal disorder. One of the factors in cystic fibrosis is Burkholderia cepacia which can be transmitted through the sharing of admitted patients with hospitalized patients. Purpose of this study, was isolation and identification of Burkholderia cepacia from respiratory secretions from Masih Daneshvari Hospital cystic fibrosis patient. Materials and Methods: In this study, during 8 months from 2011 till 2012, 100 cases of pulmonary secretions were collected in Masih Daneshvari hospital patients. The specimens were cultured on both MacConkey agar and Burkholderia cepacia selective agar (BCSA) medium. After an incubation of 48 hours at 35°C, suspected colonies were isolated and by using of phenotypic and biochemical tests like TSI agar, simmons citrate medium, indol and motility, MRVP, oxidation - fermentation (OF), arginine- ornithine - lysine decarboxylase test, Dnase test, and polymyxin resistance were identified. Results: Using BCSA medium and biochemical tests led to isolation and identification of five Burkholderia cepacia strains from 100 respiratory samples. However, using Mac Conkey no Burkholderia cepacia was detected. Conclusion: Our results clearly indicate the use of BCSA medium as a specific medium for isolation of Burkholderia cepacia in cystic fibrosis patients. So, presence of 5% Burkholderia cepacia in cystic fibrosis infections suggests detecting this bacterium, in a specific and sensitive culture medium.

The Study On Fungal Isolates From Ownership Dogs With Skin Lesions In Rural Areas Of Meshkin-Shahr With Emphasize On Transmission Risk Of Fungal Zoonoses

Roshanak Daie Ghazvini

Background and Aim: Identification of possible animal sources of infection is applied for preventing the outbreak and progressive epidemics of infection. The aim of present study is isolation of pathogenic and opportunistic fungi from the skin of ownership dogs with emphasize on transmission risk of fungal zoonoses in rural areas of Meshkin Shahr, Ardebil province of Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was performed in laboratory of Medical Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences from April 2011 to November 2012. Hundred and thirty dogs were studied. Collected scales and hair samples were examined by direct smear and SC, SCC and DTM culture with the aim of full coverage of whole fungal growth such as saprophytic and pathogenic fungi for 1-3 weeks. Results: From 130 examined samples, Alternaria 41 (31.5%) as the most frequent, Chaetomium 1 (0.9%) and Nattrassia 1 (0.9%) as the least frequent saprophytic agents, were isolated from the samples. Conclusion: The dogs in these areas are not the source of infection for dermatophytosis and had no role in the epidemiology of the disease

The Assessment Of Nurses’ Knowledge And Attitude Towards Islamic Commandments In Tehran University Of Medical Sciences (TUMS) Hospitals In 2014

Nikzad Eisazadeh

Background and Aim: Nurses’ knowledge and awareness about religious orders is undoubtedly so important in their relationship with patients in hospitals. So, the aim of this study is to compare the knowledge and attitude of nurses before and after their participation in religious orders workshop. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, religious knowledge and attitude of 480 nurses working in the hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) were evaluated. The research tool was a questionnaire and such factors as nurses’ age, sex, educational level, and type of employment were considered. The data were collected by a questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS software version 19. Results: Nurses demonstrated a higher level of knowledge and attitude in hospitals where Islamic orders workshop was held than the ones in other hospitals. In total, there was no significant difference among nurses regarding their age, sex, educational level, and type of employment however, nurses working in surgical wards and those with a postgraduate degree showed a higher level of knowledge and attitude than others. Conclusion: It is necessary to provide nurses with knowledge about religious orders because such knowledge may increase patients' satisfaction with the care they receive.

Comparing The Effect Of Lactobacillus Aacidophilus And MRS Medium On Mesenchymal Stem Cells Proliferation

Ali Samadikuchaksaraei

Background and Aim: The use of probiotics has been surveyed in different studies. For example, many researches have been conducted on immunity, cancer and embryonic cells proliferation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a rather slower growth and a more limited number of passages. In this research, the effect of supernatant of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LS) as one of the most commonly used probiotics on the proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells has been studied with the aim of increasing their proliferation for the treatment of patients in need of transplantation using mesenchymal stem cells.

Materials and Methods: The MSCs separated from rats’ bone marrow were led to bone and fat levels in the second passage, and their mesenchymal state was confirmed. The cells were then treated by the supernatant of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LS) and MRS broth medium, which have been separated in advance. The number of cells was examined by MTT test equated with the standard.

Results: A curve was drawn for the cells’ growth in different amounts and the number of cells was obtained by converting the results of MTT test to a standard curve. For statistical analyses, SPSS and ANOVA were employed.

Conclusion: The findings show the double effect of LS on the weak effect of MRS broth medium. The use of supernatant of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LS) can be a practical and economical method for increasing the proliferation of MSCs isolated from bone marrow.

Completion Of Electronic Reports And Its Reasons From Employees\' Viewpoints

Mehdi Kahouei

Background and Aim: Nearly a decade has passed since the use of computers to record patients' medical records in Iran. Despite the advantages of computer systems, healthcare providers are reluctant to use them therefore, parts of computerized records will be incomplete, which lead to information gaps. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the completion of electronic reports and its reasons from employees' viewpoint.

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 2499998 electronic reports were evaluated using a checklist that examined types of identity and clinical data meanwhile, staff’s attitudes were investigated by a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and its reliability was estimated through test-retest method.

Results: The results showed that 100% of some clinical and identity data were not recorded. Some 58.7% of staff members reported the absence of clear regulations and 54.7% reported inappropriate electronic forms as the reasons. Some 24.1% of staff members suggested the codification of clear guidelines and 15.6% offered surveillance programs as solutions to completing electronic reports.

Conclusion: The staff reported human and organizational factors as the most important elements influencing the quality of electronic reports. It seems that the following are among the solutions which can remove many defects of electronic reports: investment in education, management support for the codification of relevant policies, health information technology professionals' participation in designing electronic forms, and the use of high technologies to record data for busy employees.

Minimum Data Set Of Anatomical Pathology Information System From The Perspective Of Experts

Maryam Ebrahimi

Background and Aim: Pathology Information Systems provide opportunities for pathologists and clinical laboratory professionals to influence clinical care and modern research programs. The objective of this study was to determine the minimum data set of Anatomical Pathology Information System from the experts’ point of view.

Materials and Methods: This study is considered an applied research conducted through a descriptive cross-sectional research method. The research instrument was a questionnaire containing data elements related to sample and those related to the patient. This questionnaire was completed by three groups of participants including 22 experts in the field of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 23 experts in Health Informatics and Health Information Management, and 6 Insurance experts. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS software.

Results: The results indicated that all information elements contained in the questionnaire except the address of the pathologist, resident or the person who performs the act of gross examination were considered as informational elements essential to the system and the high average of five was allocated to them.

Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the Minimum Data Set of Anatomical Pathology Information System can be presented in two main categories: Clinical and non-clinical information, which include identity information, management information, insurance information, clinical information and the data related to the study of anatomiaca pathology samples.

Study Of Nurses’ Perceptions On Medication Errors In Pediatric Hospitals In Tehran, Iran

Hamid Ravaghi

Background and Aim: Medication errors make up a large portion of medical errors that mostly happen in hospitals. To prevent medication errors, it is essential to reach an appropriate understanding regarding with their causes and reporting especially among nurses. The purpose of this study was to determine the reasons of medication errors and the causes of not error reporting from nurses’ viewpoints.

Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive analytical cross-sectional study conducted in year 2013. The study population were nurses working in different working shifts in special and sub-special pediatric hospitals in Tehran. A sample of 294 nurses recruited using a stratified non randomized sampling approach. The corrected Gladstone questionnaire with appropriate validity and reliability was used. The data were analyzed by descriptive (frequency, mean and standard deviation) and analytical statistics (Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis) using SPSS version 16.

Results: The most important reasons of medication errors were tiredness of nurses, wrong dose prescription by the physicians and illegible prescriptions. Fear of the nursing manager's reaction was the main obstacle to reporting medication errors in the view of 74.9% of nurses. The nurses estimated that only 42.52% of all the medicinal errors were reported.

Conclusion: Raising awareness regarding with the types and causes of medication errors and their reporting and implementing the relevant intervention to address these causes should be established in hospitals in particular in pediatrics wards.