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Comparative Analysis of Biochemical Parameters Across Different Stages of Kidney Disease: From Early Kidney Disease to Dialysis-Dependent Renal Failure
Nabeel Taher Jameel Alghanim, Hamed Jadooa Abbas, Hamid Choobineh, Ziba Majidi, Nasrin Dashti,
Volume 19, Issue 2 (7-2025)
Abstract
Background and Aim: This study investigated the biochemical profiles of individuals with different stages of kidney disease, including those with kidney disease without hemodialysis, chronic kidney disease without hemodialysis, and individuals with renal failure undergoing hemodialysis treatment, to clarify the role of mineral markers, inflammation, and kidney function in the complications of this disease.
Materials and Methods: This case-control study was conducted with 180 participants aged 18 to 81 years in Iraq. Participants were divided into four groups: the case group (including individuals with kidney disease not on dialysis, chronic kidney disease not on dialysis, and kidney failure treated with dialysis) and the control group, which included healthy individuals. Blood levels of urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D3, parathyroid hormone (PTH), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and cystatin C were measured.
Results: The results showed that the levels of blood urea, calcium, vitamin D3, cystatin C and hs-CRP were significantly different between the different groups. The mean creatinine in the non-dialysis kidney disease group (3.98±1.77 mg/dL) and non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (4.59±1.63 mg/dL) was different from the dialysis kidney failure group (11.03±3.35 mg/dL) (P=0.001), but there was no significant difference between the two groups of kidney disease without dialysis and chronic kidney disease without dialysis. The phosphorus concentration was significant in all groups (P=0.001) and the highest value was observed in the dialysis kidney failure group. The PTH level was not significantly different between the two groups of non-dialysis, but there was a significant difference compared to the dialysis kidney failure group (P=0.001). Cystatin C was not significantly different in the two non-dialysis groups, but was significantly higher (P=0.001) compared with the renal failure group on dialysis (7.06±1.61 mg/dL).
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that regular monitoring of biochemical biomarkers is essential for the timely diagnosis and effective management of kidney disease. It also highlights the importance of paying attention to metabolic and inflammatory abnormalities in patients with kidney disease (especially in patients on dialysis), including extensive changes in biochemical, hormonal, and inflammatory factors levels that often occur due to severe impairment of kidney function and the dialysis process.

Perceptions of Operating Room and Anesthesia Students and Instructors Regarding the Impact of the Hidden Curriculum on the Promotion of Professional Ethics
Mahnaz Moghadari Koosha, Iraj Salehi, Elaheh Mousavi, Mohammad Reza Safari, Nasim Alipour, Hossein Vakili Mofrad,
Volume 19, Issue 4 (11-2025)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The hidden curriculum is considered the most powerful means of transmitting professional values. Given the critical importance of managing the hidden curriculum to institutionalize professional ethics and professionalism within health higher education institutions, the present study was conducted to explore the perceptions of operating room and anesthesia students and instructors regarding the impact of the hidden curriculum on the promotion of professional ethics.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using a qualitative approach based on conventional content analysis. The study population included final-year students and instructors from the operating room and anesthesia disciplines at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Participants were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling methods. Data were collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Data saturation was achieved after conducting 24 interviews. The data analysis followed the qualitative content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman (2004), and was carried out in seven steps: 1. familiarization with the data, 2. identification of meaning units, 3. initial coding, 4. formation of subcategories, 5. development of categories, 6. extraction of themes, and 7. final review.
Results: The content analysis of the interviews resulted in the identification of 456 initial codes. Following refinement and consolidation, these codes were organized into four overarching categories and ten subcategories. The main categories comprised: ‘Components of the hidden curriculum in professional ethics education’, ‘Mechanisms through which the hidden curriculum exerts influence’, ‘Consequences of the hidden curriculum’, and ‘Strategies for enhancing professional ethics’. The findings indicated that the hidden curriculum, manifested through the behavioral patterns of faculty members and instructors, organizational culture, and interpersonal interactions, plays a pivotal role in shaping students’ ethical attitudes and behaviors. Furthermore, the hidden curriculum, through processes of unconscious learning, reinforcement or erosion of formal values, and the manner in which rules are implemented, can yield both positive outcomes—such as the development of ethical decision-making skills—and negative outcomes, including diminished ethical sensitivity.
Conclusion: This study revealed that the hidden curriculum in operating room and anesthesia education functions as a dual-force phenomenon. On one hand, it fosters the development of professional ethics through constructive role modeling and authentic clinical experiences. On the other hand, it can contribute to ethical erosion by conveying contradictory messages and unhealthy norms. Achieving sustainable ethical learning requires active management of the hidden curriculum through three key strategies: aligning the formal and hidden curricula, empowering instructors as agents of ethical value transmission, and shifting the organizational culture paradigm toward learning from error.

Evaluating the Effect of Training the Standardized SBAR Communication Model on the Quality of Patient Handoff and Operating Room Staff Satisfaction
Maryam Amirshekari, Seyyedeh Maryam Seyyedi, Faeze Fakhri, Mohsen Yaghmaei,
Volume 19, Issue 4 (11-2025)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Shift handover is one of the key processes in clinical settings, during which patient care is transferred from one healthcare team to the next. Weaknesses in this process—particularly in high-pressure environments such as operating rooms—may lead to reduced quality of information transfer and staff dissatisfaction. This study aimed to determine the effect of the standard SBAR communication model on the quality of the shift handover process and the satisfaction of operating room personnel.
Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest design was conducted in 2023 at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Jiroft. Sampling was performed using a census method, and a total of 66 operating room staff members participated in the study. The intervention consisted of a two-hour training session (including theoretical and practical components) on the SBAR model. Data were collected using the standard CEX checklist to assess handover quality and a modified version of the Petrovic questionnaire to evaluate staff satisfaction. The validity and reliability of the instruments were confirmed. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and paired t-tests. A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered.
Results: The study participants included 66 operating room staff members, comprising 39 women and 27 men, with a mean age of 30.2±2.45 years. The mean score of shift handover quality significantly increased after SBAR training, rising from 73.80±13.99 before the training to 102.18±10.69 after the training, which corresponds to an improvement of approximately 20.9% relative to the total score range of the instrument (P<0.001). Furthermore, staff satisfaction with the shift handover process also improved, increasing from 37.85±4.77 to 42.41±4.76, representing an improvement of approximately 11.4% relative to the total instrument score range (P<0.001). These changes indicate the positive impact of SBAR training on both the shift handover process and the staff experience.
Conclusion: The findings indicated that training and implementation of the SBAR model were associated with significant improvements in handover quality and staff satisfaction. These results suggest that using structured communication tools may help improve certain aspects of the handover process. However, due to the lack of a control group and the short follow-up period, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions about the long-term effects of the intervention. Therefore, SBAR-based training may be considered as a recommended option; however, further studies with stronger designs and in diverse clinical settings are needed to more accurately evaluate its outcomes.

Design and Implementation of Surgical Preference Card Software and Its Impact on Clinical Skills of Operating Room Students
Parsa Farmahin Farahany, Maryam Amirshekari, Mohsen Yaghmaie,
Volume 19, Issue 5 (12-2025)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Designing a standard surgical preference card and implementing it in the operating room environment can partially solve the problems related to the variety of surgical procedures and the preparation of tools and equipment required for each surgical procedure. The present study aimed to determine the effect of designing and implementing surgical preference card software on the clinical skills of operating room students at Jiroft University of Medical Sciences.
Materials and Methods: This study was a semi-experimental intervention study in which 70 operating room students from the 4th, 6th, and 8th semesters of the undergraduate operating room program were selected through a census method and were trained using educational software designed by the researcher. Before and after the training, their clinical skills were assessed using a researcher-made questionnaire and checklist. To confirm the validity of the questionnaires and the researcher-made checklist, the opinion of an expert panel (12 expert faculty members) and the consensus of peer reviewers were used. Then, the data were analyzed in SPSS software using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, nonparametric Wilcoxon test, and analysis of covariance test.
Results: According to the research findings, the use of the designed software was effective on the clinical skills of operating room students. Based on the results of the Willcocson tests, a significant difference was observed in the mean scores of the students’ clinical skills test before and after implementing the designed software. The results of the study showed that the clinical skill scores of the students increased after using the software. The maximum scores of the samples are calculated from 100 points. The average clinical skill score of the subjects in the study increased from 40.98 before the educational intervention to 92.36 after the intervention, and the students had a higher level of skill in preparing the items and tools needed by the surgical team in all three stages before, during, and after surgery. Also, in the study, no relationship was found between any of the demographic variables studied, such as age, gender, and academic semester, and the clinical skills of the study members (P<0/05).
Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, the design and use of surgical preference card software in training procedure of operating room students has had an impact on improve their clinical skills. Therefore, the design and use of educational software in the field of anticipating the needs and preparing the requirements of each surgical procedure is recommended to all professors and officials in the operating room field. 

Factors Affecting the Acceptance and Use of Hospital Intelligent Management (HIM) System based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT)
Pezhman Sadeghi, Nader Jahanmehr, Reza Rabiei,
Volume 19, Issue 5 (12-2025)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Information systems serve different purposes in organizational and management hierarchies. The hospital intelligent management system is an analytical and decision-support management information system that provides information and important performance indicators for managers in hospitals. Considering the role of this system in increasing the efficiency and effectiveness and the lack of academic hospitals having the desired level of productivity, this research was conducted to investigate the effective factors in improving the acceptance of the intelligent hospital management system in the hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU). 
Materials and Methods: This descriptive and correlational research was conducted in 19 hospitals (12 teaching hospitals and 7 non-teaching hospitals) of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2022. In this study, 126 senior and middle managers and experts of the productivity committee participated. The data of this study were collected Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology(UTAUT)  Questionnaire and for statistical analysis, SPSS software (statistical table and linear and multiple regression tests, sequencing, and chi-square) was used. The validity of the questionnaire was determined using the opinion of research experts and its reliability was also determined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.824).
Results: Most of the participants in the study were from teaching hospitals (63.2%) and were middle managers (50.8%). Behavioral intentions were identified as the most important factors in the use of system by senior and middle managers and experts of productivity committee (P<0.001). The effort expectancy had the greatest impact on the intention to use the system as compared to the expected components of Performance expectancy and social influence. Also, training and having educational programs on how to use the HIM and its applications can increase the intention and use of the HIM by employees (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Based on the results, the effect of the moderating variables in this study was insignificant. If senior managers and influential people encourage working with the system, and employees also make more effort to learn the system, and working with the system meets their expectations, employees will be willing to use the system. In other words, employees use the system when they believe that this system is user-friendly, valuable, and useful for them.

Investigation of the Antifungal Effects of Carvacrol on Clinical Isolates of Trichophyton Rubrum
Davood Bahrami, Mahin Tavakoli, Bahram Ahmadi,
Volume 19, Issue 6 (3-2026)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Trichophyton rubrum is among the most frequently detected species that cause dermatophyte infections, especially chronic infections, so it requires early diagnosis and appropriate antifungal treatment. Due to the increasing resistance of different species of dermatophytes to antifungals, the use of herbal compounds with antifungal properties can be used as adjuvant therapy or even an alternative therapy. Carvacrol has a wide range of biological activities, including antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, insecticidal, and antioxidant properties. Accordingly, we aimed to determine the antifungal effect of carvacrol on 12 strains of Trichophyton rubrum in comparison to the antifungal drug terbinafine in vitro. 
Materials and Methods: This investigation was conducted on Trichophyton rubrum isolates that had been previously identified morphologically and molecularly. The protocol used to perform in vitro susceptibility testing was the A38-M-CLSI standard using the Broth Microdilution method. The obtained results were analyzed using SPSS software, and the MIC50, MIC90, and GM of this compound against Trichophyton rubrum isolates were estimated compared to terbinafine.
Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using different concentrations of carvacrol (in the concentration range of 0.25 to 2 μg/mL) and terbinafine (in the concentration range of 0.0625 to 0. 5 μg/mL). The MIC50 and MIC90 values for Carvacrol were determined to be 0. 5 and 2 μg/mL, respectively. Whereas, the corresponding values for terbinafine were calculated at 0.0625 and 0. 5 μg/mL. The GM values were 0.5 for cavacrol and 0.1 for terbinafine. Similar to terbinafine, the antifungal efficacy of the studied compound displayed significant differences against Trichophyton rubrum isolates (P-value<0.05).  
Conclusion: Although the MIC values for carvacrol were higher than those for terbinafine in vitro, it demonstrated significant antifungal activity against Trichophyton rubrum isolates. Therefore, this natural compound seems to be a good option for adjuvant therapy along with antifungals in dermatophyte infections, although the realization of this matter requires further investigation on the combined effect of carvacrol and terbinafine, determining the toxicity of carvacrol, and also examining this compound in vivo.

Identification of Conflict-of-Interest Management Strategies in Iranian Healthcare System Comparing with Selected Countries: A Scoping Review
Hojjat Rahmani, Payam Bahadori, Hossein Dargahi, Mohammad Arab, Nasrin Abolhasanbeigi Gallehzan, Mohsen Mardali,
Volume 19, Issue 6 (3-2026)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The occurrence of conflict of interest in the Iranian health system has a negative impact on the provision of efficient and effective health care and services to patients, the training and education of students in medical sciences. Despite the efforts made in the country’s health system to manage conflict of interest, this phenomenon is currently observed through various factors, including the inefficiency of the financial structure, lack of transparency, and the lack of an integrated health information system in Iran.
Materials and Methods: The present scoping review study that aimed to identify and determine conflict of interest management strategies in the Iranian health system in comparison with selected countries and to select appropriate strategies in 2024-2025 using the Arksey and O’Malley guidelines. All relevant articles and resources from 2007 to 2024 were extracted from national and international databases by observing the entry and exit criteria and by selecting Persian and English keywords. After screening steps using Prisma flowchart, 23 studies in English and Persian language from international and national databases, were analyzed.
Results: Findings from 17 international studies—most of which were conducted in the United States—along with 6 domestic articles, showed main strategies of Iranian conflict of interest which included participation, transparency, legal oversight, processes reform, restructuring and reorganization. Although, using collective campaigns for correction of process behaviors and decisions, definition of ethical ethic codes, and standardization may help implementation of these strategies. Also, the most common cause of conflict of interest in the health system is individual rather than organizational, which requires regulation, the use of legislative levers, and the transparency of financial relations in the health system.
Conclusion: Accurate identification of potential examples of conflict of interests among the agents of health care system by implementing information clarification, and using modern procedures may decrease the challenges in formulating and implementing strategies of conflict of interests among Iranian health care system. Although benchmarking from successful countries will be helpful in these countries. The implementation of these recommendations may face challenges within Iranian society, including resistance from certain professional groups, a lack of financial and technical resources, and the complexity and specific conditions of the health system. Therefore, a step-by-step approach to implementing policy recommendations for managing conflicts of interest in the health system should be considered.

Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Summer School of Laboratory Skills Prior to Internship Based on the Repetition Activity in Education for Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science Students
Mohammad Ahmadian, Zahra Molaei, Monireh Rahimkhani, Shaban Alizadeh, Fariba Nabatchian, Nasrin Dashti, Hamid Choobineh, Bahram Nikmanesh, Yoosef Erfani, Mehdi Zavvar, Reza Afrisham, Ziba Majidi, Alireza Latifi, Mohammad Ebrahimi Siahboomi, Azade Omidkhoda,
Volume 20, Issue 1 (4-2026)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Preparing laboratory sciences students for clinical internship requires enhancing practical skills and effective review of theoretical topics taught in the early years. This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a summer school for laboratory skills to improve students’ preparedness before entering clinical internships.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted over two consecutive academic years (2022–2023 and 2023–2024) at the School of Allied Medical Sciences, in collaboration with the Departments of Laboratory Sciences, Hematology and Blood Transfusion, and Medical Information Sciences. Educational needs were identified through literature review and unstructured interviews. Subsequently, six specialized hands-on workshops were designed and conducted, covering Hematology and Blood Banking, Biochemistry, Immunology and Serology, Microbiology, Parasitology, and Hormone Assays. The quality of the courses was assessed with a researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed based on a literature review and considering the research objectives. The face and content validity of this questionnaire was qualitatively reviewed and confirmed by experienced teachers (5 members of the faculty of the Laboratory Sciences Department), and its reliability was calculated and confirmed based on Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.92. The questionnaire items measured the level of student satisfaction with a 5-point Likert scale from completely disagree (1) to completely agree (5). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software. The effect of the courses on the students’ competence after the internship was also measured with the questionnaire.
Results: Based on the results of the questionnaires completed by the students, 93.3% of the participants expressed their satisfaction with the overall implementation of the summer school. Further details showed that 91.6% of the students believed that the summer school was effective in improving their practical skills. Also, 78.8% of the participants gave a positive rating to the educational environment provided for practical learning, and 93.9% expressed their satisfaction with the supervision and feedback provided by the professors. Based on the results of the questionnaires after the end of the 12-unit internship, on average, 77.7% of the students stated that participating in the summer school increased their self-confidence and ability to perform laboratory tests during the internship. Also, 66.6% of the participants evaluated the course as an effective factor in improving their readiness to enter the clinical hospital environment. More than 90% considered the workshops useful for consolidating knowledge.
Conclusion: It seems that the summer school increased students’ satisfaction and preparedness for entry into the clinical environment. It is recommended that such programs be integrated into the laboratory sciences curriculum.

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