Tehran University Medical Journal

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Yersinia enterocolitis causes a wide spectrum of human diseases including gasteroentritis, which is the most frequent of its manifestation. Other diseases and clinical syndromes resulting from Yersinia enterocolitica are septicemia, mesenteric lymphadenitis, apendisitis, exudative pharyngitis, reactive artiritis, nodosum erythema and rarely Reiter's syndrome. In many countries such as western European, Scandinavian and north American countries, Australia and Japan the role of Yersinia enterocolitica particularly the 0:3, 0:8 and 0:9 serotypes in human diseases have been clearly identified. In spite of significant development in the field of separating Yersinia enterocolitica from feces as well as from the environmental specimens during the last decade, there has been only one documented report of isolating Yersinia enterocolitica in Iran in 1977. Thus we decided to test 300 samples of feces within 5 months. In this method, CIN agar as a selective and special medium and Mac conkey agar as classic medium were used. Also cold enrichment method in PBS (pH=7.8) was used. In order to determine importance of enterocolitica, we separated other pathogens of intestine such as salmonella, shigella and entropathogenic E.Coli. The achieved results from abundance points of view are as follows: 17 strains of EPEC (5.66%), 9 strains of shigella (3%), 8 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica (2.66%) and 6 strains of salmonella (2%)

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Post partum haemorrhage (PPH) and retained placenta are the most common serious abnormalities encountered during the third stage of labour. PPH is one of the most common causes of mortality in childbirth, particularly in developing countries. The incidences of PPH and retained placenta have decreased with the use of synthetic oxytocin and controlled cord traction (CCT). Weather such treatment is valuable is open to question because of the lack of clinical and physiological studies. Unfortunately, oxytocic drugs are not available to about half the women of developing countries, who do not deliver under the care of a trained midwife. We know that sucking stimulates uterine contractions in lactating women. This effect is probably mediated by the high plasma oxytocin levels that occur during preparations for breast-feeding and again within 3 min of the start of sucking. Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) do not have the skill to administer injectable oxytoxics. It has become the practice in some TBA training programmes to teach that the risk of PPH can be reduced if the mother puts her baby to the breast immediately after delivery. Objective: To determine the effect of sucking immediately after childbirth on the length of 3rh stage and amount of bleeding in the first day. This is a semi-experimental study. It was done in Tehran'e Mirzakochak hospital. 100 women received oxytocin intramuscularly and 120 women were placed in sucking group. Then the lenghth of 3rd stage and amount of bleeding in the first day was compared between two groups. Results: The duration of the third stage and number of pads different between oxytocin group and sucking group (4.42 vs 6.08 min) and (10.58 vs 11.72 number). As for the, parity, gestational age, maternal systolic and diastolic blood pressure, infant weight and hight, the results showed no significant difference between the groups. As for the, maternal age, the results showed differed significantly between the groups. As for the gestational age, the results of the research showed that between the gestational age and the duration of the third stage, there was a reverse correlation in multipare women. So when gestational age decreases the duration of third stage will be longer. As for the maternal age, parity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, infant weight, infant hight, infant sex, the results showed that there was no correlation between these and the duration of the third stage.

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Background: Blood culture is the criterion standard for identifying children with bacteremia. However, elevated false-positive rates are common and are associated with substantial health care costs. The aims of this prospective study were to: 1) determine the rate of blood culture contamination 2) determine variety and frequency of contaminant bacteria 3) compare the duration of hospital stay and antibiotic administration in patients with true bacteremia vs those have false positive blood culture.

Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted April through July 2004 among patients aged 14 years or younger who were admitted at Doctor Garib Children Medical Center of Tehran and had a blood culture obtained as part of their care. Bacterial isolates were identified to species level and medical records were reviewed in all cases with a positive blood culture. A number of clinical and laboratory criteria were used to deciding whether a blood isolate is a pathogen or a contaminant. These include the identify of the micro-organism itself, clinical features such as fever and leukocytosis the proportion of blood culture sets positive as a function of the number of sets obtained and to have an indwelling vascular catheter or prosthetic device.

Results: During the study period, 2877 sets of blood culture were evaluated and the rates of positive blood cultures associated with significant bacteremia and contamination were 1.04% and 5.4% respectively. Among the positive blood cultures, over the 84% of isolates were due to contamination and only 15.95% of isolated strains associated with true infection. The frequency of isolated bacteria with respect to true infection and contamination are as following: S. Aureus (infect: 9.0%, contam: 0.0%), S. Epidemidis (infec: 0.0%, contam: 13.3%), Micrococcus sp. (infec: 0.0%, contam: 4.3%), pseudomonas and related species other than P. aeruginosa (infec: 2.1%, contam: 60.6%), viridans group of streptococci (infec: 1.1%, contam: 2.1%), E.coli (infec: 1.06%, contam: 0.0%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (infec: 0.53%, contam: 0.0%), Enterobacter cloacae (infec: 0.53%, contam: 0.0%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (infec: 0.25%, contam: 0.53%). The mean of hospital stay for patients with true bacteremia, 14.83 days, was not significantly higher than that for patients with false-positive blood cultures (10.08 days). 43 patients had administrated one to three antibiotics after false-positive blood cultures.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that blood culture contamination rate in studied hospital is higher than standard levels, and very high rate of contamination with environmental pseudomonas species shows an unusuall epidemic condition. The findings also suggests high resource utilization and prolong patients stay due to pseudobacteremia.

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Background: This study aimed to assess the quality of life in vitiligo sufferers and its relationship with a number of variables such as age, gender, educational level, place of residence, marital status, disease duration, disease extension, visibility of lesions and skin phototype (SPT).
Methods: In this study we evaluate the quality of life in patients with vitiligo attending Razi Hospital in July and August 2005. Permission from Professor Finlay was obtained to use the DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index) questionnaire to evaluate the quality of life. One hundred patients with at least one vitiligo patch (age range= 14–57) answered the question-naire. Other survey questions about mentioned variables were also answered. Scoring was done according to Finlay`s guidelines. The higher the score, the greater the impairment of quality of life.
Results: The mean DLQI score in our study was 8.16 (sd=5.423) with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 28. There were statistically significant relationships between DLQI scores and marital status, skin phototype and disease extension independently, but not between DLQI scores and other variables. The mean DLQI score was significantly higher in married compared to single patients. In fact this difference was significant in women. Married women had a statistically higher score than single women while single and married men had no significant difference. Patients with Skin Phototype IV showed a higher DLQI score than other SPTs, which was statistically notable (p=0.000). The patients with more disease extension had higher score that was statistically significant (p=0.000).
Conclusions: This study shows that vitiligo has a major impact on the quality of life and indicates specific groups that are most affected by the disease. Hence, dermatologists should pay attention to the psychologic effects of this cosmetic disease and try to decrease its extension and disfiguring effects by various treatment modalities.

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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 !mso]> ject classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui> Background: Infantile colic has been defined as episodes of excessive and persistent crying without known medical cause. Kangaroo mother care is a new method for baby care with several advantages. A universally available and biologically sound method of care for all newborns, with three components: skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding, support to the mother-infant dyad. This study designed for evaluating Kangaroo mother care on infantile colic. 

Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. From 1th may 2008 to 1 may 2009 a total of 70 children, aged 3-12 weeks with persistent colic symptoms were studied. The children were referred to Sheikh clinic, Mashhad, Iran, because of excessive crying. Normal mother-infant pairs were recruited at 3 to 12 weeks of age after obtaining baseline for two days. Subjects divided randomly to kangaroo care or conventional care group and mothers in both groups filled diary for seven days.

Results: In the beginning of the study, the infants in kangaroo care group had 3.5 hr/d crying and after the intervention, it decreased to 1.7 hr/d, the difference were significant (p<0.05). But there were no difference in feeding duration between two groups (p=0.2). Awake and content (normal behavior) behaviors were significantly increased in the kangaroo care group (p=0.001). Sleep duration was significantly increased in the kangaroo care group (p=0.02).

Conclusions: Kangaroo care may be used as a simple and safe method for treatment of infantile colic.

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Background: Exogenous natural and synthetic surfactants is a rescue treatment for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The goals of the study were to compare the clinical response and side-effects of two frequently used surfactants, poractant alfa (Curosurf) and beractant (Survanta), for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants.

Methods: This clinical trial study was performed during a two-year period in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. Sample size calculated by a 95% confidence and power of 80, included 104 premature neonates, 74 in survanta and 30 in curosurf groups. The level of statistical significance was considered to be < 0.05.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the infants treated by survanta or cursurf groups regarding their mean gestational age (30.58 Vs. 29.00 weeks) and birth weight (1388 Vs. 1330 g), (p=0.3) There were also no significant differences between the two groups regarding incidences of broncho- pulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (40.5% Vs. 40%), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) grades III/IV (13.5% Vs. 13.3%), pneumothorax (both 20%), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (28/3% Vs. 20%) or death (28% Vs. 26.6%) on the 28th day postpartum.

Conclusion: This study showed that survanta and curosurf had similar therapeutic effects in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

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Background: Ischemia/reperfusion induced acute renal failure causes excretory functional disorders of nephrons. Ischemia/reperfusion injury is accompanied by generation of reactive oxygen species that leads to dysfunction, injury, and death of renal cells. Antioxidants of plant origin minimize the harmful effects of reactive oxygen species. The aim of this study was to determine the possible therapeutic potentials of Rosa canina L. in preventing renal functional disturbances during the post-ischemic reperfusion period.

Methods: In this experimental study undertaken for evaluating renal excretory function in 30 male Wistar rats, renal ischemia was induced by occluding both renal arteries for 45 min, followed by 24 h of reperfusion. The rats received 2 ml of tap water or a hydroalcoholic extract of Rosa canina (500 mg/kg) orally for 7 days before induction of ischemia. In plasma samples, creatinine and urea nitrogen levels were measured, and in renal tissue samples, red blood cells were counted. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan tests.

Results: Renal ischemia for 45 minutes increased plasma levels of creatinine (P<0.001) and nitrogen urea (P<0.01) while reducing red blood cell counts in renal glomeruli (P<0.001). Rosa canina administration diminished the increase in creatinine (P<0.001) and nitrogen urea concentrations (P<0.01), and prevented reductions in red blood cell counts in renal glomeruli (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Rosa canina seems to be useful as a preventive agent against renal damages induced by ischemia/reperfusion injuries in rats.

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Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is one of the ways to non-oral feeding in patients with dysphagia caused by conditions such as stroke, oropharyngeal malignancy and motor neuron disease. The aim of study was assessment of early outcome of PEG in hospitalized patients according to clinical situation and underlying disease.
Methods: This study was cross- sectional and prospective. Sixty five patients were included with PEG from April 2011 to July 2012, at Sina University Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Tube function, feeding, and patients' symptoms were assessed and patients were followed six month at least to one year after procedure .The follow up of patients were stopped if the patient died or removal of tube.
Results: Sixty five patients (33 men, 32 women) enrolled in this study. The mean age of patients was 57.45±16.83 years (19-94 years). Head trauma and postoperative thoracic surgery were in 15 (23.1%) and 4 (6.2%) cases. 36 of patients (55.39%) had no symptoms. The complications include lickage (11 cases), stenosis (9 cases), cellulitis (7 cases), and PEG separation (2 cases). A total of 29 patients were complicated and 21 patients (72%) of them complicated 2 -5 months after PEG. No statistical significant differences between two sexes in PEG complication. 27 patients (41%) died that have no relation to complications of PEG.
Conclusion: Finally, the study showed the PEG is a safe method to enteral nutrition. The advantages of this method include its simplicity, no need to general anesthesia and low rate of complications especially in inpatient under the supervision of medical staff. Therefore it can be used as a favorable method.

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Background: Lack of precise diagnostic criteria and sufficient findings in support of biopsy sampling during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is one of the special challenge in endoscopy assessment in Barrett's esophagus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mucosa in the distal esophagus tissues through a biopsy during upper gastrointesti- nal endoscopy in gastroesophogeal reflux disease patients whose symptoms don't im- prove or only partially resolve with treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done in patients with gastroesophogeal reflux disease medically resistant to treatment. The patients were assessed by gastroenterology department in Sina Hospital, Tehran, Iran, since September 2012 to September 2013. Patients with coagulopathy, esophageal varicose, esophageal cancer, earlier detection of developing Barrett's esophagus, history of irritable bowel syndrome, psychological dis- orders and using of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, were excluded. Esophageal squamous epithelium and cylindrical tissue of stomach was carefully checked by endoscope. Then 2 to 4 biopsy of the Z-line above the gastroe- sophageal mucosa were obtained. Results: One hundred and fifty three patients included 78 men (51%) and 75 females (49%) with a mean age of 47.92±17.57 years participated in the study. The mean of body mass index of patients was 25.05±4.17 kg/m2 and body mass index in 45.8 % of the patients more than 230 kg/m2. Biopsy specimens were taken in 31 cases were not enough for histological examination. In other patients, 25 cases (20.5%) were normal and 97 cases (79.5%) had the following pathological diagnosis: mild esophagitis (49 cases 40.2%), moderate esophagitis (24 cases 19.7%), severe esophagitis (14 cases 11.5%), Barrett's esophagus (8 cases, 6.5%), fungal esophagitis (1 cases, 0.8%), and eosinophilic esophagitis (1 cases 0.8%). 117 patients (76.5%) had H. pylori infection. Sensitivity and specifity of endoscopy for detection of Barrett's esophagus during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were 100% and 84.13% (CI 95%:78.53-89.09%), respec- tively. Conclusion: Our data showed that doing of accurate and adequate biopsy samples from lesions in upper GI endoscopy can be helpful in the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus

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Background: One of the toxins accumulated in the body of hemodialysis patients is beta-2 microglobulin which is caused and increased by various factors. The one of this factors that can affect beta-2 macroglobulin is of membrane type that using in hemodialysis. In the present study, we examined the impact of C-reactive protein (CRP) as an inflammatory factor on beta-2 microglobulin in high-flux membrane hemodialysis patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in 44 hemodialysis patients that have been dialyzed in two academic centers Sina and Amir Alam Hospitals, Tehran, Iran from 2013 to 2014. The patients were hemodialyzed via fistula or permanent catheters three times a week for 4 hours for more than three months. Patients with known infectious disease, hemodialysis with low-flux membrane and dialysis less than three times a week were excluded. All patients were hemodialyzed using Fresenius biocompatible high-flux membrane (FX 100, Fresenius, Massachusetts, USA). Arterial blood sampling was performed. beta-2 microglobulin, CRP, BUN and creatinine tests were conducted for all patients. Results: Forty-four patients among the chronic hemodialysis patients were selected for final analysis. 20 males (44.5%) and 24 females (54.5%) were included in this study. The frequencies of underlying disease in patients participating in the study were as follows: hypertension, 23 cases (52.3%) diabetes mellitus, 11 cases (25%) hypertension and diabetes mellitus, 2 cases (4.5%) obstructive disorder, 2 cases (4.5%). In 23 patients (52.3%), beta-2 macroglobulin was >12 mg/l and in 21 (47.7%), it was <12 mg/l. 29 cases (65.9%) had CRP values less than or equal 6 mg/l. However, there was no significant differences between beta-2 microglobulin and CRP levels (P= 0.460). Also regression analysis of data showed no relationship between beta-2 microglobulin and CRP levels (r= -047, P= 0.763). Conclusion: Although it seems that inflammatory factors can be effective in increasing beta-2 microglobulin, the present study did not find such a relationship between CRP and beta-2 microglobulin.

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Background: Anemia disease is the most common hematological disorder which most often occurs in women. Knowledge discovery from large volumes of data associated with records of the disease can improve medical services quality by data mining The goal of this study was to determining and evaluating the status of anemia using data mining algorithms.

Methods: In this applied study, laboratory and clinical data of the patients with anemia were studied in the population of women. The data have been gathered during a year in the laboratory of Imam Hossein and Shohada-ye Haft-e Tir Hospitals which contains 690 records and 15 laboratory and clinical features of anemia. To discover hidden relationships and structures using k-medoids algorithm the patients were clustered. The Silhouette index was used to determine clustering quality.

Results: The features of red blood cell (RBC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), ferritin, gastrointestinal cancer (GI cancer), gastrointestinal surgery (GI surgery) and gastrointestinal infection (GI infection) by clustering have been determined as the most important patients’ features. These patients according to their features have been seg-mented to three clusters. First, the patients were clustered according to all features. The results showed that clustering with all features is not suitable because of weak structure of clustering. Then, each time the clustering was performed with different number of features. The silhouette index average is 80 percent that shows clustering quality. Therefore clustering is acceptable and has a strong structure.

Conclusion: The results showed that clustering with all features is not suitable because of weak structure. Then, each time the clustering was performed with different number of features. The first cluster contains mild iron deficiency anemia, the second cluster contains severe iron deficiency anemia patients and the third cluster contains patients with other anemia cause.