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Showing 46 results for Moghadam
Pulmonary regurgitation after balloon valvuloplasty in children with pulmonary stenosis
Mehdi Ghaderian , Mahmood Meraji , Mohammad-Yoosef Arabi Moghadam, Mojtaba Keikha,
Volume 72, Issue 5 (August 2014)
Abstract
Background: Pulmonary valve stenosis (PS) is one of the most common congenital heart disease in children. Isolated pulmonary stenosis is the most common form of pulmonary stenosis. Isolated Pulmonary stenosis is responsible for 8 to 10 percent of congenital heart disease. Balloon valvuloplasty is the choice of treatment for this cardiac disease. One of the most important complications of this disease is pulmonary regurgitation in follow-up. The purpose of this study was to characterize the status of pulmonary regurgitation on follow-up after pulmonary valvuloplasty by balloon. Methods: We studied pulmonary regurgitation after balloon valvuloplasty retrospectively in children less than 14 years old age and isolated pulmonary stenosis. These patients had not complex congenital heart disease and admitted for balloon valvuloplasty during period of September 2001 to September 2011 in Shahid Rajaee Cardiovascular Research Center. The mean time of follow-up was 7±2.5 years. Results: Four hundred and fifty-eight patients with mean age of 10.3±8.6 months were studied. Two hundred and fifty-five patients were male and 230 were female. Right ventricular pressure was decreased from 82.3±42.2 mmHg before procedure to 45.2±22.4 mmHg after procedure (P= 0.043). Pressure gradient between right ventricle and pulmonary artery was decreased from 75.4±18.2 mmHg to 25.7±15.13 mmHg during procedure (P= 0.032). The day after procedure, 180 (37.1%) patients had no pulmonary regurgitation echocardiographic evaluation, 175 (36.08%) had mild, and 118 (24.3%) had moderate pulmonary regurgitation. In patients with moderate pulmonary regurgitation, 7 (0.14%) of those improve to severe pulmonary regurgitation. In echocardiographic exam, 12 (2.4%) patients had severe regurgitation the day after balloon valvuloplasty. During long-term follow-up (7±2.5 years) for 3 patient pulmonary valve replacement were performed. In our study, balloon to annulus ratio in three groups of pulmonary regurgitation (mild, moderate and sever) had significant correlation (P=0.012). Conclusion: Pulmonary regurgitation was seen after balloon valvuloplasty in some patients.In most patients it had no symptoms and long-term follow-up is necessary
Inhibition of breast cancer metastasis by using miR-31-mimic in cancer stem cell rich MDA-MB231 cell line
Samila Farokhimanesh , Mahdi Forouzandeh Moghadam , Marzieh Ebrahimi ,
Volume 73, Issue 1 (April 2015)
Abstract
Background: Metastasis associated miRNA (metastamiR) opened a new field of anti-metastatic therapy which have a great potential of treatment for the most lethal aspect of cancer, metastasis. The pleiotropic nature of gene regulation exhibited by certain miRNAs that showed that miRNAs might be endowed with a capacity to function as crucial modulators of tumor metastasis. MiR-31 is a pleiotropic anti-metastatic miRNA whose expression decreased significantly in metastatic breast cancer cells. MiR-31 has multiple roles in metastasis cascade. Therefore, using the miR-31-restoration based therapy could be an efficient anti-metastatic strategy for cancer therapy. Methods: This research was performed from May 2014 to October 2015 in Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, Iran. The double-strand oligo of mature miR-31 was cloned into pcDNA 6.2gw/EmGFP according to the manufacturer instruction. The MDA-MB231, MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines were cultured and their miRNAs have been extracted. The expression of miR-31 has been quantified by Real time-PCR be-fore transfection of construct contained miR-31 into two cell lines and in normal breast cells. Then the constructs contain miR-31 have been transfected in to two cell lines. The expression of miR-31 has been quantified after 48 hours. Scratch and invasion as-say have been carried out for assessing the level of migration and invasion. Results: The result of Real time-PCR before transfection of constructs contained miR-31 have been shown 4 fold and more than 100 fold reduction in expression of miR-31 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 respectively in comparison to miR-31 expression in nor-mal breast cells, but after transfection of miR-31 construct to MDA-MB231 the quan-tification of expression showed the significant increase in mir-31 expression and 20 fold reduction in invasive and 10 fold reduction in migratory characteristics of MDA-MB231 in comparison to MCF-7. Conclusion: Metastasis associated miRNA have been represented a promising candi-dates in the field of anti-metastatic therapy and miR-31 as a powerful member of this family can function very effectively in order to inhibit the metastasis and introduce the new possibility of metastasis inhibition.
Epidemiology of prothrombin G20210A polymorphism in the Southern Iran
Mohadeseh Arabnejad , Mahboobeh Nasiri , Mehran Karimi , Mohamad Moghadam , Azadeh Khalili , Ahmad Ebrahimi ,
Volume 73, Issue 5 (August 2015)
Abstract
Background: There are many genetic and non-hereditary risk factors that are known to causes venous thromboembolic (VTE) disorders, Cardiovascular diseases and types of cancer. One of these is the Prothrombin G20210A mutation. Prothrombin mutation (guanine to adenine G→A) at nucleotide position 20210, which is present in the 3′ untranslated region of the prothrombin gene. Prothrombin G20210A mutation is present outside the coding region for prothrombin, and hence it does not affect the actual structure of the prothrombin molecule and it does not affect its function as a strong clotting factor when activated into thrombin. However, several studies have shown that, G20210A heterozygosity was associated with a threefold increased risk for VTE. Moreover, the association of PTH G20210A polymorphisms with cancer has been reported. The present study was designed to determine the frequency of PTH G20210A polymorphism in Southern Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 140 healthy women were from Southern Iran recruited among participants in Namazi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran, from March 2013 to February 2014. A total of 5 ml of peripheral blood was taken from individuals then Genomic DNA was extracted using blood DNA kit (Ron’s Blood and Cell DNA Mini Kit, BioRon, Germany). The amplification refractory mutation system- polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) method was used for the detection of PTH G20210A single nucleotide polymorphism in each subject. Results: The frequencies of the GG and GA genotypes were as 97.9%, 2.1% respectively. The frequency of G allele was and the frequency of A allele was 1.1%. Conclusion: Results of the present study might be important in understanding the distribution of PTH G20210A polymorphism in the Southern Iran. Minor allele frequency in this population is higher than in the Iranian and European population but similar to the prevalence in the Western Iran, Iranian Jews, American, Irish, Tunisian and Bahraini population.
Assessment of time interval between tramadol intake and seizure and second drug-induced attack
Bahareh Abbasi , Peyman Hafezimoghadam , Naffiseh Ansari Nejad, Maryam Sarvari , Tayeb Ramim,
Volume 73, Issue 8 (November 2015)
Abstract

Background: Tramadol is a synthetic drug which is prescribed in moderate and severe pain. Tramadol overdose can induce severe complications such as consciousness impairment and convulsions. This study was done to determine the convulsions incidence after tramadol use until one week after hospital discharge. Methods: This prospective study was done in tramadol overdose patients without uncontrolled epilepsy and head injury history. All cases admitted in Loghman and Rasol Akram Hospitals, Tehran, Iran from 1, April 2011 to 1, April 2012 were included and observed for at least 12 hours. Time interval between tramadol intake and first seizure were record. Then, patients with second drug-induced seizure were recognized and log time between the first and second seizure was analyzed. The patients were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) if clinical worsening status observed. One week after hospital discharge, telephone follow-up was conducted. Results: A total of 150 patients with a history of tramadol induced seizures (141 men, 9 women, age: 23.23±5.94 years) were enrolled in this study. Convulsion was seen in 104 patients (69.3%). In 8 out of 104 patients (7.6%) two or more convulsion was seen. Time interval between tramadol use and the onset of the first and second seizure were 0.93±0.17 and 2.5±0.75 hours, respectively. Tramadol induced seizures are more likely to occur in males and patients with a history of drug abuse. Finally, one hundred forty nine patients (99.3%) were discharged with good condition and the only one patient died from tramadol overdose. Conclusion: The results of the study showed tramadol induced seizure most frequently occurred within the first 4 hours of tramadol intake. The chance of experiencing a second seizure exists in the susceptible population. Thus, 4 hours after drug intake is the best time for patients to be hospital discharged.


Wernicke’s encephalopathy following hyperemesis gravidarum
Leila Pourali , Sedighe Ayati , Atieh Vatanchi , Parvaneh Layegh , Nasrin Pourmoghadam ,
Volume 74, Issue 3 (June 2016)
Abstract

Background: ″Wernicke’s Korsakoff″ syndrome is the most important complication of severe thiamine deficiency. The term refers to two different syndromes, each representing a different stage of the disease. Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) is an acute syndrome requiring emergent treatment to prevent death and neurologic morbidity. Korsakoff syndrome (KS) refers to a chronic neurologic condition that usually occurs as a consequence of WE. It is a rare complication of hyperemesis gravidarum that confusion, ocular signs, and gait ataxia are the most prevalent symptoms, respectively. Typical brain lesions of wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) are observed at autopsy in 0.4 to 2.8 percent of the general population in the western world and the majority of affected patients are alcoholic. The prevalence of wernicke’s encephalopathy lesions seen on autopsy was 12.5% of alcohol abusers in one report. Among those who with alcohol-related death, it has been reported to be even higher, 29 to 59%. The aim of this study was to report a case of wernicke’s encephalopathy following hyperemesis gravidarum.

Case Presentation: A 28-year-old-pregnant woman in 19th weeks of gestation referred to the hospital with hyperemesis, gait ataxia, and dysarthria before that she had hyperemesis gravidarum with weight loss and unresponsive to outpatient and inpatient medical therapy. MRI showed hyperdense lesion around thalamus which was characteristic of wernicke’s encephalopathy. Rapid improvement in patient’s condition occurred after high dose thiamine infusion.

Conclusion: In hyperemesis gravidarum, presence of either symptoms of ocular or mental disorder or ataxia must be considered to rule out and appropriate treatment of Wernicke’s syndrome which can cause maternal and fetal death.


Epidemiologic study of burns in elderly people over 60 years old
Leyla Abdolkarimi, Farrokh Taftachi , Faranak Hayati, Shahrokh Mehrpisheh, Negar Seify Moghadam ,
Volume 76, Issue 4 (July 2018)
Abstract
Background: Burns are one of the most devastating forms of trauma worldwide. In the elderly, flame and scald burns, or scalds alone, are the major causes of burns, occur at home, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom. Because elderly burned patients suffer from greater morbidity and mortality than younger patients with similar burn extents, preventing burns is paramount to continuing functionality and quality of life. Burns are largely explainable by characteristics of both the individual and the physical environment. Our study aims to analyses the epidemiologic characteristics of burn in the elderly (above 60 years old) in Iran.
Methods: Records of elderly patients (aged 60 and older) admitted with acute burns to the Burn Center of the Shahid Motahari Hospital, Tehran, Iran, between March 2007 and March 2014 was carried out. Patient demographics, etiology of burn, mechanism of injury, burn extent, mortality, severity of burn, length of stay in hospital, and outcomes were reviewed. The information was analyzed by SPSS software, version 18 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). T-test, oneway anova and K square were used.
Results: A total of 374 elderly patients were admitted. Majority of the patients were men 231 (61.8%) and the number of women were 143(38.2%). The most common etiologies were scalds (20.3%) and (oil-benzine-gasoline) (19.8%). The mean age of the patient was 71.5 years, which was average in women (72) and men (70.5 years). There was a statistically significant difference between the mean age in both male and female groups, so that the mean age of women was significantly higher than men (P=0.004). There was a significant correlation between gender and (etiology, hospital stay-mortality) and between treatment outcome and (etiology and motivation) and between motivation and etiology (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Boiling water was the main cause of burning in older women. Diminished senses, concentration disorders, slower reaction time, reduced mobility, and bedridden states may decrease elder's ability to identify fire and also to escape harm.

Nutritional status of Down syndromic children with congenital heart disease undergoing surgical correction
Ehsan Aghaei Moghadam , Mohammad Reza Mirzaaghayan, Azadeh Sayarifard , Marjan Kouhnavard , Azin Ghamari ,
Volume 77, Issue 7 (October 2019)
Abstract
Background: Growth disturbance is a common phenomenon in children with congenital heart diseases (CHD). Malnutrition and nutritional disturbances have a higher prevalence among children with down syndrome, especially children with Down syndrome; on the other hand, the prevalence of CHD is higher among syndromic children, which needs surgical repair as the definitive treatment. The nutritional status plays an important role in determining the postoperative complications and recovery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the growth status of children with Down syndrome and congenital heart disease before cardiac surgery.
Methods: This study was conducted as a retrospective study by evaluating the records of all syndromic patients undergoing cardiac surgery at Children’s Medical Center of Excellence, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, from March 2011 to March 2017. Age, weight, height, weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), weight-for-height z-score (WHZ), height-for-age z-score (HAZ), mortality and hospitalization rate in an intensive care unit (ICU) were recorded in these patients. The z-scores more than -1 were considered as normal, between -1 and -2 as mild malnutrition, between -2 and -3 as moderate malnutrition and below -3 as severe malnutrition.
Results: 35 (51.5%) patients were female and 33 (48.5%) were male. The mean age, weight, and height of these children were 26.9±24.9 months, 9.1±4.95 kg, and 79.55±17.95 cm, respectively. The mean of WHZ, WAZ, and HAZ in these children was -2.18+1.65, -1.95+2.25 and -1.22+3.11, respectively. Based on the values of WAZ, WHZ, and HAZ, 85.3%, 77.9% and 75% of patients have malnutrition (mild to severe forms, z-score less than -1). The most common cardiac defect was ventricular septal defect (VSD) accompanied by pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of impaired nutritional status in these children and considering the effect of preoperative malnutrition on surgical outcomes, including mortality, assessing the nutritional status is much important. The adequate nutritional support in these patients leads to a reduction of the mortality, postoperative complications and morbidities.

Investigation of the relationship between prostate specific antigen doubling time and the severity of a malignant tumor of the prostate
Solmaz Ohadian Moghadam , Erfan Amini , Mohsen Ayati , Hassan Jamshidian , Seyed Ali Moemeni , Farshad Sheybaee Moghaddam , Mohammad Reza Nowroozi ,
Volume 77, Issue 10 (January 2020)
Abstract
Background: Prostate cancer has been reported as a worldwide important kind of cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality among men. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) serum level is one of the most important markers of prostate cancer diagnosis. While PSA level helps predict the risk of prostate cancer development, researchers still looking for ways to increase the accuracy of prognostic models. To increase the specificity of PSA and decrease of unnecessary biopsies and morbidity, PSA-related parameters such as PSA doubling time (PSADT) have been used. In this study, the relationship between this factor and the severity of prostate cancer was evaluated.
Methods: In this retrospective study, the data of patients who were subjected to transrectal ultrasound-guided (TRUS) biopsy of the prostate and referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, between 2009 and 2017 were reviewed. We enrolled the men with at least two consecutive elevated PSA level within three months to calculate PSADT. Based on the pathology report, primary and secondary Gleason score (GS) were determined. Correspondingly, considering GS, the patients were divided into two groups with high-grade and low-grade tumor (GS<7 considered as low-grade and GS>7 considered as high-grade tumor).
Results: Totally, 1712 cases of TRUS biopsy of the prostate were studied. Among them, 547 (32.3%) had prostate cancer, of whom 73 cases were eligible based on inclusion criteria and were consented to enroll in the study. According to the data obtained, we found a significant difference in PSADT between the two groups of patients with high-grade and low-grade malignancy (mean±SD PSADT, 9.8±14.2 vs. 16.1±14.9 respectively, P=0.004). Considering the seven months as the cut-off point for PSADT in determining malignancy, there was a significant difference between the two groups according to Fisher's exact test (P=0.01).
Conclusion: In our study, PSADT cut-off of 7 months provided the greatest accuracy for differentiation between low-grade and high-grade malignancy, and PSADT has acceptable accuracy for the diagnosis of high-grade tumors.

Effects of Intrathecal administration of capsaicin and intraperitoneal administration of naloxone on anti-nociceptive function of heated Cannabis sativa female flowers hydroalcoholic extract
Bahram Farhadi Moghadam , Masoud Fereidoni,
Volume 78, Issue 9 (December 2020)
Abstract

Background: The endocannabinoid system interacts with the vanilloid and opioid systems. The current study aims to investigate the effects of the extract obtained from the heated Cannabis Sativa female flower base either with capsaicin at the spinal cord level or naloxone at the systemic level on the intensity of chemical and thermal pain sensation.
Methods: This experimental study was performed in the Department of Biology at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad from April 2014 to March 2015 using adult male Wistar rats (200-250 g) categorized into groups of 7 animals. In addition to the control and sham (solvent of chemicals) groups, groups with intraperitoneal administration of 50 mg/kg of the hydroalcoholic extract, 2 mg/kg of naloxone alone and naloxone together with extract were investigated. Moreover, intrathecal administration groups including the concentration of 0.01 mg/ 10 μl of extract, the concentration of           0.002 mg/10 μl of capsaicin alone and the extract together with capsaicin were evaluated. To measure the thermal pain threshold, a tail-flick test was used and to measure the chemical pain intensity, the formalin test was utilized. The obtained data were analyzed statically.
Results: Intrathecal administration of the extract together with capsaicin led to a significant reduction of thermal hyperalgesia (P<0.001) and chemical hyperalgesia (P<0.001) induced by intrathecal administration of capsaicin. On the other hand, intraperitoneal administration of naloxone together with the extract did not effect on the thermal pain threshold. While the administration of naloxone increased the severity of chemical pain during the acute phase compared to the group treated with the extract alone (P<0.01).
Conclusion: The phytocannabinoids of the flower extract may have inhibited capsaicin-induced hyperalgesia via cannabinoid receptors activation and the TRPV1 receptor desensitization. Naloxone administration has also been able to attenuate the analgesic effect of hydroalcoholic flower extract during the acute phase of chemical pain. Probably the extract is thought to exert part of its effect on pain through opioid receptors.

Development of a persian version of the BREAST-Q and validity and reliability of the reconstruction module for the assessment of the quality of life and patient satisfaction following breast surgery
Bita Eslami, Ramesh Omranipour , Bahare Hesamifar, Zahra Behboodi Moghadam , Amirmohsen Jalaeefar,
Volume 78, Issue 11 (February 2021)
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and its treatment includes various surgeries. Breast-Q is a new patient-reported outcome instrument for breast surgery and it should be validated appropriately for clinical research. This study aimed to develop the Persian version of the Breast-Q and validate the reconstruction module to evaluate the quality of life and satisfaction of Iranian women with a previous history of breast reconstruction.
Methods: This study was descriptive and analytical cross-sectional. The study population consisted of women with a previous history of breast cancer and various breast surgeries referred to the outpatient clinic of Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital from September 2017 to October 2019, using convenience sampling. After obtaining permission from the MAPI institute and translating all questionnaires into Persian, the validity, and reliability of the breast reconstruction module were evaluated. To confirm face validity, a questionnaire was given to patients to judge each item. To confirm the content validity of the questionnaire, two qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated based on the expert opinion (Lawshe formula). Waltz & Bausell’s method was used to examine the content validity index (CVI). Finally, a new version of the questionnaire was assessed in 20 women who had undergone TRAM flap breast reconstruction at least 6 months ago.
Results: After translation of the questionnaire into Persian, and face and content validation process, the 116 items of the first questionnaire converted to 72 with an acceptable impact score greater than 1.5 and CVR and CVI. The internal validity of the breast reconstruction module was approved by Cronbach's alpha value of 0.94.
Conclusion: Considering the limitation of the specific questionnaires for various breast surgery procedures, the Breast-Q questionnaire can be an efficient tool for the evaluation of the quality of life and satisfaction in patients. Since the translation of the questionnaire has become valid and reliable, it can be used for future research by other researchers.

Evaluation of the confounding factors disturbing the quality of CT images of pulmonary angiography
Pooya Iranpour , Azadeh Sharifzadeh Yazdi , Rezvan Ravanfar Haghighi , Mahdi Saeedi-Moghadam ,
Volume 79, Issue 4 (July 2021)
Abstract
 
 
Background: Since pulmonary angiography is the only non-invasive method for diagnosing pulmonary embolism, the use of radiation reduction methods without affecting the quality of images seems necessary. One of the simplest reasons for unnecessarily increasing of patient exposure is repetitive imaging due to poor image quality. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the factors that reduce the image quality, which leads to duplication of imaging or reduced accuracy.  In this study, the reasons for decreasing the image quality of pulmonary computed tomography (CT) angiography were investigated.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed over a period of 6 months (May to November 2018) in a university-affiliated hospital. Data of 75 patients suspected of pulmonary embolism who were referred for CT angiography were collected. All CT scans were performed by a 16-slice CT scanner (Lights Speed, GE Healthcare) with fixed imaging parameters including 100 kVp and 100 mA. In order to evaluate the adequacy of pulmonary artery enhancement, the Hounsfield unit (HU) of the main pulmonary artery was measured in the aortic arch, upper, and lower segmental parts. Also, 8 factors affecting the image quality were examined.
Results: The mean HU of the main pulmonary arteries was 312 in the range of 124 to 677. The mean HU in patients with and without pulmonary embolism was 358 and 302, respectively. Most CT images (61%) had poor quality for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Only 2% of the images were acceptable compared to standard images and protocols. Late imaging was the most common quality confounding factor in this study.
Conclusion: A low-quality image reduces the accuracy of the physician's diagnosis that leads to misdiagnosis. Besides, sometimes poor image quality leads to repetitive imaging, which results in increased patient exposure and therefore increased radiation hazards. Therefore, modifiable confounding factors must be identified and corrected which one of the most important ones is wrong imaging timing protocols after contrast injection.
 

Comparison of dexmedetomidine versus midazolam on hemodynamic parameters, bleeding, satisfaction of surgeons and patients who Underwent laminectomy surgery by spinal anesthesia
Behzad Nazemroaya, Mehrdad Masoudifar , Motahare Rajabi Moghadam ,
Volume 79, Issue 5 (August 2021)
Abstract
Background: One of the most empirical subjects particularly in substantial operations for example in surgeries involving the vertebral column, are the implication of sedatives in a manner which would create the least complications such as changes in the hemodynamic parameters. Two such drugs that are widely used in this capacity in clinical settings are midazolam and dexmedetomidine. Hemodynamic stability is particularly important in surgical operations, especially during spinal surgery. One of the ways to prevent hemodynamic changes during surgery is the use of drugs such as midazolam and dexmedetomidine.
Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial recruited 105 patients undergoing laminectomy spinal surgery under spinal anesthesia at Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan between 21 April 2019 till 1 September 2019. Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups: First was the midazolam group, second the dexmedetomidine group and the third was the control group. Data were presented as mean±standard deviation and percentages. In order for the evaluation of differences to be performed between all groups, an evaluation using the one-way analysis of variance was utilized. Statistical analysis was done by means of the SPSS software version 23 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York, USA). The P-value which was accepted as significant was P less than 0.05. (P<0.05)
Results: There differences in age and gender were not statistically significant among the studied groups (p>0.05). Results from the ANOVA test showed that the effects when taking into consideration time (P<0.001) and group (P<0.001) were statistically significant on Mean of Arterial Pressure, Systole Blood Pressure and Diastole Blood Pressure. However, Heart Rate and oxygen saturation (SPO2) were not significantly different inter-group as well as intra-group over time (before, during, and after the operation) (P=0.12).  Furthermore, the mean of the hemorrhage amount and duration of recovery stay had significant differences over time between all three groups (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The incidence of complications during surgery in the dexmedetomidine group was less than the midazolam group. Additionally, the frequency of complications in the subjects given midazolam was higher than the dexmedetomidine group during recovery.

Relationship between some indices of cardiovascular functions and pulse pressure as a predictor index for heart diseases: a case-control study
Salman Daliri, Mohammad Khanbeigi, Reza Heidary Moghadam , Parisa Asadollahi, Khairollah Asadollahi,
Volume 79, Issue 8 (November 2021)
Abstract
Background: Pulse pressure has recently been considered as a predictor of coronary heart disease. The difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure is called pulse pressure. Various factors including increased age, vascular stiffness, stenosis, and hypertension are associated with pulse pressure. The present study, therefore, aimed to investigate the relationship between some cardiovascular function indicators such as vascular stenosis, blood pressure and cardiac output with pulse pressure as a predictor of cardiovascular diseases.
Methods: This case-control study was performed on 544 patients who were referred to Imam Ali Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran, from March 2015 to February 2016. In this study, according to the angiographic findings, individuals with artery stenosis were considered as the case group (n=272) and those without artery stenosis were considered as the control group (n=272). Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and odds ratio estimation by SPSS22 software.
Results: According to the findings of this study, ages over 50 (OR: 3.3, 95% CI: 2.1-5.2), high systolic blood pressure (OR: 8, 95% CI: 4.3-15.2), high diastolic blood pressure (OR: 4.9, 95% CI: 2.0-11.7), cardiac output less than 50% (OR: 1.8%, 95% CI: 1.3-2.7) and vascular stenosis (OR: 3.5, 95% CI: 2.4-5.1) were associated with high pulse pressure. The male gender had a preventive role in increasing of pulse pressure (OR: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5-0.9). A significant relationship was demonstrated between systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure (P<0.0001).
Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, the chances of having high pulse pressure are high among individuals over 50 years of age, female gender, those with elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and individuals with high coronary artery stenosis. This chance is associated with decreased cardiac output and coronary stenosis. Increased pulse pressure is a predictive indicator of cardiovascular disease and it is recommended that pulse pressure measurements of all referrals, especially those who are being referred to cardiology clinics, are taken into account by medical professionals to prevent adverse clinical outcomes.

Investigation of head lice infection (Pediculus humanus capitis) and its related factors in Kerman: a brief report
Leila Shirani-Bidabadi , Abass Aghaei-Afshar , Saeideh Kazemi , Ismaeil Alizadeh, Moghadameh Mirzaee , Mohammad-Amin Gorouhi ,
Volume 80, Issue 2 (May 2022)
Abstract
Background: Head lice is one of the threats to public health in advanced and developing societies. In previous studies in Kerman Province, the rate of head lice infection was reported to be 3.8%. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of head lice infection among female students of elementary schools of Kerman, and to identify the factors involved.
Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study from September 2019 to March 2019. The statistical population in the present study was female students from first to sixth grade of elementary school in districts one and two of Kerman. In selected schools, 2850 female students were examined by census. 179 people were randomly selected from different classes and after the examination; a questionnaire was completed for each of them. The extracted data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression tests. Odds Ratio was analyzed with 95% confidence (at the level of P<0.05).
Results: Female students whose mothers were illiterate were 3.51 times more likely to develop head lice. Students who bathed once a week were 0.03 times more likely, and those who shared personal items were 3.6 times more likely to develop the disease.   In terms of father occupation, the highest incidence of head lice among the subjects was 8 people (66.7%) related to people whose father job was free and the lowest was related to other occupations of 4 people (33.4%). There was no significant relationship between     father's job and head lice infection in the subjects (P=0.061).
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the high infection rate of head lice in elementary school students of Kerman. This high level of infestation can cause more contamination among female students consequently, and may cause students to drop out of the school. Serious attention to reducing this infection by holding educational classes for school principals and teachers, as well as parents, seems necessary.

Assessment of the diagnostic capability of ultrasound in early diagnosis of nephrolithiasis: a feasibility study
Seyed Hamed Jafari, Mahshid Manuchehrinasab, Mahdi Saeedi Moghadam , Banafsheh Zeinali Rafsanjani ,
Volume 80, Issue 5 (August 2022)
Abstract
Background: CT is the gold standard method for diagnosing kidney and urinary tract stones. This imaging technique delivers radiation dose to patients, which increases the risk of cancer, especially in patients who need frequent assessment. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic ability of ultrasound in Iran compared to CT for diagnosing kidney stones in patients with colic pain.
Methods: The data of this cross-sectional retrospective study was gathered from the patients who were admitted to a University-affiliated hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences from March 2019 to September 2019 suspected of nephrolithiasis and performed CT were collected along with their ultrasound reports. To compare sonography and CT, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated and the diagnostic percentage difference between the two modalities was evaluated. The diagnostic efficiency of ultrasound in stones of different sizes and locations was also evaluated.
Results: The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of ultrasound in the initial diagnosis of stones were 83.47%, 62.15%, 85.94% and 57.58%, respectively. Ultrasound diagnosis was not significantly different from CT p=23 actually ultrasound diagnoses were different from CT in only 2.11% of cases. Ultrasound was the most successful in detecting bladder and urethra stones larger than 10 mm.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that although ultrasound is less sensitive than CT in the diagnosis of nephrolithiasis, the use of ultrasound could be useful as a primary diagnostic test in patients with suspected nephrolithiasis. The important point is that the strategy of starting the evaluation with ultrasound, and performing additional imaging if necessary, leads to a reduction in the radiation dose of patients with nephrolithiasis. These patients have to do this procedure many times to diagnose and follow up the disease and clearly the offered method leads to reduction of the radiation absorbed dose and the possible effects of radiation, which is in line with the principle of ALARA, the basic principle of radiation protection.

A convenient and fast method for assessing the image quality of hepatic triphasic CT scan
Seyed Hamed Jafari, Hajar Zahedi Mehr , Banafsheh Zeinali-Rafsanjani , Sara Haseli, Mahdi Saeedi-Moghadam ,
Volume 80, Issue 6 (September 2022)
Abstract
Background: The image quality is paramount in interpreting the hepatic dynamic CT scan. A poor quality image results in repeating the procedure, which is very time-consuming for the patient and staff, and besides, it is not cost-efficient. This study intended to determine the correlation between image quality and the Hounsfield unit (HU) of the liver and its vessels in the arterial and venous phase to define the acceptable range of HUs for hepatic CT images.
Methods: The image quality of 146 dynamic CT scans was assessed by qualitative and quantitative methods at Namazi Hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences from September 2019 to August 2021. Two radiologists performed the qualitative evaluation. They categorized the image qualities into three groups; poor, acceptable, and high quality. For quantitative assessment of image quality, the Hounsfield unit of the aorta, hepatic vein, main portal vein, right anterior, right posterior, and left lateral lobe of the liver were evaluated in both arterial and venous phases.
Results: According to the results of the qualitative evaluation of image quality, 59.6%, 17.8%, and 22.6% of triphasic CT scans had good, acceptable, and poor quality, respectively. There was a significant relationship between image quality and Hounsfield units of all ROIs in the arterial phase (P<0.005). Also, a significant relationship was observed between the Hounsfield units of the portal vein right on the anterior and posterior segments of the liver (P<0.03) in the venous phase.
Conclusion: In a high quality triphasic CT scan, the Hounsfield unit of different parts in the arterial phase should be as follows: aorta 310±78, portal vein 150±40, hepatic vein 44±7, right posterior and anterior and left lateral segments of liver 77±11, 77±7 and 78±12. Hounsfield units of the portal vein, hepatic vein, and right posterior and anterior segments of the liver in the venous phase should be 155±27, 167±30, 111±19, and 112±16, respectively.

Assessment of the effectiveness of local anesthesia before thyroid fine needle biopsy considering the size of the nodule
Fariba Zarei , Mohammadreza Sasani, Banafsheh Zeinali-Rafsanjani , Mahdi Saeedi-Moghadam ,
Volume 80, Issue 7 (October 2022)
Abstract
Background: Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is usually used to distinguish the malignant and benign nodules. Applying a biopsy needle evokes a sense of fear and pain in the patients. Although some studies refute the usefulness of local anesthesia (LA) prior to fine needle aspiration biopsy, it is still debatable. This prospective cross-sectional study intended to evaluate the effect of LA prior to fine needle aspiration biopsy on pain and anxiety considering nodule size.
Methods: Amongst the patients who were referred to Shiraz Shahid Fagihi Hospital for Thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy from August 2017 to January 2018, 114 patients participated in this study. LA was performed for 41 patients, and 73 underwent the thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration biopsy without LA. Patients' pain and anxiety were scored using the visual-analog-score and Spielberger anxiety scale. The nodules were categorized into five groups. Pain and anxiety of patients were compared considering their nodule sizes to assess the effects of LA in the reduction of pain and anxiety considering the nodule size.
Results: The patients undergoing LA had a mean age of 44.69 years old and average body mass index (BMI) of 26.7, the patients who performed thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration biopsy without LA had a mean age of 48.17 years old with an average BMI of 26.0. The patients with the maximum nodule size of<10 mm, experienced more pain during the fine needle aspiration biopsy without LA, but there was no significant difference between the S/T-anxiety of these patients. There was no significant difference between the pain and anxiety scores of the patients with larger nodules.
Conclusion: The more pain experienced by the patients with the smallest nodules can be attributed to the need for more needle manipulation due to the small nodule size and less precision while piercing the needle into the nodule. Thus, it can be suggested that in patients with a small nodule size, less than 10mm, usage of LA prior to fine needle aspiration biopsy can reduce the pain significantly.

Secondary cancers evaluation inside organs at risk during the prostate cancer radiotherapy: a brief report
Reza Shamsabadi, Seyed Hamid Zoljalali Moghadam, Hamidreza Baghani , Seyed Ali Zoljalali Moghadam ,
Volume 81, Issue 3 (June 2023)
Abstract
Background: In prostate cancer radiotherapy, due to the proximity of the prostate to the rectum, it can be affected by high radiation doses. It has been reported that about 70% of secondary cancers after prostate cancer radiotherapy occur in the bladder and rectum, which are exposed to direct radiation. Since prostate cancer radiotherapy may be accompanied by side effects, the aim of this study is to investigate the risk of secondary cancers after the radiotherapy of prostate cancer inside the outfield organs.
Methods: The dose volume histogram data relevant to 39 patients with prostate cancer (who were treated with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy technique in 2022 in Tehran) were extracted, and the uniform absorbed dose inside the sensitive tissues was calculated according to the gEUD concept. Then, the risks of secondary malignancies following prostate cancer radiotherapy were calculated using the model introduced by the BEIR report. Accordingly, the lifetime attributable risk values (LAR) were estimated based on the desired organs and patient age at exposure time through the calculation of Excess relative risk (ERR) and Excess absolute risk (EAR) values.
Results: From the obtained results, the gEUD values for the rectum ranged from 51.04 Gy to 74.69 Gy and for the bladder from 27.22 Gy to 75.51 Gy. The maximum calculated risk values for the rectum and bladder were calculated to be 49.85% and 74.91%, respectively. Besides, a significant level of secondary cancer risk within the rectum and bladder was obtained for most of the studied patients. Furthermore, small values of secondary cancer risks were estimated for patients who were irradiated at older ages, and higher ones were obtained for patients who were irradiated at younger ages.
Conclusion: The results showed that there is a higher probability of developing secondary malignancies in the bladder than the rectum. The information obtained in this research can improve the performance of the treatment process, so that information about secondary cancers following radiation therapy for prostate cancer will ultimately help doctors design more effective and optimal treatment designs.

Assessment of STIR and contrast-enhanced MRI sequences in detection of diabetic foot osteomyelitis
Somayeh Zamani, Mohammad Reza Sasani , Mahdi Saeedi-Moghadam ,
Volume 81, Issue 4 (July 2023)
Abstract
Background: MRI is the imaging modality of choice for the detection of diabetic pedal osteomyelitis. The aim of this study is to compare the STIR sequence, as the most important fluid-sensitive sequence, with contrast-enhanced images for diagnosing diabetic pedal osteomyelitis.
Methods: Medical images were compared. Moreover, the effect of adding T1W image findings to the STIR sequence was evaluated. This cross sectional study was collected and analyzed at Namazi Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, from 20 March 2016 to 22 September 2017.
Results: The final diagnosis of osteomyelitis was confirmed for 47 bones (78%). 13 bones (22%) didn't have osteomyelitis. The specificity of contrast-enhanced and STIR sequences was 92.3% and 53.8%, respectively; whereas the sensitivity of the two sequences was similar (100%). Records of 48 diabetic patients suspected of having pedal osteomyelitis referred to one of the university hospitals, who underwent foot MRI with and without contrast injection, were assessed. Overall, 48 Patient MRIs and 60 separate bony parts were evaluated. Diagnoses were confirmed by clinical correlation. Finally, sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of STIR sequence and contrast-enhanced images were compared. Moreover, the effect of addition of T1W image findings to STIR sequence was evaluated.
Conclusion: This study was performed to suggest a pulse sequence that doesn’t need contrast media injection for diagnosing diabetic pedal osteomyelitis since the previous studies showed that gadolinium-based contrast media shouldn’t be applied in patients with renal failure (glomerular filtration rate<30 ml/min/1.73m2. According to the results STIR images had the same sensitivity as T1 post-contrast images; therefore, it can be concluded that contrast media injection can be avoided using this pulse sequence. The specificity of the STIR pulse sequence was lower than that of post-contrast images which was due to the lower ability of this pulse sequence to detect secondary symptoms of osteomyelitis such as cortex disruption, sinus path, and abscess. Using the T1 pre-contrast images, specificity and diagnostic accuracy increased. Finally, it can be concluded that MRI without contrast including STIR and pre-contrast T1W images is a reliable modality for the detection of osteomyelitis in suspected diabetic patients who are more prone to renal disorders.

Influencing factors in the comparison of renal stone size measurements between CT scan and ultrasound
Mohammad Reza Sasani , Leila Fazlollahpour , Mahdi Saeedi-Moghadam ,
Volume 81, Issue 5 (August 2023)
Abstract
Background: Ultrasound is widely used to detect renal stones. A no-contrast CT scan is the most accurate modality for stone examination. Considering that determining the size of a stone is the main criterion in treatment planning, the purpose of this study was to compare ultrasound and non-contrast CT scans in determining renal stone size.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 140 patients were assessed from June to October 2017 at Namazi Hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. A radiologist compared the CT scans of patients with their ultrasound images. The ultrasound and CT scan results in terms of stone size were assessed. The correlation rate of stone size in ultrasound and CT scans in different subgroups was assessed by categorizing the stone size into three subgroups. The impact of stone location and the CT window on measuring stone size were evaluated.
Results: The mean stone size measured by ultrasound and CT scan was 11.23±5.26 and 9.48±4.7mm, respectively, which was significantly different. The highest rate of correlation was observed in the stones>10mm (81%) and then in 5-10mm (69.3%). The lowest agreement was observed in stones <5mm (37.5%).
Conclusion: Using ultrasonography as a screening test or a primary test for detecting the renal stones is recommended. However, considering the importance of a precise assessment of stone size in choosing the treatment method and the limitations of sonography in the evaluation of small stones, a CT scan should be considered as a standard diagnostic tool if there is no contraindication. In CT images, the application of BW might underestimate the stone size in comparison to SW. Considering the results of previous studies, it is better to use magnified BW to assess the stone size on CT scan images. Although the axial view in a CT scan is more routine, for measuring the stone size it is better to use coronal or sagittal views together with axial views.

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