Recurrence rate of different techniques for repair of coarctation of aorta: A 10 years experience.

Background And Aim: The main goal of this study was to assess the frequency of recurrent coarctation after repair using different surgical methods.

Methods: Surgical results of repairs for coarctation of aorta (Co-A) in 188 patients under the age 14 years who were treated in Rajaee Heart Center, Tehran, Iran, were evaluated retrospectively. The most common methods included patch-graft aortoplasty (59%), resection with end-to-end anastomosis (20.

Organization's quality maturity as a vehicle for EHR success.

In health care industry, EHR has been advocated to improve care quality. The journey toward the development and adaptation of EHR should be holistic and integrate all the EHR's building blocks-health record management, business process improvement (BPI), collaboration and innovation, change management, user governance, etc.-that are intertwined together as like the links of a chain to improve quality of health care services.

Determining the accuracy of base deficit in diagnosis of intra-abdominal injury in patients with blunt abdominal trauma.

Background: Blunt abdominal trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among all age groups. A multiplicity of diagnostic modalities exists to evaluate the abdomen. We sought to assess the diagnostic performance of base deficit (BD) in identifying intra-abdominal injury in patients with blunt abdominal trauma.

An unusual case of bilateral anterior shoulder and mandible dislocations.

Unilateral anterior shoulder dislocation is the most common major joint dislocation seen by emergency physicians. Bilateral glenohumeral dislocations are rarely seen and almost always posterior after seizure or electrical shock. We present an unusual case of bilateral anterior dislocation of shoulder that had anterior dislocation of temporomandibular joint simultaneously.

Reliability and validity of the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale on an Iranian sample.

Background: The Bipolar Depression Rating Scale is an instrument to measure depression severity in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This study has reevaluated the psychometric values of the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale through assessing an Iranian sample of patients with bipolar depression.

Methods: A total of 60 patients (36 males and 24 females) with bipolar depression referred to four medical centers in Tehran, Iran were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis I Disorders, Young Mania Rating Scale, center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale.

Severe metabolic acidosis secondary to coadministration of creatine and metformin, a case report.

It is known from studies in young athletes that creatine supplements have beneficial effects on muscular functional capacity, so it is being widely used as a performance-enhancing substance in both professional and amateur sports men and women. They are approved and considered relatively safe, but there have been a few case reports of renal dysfunction associated with their use. We present the case of a patient who developed acute renal failure and lactic acidosis while using creatine and metformin simultaneously.

Clinical and course indicators of bipolar disorder type I with and without opioid dependence.

Background: The existing evidence about the clinical situations of the bipolar patients with opioid dependence is scarce. The present study was carried out to compare the clinical features and course of the bipolar disorder type I regarding the two subgroups of opioid dependent and non-dependent.

Methods: There were 178 adult patients with bipolar disorder type I consecutively referred to the Iran Hospital of Psychiatry, Tehran, Iran, from January 2008 to January 2009 who enrolled in the study.

Evaluation of the simvastatin effects in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare but life-threatening disease characterized by significant increases in pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), therefore early diagnosis and proper treatment of PH is very important. Statins confer cardiovascular benefits beyond the reduction of serum cholesterol through antiproliferative and antiinflammatory mechanisms and induction of endothelial nitric oxide expression. In pneumonectomized rats injected with monocrotaline, simvastatin reversed established pulmonary hypertension and conferred a 100% survival advantage.

Supportive counselling programme for nursing students experiencing academic failure: randomized controlled trial.

Aim: This paper is a report of a study examining the effects of a supportive counselling programme on the academic performance of Iranian nursing students experiencing academic failure.

Background: In order to using limited educational resources effectively, nursing students experiencing academic failure should be immediately identified in order that appropriate intervention can take place.

Method: Data were collected over a 12-month period in 2006-2007, with 42 Bachelor of Science nursing students who displayed poor academic performance.

Malassezia yeast species isolated from Iranian patients with pityriasis versicolor in a prospective study.

The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of Malassezia species in pityriasis versicolor lesions and to examine if the range of species varies with patients characteristics such as: age, sex and family history and also clinical findings such as site and number of the lesions. In a prospective study from July 2006 to July 2007, the patients with a clinical diagnosis of pityriasis versicolor (n = 166) were asked to participate in the study. A total of 116 patients had positive culture for Malassezia species: M.

Transpetrosal approach: an anatomical study of temporal bone.

Resection of the petrous temporal bone to various degrees provides different levels of access to lesions of the posterior fossa. However, regarding the numerous variations, precise distances of petrosal bone are not still clearly described. This may lead to serious complications during transpetrosal surgeries.

Short-term and long-term outcome of hemolytic uremic syndrome in Iranian children.

Background: Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is the most common cause of acute renal failure during infancy. Many symptoms and clinical features have been proposed as prognostic factors for HUS in the short and long term, while the results of different studies have often been controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate short-term and long-term outcomes of HUS in Iranian children.

Objective measurement of nasal airway dimensions and resistance using acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry in habitual snorers compared with non-snorers.

Snorers represent a heterogeneous group that requires adequate assessment before recommending surgical treatment. Most studies of the pathophysiology of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea have emphasized anatomical abnormalities in the oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal airways. It is still unclear if nasal airway restriction plays an important role in sleep-disordered breathing and there is no general consensus if treatment of nasal pathology should be included in the management of patients with snoring or sleep apnea.

Study of the effect of renal transplantation on methacholine challenge test in patients with end-stage renal failure in Shahid Doctor Labafinejad Hospital in Tehran, Iran.

Pulmonary complications are common in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). The objective of this study was determine the effect of renal transplantation on pulmonary function, using a methacholine challenge test. This interventional study included 14 CRF patients on maintenance dialysis who underwent serial spirometry and astography before and after renal transplantation.

Urine macrophage migration inhibitory factor in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus.

We reported a series of ten patients with lupus nephritis (five patients in the relapse phase and five in the remission phase) and measured the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), an important pro-inflammatory cytokine with probable role in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases, in their urine samples. MIF/creatinine (Cr) ratio directly correlated with disease activity and it does not have any significant difference between inactive disease and normal ones. We found that the urine MIF/Cr ratio not only differentiates active disease from inactive disease and normal ones but also correlates with the activity indices of renal pathology.

The effect of interferon-beta1a on relapses and progression of disability in patients with clinically isolated syndromes (CIS) suggestive of multiple sclerosis.

Objectives: In 85% of young adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), onset is a subacute clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) of the optic nerves, brain stem or spinal cord. The advent of disease-modifying treatments for MS has increased attention on early stages of the disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of interferon on relapses and progression of disability in patients with a CIS.

Cross-sectional reference values for height, weight and body mass index of school children living in Tehran, Iran.

Aim: The aim of the study was to create reference values for weight, height and body mass index (BMI) of school children living in Tehran. METHOD AND SAMPLES: The study subjects consisted of 1,420 girls between 6 and 17 years of age and 1,515 boys between 6 and 15 years of age. Samples were collected by a multistage sampling method from schools in different areas of Tehran.

Assessment of aqueous humor zinc status in human age-related cataract.

Age-related cataract is an ever-increasing health problem among the elderly population worldwide. In recent years, there has been speculation that the levels of micronutrients in ocular tissue may play a role in the pathogenesis of cataract, especially zinc, since it is found in high concentrations in the eye tissues, including the aqueous humor. 44 subjects diagnosed with cataract were chosen for study and matched with 21 healthy controls to determine the concentration of zinc in aqueous humor.

Atosiban and nifedipin for the treatment of preterm labor.

Objective: To perform a comparison between atosiban (oxytocin antagonist) and nifedipin (calcium channel blocker) for acute treatment of preterm labor and their maternal safety.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial study was performed on 80 pregnant women with preterm labor, between 26 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, in Akbar Abadi Teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran. 40 women (the atosiban group) were compared with another 40 women (the nifedipin group) for the drugs' efficacy in delaying delivery for more than 48 h in order to undergo steroid therapy, and for more than 7 days or more, and also to assess their maternal safety.

Macular amyloidosis: an assessment of prevalence, sex, and age.

Macular amyloidosis is a relatively common cutaneous disease in Asia and the Middle East. It is characterized by a reticulated or rippled pattern of pigmentation mostly in the upper back. This study was performed not only to determine the disease sex and age distribution, but also to evaluate its risk factors and the frequency among the dermatology clinic patients.

Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis.

Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis is a rare cutaneous disorder characterized by recurrent cyclic eruptions with variable morphology occurring during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. We report a case of a 40-year-old woman with recurrent pruritic eruptions of 8 years' duration. The possibility of autoimmune progresterone dermatitis was raised because of the cyclic nature of the exacerbations.

Musculoskeletal disabilities among police force personnel of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Musculoskeletal disorders are among the most common causes of disability in the military population. The objectives of this study were to assess the frequency of musculoskeletal disabilities in police force personnel and to determine the association between disabilities and age, rank, and different job types. The population studied were 2600 Islamic Republic of Iran police force disability cases from March 1997 to March 1998.