Effectiveness of meglumine antimoniate against L. tropica in a recently emerged focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Birjand, eastern Islamic Republic of Iran

With limited options to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis, constant monitoring of the rate of resistance to pentavalent antimony-based drugs is needed. This study identified the infecting Leishmania species and evaluated the results of meglumine antimoniate [Glucantime[Registered sign]] therapy in a new focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Birjand, eastern Islamic Republic of Iran. Smears from 150 patients showed that 141 patients were infected by L. tropica and 9 by L. major. In total, 141 patients with L. tropica infection completed Glucantime[Registered sign] treatment and follow-up; 63.8% were treated intralesionally and 36.2% by intramuscular administration. The overall success rate after one course of therapy with Glucantime[Registered sign] was 96.5% [136/141], and all the failures [5/141] occurred with intramuscular injections. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between the failure rates of intramuscular and intralesional injections. Children < 10 years old had a significantly higher failure rate than adults

relationship between management style and social responsibility at Tehran hospitals

Nowadays, the success of a hospital administration is not only subject to taking care of hospital internal processes but also identifying the hospital concerns about external processes; that is, the social responsibility of hospitals. It seems one of the factors influencing the acceptance of social responsibility is the management style. This study is going to investigate the relationship between management style and social responsibility at Tehran hospitals. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011. The study population included hospitals and academic medical centers affiliated to Tehran and Shahid Beheshti Universies of Medical Sciences; as well as private hospitals in Tehran [n=94]. Census method was employed for collecting data. Tools for collecting data included two questionnaires related to determining the management style and assessing the social responsibility score of hospitals. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive parameters, independent t-test and Chi-square test using SPSS software version 16. The mean score of social responsibility in the studied hospitals was 3.46. The mean score for marketplace, leadership and internal processes, environmental, workplace, and community policies were 3.69, 3.64, 3.4, 3.38 and 3.22, respectively. There was no significant difference between social responsibility score and type of ownership [P>0.05]. The mean scores of management styles were not significantly different between public and private hospitals [P>0.05]. Social accountability level of the studied hospitals was evaluated as average. To promote the social responsibility level, it is recommended appropriate measures to be taken for the policies of social responsibility, particularly in workplace and society and country policies

Allocation of health resources according to the type and size of Iranian governmental hospitals

Due to consuming about 50%-80% of health resources, hospitals are the greatest and costly operational units in Iranian Health system. so allocation of resources specially human and space resources as the most expensive ones is really important for further controlling of costs, analysis of costs and making suitable policies for increasing the profitability and allocation of resources and improvement of quality. This paper intends to describe and analyze any allocation of resources in 530 university hospitals in Iran. The final goal of this research is to provide a data bank according which there is a basis for more scientific budget allocation of state's hospitals from the size and type of application points of view. The relevant index of person to bed was 2.04 for human resources. All hospitals more than 300 beds are located in benefiting areas from which 17 cases are educational and 2 cases are therapeutic. This is necessary to mention that the rate of management group forces to total personnel at deprived areas is about 2.5% more than benefiting areas. Because 60-80% of hospital costs are applied for human forces, all managers of hospitals are obliged to revise their policies in attraction and employment of human force in order to benefit from such a valuable resource and prevent from expensive costs. So any employment of personnel should be based upon real needs of hospital

[ relationship between health care providers' perceptions of patient safety culture and patients' perceptions of medical errors in teaching hospitals in Tehran: 2011]

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between care providers' perception of patient safety culture and patients' perception of medical errors in teaching hospitals in Tehran. It was a descriptive analytical and Cross- Sectional study. The population consisted of 216 health care providers and 216 patients selected using stratified random sampling in 13 general teaching hospitals in Tehran. Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Culture was used to assess health care providers' perceptions of patient safety culture and a researcher-made questionnaire was developed to assess patients' perceptions of medical errors. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation test. The results showed an expected direction [negative] among the relationships and coefficients correlation between patient perception of medical errors and hospital management supported the patient safety [r=-0.586, p= 0.035], frequency of event reporting [r=-0.625, p= 0.022], hospital handoffs and transition [r= -0.637, p= 0.019] and HSOPS dimension average [r= -0.602, p=0.03] were statistically significant. The findings supported the idea that there are fewer medical errors in hospitals with more positive patient safety culture. Further research is needed to determine the generalizability of these results to other hospitals and to assess the relationship between patient safety culture and other patient outcomes

[ relationship between organizational health and performance indicators of health care in teaching hospitals affiliated to Tehran university of medical sciences: 2011]

Organizational health, influenced by various factors, can affect the effectiveness, efficiency, and profitability of the organization. This study investigated the relationship between organizational healths [and its seven-fold dimensions] and the performance indicators at teaching hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences [TUMS]. This descriptive, analytical and applied study was conducted in winter 2011. There were 300 employees randomly selected from among the research population who were the staff of teaching hospitals affiliated to TUMS. The instruments were the checklist of performance indicators and a standard questionnaire of organizational health the validity of which was obtained through opinion analysis of seven experts and its reliability was measured by Cronbach's alpha [88%]. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS software and descriptive statistics including absolute frequency, relative frequency, mean, standard deviation, and Spearman correlation test. No significant relationship was found between any of performance indicators and either of the dimensions of morality, scientific emphasis, consideration, and support of resources. Significant relationship was, however, observed between construction of organizational health and indicators of the total number of occupied bed days, total number of those admitted the performance of the rotating beds, and the crude mortality rate [P

[Social responsibility in hospitals of Isfahan city]

Hospital's traditional charter that mostly emphasized productivity has been replaced by a charter that stresses social and environmental issues. On this basis, to achieve success, managers should regard both the inner and the outer environments of hospitals. This study aims at measuring hospitals' social responsibility. The present descriptive-analytic study was carried out through a cross-sectional method in 2010. The study population consisted of hospital managers of the city of Isfahan [n=21]. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. The instrument's content validity was determined by the experts' views and its reliability calculated through Cronbach's alpha was found to be 0.95. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software [version 16] and the hypotheses were tested by t-test, ANOVA and Eta coefficients. The maximum mean score was 100. The mean score of hospitals' social responsibility was computed to be 68.6. The mean scores of leadership and inner processes, market place, community policies, environmental policies, and workplace policies were found to be 72.2, 70, 67.8, 67.4 and 66.2, respectively. There was no significant relationship between hospital's social responsibility and type of hospital's possession and activity [p value > 0.05]. The social responsibility of hospitals was assessed as moderate. To improve hospital's social responsibility, it is suggested that more attention be paid to workplace and environmental policies

Removal of methylene blue dye from wastewater by adsorption onto semi-inpenetrating polymer network hydrogels composed of acrylamide and acrylic acid copolymer and polyvinyl alcohol

Dye removal from wastewater has received considerable attention with several classes of dye being investigated. Methylene blue has wide applications and can cause some harmful effects in humans. The use of clean technology of low-priced and biodegradable absorbents could be a good tool to minimize the environmental impact caused by dye manufacturing and textile effluents. The present study deals with the preparation of a novel sIPN [semi interpenetrating] hydrogel composed of copolymer of acrylamide and acrylicacid with poly vinyl alcohol as linear polymer there in. The adsorption abilities of hydrogels with different molar ratios for removal of methylene blue from aqueous solutions were investigated. A weighed quantity of dry hybrid hydrogel was immersed in 50 ppm MB solution and kept at 37 Degree C. The amount of MB adsorbed was measured spectrophotometrically [lambda= 661.6 nm] in periodically taken solution samples. The maximum dye adsorption concentration for hydrogel composites was 95% and no dye desorption of MB/polymer solutions was observed. Hence, the composites can be used as good membranes for removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions while they do not release harmful materials into water

Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome in dairy cattle in Iran: a case report

Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome is a highly fatal intestinal disease of adult dairy cattle with uncertain cause. In a dairy herd in Khorasan Razavi province, Northeast of Iran, two cows showed depression, anorexia, decrease in milk production, ruminal hypomotility, bruxism and dehydration. At necropsy, massive hemorrhage and clot formation was observed within the jejunum and bacterial culture of the intestinal ingesta and lesions showed the presence of a large number of Clostridium perfringens. Subacute ruminal acidosis was detected in fresh and mid-lactation cows. This report shows the possibility of diagnosis of other hemorrhagic bowel syndrome cases in dairy cows in Iran

[ cholera outbreak investigation in Karaj district in 2008]

However outbreaks of cholera are not very common in central area of Iran, in 2008 district health authority reported a cluster of diarrhea cases. We investigated this cluster to identify the etiological agent, source of transmission and propose control measures. We defined a case of diarrhea as occurrence of > or =3 loose/watery stools a day among the residents of Karaj. Fifty four [54] cases were identified in health care centers and 106 healthy individuals as control. We conducted a gender- and age-matched case-control study to identify risk factors. Vibrio cholerae El Tor O1 Inaba was isolated from all cases rectal swabs. during cholera epidemic outbreak in 2007, 54 cases of stool-culture were vibrio cholera, serotype Inaba positive. Using industrial-ice and fruits and vegetables were significantly associated with the illness [OR 4.4 and 3.3 respectively]. This outbreak was due to a contaminated industrial-ice and contaminated vegetables and fruits and V. cholera 01 Inaba was possibly the causative organism. Therefore more prevention program and observation methods should be considered

[Occupational injuries factors in Hashtrood health network personals]

Health centers are more contaminated and pathogenic- and in briefly more dangerous- than other offices and work places for the employees. The goal for the following research was review of the occupational injuries occurrence and prevalence; and some affective factors among Hashtrood health network employees. This cross sectioned study was conducted by questionnaire distributed to 270 Hashtrood health center employees. Data were analyzed by SPSS through X2, t-test and logistic regression. The incidence and prevalence rates of occupational injuries were 43.8%and 61% respectively. Needles and sharp objects injuries had the highest ratio [Incidence rate 22.4% and 19% respectively, and prevalence rate 34.3% and 25.1% respectively]. Only 32.6% of the employees reported their injuries .In 49.5% of cases they haven't got the proper trains. The rate of occupational injuries among hospital and laboratory employees [70% and 66.7% respectively] is more than other centers [P<0.05]. There was an significant correlation between the employees education level and their occupational injuries, that means the most occupational injuries have been happened for the one who has diploma or less education [P<0.05]. Given to the vast occupational injuries, preventing measures must be considered. To reduce the occupational injuries, we suggest providing the needed training for the new comers and periodically for the employees; and also a proper reporting system by employees especially in hospitals and labs

[Information resources of highschool boys of AIDS in Tehran]

Background: Educational interventions, such as school HIV/AIDS educations, are the best defenses against the spread of HIV/AIDS. On the other hand, knowing the information sources which students have got their previous information on HIV/AIDS, and also sources which they prefer to get their information through them is essential in planning effective educational programs regarding HIV/AIDS

Objective: Therefore, this descriptive-analytic study was designed and conducted in order to assess the information sources of the students of male public schools of educational region No.3 of Tehran regarding HIV/AIDS

Methods: Using the sampling formula, a sample of 220 students were estimated, but in action 246 students were studied. The samples were selected using Random Stratified Sampling

Method. Using SPSSFW software the data were analyzed statistically, and for this reason descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used

Findings: The results implied that 85% of the students had got information on HIV/AIDS through various sources and channels. Regarding the favorite [preferred] sources and channels, 75.6% and 72.6% of the students said that they prefer to get their later information on HIV/AIDS respectively through TV and newspapers or magazines

Conclusion: This implies that TV and newspapers or magazines are favorite and acceptable media for the studied students. Hence, if the needed education for students are presented through these channels, and preferably through TV, might have high effectiveness