[ effects of static cock up c-bar splint on strength, spasticity, ROM, and dominant hand function in spastic diplegic children]

Cerebral Palsy [CP] children are the most clients referred to occupational therapy settings. Hand function is important in Activities of Daily living. There is a hand dysfunction in most cerebral palsy children. Orthosis and splints are commonly used to improve the position, range of motion, quality of movement and function of a personrm or hand. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of static cock up c-bar splint on strength, spasticity, range of motion, and dominant hand function in spastic diplegic children with 8 to 12 years old. This interventional study is in a before-after design. Thirteen spastic diplegic cerebral palsy children with 8 to 12 years old were selected through students who studied in physical disabled schools in Tehran city and had the inclusion criteria. Patients used a static cock up c-bar splint [wrist in 10 degrees of extension and thumb in palmar abduction and opposition] for two months, 2 hours daily and 4-6 hours at night. In this study the Jebsen Taylor test was used to evaluate hand function, the Modified Ashworth Scale was used to assess spasticity of thumb, wrist and elbow, ROM of thumb, wrist and elbow were tested with goniometer and power grip was evaluated with dynamometer. Results showed a significant improvement in hand function [p<0.001], in wrist's spasticity [p<0.001], elbow's spasticity [p<0.008], palmar abduction of thumb spasticity [p<0.002], wrist's ROM [p<0.001], Palmar abduction of thumb ROM [p<0.001] and power grip [p<0.001]. The data did not show significant improvement on elbow's joint ROM. Information from present research shows that using static cock up c-bar splint for 2 months, 2 hours a day and 4 to 6 hours nightly, can be an effective method to improve power grip, hand function, thumb, wrist and elbow spasticity and range of motion of thumb and wrist of spastic diplegic CP children

Psychological responses to breast cancer: a qualitative study

Background and objective: Breast cancer has high incidence among Iranian women and their long term survival lead to have more challenges with cancer complication. This qualitative study aimed to identify psychological responses following breast cancer

Materials and methods: A qualitative phenomenological method has been designed for the study. A sample of 11 women with breast cancer by purposive sampling selected and semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted. The interviews were transcribed verbatim,then Information have been analyzed during 5 steps using smith's method

Results: Two main themes emerged from the interviews included basic reactions and residual reactions and The following six sub themes of despair of life, trying to find a guilty, social isolation, irritability-sensitivity, feeling incompetence and fear of disease recurrence has been determined

Conclusions: Although breast cancer is a physical disease but it has great impact on a person's mental health. Also So many psychological problems caused by breast cancer and its treatment, remains until many years after completion of therapies

[ correlation between organizational citizenship behavior and job involvement of staff at educational and private hospital]

Introduction: In recent studies related to organization, the concept of organizational citizenship behavior has attracted the attention of many researchers and managers. Job Involvement is also an important variable that helps to increase the effectiveness of organization. This study aimed to determine correlation between organizational citizenship behavior and job involvement of staff at two educational and private hospitals

Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive-correlational study that has taken place among 300 staffs that were selected randomly, in two public and private hospitals in Tehran. The Data gathering instrument was a valid and reliable questionnaire that was consists of three parts: demographic information, [Organizational Citizenship Behavior] questionnaire, in five dimensions: conscience, altruism, virtue-orienting, magnanimity and courtesy and [Job Involvement] questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS/18

Findings: Pearson test showed significant correlation [P<0.000] between citizenship behavior and job involvement of employees of two hospitals. Also in private hospital, there was a significant correlation between all dimensions of citizenship behavior and job involvement, except the item of courtesy. In public hospital, only between job involvement and altruism were not found significant correlations

Conclusion: According to the results and importance of citizenship behavior in increasing Job involvement of hospitals staff, the most critical institution, it is suggested that managers try to improve organizations citizenship behavior by setting appropriate policies and strategies in their organization staff

Determinants of catastrophic health expenditure in Iran

This study will provide detailed specification of those variables and determinants of unpredictable health expenditure in Iran, and the requirements to reduce extensive effects of the factors affecting households' payments for health and other goods and services inappropriately. This study aims to identify measures of fair financing of health services and determinants of fair financing contribution, regarding the required share of households that prevents their catastrophic payments. In this regard, analysis of shares of households' expenditures on main groups of goods and services in urban and rural areas and in groups of deciles in the statistics from households' expenditure surveys was applied. The growth of spending in nominal values within the years 2002-2008 was considerably high and the rate for out-of-pocket payments is nearly the same or greater than the rate for total health expenditure. In 2008, urban and rural households in average pay 6.4% and 6.35% of their total expenditure on health services. Finally three categories of determinants of unfair and catastrophic payments by households were recognized in terms of households' socioeconomic status, equality/inequality conditions of the distribution of risk of financing, and economic aspects of health expenditure distribution. While extending the total share of government and prepayment sources of financing health services are considered as the simplest policy for limiting out-of-pocket payments, indicators and policies introduced in this study could also be considered important and useful for the development of health sector and easing access to health services, irrespective of health financing fairness

Experience of cyclone Gonu in the Islamic Republic of Iran: lessons learned

Gonu, the second tropical cyclone of the 2007 northern Indian ocean cyclone season, affected Oman, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran. This report examines the effects of cyclone Gonu in the Islamic Republic of Iran where it approached on its path on 6 June 2007 and reviews the actions taken before, during and after the cyclone. The incident highlighted the need for a special protocol to be prepared for all types of natural disasters. Responsible organizations should train their personnel according to the prepared protocols and service packages. Among the important lessons learned were the need for early warning, proper community involvement, access to essential data for risk analysis, special attention to safety of infrastructures, coordination and command integrity

[Survey the THMs value in drinking water in Lahijan and suggestions in order to product control after disinfection]

Introduction: considering the surface water resource is one of the main potable water supplies and the application of chlorine as one of the main disinfectant drinking water has increased the rate or Disinfection by Products [DBPs] formation. One of the main group of DBPs are THMs compounds that the studies showed they have the potential of increasing the rate of kidney, liver adverse effects and are carcinogen compounds

Objective: survey the THMs concentration in Lahijan drinking water and relation between THMs formation with temperature, pH, free residual chlorine and Total Organic Carbon [TOC]. Materials and Methods: In this study, five locations in four steps were selected for sampling; two points in Sanger water treatment plant [SWTP] include: raw water and treated water and three points in Lahijan distribution system include: before and after of chlorination unit and in termination of distributed water, where samples collected in winter [9 samples] and summer [7 sample] and then analyzed by the GC set with EC detector

Results: this study show that the THMs concentration in raw water and treated water in SVTP was normal and THMs concentration in treated water was less lhm1 raw water that showed effective efficiency of treatment plant units. THMs concentration in before of chlorination unit was normal mid in after or this unit and termination of distributed water was more than US.EPA standard. This study showed a positive relation between THMs formation with temperature, pH, free residual chlorine and TOC. Minimum and maximum concentration of THMs compound was seen in treated water of SWTP and in tcrmim11ion of Lahijan distributed water, respectively, that show the relation between exposure time and DBPs formation

Conclusion: regarding to high statistic of digestive cancers in Guilan, epidemiological studies showed effective agents about this cancers including: genetic agents and usage of sail]' foods. But, high concentration of THMs in total samples in Lahijan distributed water could be an effective agent in increase of statistic digestive cancers in Lahijan

study of plasma concentration [Zinc and Copper] and their relation in rheumatoid arthritis ptarients in comparison to control group

The role of trace elements [Cu, Zn] in chronic inflammatory states has provided interest, as many of them are co-factors in metabolic processes, involving arthricular tissues and immune system function. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate zinc and copper plasma concentration in rheumatoid arthritis [RA] patients, who were referred to the Sari Outpatient Clinics and were compared with control group. We studied plasma concentrations of Zn and Cu in 40 patients with RA and compared them with sex and age matched of healthy subjects [N=40]. Plasma Cu and Zn concentrations were determined by an analysis of 100 Perkin Elmer model flame atomic absorption spectrometer [FAAS]. The plasma Zn concentration in the patient group was statistically lower than control group. The plasma copper was not statistically different in comparison with control group. There was no correlation between Cu and Zn concentration in patient group. In contrast to Cu, there was a significantly positive correlation between Zn and Zn/Cu ratio. However, the decrease of Zn/Cu is more influenced by decreasing the Zn concentration. It appears the decrease of Zn plasma concentration in patients [comparison with control group] is more important than the differences in plasma Cu concentration, but the use of Zn supplement for RA patients needs more investigation

[Comparing dressing with silver sulfadiazine and nitrofurazone on burn wound infection among the patients admitted to the pediatric burn ward in Tabriz, 2005]

Introduction: Burns are among the main public health problems throughout the world especially in the developing countries. In Iran burn injuries causes significant morbidity and mortality, especially among the pediatric population. Infection remains the most common cause of death in the severely burned patients. The proper use of topical antimicrobial agents decreases the occurrence of bacterial resistance and sepsis

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare two topical antimicrobial agents, Silver Sulfadiazine and Nitrofurazone, with respect to the rate of healing, infection and their treatment

Materials and Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental study that used convenience sampling for 5 months on 60 cases that were admitted in the pediatric burn ward at the burn center of the Sina hospital, Tabriz, East Azarbijan, in 2005. Research population consisted of children who were admitted in this center and from among them; the patients who met the characteristics of research samples were selected after explaining the study to their parents and receiving their permission. They were allocated in random into two groups [control and experimental]. The tools were a questionnaire and a checklist. In this research one group was dressed with Silver Sulfadiazine cream and another group with Nitrofurazone and they were replaced once per day. For burn status assessment, in dressing change time, the wounds were considered regarding to the infection criteria and presence of epithelialization and granulation tissue. Also for each patient, bacterial cultures were taken three times by a swab. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed using the X[2]-test and T-test by means of SPSS software [version 11.5]

Results: Statistical analysis didn't show any significant difference between the two groups with regard to clinical signs of infection [P= 1.000] and microbiological study [P= 0.739]. Also there wasn't any significant difference between two groups with regard to re- epithelialization time [P= 0.763], hospitalization days [P=0.818] and cost of confinement [P= 0.969]

Conclusion: In this study, our hypothesis based on a difference between two topical antibacterial agents was rejected and it was seen that the efficacy of two drugs [Silver Sulfadiazine 1% cream and Nitrofurazone] were parallel. It indicated that over use of one drug can't be a reason for its efficacy. It seems that more attention should be paid on selecting the drug for burned patient treatment