The Impact of Abuse on the Quality of Life of the Elderly: A Population-based Survey in Iran / 예방의학회지

Objectives@#The quality of life (QoL) of the elderly and elder abuse are growing public health concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of abuse and the association between QoL and abuse in older adults. @*Methods@#Multistage random cluster sampling, along with valid QoL (LEIPAD: LEIden, the Netherlands; PADua, Italy; Helsinki, Finland) and abuse questionnaires, were used to assess QoL and elder abuse. Path analysis was performed using Mplus. SPSS and AMOS were used for the other analyses. @*Results@#A total of 386 elderly individuals with a mean age of 68.00±6.10 years were interviewed, of whom 200 (51.8%), 289 (74.9%), and 376 (97.4%) were women, educated, and married, respectively. Moreover, 167 (43.2%) had low-to-moderate QoL, and 108 (27.9%) had experienced a moderate level of abuse. QoL and abuse were inversely associated (r=-0.253), with men (β=-0.24) more affected than women (β=-0.21). Musculoskeletal disorders were also strong determinants of QoL in the elderly. QoL was strongly associated with emotional abuse, while abuse was highly related to the social component of QoL. Furthermore, emotional abuse was the type of abuse most significantly associated with the self-care, depression/anxiety, cognitive, and social components of QoL. Sexual abuse, violation of personal rights, and neglect were the main determinants of the physical functioning, life satisfaction, and sexual domains of QoL, respectively. @*Conclusions@#Nearly half of the elderly individuals lacked a high QoL, and at least one-fourth had experienced some form of abuse. Elder abuse was correlated inversely with QoL. Therefore, preventive interventions are recommended to decrease elder abuse in the family, community, and other settings.

Perihepatic packing versus primary surgical repair in patients with blunt liver trauma; an 8-year experience

Objective: To explore the pros and cons of early versus delayed intervention when dealing with severe blunt liver injury with significant hemoperitoneum and hemodynamic instability

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed at the Nemazi hospital, Shiraz, Southern Iran, level I trauma Center affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The study population comprised of all patients who were operated with the impression of blunt abdominal trauma and confirmed diagnosis of liver trauma during an 8-year period. All data were extracted from patients' hospital medical records during the study period. The patients' outcome was compared between those who underwent perihepatic packing or primary surgical repair

Results: Medical records of 76 patients with blunt abdominal liver trauma who underwent surgical intervention were evaluated. Perihepatic packing was performed more in patients who have been transferred to operation room due to unstable hemodynamics [p<0.001] as well as in patients with more than 1000 milliliters of hemoperitoneum based on pre-operative imaging studies [e.g. CT/US] [p=0.002]

Conclusion: We recommend that trauma surgeons should approach perihepatic packing earlier in patients who have been developed at least two of these three criteria; unstable hemodynamics, more than 1000 milliliters hemoperitoneum and more than 1600 milliliters of intra-operative estimated blood loss. We believe that considering these criteria will help trauma surgeons to diagnose and treat high risk patients in time so significant hemorrhage [e.g. caused by dilatational coagulopathy, hypothermia and acidosis, etc.] can ultimately be prevented and more lives can be saved

H1N1 influenza infection complicated with diabetic ketoacidosis

The 2009 H1N1 Influenza virus was the first infectious pandemic of the 21[st] century which spread rapidly throughout the world. High-risk groups, such as diabetics, suffered more and showed higher hospital admission and death rates due to this virus. Patients with diabetes mellitus [DM] may develop the fulminant picture of their disease after being infected with influenza. From June to December 2009 at Nemazee Hospital, affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, two patients with diabetic ketoacidosis [DKA] were admitted. The H1N1 influenza virus triggered DKA and its complications in these patients. Both patients were female, of ages 16 and 40 years. When admitted, they had signs of influenza-like illness [ILI], tachypnea, laboratory confirmation of acidosis, and high blood sugar levels. The 2009 H1N1 influenza viral RNAwas detected in their nasopharyngeal specimens by real time polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]. Both patients received oseltamivir, but eventually both died. This was the first report of an association between DKA and H1N1 influenza in Iran. Conclusively, rapid diagnosis of influenza by RT-PCR and early treatment with oseltamivir should be considered in diabetics and/or DKA patients with flu-like symptoms

neurological manifestations of H1N1 influenza infection; diagnostic challenges and recommendations

World Health Organization declared pandemic phase of human infection with novel influenza A [H1N1] in April 2009. There are very few reports about the neurological complications of H1N1 virus infection in the literature. Occasionally, these complications are severe and even fatal in some individuals. The aims of this study were to report neurological complaints and/or complications associated with H1N1 virus infection. The medical files of all patients with H1N1 influenza infection admitted to a specified hospital in the city of Shiraz, Iran from October through November 2009 were reviewed. More information about the patients were obtained by phone calls to the patients or their care givers. All patients had confirmed H1N1 virus infection with real-time PCR assay. Fifty-five patients with H1N1 infection were studied. Twenty-three patients had neurological signs and/or symptoms. Mild neurological complaints may be reported in up to 42% of patients infected by H1N1 virus. Severe neurological complications occurred in 9% of the patients. The most common neurological manifestations were headache, numbness and paresthesia, drowsiness and coma. One patient had a Guillan-Barre syndrome-like illness, and died in a few days. Another patient had focal status epilepticus and encephalopathy. The H1N1 infection seems to have been quite mild with a self-limited course in much of the world, yet there appears to be a subset, which is severely affected. We recommend performing diagnostic tests for H1N1 influenza virus in all patients with respiratory illness and neurological signs/symptoms. We also recommend initiating treatment with appropriate antiviral drugs as soon as possible in those with any significant neurological presentation accompanied with respiratory illness and flu-like symptoms