Changes in spirometric parameters after protective interventions among workers at a chlorine production plant in Iran / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES@#This study was conducted to assess changes in spirometric parameters after protective interventions among workers at a chlorine production plant in Semnan, Iran during 2012-2016. @*METHODS@#This quasi-experimental study included 100 workers at a chlorine production plant in Semnan during 2012-2016. Spirometric parameters (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow [PEF], and PEF occurring in the middle 50% of the patient’s exhaled volume [PEF 25-75%]) were measured in all workers before the initial intervention in 2012. Protective interventions were then implemented for 4 consecutive years and the parameters were measured annually. A multivariable linear regression model was used to assess the factors affecting spirometric parameters before and after the protective interventions in SPSS version 24. @*RESULTS@#The mean values of all spirometric parameters significantly increased after the protective interventions (p<0.05). Multivariable linear regression showed that age (β=-0.40), body mass index (BMI) (β=0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11 to 1.31), and type of mask (β=-7.88; 95% CI, -15.96 to -0.46) had significant effects on the mean difference in FVC. Similarly, age (β=-0.35; 95% CI, -0.70 to -0.01), BMI (β=0.80; 95% CI, 0.20 to 1.41) and type of mask (β=-8.88; 95% CI, -16.98 to -0.79) had significant associations with the mean difference in FEV1. The type of mask (β=-12.81; 95% CI, -25.01 to -0.60) had a significant effect on the mean difference in PEF. @*CONCLUSIONS@#All spirometric parameters significantly increased in workers after protective interventions were implemented. Therefore, protective interventions to prevent respiratory disorders in workers exposed to chlorine gas are suggested.

Changes in spirometric parameters after protective interventions among workers at a chlorine production plant in Iran / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES@#This study was conducted to assess changes in spirometric parameters after protective interventions among workers at a chlorine production plant in Semnan, Iran during 2012-2016. @*METHODS@#This quasi-experimental study included 100 workers at a chlorine production plant in Semnan during 2012-2016. Spirometric parameters (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow [PEF], and PEF occurring in the middle 50% of the patient’s exhaled volume [PEF 25-75%]) were measured in all workers before the initial intervention in 2012. Protective interventions were then implemented for 4 consecutive years and the parameters were measured annually. A multivariable linear regression model was used to assess the factors affecting spirometric parameters before and after the protective interventions in SPSS version 24. @*RESULTS@#The mean values of all spirometric parameters significantly increased after the protective interventions (p<0.05). Multivariable linear regression showed that age (β=-0.40), body mass index (BMI) (β=0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11 to 1.31), and type of mask (β=-7.88; 95% CI, -15.96 to -0.46) had significant effects on the mean difference in FVC. Similarly, age (β=-0.35; 95% CI, -0.70 to -0.01), BMI (β=0.80; 95% CI, 0.20 to 1.41) and type of mask (β=-8.88; 95% CI, -16.98 to -0.79) had significant associations with the mean difference in FEV1. The type of mask (β=-12.81; 95% CI, -25.01 to -0.60) had a significant effect on the mean difference in PEF. @*CONCLUSIONS@#All spirometric parameters significantly increased in workers after protective interventions were implemented. Therefore, protective interventions to prevent respiratory disorders in workers exposed to chlorine gas are suggested.

Health-related quality of life of patients with asthma: a cross-sectional study in Semnan, Islamic Republic of Iran

Asthma can profoundly affect the quality of life of individuals with the disease. There are limited data on the quality of life of people with asthma in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate quality of life in adults with asthma in Semnan using the 36-item short form health survey [SF-36]. The effect of sociodemographic characteristics on quality of life scores was examined. The study included a convenience sample of 385 outpatients with asthma attending a pulmonary clinic from June to December 2013. The mean physical and mental component scores were 58.8 [SD 18.3] and 57.3 [SD 17.0] respectively. The study sample had lower quality of life scores in all the fields than the reference population [P < 0.05]. Patients with lower education, urban residents, widowed/divorced patients and manual workers had lower quality of life scores [P < 0.05]. Efforts are needed to improve the quality of life of people with asthma in parallel with precise management plans

Effect of different doses of folic acid on serum homocysteine level in patients on hemodialysis

Hyperhomocysteinemia is common in patients with end-stage renal disease. It is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. We evaluated the effect of different doses of folic acid on serum homocysteine level in patients on hemodialysis. Patients on maintenance hemodialysis were randomized into 4 groups to receive oral folic acid at doses of 2, 5, 10, and 15 mg/d, each for a period of 4 weeks. Serum homocysteine level was measured in all of the patients before and at the end of each week of therapy. Folic acid supplementation was discontinued during a washout period of 1 week between each of the four phases of the trial. Thirty-one hemodialysis patients completed the four phases of treatment with each dose of folic acid [17 women and 14 men]. The mean age of patients was 57.6 +/- 14.6 years. Serum homocysteine level was reduced significantly compared to its basal level after treatment with folic acid at different doses [P < .001]. Different doses of folic acid were not significantly different in lowering serum homocysteine levels. Our study failed to show any difference between high-dose and low-dose folic acid therapy regarding their effect on serum homocysteine level. It seems folic acid, 2 mg/d, is an adequate dose, and there is no need to administer a higher dose of it

Antitussive effect of Portulaca oleracea L. in guinea pigs

Several therapeutic effects including diuretic, anti-pyretic and anti-scurvy have been reported for Portulaca oleracea. In previous studies the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-oxidant, muscle relaxant effects and neuropharmacological effects of the aqueous extract of Portulaca oleracea have been demonstrated on experimental animals. In the present study the antitussive effect of this plant was evaluated. The antitussive effects of aerosols of two different concentrations of boiled extract, codeine, and saline were tested by counting the number of coughs induced by citric acid aerosol 10 min following exposure of animals. The effective concentration of extract causing 50% reduction of cough number [EC50] was also determined. The results showed significant reduction [p<0.001] in cough numbers following the use of both concentrations of the boiled extract [10.7 0.16 and 6.7 0.33 for%2.5 and%5 extracts respectively] compared to saline [14.8 0.30]. In addition there was a significant difference [p<0.01] between the cough numbers of the 5% extract with that of codeine [10.2 0.38]. In this study, EC50 of the plant extract was 4.5%. These results showed that the antitussive effect of Portulaca oleracea L. was comparable to codeine