[ study of relationship between burnout and demographic variables in RCS relief workers in Tehran province]

Burnout is a psychological syndrome concerning emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. Burnout occurs often in people who deal with others in their business. Relief workers may also experience burnout, so it is important to know the burnout related factors in order to prevent psychological disorders in them. The aim of this study was to verify the relationship between some of the demographic variables and burnout in relief workers. This was a cross-sectional survey to study the correlation between burnout and demographic variables in relief workers. The study population was all the relief workers of Red Crescent society in Tehran province. Census method was used for collecting data. About 297 relief workers which were all male participated in the study. Demographic data was collected by using a self administrated questionnaire. Maslach Burnout Inventory [MBI] was used as a research tool for assessing burnout levels. According to the findings, there was a positive and significant but poor association between both age and number of shifts in a month with personal accomplishment. No association was found between past occupational experience [as a relief worker], number of participations in past month incidents, educational level and type of serving [as a volunteer or non-volunteer relief worker] with burnout components. The results showed that there is no relationship between burnout and demographic variables studied in this survey in relief workers

Evaluation of rubella IgG antibodies among women at marriage in Kermanshah city, before and after mass vaccination

Rubella is a mild viral infectious disease, usually occurs subclinically without a serious complication. But if occurs during pregnancy, specially the first trimester, it can transmit and invade to fetus causing congenital rubella syndrome or fetal death. In 2003, nearly all Iranians at the age of 5 to 25 years old were vaccinated against rubella and the vaccine was included in the compulsory immunization, MMR afterwards. This study was carried out on girls attended at a marriage consultancy center in Kermanshah city [West of Iran] in 2006. Considering 95% of confidence, the sample size was estimated at 140. All samples were tested using ELISA serologic method and compared with similar study conducted on 240 unvaccinated girls at the same place in 1999. Antibody positivity was observed in 99.3%, compared to 79.58% of the previous study. A rise of 19.72% [95% CI 12.7%-26.7%] of seropositivity was observed in vaccinated girls versus unvaccinated ones [P < 0.001]. In our previous study, we had recommended to screen for susceptibility to rubella before marriage, which is no longer required since more than 99% of vaccinated girls showed immunity at the time of marriage. However, as sustainability of immunity after rubella vaccination is usually less than immunity due to illness, we recommend screening for rubella protective antibody every few years

first epidemic and new-emerging human fascioliasis in Kermanshah [western Iran] and a ten-year follow up, 1998-2008

Fascioliasis is one of the most common zoonotic diseases in Iran and other parts of the world. Although the largest epidemic of this disease has occurred in northern provinces of Iran [Guilan] during the past two decades and a few cases have also been reported in Tehran and the other provinces, there has been no evidence of its' occurrence in western provinces of Iran such as Kermanshah before the outbreak which is being reported. The study was conducted by teamwork of infectious disease specialist, parasitologist, general practitioner, entomologist, and laboratory technician. It is an "epidemic investigation" and a cross sectional descriptive one. Clinical data and para-clinical changes are recorded considering all of the population of a village in Kangavar, one of the suburbs of Kermanshah [western Iran]. The mean age was 21.65, [SD=12.44]. Fifty three percent were female, and all of them were farmers. Eighty two percent had a history of watercress ingestion in a period of 1-2 months before the admission and 18% consumed other vegetables. The average of eosinophils was 32.35% [SD=26]. The patients' Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA] and Counter Current Immuno-electrophoresis [CCIE] serological tests were reported positive by the department of parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran. Treatment response to triclabendazole was excellent. A ten-year clinical and laboratory follow-up revealed no evidence of abnormality in treated patients. It was the first case of human fascioliasis in west Iran and was a real epidemic and an emerging infectious disease for this area at that time. The clinical symptoms were less severe compared with other reports. Health education to inhabitants and health care workers can lead to rapid detection of such outbreaks

[Geographical distribution and survival rate of cancers among elderly Iranians]

Objective [s]: To determine the pattern of incidence and survival rates of cancers in elderly adult in the period of five years to obligate the screening and therapeutic aged care services to old people

Methods: This is a historical cohort study based on the data analysis years [2001 to 2005] and cancer registries reporting survival rates for these cancers in people aged 60 years and older. Collecting data was through observation and data gathering Cancer Research Center, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The inclusion criteria were cancer patients 60+ years registered through the annual reports of cancer cases and survival patients followed. To compare the survival and separation of sex Kaplan Meier coax method was used. The death and death of the relative risks of various cancers were calculated by regression model

Results: Based on data 33.5% of women surveyed aged 60 years and older and 66.5% were elderly men. The mean age was 71.2 years. Mean survival in this study was 88.2 years. The highest incidence of skin cancer was 5 years old. The geographical distribution of incidence was bladder cancer among elderly in Kermanshah province. Yazd province was the highest prevalence of common cancers in elderly. The average of five-year survival in Lorestan province was the highest and the Ardabil province had the lowest. The relationships between sex and death from cancers were [0.84 to 0.95], and the relationships between the relative risks of death from cancers [1.03 to 1.09] which were significant

Conclusion: The risks of cancer death among nine provinces were varied comparision to Tehran metropolitan. In oderwords survival rate of cancers in the nine provinces significantly were less than Tehran province

Two cases of gastrointestinal anthrax with an unusual presentation from Kermanshah [Western Iran]

During 1988 - 1994 a total of 38 cases of human anthrax were admitted to Sina Hospital in Kermanshah [western Iran]. There were two cases of gastrointestinal anthrax [5.3%] with culture positive ascitic fluid. Among the many reported gastrointestinal signs and symptoms, unexpectedly one of our patients had only vomiting and ascites whereas the other case had only ascites. Neither had abdominal pain, tenderness, diarrhea, hematemesis, melena, or other expected signs and symptoms of anthrax. Therefore, in contrast to the available reports, these cases presented atypically and despite receiving a sufficient dose of penicillin, the drug of choice at that time, both patients died. Gastrointestinal anthrax is not as rare as reported but due to an unusual presentation it may be misdiagnosed. Paying attention to gastrointestinal anthrax in the differential diagnosis of ascites with unknown origin and other gastrointestinal presentations in endemic areas may help to diagnose more cases of anthrax. Timely appropriate management in an early stage of the disease, may increase their chances of survival