ABSTRACT
HIV/AIDS continues to be a major global health problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate common opinions and beliefs about HIV/AIDS among Iranian teenager girls. This Qualitative study [face-to-face interviews with tape recording] was conducted among fifty female teenager school students inUrmia-Iran. The thematic analysis indicated the main information sources for HIV/AIDS among teenage girls to be their mother and teachers. The participants had little concern about the dissemination of HIV/AIDS in Iran. Using a common syringe is mentioned as the main risk factor for HIV transmission. There were some misconceptions about the at-risk group among teenage girls. Considering the misconceptions among the teenage girls, their beliefs should be reformed and reorganized in order to reduce the risk of exposure to HIV. The best practice is training life skills in the school level
ABSTRACT
Background: To assess the therapeutic effects of oral zinc supplementation on acute watery diarrhea of children with moderate dehydration
Methods: All 9-month to 5-year-old children who were admitted with acute watery diarrhea and moderate dehydration to the Children Ward of Motahari Hospital, Urmia, Iran in 2008 were recruited. After the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the patients were randomly allocated to two groups: one group to receive zinc plus oral rehydration solution [ORS] and the other one to receive ORS plus placebo. All the patients were rehydrated using ORS and then receiving ORS for ongoing loss [10 ml/kg after every defecation]. Additionally, the patients in the intervention group received zinc syrup [1 mg/kg/day] divided into two doses. A detailed questionnaire was filled daily for each patient by trained pediatrics residents; it contained required demographic characteristics, nutrition and hydration status, and disease progression. The primary outcome [frequency and consistency of diarrhea] and the secondary outcomes [duration of hospitalization and change in patients' weight] were compared between the two groups
Results: The mean diarrhea frequency [4.5 +/- 2.3 vs. 5.3 +/- 2.1; P=0.004] was lower in the group receiving zinc +ORS; however, the average weight was relatively similar between the two groups [10.5 +/- 3.1 vs. 10.1 +/- 2.3; P=0.14]. The qualitative assessment of stool consistency also confirmed earlier improvement in the treatment group in the first three days of hospitalization [P <0.05]. The mean duration of hospitalization was significantly lower in the patients receiving zinc supplements [2.5 +/- 0.7 vs. 3.3 +/- 0.8 days; P=0.001]
Conclusion: Our results imply the beneficial effects of therapeutic zinc supplementation on disease duration and severity in patients with acute diarrhea and moderate dehydration in Iran
ABSTRACT
A prospective study to determine the prevalent bacterial agents of neonatal sepsis and their antimicrobial susceptibility in Imam Khomeini teaching hospital, Urmia, from Oct 2002 to Nov 2006. Newborns with clinical signs of septicemia and positive blood culture during fifty months were prospectively studied. Samples for blood cultures, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, sugar, electrolytes, cerebrospinal fluid and urine analysis/culture were obtained; ampicillin and gentamycin were started empirically. Results were analyzed by SPSSis package and cross tabulation was done. Two thousand three hundred twenty five newborns from 4827 neonatal admissions were screened for septicemia. Two hundred twenty seven episodes of sepsis occurred in 209 newborns. The boys/girls ratio was 1.67: 1 and 63.9% of patients were premature. There were 164 [72.2%] cases of EONS and 63 [27.7%] cases of LONS. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus [CONS] was the most common [54%] cause of both early and late onset neonatal sepsis and showed high degree of resistance to commonly used antibiotics; ampicillin [100%], ceftriaxon [65%], cefotaxim [67%] and gentamicin [51%], but comparatively low resistance to vancomycine [10%], imipenem [19%], and ciprofloxacine [23%]. Neonatal sepsis in our ward is mainly caused by gram-positive organisms, which are developing resistance to commonly used antibiotics. The initial empirical choice of ampicillin and gentamycin appears to be unreasonable for our environment