ABSTRACT
Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding [UGIB] is an important complication of low-dose aspirin. There are few and conflicting results about the etiology of UGIB in relation to low-dose aspirin. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy of patients taking low-dose aspirin who developed UGIB.
Materials and methods: The medical records of patients with UGIB who referred to Fatemieh Hospital, Semnan, Iran during 2001-2011 were studied and eligible patients were enrolled to the study. The endoscopic data were extracted and compared between the patients taking low-dose aspirin and who were not taking aspirin [control].
Results: 419 cases were studied. 58 [13.8 Percent] patients consumed low-dose aspirin and 204 [48.7 Percent] patients did not consume aspirin. The average age of the patients who received low-dose aspirin and those in the control groups were 65.9 +/- 5.9 and 50.4 +/- 22.3 years, respectively [p = 0.000]. 46.6 Percent and 32.4 Percent of the patients in low-dose aspirin and control groups were women, respectively, and the remaining patients were men [p > 0.05]. The main endoscopic findings in low-dose aspirin and control groups were erosions of the stomach, duodenum, and esophagus [55.9 Percent and 51.7 Percent] and peptic ulcer [50 Percent and 43.6 Percent], respectively. The other findings such as neoplasia, Mallory Weiss, and hiatal hernia were uncommon [1.7 Percent and 5.9 Percent]. The prevalence of endoscopic findings was not statistically significant between the two groups [p > 0.05].
Conclusion: In this small study, although patients with UGIB and low-dose aspirin consumption had more peptic ulcers and erosions in comparison with the control group, the difference was not significant
ABSTRACT
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
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Quality of Life , Cross-Sectional Studies , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Neuromuscular blockers [NMB] are important adjuvant to general anesthesia, rocuronium bromide and cisatracurium besylate are considered relatively recently introduced non-depolarizing muscle relaxants. This study evaluates the enhancement of cisatracurium and rocuronium -induced neuromuscular block during anesthesia with 1.5 MAC sevoflurane or total i.v. anesthesia [TIVA], hemodynamic effects and side effects. 80 patients were randomly allocated into one of four equal groups to receive either rocuronium [under sevoflurane or propofol TIVA] or cisatracurium [under sevoflurane or propofol TIVA]. The NMB effects of rocuronium and cisatracurium were studied by constructing dose-effect curves. Acceleromyography [TOF-Guard] and train-of-four [TOF] stimulation of the ulnar nerve were used [2Hz every 15sec.]. Cisatracurium and rocuronium were administered in increments until depression of T[1]/T[0]>95% was reached. Hemodynamic effects of both muscle relaxants together with sevoflurane or propofol were assessed using thoracic bioimpedance. Depression of T[1]/T[0] was enhanced under sevoflurane compared to TIVA. ED[50] and ED[95] values of both drugs were significantly lower under sevoflurane more than TIVA. Recovery index 25-75% and time to a TOF ration of 0.70 were prolonged significantly by sevoflurane compared to TIVA. Hemodynamically, rocuronium and cisatracurium did not exert significant changes, but the interaction of the relaxants and the anesthetic agents resulted in statistically significant decline in some hemodynamic parameters at certain periods which are not clinically significant and required no medications. We conclude that the effects of rocuronium and cisatracurium are significantly enhanced during sevoflurane compared with propofol anesthesia and the recovery is slower