[Comparison of health related quality of life between bipolar patients and healthy people]

Introduction: The aim of this research was comparison of bipolar patients' quality of life with healthy population

Materials and Methods: This research was done on 100 bipolar patients whose euthymic state was documented by a psychiatrist. They were evaluated with use of quality of life-short form 36 questionnaire [QOL-SF-36]. As control group, a control group which was selected from patients' visitors and hospital staff was evaluated with this questionnaire. Data were analyzed using T-test and Pearson correlation coefficient. This study was done in psychiatric clinic of Shiraz Hafez Hospital in 2010-2011

Results: Results show that patients are in a worse condition than normal population in aspects of quality of life such as" physical function [P=0.022], body pain [P<0.0001], general health [P<0.0001], social function [P<0.0001], and mental health [P<0.0001]. In patients group, results of ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient show that females are in better state of vitality than males. Single and married patients are in better condition of emotional-role than those who are divorced [respectively P=0.013 and P=0.010]

Conclusion: Not only bipolar patients' quality of life is disturbed in manic and depressive episodes, but also in euthymic phase of the disorder, main domains of quality of life are affected

[Health-related quality of life in adults leukemic patients]

To evaluate quality of life in adult patients with leukemia in Shiraz, Iran. This was a cross-sectional study of 100 patients attending hematology center of Namazi hospital in Shiraz and 100 healthy employee and students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Quality of life was measured using Iranian version of SF-36. Also demographic questions were collected. Patients reported poorer health-related quality of life than controls in almost all measures. However there were no significant differences among patients who were differed in type of leukemia and the disease duration. The need for supportive intervention for this patient population seems necessary

[Health-related quality of life in chronic renal failure patients receiving hemodialysis]

To understand different dimensions of quality of life in renal failure patients in comparison with the general public at the same age in order to improve health-related quality of life and provide more help to make curative programs for these patients. This was a cross-sectional study and with a sample of 120 patients attending the dialysis center of Namazi hospital in Shiraz. Also 100 healthy people matched for age and sex were selected as a control group. Quality of life was assessed using SF- 36 questionnaire. Data on age, sex, marriage state, and educational level, number of dialysis per week and the time of starting dialysis were also collected. Comparing quality of life between patients and control groups showed that patients had worse conditions in physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, vitality, role emotional, mental health, physical and mental components scores. Women in patients group had worse conditions in all dimensions except for general health and social function. Men in patients group had worse conditions in physical functioning, bodily pain, and vitality as compare to control. However, men in patients group had better conditions in role physical, bodily pain, vitality, social function, mental health as compare to female patient. The findings showed that patients with chronic renal insufficiency under dialysis, suffered from a poor health and quality of life. Indeed specific attention for different social and psychological problems of these patients is recommended

[Assessment of health related quality of life in chronic liver disease patients]

To determine which factors affects quality of life of patients with chronic liver disease. In this cross-sectional study, HRQL of patient with chronic liver disease was measured with SF-36 and demographic questions [age, sex, marital status, educational level] and severity and duration of chronic hepatitis were added to questionnaire.140 patients HRQL scores were compared with the 100 published norms. We used SPSS15and data were analyzed by Independent sample T test and One Way ANOVA and Pearson correlation with P value less than 0.05. In general HRQL in patient with chronic liver disease was lower than normal population [physical function:48.56 29.01, physical problem:21 30.69, bodily pain:41.58 26.17, general health 51.40 20.17, vitality 50.98 25.91,emotional problem:37.56 3.40, social functioning 50.23 30.20, mental health 60.76 24.03]there was meaningful linear correlation between age, education level, sex, marital status and quality of life. We conclude that chronic liver disease substantially reduces quality of life patient's especially in physical component but severity and duration of disease had not association with quality of life. Older age, male, lower level of education, singles have poorer quality of life. Regard to the goal of treatment of chronic disease is increscent of life span and improve of their abilities for having better quality of life. In this study we measured quality of life in patients with chronic liver disease maybe this result can change quality of life in this patient

[Health-related quality of life in major thalassemic patients]

To assess quality of life of thalassemic patients and compare the findings with the same age group of healthy people. 250 thalassemic patients referring to the department of thalassemic of Dastgheib hospital and 100 healthy people in the same age group participated in a cross-sectional study in Shiraz, Iran. They were selected by convenient sampling. The SF-36 was used to measure quality of life. It consists of 36 questions that measure 8 health-related domains namely: physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, general health, role emotional, mental health, social functioning and vitality. The results showed that control group had higher scores than thalassemic patients in physical measures but there were no significant differences between patients and the healthy people in mental component measures. Female patients had higher scores than male patients in social functioning. Patients with milder disease had better scores than patients with sever disease in physical functioning. The findings revealed that patients with thalassemia experience a relatively poor quality of life

Assessment of anti-HBs antigen in 6- to 9-year-old children routinely vaccinated via vaccination program in Iran

To determine persisting antibody levels to hepatitis B virus [HBV] antigen in healthy children, aged 6-9 years, vaccinated at birth. Blood samples were collected from 374 vaccinated children [178 girls and 196 boys] and 57 unvaccinated children, attending Shiraz Primary School, Shiraz, Iran from September 2002 to April 2003. An HBV surface antibody [anti-HBs] was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The anti-HBs titer was detected in 17% of the 8-year-old children, 7.7% of the 7-year-old children and 46.6% of the 6-year-old children. The de-crease was greatest in the 9-year-old children; more than half [54.3%] had a titer of less than 10 IU/ml, indicating a de-crease in antibody levels with increasing age/time. Conversely, more than 35% of the 6-year-old children had a titer greater than 150 IU/ml compared with 24, 12 and 7% of children at the age of 7, 8 and 9, respectively, whose antibody titer was less than 150 IU/ml. Antibody titer declined with time. In comparison with other countries, the antibody titer in Iranian children was much lower

Tuberculin reaction and BCG scar in children vaccinated at birth

In this study, 1576 healthy children under 6 years who had received BCG at birth were tuberculin tested. About 71.5% had retained their BCG scar. The average size of tuberculin reactivity was larger in the group with BCG scar than without, the difference being statistically significant [P < 0.05]. The relative frequency of children showing a negative reaction increased with age; at 4 years about 68% of vaccinated children were negative. There was a positive linear relation between the size of BCG scar and diameter of tuberculin reactivity. After 4 years, tuberculosis infection should be suspected with a positive tuberculin test, especially if the reaction size is >10 mm