ABSTRACT
Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most prevalent compression neuropathy of upper extremity which, two of the most important risk factors of that are the female sex and manual works. In the model of international classification of function, disability and health, disease is an impairment, results in functional limitation. The goal of this study is to compare hand function of participants between various severities of carpal tunnel syndrome
Methods: In a cross-sectional study, during 6 months period of time, 30 housekeeper women with carpal tunnel syndrome, with the mean age of 47.03 years, were selected through simple sampling. They were assessed for hand function, by Purdue peg board test and Boston questionnaire, after that a professional practitioner had performed Nerve Conductive Velocity [NCV] test and identified the severity of their diseases. Then the data were analyzed with SPSS software, by Kruskal-Wallis test
Results: The mean of Purdue peg board test and Boston questionnaire scores in various clusters of carpal tunnel syndrome severity, were not different [P>0.05]
Conclusion: In this research, severity of electrodiagnostic findings of participants, with carpal tunnel syndrome, is not related to their performance and functional limitations
ABSTRACT
Considering the rising trend of tuberculosis [TB] and cigarette smoking, an evaluation of the clinical manifestations and drug resistance patterns in TB patients with regard to smoking status seemed beneficial. Clinical manifestations and drug resistance patterns were studied in 872 new pulmonary TB patients classified as non-smokers, ever-smokers, and passive smokers during 3 years at the National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Ever-smokers were mostly male [p<0.001], Iranian [p<0.001], and drug and alcohol users [p<0.001]. They were found to have a longer patient delay [15.9 versus 8.7 and 6.3 days, p=0.008], shorter diagnostic delay [106.8 versus 132.6 and 156 days, p=0.01], greater weight loss [p=0.01], and higher sputum expectoration [p<0.001]. Notably, the degree of smear positivity was associated with smoking [p<0.001] in both univariate and multivariate analyses. No statistical significance was found for the aforementioned factors among non-smokers and passive smokers. Some of the clinical manifestations of TB are significantly different with regard to the patients' smoking status.The degree of sputum smear positivity for acid fast bacilli was higher and patient delay was longer in ever-smoker patients