Reducing Irrational Beliefs and Pain Severity in Patients Suffering from Non-Cardiac Chest Pain (NCCP): A Comparison of Relaxation Training and Metaphor Therapy

BACKGROUND: Patients suffering from non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) can interpret their chest pain wrongly despite having received a correct diagnosis. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of the relaxation method with metaphor therapy for reducing irrational beliefs and pain severity in patients with NCCP. METHODS: Using a randomized controlled trial, 33 participants were randomly divided into a relaxation training group (n= 13), a metaphor therapy group (n = 10), and a control group (n = 10), and were studied for 4 weeks. The two tools used in this research were the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) index for determining the degree of pain and the short version of the Jones Irrational Belief Test. Metaphor therapy and a relaxation technique based on Ost's treatment were used as the interventions. The collected data were analyzed with a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), a Chi-square test, and the Bonferroni procedure of post-hoc analysis. RESULTS: The relaxation training method was significantly more effective than both metaphor therapy and the lack of treatment in reducing the patients' beliefs of hopelessness in the face of changes and emotional irresponsibility, as well as the pain severity. Metaphor therapy was not effective on any of these factors. In fact, the results did not support the effectiveness of metaphor therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Regarding the effectiveness of the relaxation method as compared with metaphor therapy and the lack of treatment in the control group, this study suggests that relaxation should be paid greater attention as a method for improving the status of patients. In addition, more studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of metaphor therapy in this area.

[Correlation between controlling stress with motor activity and food habits in health students]

There is a correlation between stress levels with motor activity and food habits. The present study aimed to determine the correlation between controlling stress with motor activity, food habits and desired variables in health students. Through a cross-sectional study using randomized sampling, 100 health students were recruited. The Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II [HPLP II] questionnaire including controlling stress and other variables was administered. Collected data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and linear regression tests in SPSS software. Mean and standard deviation of age and controlling stress score was 22.77 +/- 2.24 years and 20.22 +/- 3.6, respectively. 51% of the participants were female. In general, poor, middle and good stress control were estimated to be 36%, 49% and 15%, respectively. There were significant correlation between students' controlling stress with motor activity and food habits but not with age, gender, nativity and major of students. Linear regression showed that by improving motor activity and food habits score, the students' stress control score has increased significantly. Health education in advanced levels considering motor activity and a good nutritional status can have an important role in improvement of students' stress control

simple and rapid method for the detection of HIV-1/HCV in co-infected patients

Due to some limitations of serological methods in diagnosis of patients infected with HIV-1 [human immunodeficiency virus] and HCV [hepatitis C virus], it is profoundly important to use molecular methods for the detecting of these infectious agents. However, the most significant problems are the exorbitant cost of these methods and the need of a thermocycler which is an expensive instrument. The current research recruits a multiplex nucleic acid sequence base amplification [NASBA] in order to simultaneously detect HIV-1 and HCV genomes in patients' plasma samples. Sensitivity and specificity of this method have been evaluated using clinical samples. A multiplex NASBA assay for simultaneous detection of HCV and HIV-1 by the use of specific primers were designed and validated. A well-conserved region in the HIV-1 pol gene and 5'-NCR of HCV genome were used. A total of 40 samples of HIV-1 [20 samples] and HCV [20 samples] were used in the NASBA assay. The specificity and sensitivity of the assay were evaluated. Our results have demonstrated that the primers used in the assay had no interrelation with each other and other possible interfering agents in the assay. The analytical sensitivity of the assay for both HIV-1 and HCV was determined to be 1000 copies/mL and the clinical sensitivity and specificity were 93.3% and 100%, respectively. By exploiting this multiplex NASBA assay, it is possible to detect HIV-1 and HCV infection/co-infection in patients' plasma with a suitable sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, due to its simplicity and multiplexing feature, it could be used in limited access laboratories in a cost-effective manner.

Antibiotic resistance patterns and genetic analysis of klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from the respiratory tract

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a pathogenic bacterium causing nosocomial infections in particular severe respiratory tract infections. Little information is available on the antibiotic susceptibility of pulmonary isolates of Klebsiella spp. The aims of this study were to determine the antibiotic resistance patterns and prevalence of extended-spectrum Beta-lactamase [ESBLs] producing Kleb. Among the respiratory isolates and to detect the possible clonal outbreaks associated with them. The respiratory isolates of K. pneumoniae [n=33] received from two Tehran hospitals during 2002-2005 were evaluated. Disk diffusion was used to determine the susceptibility of isolates to 14 antibiotics. Phenotypic confirmatory and double disk synergy methods were used to detect extended spectrum ?-lactamase producing isolates [ESBLs]. Respiratory isolates were then analyzed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis [MLEE]. ESBL phenotype was detected in 75.75% of the isolates. The most effective antibiotic was imipenem followed by tazobactam/piperacillin. MLEE analysis revealed 13 electrophoretic types [ETs]. The locus leucine-tyrosine peptidase showed the highest genetic diversity [0.733]. These 33 respiratory isolates consisted of 16.5% Klebsiella pneumoniae. This rate is lower than the neighboring country, Turkey [35%]. However, ESBL-producing strains belonging to different genetic lineages are serious concerns at Tehran hospitals. Carbapenem is still considered one of the most effective antibiotics against multi-drug resistant isolates