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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use has an increasing trend around the world. Despite the wild application of CAM in patients with coagulation disorders, its efficacy is still questioned by many studies. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and types of CAM usage, and the factors affecting CAM use among patients with bleeding disorders.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This cross-sectional study investigated the usage of CAM with a standard validated questionnaire in coagulopathic patients who were referred to Dastgheib Hospital, an educational therapeutic center affiliated to the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Shiraz, Southern Iran.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Between December 2015 and May 2016, 75 patients were included in this survey. Severe hemophilia A and rare bleeding disorders were the most frequent among our participants. Overall, nearly half of the studied population (49.3%) used at least one CAM product or practices. The most common products were multivitamin (29.3%), followed by folic acid (21.3%) and chamomile (12%). 32% of the patients resorted to faith healing. The main reasons of using CAM were reported to be increased general health, correction of anemia and thrombocytopenia and control of bleeding tendency.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CAM is being used frequently in patients with coagulation disorders like many other chronic illnesses all around the world. Due to emerging concern regarding the safety and possible interaction with the conventional medicine, it is necessary to develop basic data about the hematologic effects of these methods in order to use them more safely.</p>
ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of nursing educational programs on the awareness of females with beta-thalassemia major [beta-TM] regarding their disease and reproductive health
Methods: Thirty-nine consecutive female patients with beta-TM [age range between 20 and 32 years] participated in this interventional pre-post study. All patients attended the Thalassemia Clinic of Dastgheib hospital, a referral governmental center in Shiraz, Southern Iran. Awareness of patients regarding reproductive health was evaluated by a designed questionnaire. The intervention consisted of nursing educational program regarding important issues related to reproductive health of female patients with beta-TM. Knowledge of patients was revaluated and compared with their knowledge before education. Data were analyzed using SPSS software v.21 using Paired t-test, Pearson correlation test and Mann-Whitney test
Results: Total awareness score significantly increased after education [mean +/- standard deviation [SD]: 16.12 +/- 1.67 vs. 13.69 +/- 2.35, P < 0.001]. Increased knowledge of patients after the intervention was not significantly associated with educational level or with age of the patients [P = 0.058 and P = 0.395, respectively]
Conclusions: An educational program can be helpful in increasing awareness of females with beta-TM regarding their disease and reproductive health issues resulting in increased life expectancy and quality of life
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Introduction: Obtaining clinical competency in clinical education is one of the problems in nursing and use of the new methods of clinical training is very important. Clinical supervision is one of the methods used as a mechanism to promote knowledge and skill for promoting professional performance in nursing students. This study is carried out to determine the impact of clinical supervision on field training of nursing students at Urmia University of Medical Sciences
Methods: In the present experimental study, 32 nursing students were enrolled in the study based on census and randomly assigned into two groups of experimental and control by block randomization. Clinical supervision was used in the experimental group and the control group received routine clinical trainings in the field. The students' clinical skills were assessed using a researcher-made checklist, the validity of which was confirmed through content validity method by 13 faculty members and its reliability was approved by test-retest method on 20 nursing students in the form of a pilot study and through Cronbach's alpha [87%]. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 14
Results: There was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in clinical skills such as recognition and administration of medication, team participation, patients and their relatives' education, considering the safety, infection prevention and nursing process [p<0.005]
Conclusion: The study demonstrated that in clinical supervision process, students have a better communication and cooperation with their instructor and with each other and their confidence and understanding and the amount of learning in practical skills was enhanced more than routine clinical training. The implementation of this clinical training method for students of nursing and other fields of medical sciences is recommendable
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Young Adult , Education, Nursing , Organization and Administration , Students , EducationABSTRACT
Hydroxyurea [HU] has been successfully used in patients with beta-thalassemia intermedia [beta-TI]. We aimed to evaluate the effect of the long-term use of HU on thyroid function in patients with beta-TI. Seventy-five patients with beta-TI aged?11 years and taking HU were randomly selected during 2010 in southern Iran. Thirtyone patients with beta-TI without HU were considered as a control group. Serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH] and T4 were measured. The mean age of the participants was 22.7 +/- 5.1 years [age range=12-41 years]. Serum ferritin level had no significant correlation with HU consumption [P>0.05]. Overall, we detected 10 [9.4%] patients with hypothyroidism. We found that the use of HU at a dose of 8-15 mg/kg/day has no significant association with thyroid function in beta-TI patients. However, due to the small sample size in our study, documentation of this finding needs further studies with higher numbers of patients
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We conducted this study to measure hemodialysis adequacy and determine to what extent some Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative [KDOQI] goals are achieved in our patients. In a cross-sectional study in Pars province, Iran, we assessed 632 patients on hemodialysis in 15 dialysis centers. The Kt/V was calculated, and data on serum levels of albumin, cholesterol, and triglyceride, hemoglobin level, blood pressure, body weight, and body mass index were collected. The values were compared with the KDOQI recommended target values. The mean age of the patients was 54.36 +/- 16.34 years. The mean Kt/V was 0.97 +/- 0.42, which was significantly higher in those who received 3 dialysis sessions per week than those on 2 dialysis sessions per week [P = .03]. Only 32.1% of all patients achieved the Kt/V goal. Seventy-four percent of the patients had a serum albumin equal or greater than 4 g/dL. Hemoglobin levels were between 4.6 g/dL and 16.8 g/dL, and half of the patients had attainment of the hemoglobin target. Cholesterol target was reached in 40% of patients. Only 43 patients [6.8%] attained all targets recommended by the KDOQI guidelines. The target values, except for serum albumin, were not reached in our patients. We conclude that it is necessary to provide essential equipment of dialysis centers such as dialysis machine and trained staffs, and also to raise awareness of KDOQI goals among patients and physicians