[Assessment competencies among emergency nurses for responding in disaster situation with Objective Structured Clinical Examination]

Introduction: Nurses are the first people that attend the accident site. Therefore, they must be able to take care of victims and have skill to prevent detrimental effects of disaster. The aim of this study was to determine competencies among Shahrekord emergency nurses responded in disaster situation with Objective Structured Clinical Examination [OSCE].

Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive study which 25 emergency nurses of educational hospital in Shahrekord were recruited by census statistical methods. Competency of nurses for responding in disaster situation were evaluated by utilizing 8-station objective structured clinical examination [OSCE]. In each station "Task Based Checklist" has been used for evaluation. For measuring validity, content validity and for reliability, test re test was used. Data were analyzed by using SPSS/16.

Findings: The mean scores of nurses' performance in 8 stations were less than average. In triage station was [3.5 +/- 1.6], life support [4.4 +/- 1.2], airway management [3.9 +/- 1.5], Chest tube insertion [4.9 +/- 1.5], naso gastric tube insertion [6.1 +/- 2.2], IV therapy [1.9 +/- 0.7], IV line insertion [5.4 +/- 1.3], suturing [8.6 +/- 1.5] urinary catheterization [9.1 +/- 1.5].

Conclusion: Competencies of nurses in providing care in disaster were undesirable and less than average in all skills. So it is essential for nurses to acquire clinical and special skills to prepare for disaster situations.

Inhibitory effects of several essential oils towards salmonella typhimurium, salmonella paratyphi A and salmonella paratyphi B

Plant essential oils are natural products extracted from plants and because of their antimicrobial properties can be used as natural additives in foods. They are also useful for decontamination of food-borne pathogens and can be a safe additive in foods. The antimicrobial activities of essential oils belonging to Saturiea hortensis, Thymus vulgaris, Mentha polegium, Cuminum cyminum, Lavandula officinalis and Mentha viridis L. [spearmint] were investigated at different concentrations [0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1, 2, 5 and 10%v/v] against Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella paratyphi A and Salmonella paratyphi B by using the agar well diffusion method. Essential oils showed inhibitory effect on Salmonella spp. in the agar well diffusion assay. In addition, the capability of essential oils for decontamination of minced row beef, ground beef, minced raw chicken and minced raw fish inoculated with Salmonella spp. at 0.1 and 0.5%v/v were assessed. Reduction of the Salmonella spp. population was observed following the inoculation of the cultures with 0.1 and 0.5%v/v essential oils

[Sleep disorders in patients with congestive heart failure hospitalized in Hajar hospital, Shahrekord, 2003]

Sleep is an important regular and repeated biologic period and leads to refreshment of human life both physically and mentally. One third of human life is spending in sleep and lack of it, endangers human well being. This phenomenon usually is affected by both internal and external factors such as age, sex, drug, disease and surgery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the sleep disorders in congestive heart failure patients in Hajar hospital of Shahrekord in 2003. This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 205 patients with an ejection fraction less than 40%. The sampling was conducted using simple method from September to November, 2003. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising two parts of questions and expresses, which was filled in by the researchers. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test using SPSS. Prevalence of sleep disorders in congestive heart failure patients was%51. The most prevalent disorder for start sleep stage was disturbing thoughts [62%] and for co-sleep, stage was sleep rising by slight noise [77.1%] and for sleep-raising stage was sleep raising 2-3 hours sooner [57%]. The statistical test showed that the more sleep disorder, the less sleep consent [p<0.001]. Sleep disorders were more abundant in women [p<0.001]. There was no significant correlation between sleep disorder score and age, but with aging, the sleep complications will be increased [p<0.05]. Based on our results, the prevalence of sleep disorder in heart failure patients was higher than that of the general population. Regarding the importance of sleep in these patients providing good physical condition for sleep is necessary