[Incidence rate of acute reactions in transfusion of blood and its products prepared by Urumia Blood Refinery Center]

"Blood transfusion is one of essential and important but dangerous parts of today's medicine in which if appropriate measures have not been done, fatal reactions may occur. Acute hemolytic reactions, febrile reactions, and allergic reactions are among the most important and most prevalent transfusion reactions that happen shortly after its beginning and can lead to considerable mortality and morbidity. The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate the prevalence of acute reactions of blood and its products prepared by Urumia Blood Refinery Center. 3880 blood product units transfused to 1261 patients were studied by convenience sampling method. Various instruments and methods such as sphygmomanometer, thermometer, urine analysis, interview and observation were used for data gathering. Collected data were documented in special forms designed for this purpose. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Among the blood recipients, 604 were female and 657 were male. The most frequent complaints of patients were coldness [22.5%], pruritus [20.1%] and chills [18.1%]. The prevalence of acute hemolytic reaction, febrile reaction and allergic reactions were 0.52, 6.2 and 11.1 per 1000 transfusions respectively. In spite of improved blood refinement techniques, acute transfusion reactions can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Therefore, physicians', nurses' and midwives' meticulous attention to early symptoms and signs of acute reactions to transfusion of blood and its products have an important role in preventing adverse outcomes of this life-saving remedy

Motives for cigarette smoking among high school students in Urmia: a qualitative study

Despite the explicit health warnings, large numbers of students continue to take up tobacco. To achieve significant long-term reductions in tobacco use and smoking-related death, the nature and scope of tobacco use in youths should be examined, the social, psychological, and marketing motives that influence young people in their decision to use tobacco products explored, and strategies and programs to prevent young people from becoming users developed. This qualitative study was conducted to explore motives for cigarette smoking among high school students in Urmia with financial support of Pakan Association- a Nursing NGO- in 2005. Focus groups and questionnaires were used for data collection. 2360 students in four high schools in educational districts 1 and 2 at Urmia city were recruited at the first stage of sampling and their cigarette smoking patterns were determined. At the second stage, five focus groups, each with 6-10 participants, were formed at the schools by volunteer students. Sessions were taped and transcribed and the themes of discussions were elicited by content analysis approach. Findings showed that the main motives of students for cigarette smoking included anger relief, curiosity, sense of dignity, fear of isolation, peer pressure, imitation, sense of joy, obstinacy, opposition to parents, lack of compassion in family, early love, unwanted stimulation of parents, smoking of family members, fight with loneliness, and opposition to social authorities. The major complaint of students was stringency of parents and an important motive for smoking was opposition to parents. Thus, strengthening compassion in families can somehow control smoking in youths