[Effect of self-management empowering model on the quality of life in adolescents and youths with major thalassemia]

Currently, medical advances ensure life-expectancy of chronic patients such as thalassemia. Improvement in the quality of life of these patients requires that medical treatment be combined with psychosocial support. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of self-management empowerment model on the quality of life in adolescents and youth with major thalassemia. This was randomized clinical trial in two groups. 70 Eligible adolescents and youths with major thalassemia were selected through census in Bushehr and Borazjan thalassemia center. Samples were allocated to case and control groups. Data collection tool was quality of life questionnaire [SF-36]. Intervention was performed in three stages. post-test was performed 1.5 months after pre-test in control group and 1.5 months after intervention in case group. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18 and chi-square, independent t-test, and mann-witney [P<0.05]. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of demographic data between the two groups [P>0.05]. As a result, mean difference of eight dimensions of SF-36 quality of life were statistically significant between case and control groups before and after the intervention [P<0.0001]. Education based on self-management empowerment model has a great impact on the quality of life in adolescents and youth with major thalassemia

[ stressing factors in clinical education: the viewpoints of students]

Clinical education is a complicated process which is affected by several factors and variables. Thus the aim of this study was to determine the stressing factors in clinical education from the viewpoints of students of Boushehr University of Medical Sciences. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 334 students of Boushehr University of Medical Sciences were selected thorough census. The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. This question-naire consisted of two parts of demographic data and 60 questions about stressing factors in clinical education in five areas. Data was analyzed by SPSS software using frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation, and Chi[2], variance analysis test. The humiliating experiences, educational environment, clinical experiences, unpleasant emotions, and interpersonal relationships areas were high stressing factors respectively. The most stressing factors were as teachers' notification in front of personnel and physicians, lack of facilities in ward, watching patients suffering from pain, solicitude about contagious disease transmission, and lack of teacher support respectively. Medical students are exposed to a variety of stressor factors. Thus establishing a supportive system during the first academic year and improving it throughout clinical education is necessary to equip medical students with effective coping skills

Prevalence of HBsAg and Anti-HCV reactivity in donors embarking on direct blood donation and among first-time blood donors in Zahedan Blood Transfusion Center

Donors embarking on direct blood donation and first-time blood donors contribute to a significant proportion of the blood units collected in our center. However, there are some concerns on the safety of this kind of donation because of the possible existence of incentives for the donor to conceal deferrable risk factors, thus increasing the risk of donation within the window period of transfusion-transmitted infections. We tested the hypothesis that if donors for direct blood donation are less safe than other blood donors, the former would display a higher prevalence of viral markers. This descriptive analytic study was conducted on 7192 donor forms; this number of donors referred to Zahedan Blood Transfusion Service during 2002 [21 Nov]-2003 [19 Feb]. Then, the comparison was made among donors for direct blood donation, volunteer, first time, and regular blood donors. Statistical analyses were performed with the SPSS [version 10.5] and Chi-square test. Our study was conducted on 7192 donor forms. 6345 [88.2%] of the subjects were male, 3264 [45.4%] married, and 1511 [21%] above 30 years of age. Prevalence of HBsAg positivity was 2.3 times higher among first-time donors than repeat donors [p<.0001]. Prevalence of Anti-HCV reactivity was 1.5 times higher among first-time donors than repeat donors [p<.0001]. The rate of HBsAg positivity among donors embarking on direct blood donation was 2.4 times higher than volunteer blood donors [p<.0001], and the rate of Anti-HCV reactivity in the former was 2.4 times higher than in volunteer blood donors [p<.0001]. The age range higher than 30 was significant in the case of HBsAg positive and Anti-HCV reactive blood donors. Basesd on the above results, the contamination rate among donors for direct blood donation and first time donors was more than repeat and volunteer blood donors. This calls for an organized program and a better technique and strategy