quality of life of the elderly in Sabzevar, Iran

Background and Purpose: Geriatric age is a course in life where the elderly are subject to potential threats such as chronic diseases, isolation and seclusion, lack of social support, and accordingly mental and physical disabilities threaten their personal independence. These factors can lead to diminish the quality of life. Therefore, the quality of life of the elderly people in Sabzevar was investigated in this study

Methods and Materials: In this cross-sectional descriptive analytical study, 304 elderly of above 60 years dwelling in Sabzevar, Iran in 2010 were selected through systematic cluster sampling. The study data were collected through standardized SF-36 Health Status Questionnaire. They were analyzed through frequency tables and mean?SD, using independent t-test, oneway ANOVA and chi-square in SPSS 15. Level of significance was considered 0.05

Results: The mean quality of life was 44.9?8.7. The highest mean was associated with energy and vigor [50.6?0.5] and the lowest with general health [39.2?19.7] In general, 38.7% had a good life quality and 23.3% did not. Also, 44.4% of elderly men had unsuitable quality of life as far as pain was concerned, and 44.3% were affected with limited physical movement. No significant differences were observed between men and women as regards their limited activity, as well as social, mental and physical problems. However, there was a significant difference as to their pain

Conclusion: Since all dimensions of life quality were below 50 in the present study, the life quality of elderly people in Sabzevar, Iran can be considered unsatisfactory

Study of the prevalence of risk factors affecting addiction and withdrawal in self-declared drug addicts

Background and Purpose: Taking psychoactive drugs and the disgusting phenomenon of addiction occur in people due to various personal and social factors, and affect the personal and social lives of the addict. Necessity of attention to this hassle made us investigate the factors affecting addiction and withdrawal in self-declared addicts

Methods and Materials: In this descriptive analytical study, 456 addicts were randomly selected from the population of selfdeclared addicts admitted to Behzisti Clinic of Withdrawal in Sabzevar. A questionnaire, matching with the aims of the study, was completed during interviews and investigation of records. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS using chi-square and student t-test

Results: It was found that the study sample included 394 male [86.4%] and 62 female [13.6%] informants. Mean age of males and females were 37.4 +/- 10.7 and 41.79 +/- 13.4 years respectively. In digressing to addiction, men were mostly affected by friends and colleagues [46%] and strangers [42%]. However, women were mostly affected by family and kinsmen [40%] and strangers [30%].; and the difference was statistically significant [p<0.05]. Around 80% were illiterate and the rest literate. It was found that 38/8% of men had first experienced drugs in their workplace, while 87/10% of women experienced at home. Also, 63% of the urban and 76% of the rural clients had personally decided to quit taking drugs. The role of spouses in urban clients' withdrawal [12%] was far more than the rural ones [2.8%]. Unmarried and divorced clients had a history of attempts to withdraw but most married clients [59%] did not [p<0.05]

Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, family, spouses, friends and colleagues can be considered as key factors in both addiction and withdrawal

Guillain-Barre syndrome in north eastern Iran; 1999-2005

To study the clinical presentation, hospital course and outcomes of patients admitted with Guillain-Barre Syndrome [CBS] to three tertiary care hospitals in Mashhad, Iran. The records of all patients admitted with flaccid paralysis between April 1999 and January 2005 were reviewed and those with the diagnosis of GBS were included in the study. Standard questionnaires were used to record clinical data on was recorded on a standardized questionnaire, which included patients' age, sex, antecedent infectious history, neurological signs and symptoms and ventilation requirements. The hospital course, including therapy given and the functional status of patients, was analyzed, including therapy given and the functional status of patients. Ninety-one cases of acute flaccid paralysis were admitted to the hospitals during the study period. Eighty-three cases, age range 10 months to 11 years, were later diagnosed as GBS afterwards, with age range of 10 months to 11 years. The mean age for disease onset was 4.2 years; there were 47 boys and 34 girls, male to female ratio 1:0.7. Upper respiratory tract infection [62.6%] was the most common antecedent event, followed by gastrointestinal infections [19%], urinary tract infection [1.2%] and chicken pox [2.4%], while the remaining cases [14.8%] had no other cases [14.8%] did not have any reliable history of any preceding antecedent infections. Most patients developed GBS within one month of the preceding infection. Cranial nerve abnormalities [19.3%], autonomic dysfunction [7.2%] and respiratory failure requiring intubation [10.8%] were also common. The in-patient mortality was 2.4% [2 of 83]. GBS was found to occur slightly more often in male patients, majority of whom had histories of previous infection. Despite persistent disability, in-hospital mortality was low

[Value of urine analysis in diagnosis of urinary tract infection in children]

Because of high prevalence and morbidity of UTI in children, early diagnosis and on time treatment are essential; but confirmation of UTI diagnosis needs a urine culture which takes at least 48 hours. The aim of this study was to ascertain predictive values of urinalysis in the diagnosis of UTI. In this descriptive study the recorded files of 59 febrile patients, 30 patients with positive urine culture and 29 patients with negative urine culture, hospitalized in Imam Reza Hospital from 2003 to 2004, were evaluated. Age, sex, results of U/A including pyuria, hematuria, urine nitrite test and urine culture were gathered and analyzed using descriptive statistics. In this study sensitivity and specificity of nitrite test in diagnosis of UTI were 46.7% and 89.7% respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of pyuria were 76.7% and 48.3% respectively.Sensitivity and specificity of U/A in diagnosis of UTI in children under 2 years old were 85% and 70%, but in patients older than 2 years old were 100% and 35% respectively. This study indicated that non active U/A in children older than 2 years old rules out UTI in nearly 100% of cases