Relationship between consultation length and rational prescribing of drugs in Gorgan city, Islamic Republic of Iran

Doctors with longer consultation times tend to diagnose illnesses more precisely, prescribe fewer drugs and present better health advice to their patients. The aim of this study was to measure the average consultation time of general practitioners in Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran and to investigate the factors affecting consultation length, especially in relation to rational prescribing of drugs. Data were collected on 620 patient consultations with 62 randomly selected general practitioners. Mean consultation length was 6.9 [SD 2.6] minutes. Patient factors that were significantly associated with a longer mean duration of consultation time were; higher number of health problems, older age and fewer items of previously used drugs. Physician factors that were significantly associated with a longer mean consultation time were: younger age, higher numbers of items prescribed and injectable drugs prescribed, frequency of interruptions and higher workload

[ assessment of urinary iodine and serum TSH concentration in pregnant women referred to Deziani Hospital in Gorgan - Iran [2004]]

No nutrient deficiency is as bad as iodine deficiency which attributed to a broad spectrum of disorders like goiter, abortion, hypothyroidism, etc. screening for hypothyroidism must be done before or just after pregnancy. The present study was conducted to evaluate serum TSH and urinary iodine concentration in pregnant women in Gorgan several years after salt iodization in Iran was implemented. From December to March 2004, 97 pregnant women referred for prenatal care to the Deziani Hospital of Gorgan were selected. 2 cc of blood for serum TSH measurement and 2cc of urine for iodine concentration measurement were collected. Urine iodine concentration was measured by acid digestion and TSH concentration was measured by ELISA method. 97 women, 86 [89%] women had normal urinary iodine, 11 women had iodine deficiency, 9 women had mild iodine deficiency [82%] and two women [18%] had moderate iodine deficiency none of them had severe iodine deficiency. Serum TSH was normal in 90 women and only in 7 women it was more than 4 and none of them had TSH less than 0.3. There were not any significant statistical correlation between age, weight, height, parity, goiter grading, salary, gestational age and urinary iodine concentration. According to low prevalence of iodine deficiency in this study iodine programs were successful in Gorgan and the mean urinary iodine is high so evaluating of iodine consumption for preventing of iodine overload is necessary. Because of complications of iodine deficiency especially in the first trimester of pregnancy regular measurement of urinary iodine must be done in reproductive ages before pregnancy or just after pregnancy