Spatial analysis of driving accidents leading to deaths related to motorcyclists in Tehran / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

PURPOSE@#Traffic accidents are one of the main causes of death and disability, causing annual deaths of 1.23 million and tens of millions injured people worldwide. Meanwhile, a significant proportion of the deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents occur among motorcyclists. According to the world health organization's 2015 report, about 25% of deaths from traffic accidents occur in motorists. In Iran, a significant proportion of deaths and injuries result from traffic accidents among motorcyclists, especially in passages within the cities. According to traffic police, about 25% of deaths and 50% of injuries in traffic accidents of Tehran are reported among motorcyclists. Therefore, due to the importance of this issue, the spatial factors influencing the incidence of motorcycle-related accidents in Tehran were investigated using the geographic information system.@*METHODS@#The present work was a cross-sectional and descriptive analysis study. The data necessary for the study were extracted from Tehran traffic police as well as municipality databases. Zoning maps were used to display the distribution of events. In the analytical investigation, Moran index was used to determine the distribution pattern of the events, while Getis-Ord G * statistics were applied to analyze hot spots. To investigate the role of regional and environmental factors in the frequency of traffic accidents related to motorcyclists in geographic units (Tehran 22 districts), Poisson regression and negative binomial models were used. The geographically weighted regression (GWR) model was used to analyze the relationship between environmental factors and the location of these events. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, STATA, ARC-GIS and GWR software.@*RESULTS@#The southern and eastern margins of Tehran are the most vulnerable areas in terms of deaths related to traffic accidents of motorcyclists. Highways are considered the location of most traffic accidents which lead to death of motorcyclists. Getis-Ord General G * (p < 0.04) indicates that the distribution of high-risk points is statistically significant. The final model showed that in Tehran, the association of different variables including demographic characteristics, pathways network and type of land use with the number of accidents in geographic units was statistically significant. The spatial distribution of traffic accidents leading to deaths of motorcyclists in the center of Tehran varies considerably with changes in population density, length of highways, volume of traffic, and land use in different parts.@*CONCLUSION@#Most of the traffic accidents leading to deaths of motorcyclists occur in highways. Various environmental variables play a role in determining the distribution pattern of these types of events. Through proper traffic management, controlling environmental risk factors and training people the safety of motorcyclists in Tehran can be improved.

Assessment of mechanism, type and severity of injury in multiple trauma patients: A cross sectional study of a trauma center in Iran / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>PURPOSE</b>To accurately assess the mechanism, type and severity of injury in Iranian multiple trauma patients of a trauma center.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients with multiple traumas referring to the emergency department of Hasheminejad University Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, entered this cross sectional study from March 2013 to December 2013. All the patients with injury severity score (ISS) > 9 were included in this study. Data analysis was performed by SPSS software (Version 11.5) and P values less than 0.05 were considered as significant differences.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 6306 hospitalized trauma patients during this period, 148 had ISS>9. The male female ratio was 80%. The mean age of the patients was (33.5 ± 19.3) years. And 71% of the patients were younger than 44 years old. There were 19 (13%) deaths from which 68.5% were older than 44 years old. The mean transfer time from the injury scene to hospital was (55 ± 26) minutes. The most frequent mechanisms of injury were motorcycle crashes and falling from height, which together included 66.2% of all the injuries. A total of 84% of hospital deaths occurred after the first 24 h of hospitalization. Head and neck were the most common body injured areas with a prevalence of 111 cases (75%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Motorcycle crashes have high frequency in Iran. Since most victims are young males, injury prevention strategies should be considered to reduce the burden of injuries.</p>

Effects of neurofeedback on the short-term memory and continuous attention of patients with moderate traumatic brain injury: A preliminary randomized controlled clinical trial / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>PURPOSE</b>There are some studies which showed neurofeedback therapy (NFT) can be effective in clients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) history. However, randomized controlled clinical trials are still needed for evaluation of this treatment as a standard option. This preliminary study was aimed to evaluate the effect of NFT on continuous attention (CA) and short-term memory (STM) of clients with moderate TBI using a randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this preliminary RCT, seventeen eligible patients with moderate TBI were randomly allocated in two intervention and control groups. All the patients were evaluated for CA and STM using the visual continuous attention test and Wechsler memory scale-4th edition (WMS-IV) test, respectively, both at the time of inclusion to the project and four weeks later. The intervention group participated in 20 sessions of NFT through the first four weeks. Conversely, the control group participated in the same NF sessions from the fifth week to eighth week of the project.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eight subjects in the intervention group and five subjects in the control group completed the study. The mean and standard deviation of participants' age were (26.75 ± 15.16) years and (27.60 ± 8.17) years in experiment and control groups, respectively. All of the subjects were male. No significant improvement was observed in any variables of the visual continuous attention test and WMS-IV test between two groups (p ≥ 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Based on our literature review, it seems that our study is the only study performed on the effect of NFT on TBI patients with control group. NFT has no effect on CA and STM in patients with moderate TBI. More RCTs with large sample sizes, more sessions of treatment, longer time of follow-up and different protocols are recommended.</p>

Epidemiology and short-term mortality in traumatic patients admitted to Shariati Hospital in Iran between 2012 and 2013 / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>PURPOSE</b>Trauma is an inevitable part of the health burden in every country. Both the preventive and rehabilitative aspects of traumatic injuries are expensive. Since most of the injuries happen in low- and middle-income developing countries, a judicious allocation of the limited resources to the most costefficient strategies is necessary. The present study was designed to report the causes of trauma, injured body regions, trauma severity scores and the one year survival rate of a randomly selected sample of trauma patients in a major referral hospital in Tehran, Iran.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We chose and analyzed a random subgroup of traumatic patients admitted during the oneyear period of May 2012 to May 2013 to Shariati Hospital, a major University Teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Patients who stayed at the hospital for less than 24 h were excluded. In total, 73 traumatic patients were registered. The mean age was (40.19 ± 20.34) years and 67.1% of them were male.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In general, the most common cause of injury was falls (47.9%), followed by road traffic crashes (RTCs, 40.8%). Assault and exposure to inanimate mechanical forces each were only associated with 5.6% of all injuries. The only cause of injury in ages of more than 65 years was fall. The most common cause of injury in ages between 15 and 45 years was RTCs. During the study, two deaths occurred: one was at ICU and the other was at home. The most commonly injured body region was the head (23.8%), followed by the elbow and forearm (19%), hip and thigh (15.9%), and multiple body regions (14.3%). The mean abbreviated injury score was 2.23 ± 1.02; injury severity index was 7.26 ± 7.06; and revised trauma score was 7.84, calculated for 38 patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Prevention strategy of traumatic injury should focus on falls and RTCs, which are respectively the most common cause of trauma in older aged people and young males.</p>

Evaluation of Pain and Its Effect on Quality of Life and Functioning in Men with Spinal Cord Injury

BACKGROUND: Pain is one of the most important consequences of spinal cord injury (SCI). It may affect several aspects of life, especially the quality of life (QoL). Hence, this study was conducted to establish an understanding of pain and its correlates and effects on patients with SCI in our community. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 58 male veterans suffering from SCI were admitted to our center for a regular follow-up. Demographic and SCI-related descriptive information were gathered using a self-reported questionnaire. To evaluate the patients' pain quality and the effect of pain on daily life, a questionnaire in 3 parts of lumbar, cervical and shoulder pain was administered. EuroQoL questionnaire and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) 12 were also used to assess the patients' QoL. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 45.91 +/- 6.69 with mean injury time of 25.54 +/- 5.91. forty-four patients (75.9%) reported pain, including lumbar pain (63%), cervical pain (39%) and shoulder pain (51%). The presence of pain was associated with lower QoL. Patients with lumbar pain reported a significant amount of pain affecting their daily life and this effect was higher in patients with lower GHQ score or anxiety/depressive disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal pain, is a common complaint in veterans with SCI and is inversely associated with functioning and general health status. Lumbar and shoulder pain affects patient's daily living more than cervical pain.

Establishment of a regional multicenter traumatic spine fracture/dislocation registry / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Trauma is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in adults and a major contributor to health care expenditures. Although spine-related injuries constitute a small proportion of trauma cases, they need special consideration due to poor functional outcomes and substantial burden. Despite relatively extensive previous studies on traumatic spinal injuries, there is still obscurity in some aspects of the issue. The purpose of this study is to establish a regional multicenter traumatic spine fracture/dislocation registry.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This is a prospective case series study, including all patients with acute traumatic spine lesions admitted to a regional multicenter since 2014. Data is extracted based upon a form developed by Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Novel electronic data entry software is initiated and data will be entered to the software. Information remains confidential and security considerations will be taken based on standards of data entry systems.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results of this study will include age and gender distribution of the patients, causes of injury, location of pain and neurological deficit, the American Spinal Injury Association score and Frankel grade on admission, at discharge, after 6 and 12 months and at the latest annual follow-up, radiologic findings, details of operative procedures and methods of external fixation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study will identify prognostic factors that influence the ultimate fate of spine fracture patients and determine short and long-term outcome of different treatment methods. It can lead to a considerable improvement in patient care and will have a great national and transnational impact.</p>

Reliability of a patient survey assessing "Short Form Injury Questionnaire 7" in Iran / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. The assessment of patterns and severity of injury in high-risk groups is crucial for planning and service development. On a large scale national household survey, we estimated the annual incidence and the patterns of injury, the demographics of the injured people, as well as the service use for all injuries in Iran. The current study aims at assessing the reliability of the questionnaire before carrying out a national survey.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In a pilot study using cluster random sampling approach, 73 people were interviewed. The interviewers asked the participants to report all injuries occurred in them and the care provided during the previous 12 months, based on "Short Form Injury Questionnaire 7" About two weeks later, the interview was repeated by another interviewer.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In our test-retest reliability, Kappa score was good for three and moderate for four questions. The question on the injured organ had the highest test-retest reliability with a Kappa score of 0.84.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The reliability of the questionnaire and the procedure of questioning are confirmed. The ques-tionnire is proper for utilization in large national surveies.</p>

Trauma care system in Iran / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The high burden of injuries in Iran necessitates the establishment of a comprehensive trauma care system. The purpose of this paper is to describe the current status of trauma system regarding the components and function.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The current status of trauma system in all components of a trauma system was described through expert panels and semi-structured interviews with trauma specialists and policy makers.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Currently, various organizations are involved in prevention, management and rehabilitation of injuries, but an integrative system approach to trauma is rather deficient. There has been ongoing progress in areas of public education through media, traffic regulation reinforcement, hospital care and prehospital services. Meanwhile, there are gaps regarding financing, legislations and education of high risk groups. The issues on education and training standards of the front line medical team and continuing education and evaluation are yet to be addressed. Trauma registry has been piloted in some provinces, but as it needs the well-developed infrastructure (regarding staff, maintenance, financial resources), it is not yet established in our system of trauma care.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It seems that one of the problems with trauma care in Iran is lack of coordination among trauma system organizations. Although the clinical management of trauma patients has improved in our country in the recent decade, decreasing the burden of injuries necessitates an organized approach to prevention and management of trauma in the context of a trauma system.</p>

Strengthening injury surveillance system in iran / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To strengthen the current Injury Surveillance System (IS System) in order to better monitor injury conditions, improve protection ways and promote safety.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>At first we carried out a study to evaluate the frameworks of IS System in the developed countries. Then all the available documents from World Health Organization, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Organization, as well as Minister of Health and Medical Education concerning Iran were reviewed. Later a national stakeholder's consultation was held to collect opinions and views. A national workshop was also intended for provincial representatives from 41 universities to identify the barriers and limitations of the existing program and further to strengthen injury surveillance.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The evaluation of the current IS System revealed many problems, mainly presented as lack of accurate pre- and post-hospital death registry, need of precise injury data registry in outpatient medical centers, incomplete injury data registry in hospitals and lack of accuracy in definition of variables in injury registry. The five main characteristics of current IS System including flexibility, acceptability, simplicity, usefulness and timeliness were evaluated as moderate by experts.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Major revisions must be considered in the current IS System in Iran. The following elements should be added to the questionnaire: identifier, manner of arrival to the hospital, situation of the injured patient, consumption of alcohol and opioids, other involved participants in the accident, intention, severity and site of injury, side effects of surgery and medication, as well as one month follow-up results. Data should be collected from 10% of all hospitals in Iran and analyzed every 3 months. Simultaneously data should be online to be retrieved by researches.</p>

Effect of mild head injury on intelligence in Zahedan, Iran / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of mild head injury (HI) on the victims'intelligence by measuring their intelligence quotient (IQ).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This cohort study was performed in Khatam-ol-Anbia Hospital, Zahedan, Iran and the IQs of 30 mild HI patients were measured right after the injury (IQ0) and six months later (IQ6). The IQs of 90 close relatives of the patients were also measured at the same period of time as the non-exposure group. The IQs were measured with Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised (WAIS-R). The IQ0, IQ6 and their differences (IQ change) were compared in HI patients and their relatives using the Student's t test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean IQ0 of the HI patients was similar to their relatives. The IQ6 of HI patients appeared to be less than those of their relatives. Moreover, the IQ6 of the HI patients appeared to be less than their initial scores. HI was associated with more decrease in IQ6 compared with IQ0 and the female subjects showed more decrease in IQ6 compared with their IQ0.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HI seems to be associated with decrease in IQ six months after the injury and it is more evident in female HI patients.</p>

association of air pollution and emergency medical service seeking

There are some reports on the association between air pollution and myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and mortality due to cardiac problems in susceptible individuals. We aimed to evaluate the association of air pollution and the emergency visits due to cardiovascular diseases, in a specialized heart hospital in Tehran. The study design was cross-sectional. Patients admitted to the emergency ward of Tehran Heart Center were consecutively included. Records of meteorological data for the study period were obtained from Air Quality Control Company that monitors the concentration of air pollutant through its several stations including one near to Tehran Heart Center. The principal component analysis was used to examine the association between daily air pollution level and the number of patients admitted as a result of unstable angina, myocardial infarction, and arrhythmia. The principal component score - reflecting the daily air pollution level- was higher on the admission date of the patients who died in hospital compared to that of the patients who discharged alive from the hospital and the difference was statistically significant. After adjustment for the effect of age, sex, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes, a statistically significant relationship between principal component score and the unstable angina and arrhythmia was detected in patients referred to the emergency department. Air pollution was associated with the unstable angina and arrhythmia in patients referred to the emergency department of Tehran Heart Center, adjusted for the effect of other risk factors

Situation analysis of trauma based on Arizona trauma center standards in university hospitals of Tehran, Iran / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Injuries are common and important problem in Tehran, capital of Iran. Although therapeutic centers are not essentially established following the constructional principles of developed countries, the present opportunities and equipments have to be used properly. We should recognize and reduce the deficits based on the global standards. This study deliberates the trauma resources and capacities in university hospitals of Tehran based on Arizona trauma center standards, which are suitable for the assessment of trauma centers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-one university hospitals in Tehran were evaluated for their conformity with "Arizona trauma center standards" in 2008. A structured interview was arranged with the "Educational Supervisor" of all hospitals regarding their institutional organization, departments, clinical capabilities, clinical qualifications, facilities and resources, rehabilitation services, performance improvement, continuing education, prevention, research and additional requirements for pediatric trauma patients. Relative frequencies and percentages were calculated and Student's t test was used to compare the mean values.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Forty-one hospitals had the average of 77.7 (50.7%) standards from 153 Arizona trauma center standards and these standards were present in 97.5 out of 153 (63.7%) in 17 general hospitals. Based on the subgroups of the standards, 64.8% items of hospital resources and capabilities were considered as a subgroup with the maximum criteria, and 17.7% items of research section as another subgroup with the minimum standards.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>On the basis of our findings, no hospital meet all the Arizona trauma center standards completely. The hospitals as trauma centers at different levels must be promoted to manage trauma patients desirably.</p>

Do C-reactive protein and lipoprotein [a] have different impacts on the severity of coronary artery disease in diabetic and non-diabetic patients?

The potential role of lipoprotein [a] changes and also inflammation in coronary artery disease [CAD] have rendered these processes one of the most interesting objects of study in patients affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of the current study was to evaluate lipoprotein [a] and other lipid profiles and also C-reactive protein [CRP] as the predictors of cardiovascular disease severity in non-insulin dependent diabetic subjects in comparison with non-diabetic CAD patients. Between June and September 2004, 372 patients with CAD were enrolled at Tehran Heart Center. Non-insulin dependent diabetics accounted for 102 of the cases, and the remaining 270 were non-diabetics. The severity of CAD was evaluated using the Gensini score, and the effect of patient variables such as serum lipid concentrations and CRP on CAD severity in the diabetics was investigated and compared with that of the non-diabetics. The mean of the Gensini score, CRP, and serum concentrations of all the lipid profiles were similar between the diabetic and non-diabetic patients. In the diabetic group, a high CRP concentration [?=0.200, Rs= 0.040; P=0.046] was effective on the Gensini score, whereas lipoprotein [a] and lipid profiles did not influence CAD severity. In the non-diabetics, no significant relationships were found between the Gensini score and all the studied laboratory indices. A high CRP level is an important predictor of the severity of CAD in diabetic patients with CAD

Comparison of road traffic fatalities and injuries in Iran with other countries / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare fatalities and injuries in road traffic crashes (RTC) in Iran with other countries.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data were obtained from national health sources of Iran. These data included population number, registered motor-vehicles number, number of RTCs and consequent fatalities and injuries from 1997 to 2006.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>RTC fatality and injury rates increased from 1997 to 2005, but decreased in 2006. The overall men/women ratio in the RTC fatalities was 4.2:1. High RTC fatality rate of 39 per 100 000 population in Iran was almost the same as some other developing countries. In Iran, RTC fatalities in recent years were almost twice as much as the highest rate among the European countries.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This investigation shows that in spite of reduction of RTC fatality in Iran in 2006, it is still one of the highest in the world. Moreover, this paper describes the state of RTC-related parameters in a developing country in comparison with the developed countries.</p>