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1.
Pediatr Dermatol ; 41(3): 445-450, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38409959

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a rare congenital skin defect characterized by a focal or extensive absence of the epidermis, dermis, and occasionally, subcutaneous tissue. When the wound caused by this defect is wide or deep, various treatments are used, including skin grafting. The amniotic membrane (AM) is a biological dressing that facilitates re-epithelialization as it contains mesenchymal cells and numerous growth factors. OBJECTIVE: To report the efficacy of AM dressings in treating the skin defects of ACC. METHOD: This study was conducted on five neonates diagnosed with ACC born between 2018 and 2022, referred to the Children's Medical Center in Tehran, Iran. AM dressings were applied on wounds larger than 1 cm2. The wounds were assessed weekly and, if required, an additional AM dressing was applied. RESULTS: The skin defects gradually re-epithelialized after application of the AM. The complete healing process took around 3.5 weeks on average. No hypertrophic scarring was observed. CONCLUSION: The application of AM dressing resulted in satisfactory cosmetic outcomes, with no hypertrophic scar formation. Complete healing occurred in all cases except one. The length of the hospital stay ranged from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the size of the wound.


Subject(s)
Amnion , Biological Dressings , Ectodermal Dysplasia , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Ectodermal Dysplasia/therapy , Male , Female , Amnion/transplantation , Wound Healing , Treatment Outcome , Re-Epithelialization
2.
Iran J Child Neurol ; 17(4): 147-153, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38074939

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Seizure is a common sign in neonates hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) that may lead to morbidity and mortality. Most neonatal seizures are subclinical. Conventional EEG (cEEG) is the gold standard for detecting and monitoring seizures but is not widely available. Amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) has been used for over a decade to evaluate infants with seizures. In this study, we tried to determine the efficacy of aEEG as a widely available diagnostic tool in diagnosing seizures. Materials & Methods: All cases with seizures or suspicious seizures were admitted to the NICU of the Children's Medical Center for one year. cEEG and aEEG were performed for these infants. aEEG was recorded for at least six hours with a description of the tracing. Clinical information, outcomes, and questionnaires (patient information) were recorded in detail. The obtained data were analyzed with the SPSS version 24 software. Results: Eleven out of twenty-five aEEG recordings were abnormal; other patients showed normal aEEGs. The most common clinical and neurological manifestations were seizure (68%) and hypotonia (28%); the mortality rate was 12%. No significant correlation was observed between aEEG findings and gender, age, familial relation, outcome, ultrasound result, type of seizure, and underlying disease. Conclusion: Studies showed variable sensitivity and specificity values for aEEG. aEEG cannot be recommended as the only way to diagnose and manage seizures in neonates. However, Good accessibility and ease of working with aEEG promote a tendency to use this procedure as a screening tool.

3.
Adv Skin Wound Care ; 36(6): 1-6, 2023 Jun 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37212569

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Extravasation is leakage of material from a peripheral venous access into adjacent tissue, which results in tissue damage ranging from local irritation to necrosis and scar formation. Neonates are at extravasation risk with IV treatment because of their small, fragile veins and the long treatment period required. In this report, investigators assessed the efficacy of amniotic membrane (AM) as a biological dressing to heal extravasation wounds in neonates. METHODS: This case series includes six neonates who presented with extravasation injuries from February 2020 to April 2022. Neonates born at any gestational age diagnosed with a wound secondary to extravasation were recruited. Neonates with skin disorders and those who had stage 1 or 2 wounds were excluded. Providers covered infection- and necrosis-free wounds with AM and assessed the wounds after 48 hours. Five days after placement, providers removed and replaced the AM; they continued to replace the bandages every 5 to 7 days until healed. RESULTS: The average gestational age of included neonates was 33.6 weeks. Average healing time was 12.5 days (range, 10-20 days), and no adverse reactions were observed. All neonates healed completely without scar formation. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary report suggests that the application of AM in treating extravasation in neonates is safe and effective. However, controlled trials with larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate this outcome and determine implications for practice.


Subject(s)
Cicatrix , Skin Diseases , Infant, Newborn , Humans , Infant , Amnion , Wound Healing , Bandages
4.
Iran J Child Neurol ; 17(1): 65-71, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36721831

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Neonatal seizure is a significant problem in this life course, and its timely and effective treatment is crucial. In this study, we compared the efficacy of levetiracetam versus phenytoin for treating the acute phase of neonatal seizures. Materials & Methods: In this single-blind case-control study, 60 consecutive children with neonatal seizures referred to the Children's medical center in Tehran, Iran, in 2018 were studied. Those neonates who had at least 30 minutes of seizure after Phenobarbital treatment were assigned to receive either phenytoin (20 mg/kg) or levetiracetam (initial dose of 40-60 mg/kg) through block randomization. The efficacy and safety of the two drugs were compared between the groups. Results: The response rate was 83.3% and 86.7% in phenytoin and Levetiracetam groups, respectively, which was not significantly different between groups (P=1.000). Adverse effects were nearly similar between groups (6.7% in the phenytoin group and 3.3% in the Levetiracetam group, P=1.000). Conclusion: Levetiracetam and phenytoin are both practical and safe for treating neonatal seizures.

5.
Front Pediatr ; 10: 928476, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36105856

ABSTRACT

Background: Adherence to ethical principles is a requirement for palliative care delivery to children and a main concern of healthcare providers. Physicians usually face ethical challenges during their daily practice in hospitals and need adequate skills and the ability to identify and manage them. This study sought to explore the ethical challenges of palliative care from the perspectives of pediatricians. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted between April and July 2019 using the content analysis approach. Participants were fifteen pediatric medical residents, specialists, and subspecialists purposively recruited from pediatric hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's approach to conventional content analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured through the four criteria proposed by Guba and Lincoln. Results: Participants' experiences of the ethical challenges of palliative care for children were grouped into two main categories, namely "bewilderment in dealing with children and their families" (with two subcategories) and "conflicts in decision making" (with three subcategories). The final five subcategories were: (a) inability to effectively communicate with children and their families, (b) inability to tell the truth about the disease, (c) physician-parent conflicts, (d) parent-child conflicts, and (e) physician-physician conflicts. Conclusion: The main ethical challenges of palliative care from the perspectives of Iranian pediatricians are the inability to effectively communicate with children and their families, the inability to tell them the truth, and the inability to manage physician-parent, parent-child, and physician-physician conflicts. Identification and management of these challenges may help improve the quality of pediatric palliative care in Iran. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings in other settings.

6.
J Med Ethics Hist Med ; 15: 10, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37143514

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to compile and develop a professional guideline for health-care providers in Iran regarding cyberspace usage. This was a mixed-methods study, conducted in three phases. In the first phase, the principles of ethics in cyberspace were collected through a review of the literature and available documents, and were then subjected to content analysis. In the second phase, the views of experts on medical ethics, virtual education, information technology and medical education, as well as clinical sciences experts and representatives of medical students and graduates were evaluated using the focus group method. In the third phase, the draft was evaluated by various stakeholders. Finally, after receiving the comments, the necessary modifications were applied to the guideline. The professional guideline for the use of cyberspace by health-care professionals comprised 30 codes in 5 domains, including the general regulations domain, care and treatment, research, education, and personal development. This guideline presents the various ways professionalism can be maintained in cyberspace interactions. Adherence to the principles of professionalism in cyberspace is required to protect and preserve the public trust in health-care professionals.

7.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med ; 35(4): 617-624, 2022 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33047642

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a combination of symptoms in infants exposed to any variety of substances in utero. Information systems and registries help to collect information about these patients; however, there is always a deep gap between complete and accurate information to be collected, understood, and applied in the health care system; thus, defining a minimum data sets (MDS) as one of the primarily steps of designing a registry system is essential. The aim of this study was to develop an MDS of the registry for infants with NAS in Iran. METHODS: This research is a descriptive cross-sectional study. In this study, three steps were carried out to develop the MDS including systematic review, Delphi technique, and focus group discussion. A systematic review was conducted in relevant databases to identify appropriate related data. In the second phase, a focus group discussion was used to classify the extracted data elements by contributing neonatologists. Finally, data elements were chosen through the decision Delphi technique in two distinct rounds. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 22 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). RESULTS: By reviewing related papers and available NAS registries in other countries, 145 essential data elements were identified. They were classified into two main categories based on the eight experts' opinions including maternal with two sections and infant with two sections. After applying two rounds of Delphi technique, the final data elements for maternal and infant categories were 42 and 31, respectively. Thus, on completion of the survey, 73 data elements were approved. CONCLUSION: The proposed MDS for NAS can help to store an accurate and comprehensive data, document medical records, integrate them with other information systems and registries, and communicate with other healthcare providers and healthcare centers. This MDS can contribute to the provision of high-quality care and better clinical decisions.


Subject(s)
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome , Cross-Sectional Studies , Delphi Technique , Focus Groups , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome/epidemiology , Plant Extracts , Surveys and Questionnaires
8.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34849213

ABSTRACT

Providing care for terminally ill neonates is an important issue in NICUs. This research aimed to determine nurses' attitudes toward providing care for terminally ill neonates and their families. A total of 138 nurses working in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences participated in this cross-sectional study via convenience sampling in 2019. The Data collection tool was the Frommelt attitudes toward caring for terminally ill persons and their families scale. The nurses in this study had the most positive attitudes toward the items "nursing care should include the family of the terminally ill patient, too" (4.2 ± 0.6) and "the care provider can prepare the patient or his/her family for death" (4.1 ± 0.7). The nurses had the least positive attitude toward the item "the time spent on caring for terminally ill patients creates a sense of frustration in me" (1.06 ± 1). The mean score of the attitudes of NICU nurses toward caring for terminally ill neonates and their families indicates the necessity of improving this attitude.

9.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med ; 34(6): 979-992, 2021 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31092074

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Registries are considered as rich sources of data for determination of infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), the improvement of provided care and research. The aims of this study were: (1) to investigate the existing studies including NAS registries, (2) to identify and extract the required data elements. METHODS: The following electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Embase/Medline, and Psych Info. In addition, a review of gray literature was undertaken to identify relevant studies in English covering the period from 1 January 2009 to 1 November 2018 including registries and databases. Screening of titles, abstracts, and full-texts were conducted independently by two researchers based on PRISMA guidelines. The basic registry information, scope, registry type, data source, the purpose of registry, important variables were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-five articles were eligible and included in the review; they reported 37 registries and databases related to NAS at the national and state levels in 11 countries from 1876 to 2013. We proposed a NAS registry design framework based on well-known data-information-knowledge (DIK) structure due to Ackoff's DIK hierarchy has a defined role as a central model of information systems, information management, and knowledge management. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study which has systematically reviewed NAS-related registries. Since there are no international standards to develop new NAS registries, the proposed framework in this article can be beneficial. This framework is essential not only to facilitate the NAS registry design but also to help the collection of high-value clinical data necessary for the acquisition of better clinical knowledge.


Subject(s)
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome , Databases, Factual , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Registries
10.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med ; 34(6): 867-872, 2021 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31096814

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lead as a toxic heavy metal can readily transfer through the placenta; this condition may increase the risk of lead toxicity for a developing fetus. Therefore, we undertook this study to evaluate the association between umbilical cord blood lead levels and the risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) occurrence. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done at an academic hospital (Tehran, Iran, 2017). The population study was term and IUGR complicated neonates. Immediately after birth, 3-ml umbilical cord blood was collected in some tubes and sent to a laboratory to assay plasma lead levels. Demographic data related neonates and their mothers were gathered from the medical record. All recorded data were analyzed to compare the cord blood lead levels among normal term and IUGR neonates as the primary outcome. RESULTS: Totally 152 neonates, 76 in each group with inclusion criteria entered the study. Of all neonates, 71 subjects (47%) were male. The mean (±SD) cord blood lead levels was 6.5 ± 4.2 µg/l. Of all neonates, 102 (67.1%) had high cord blood lead levels (≥5 µg/dl) and 50 subjects (32.8%) had low cord blood lead levels (<5 µg/dl). The mean gestational age, birth weight and head circumference of term neonates were significantly higher than IUGR complicated neonates (p-value = .0001). On the other hand, no significant difference was observed between two groups regarding the mean cord blood lead concentrations (6.2 ± 2.2 and 6.8 ± 5.6 µg/dl; p-value = .855). ANOVA analyses showed no relationships between cord blood lead levels and all assessed qualitative variables except from mother's educational status (in IUGR group; p-value = .048 and in term group; p-value = .010). CONCLUSION: Our results highlighted that IUGR occurrence was not associated with fetal blood lead levels alone. Moreover, highly educated mothers had neonates with low blood lead levels, showing that maternal education may be a potentially protective factor against this toxin exposure in newborns. The majority of neonates in the present study had high blood lead concentrations that show a necessity for more efforts and strategies regarding protection against potential deleterious effects of lead toxicity.


Subject(s)
Fetal Growth Retardation , Lead , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Fetal Blood , Fetal Growth Retardation/epidemiology , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Iran/epidemiology , Male , Pregnancy , Umbilical Cord
11.
J Med Ethics Hist Med ; 14: 10, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35035798

ABSTRACT

Medical professionalism has a crucial role in educating medical students. The role of professionalism in the clinical environment is therefore an important factor in medical education. This study attempts to evaluate the opinions of medical students in the teaching hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) about the professionalism environment in this university. A sample of 165 students filled out the Persian translation of UMKC-SOM (Climate of Professionalism Survey) questionnaire. This instrument evaluates students' perspectives on the degree of adherence to professionalism by faculty, residents and other students. The results of the study revealed that the total score of professionalism climate was 53.9 for faculty, 42.09 for residents, and 50.76 for students and the difference between these three groups was statistically significant (p-value < 0.01). Results of further analysis through post-hoc tests for multiple comparisons among the groups revealed that the students found their fellow students and faculty more professional than residents. The study also showed that the medical ethics course had no impact on perceptions observations (p-values > 0.05). The study results also revealed that the students found their fellow students and faculty more professional than residents. This finding demonstrates the importance of teaching professionalism to residents since they serve as role models for students. Further multicenter studies are needed to improve the professionalism climate in the medical teaching environment.

12.
J Med Ethics Hist Med ; 14: 12, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35035800

ABSTRACT

Due to the unique nature of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and its moral distress, this study aimed to investigate moral distress in the NICU. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 234 physicians and nurses working in the neonatal wards of eight hospitals. The Corley's Moral Distress Scale was used to collect data. Findings showed that 25 of the participants were physicians and 209 were nurses. The intensity and frequency of distress among physicians and nurses were assessed as moderate. The mean intensity and frequency of moral distress among nurses and physicians were 48.3%, 41.5% and 46.46%, 15.62% respectively. The results showed that the mean intensity and frequency of distress were higher, however not significantly, among nurses. The intensity and frequency of moral distress had a statistically significant and direct correlation with the intention to leave and the number of staff in each working shift among the nurses. Moral distress in the NICU practitioners was moderate, so addressing this issue and trying to alleviate it was important. Identifying the causes behind moral distress can help adopt appropriate measures to prevent and reduce them.

13.
Int J Health Plann Manage ; 35(4): 843-851, 2020 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31840288

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Monitoring the trend of child abuse can significantly help in measuring the magnitude of the problem and understanding its recurrence. The minimum data set (MDS) is a set of elements of each domain that provides the basis for decision-making. This study was conducted to determine the comprehensive national minimum data set for child abuse surveillance system (CASS) in Iran. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data were gathered from the selected countries and child abuse registry and surveillance systems. The MDS questionnaire was designed based on a review of the publications and experts' opinions. The final data elements of the CASS were determined using the Delphi technique by visiting pediatricians. RESULTS: In total, 147 data elements were included in the Delphi survey. The data elements of the CASS were classified into seven categories as follows: demographic data, incident related data, medical history, diagnostic tests, incident nature, therapeutic measures, and other required data. CONCLUSION: The existence of national MDS as the core of the child abuse surveillance program is essential and leads to appropriate decisions in this regard. The MDS can meet the needs of professionals, decision makers, researchers, and policymakers who decide on reducing the incidence of child abuse.


Subject(s)
Child Abuse/diagnosis , Mass Screening/standards , Population Surveillance/methods , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Delphi Technique , Humans , Infant , Iran , Registries , Surveys and Questionnaires
14.
Med Devices (Auckl) ; 12: 489-496, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31849541

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) is widely used in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) to monitor neonatal seizures. This method is still not well established compared to conventional electroencephalogram (cEEG), the diagnostic gold standard. However, aEEG can be a good screening tool for the diagnosis of seizures in infants. Our aim in this review study is to evaluate aEEG diagnostic accuracy in comparison with cEEG, for detection of neonatal seizures. METHODS: In this work, we studied the published articles which used EEG and aEEG in the evaluation process of seizures in neonates and compared these techniques to obtain an approach for the detection of neonatal seizures. RESULTS: Seventeen articles were included. Using aEEG with raw trace to detect individual seizures showed median sensitivity of 78% (range: 68-85) and median specificity of 78% (range: 71-84). The median sensitivity and specificity were 54% (range: 25-95) and 81% (range: 50-100), respectively, in case of using aEEG without raw traces. Brief duration seizures and those occurring away from aEEG leads were less detected. CONCLUSION: Studies showed that aEEG has variable sensitivity and specificity. Based on the evidences, aEEG cannot be recommended as the only way for diagnosis and management of seizures in neonates; however, it could complete the diagnosis of seizures in the infant and could be a very good tool for screening seizures.

15.
J Diabetes Metab Disord ; 18(1): 127-132, 2019 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31275883

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Gaucher disease (GD) is an inherited recessive enzyme deficiency with a multisystem condition. The Iranian government covers the therapeutic expenditure of GD patients as it is not affordable for the patients. The aim of this study is to identify the main components of the cost of care in Gaucher patients (GPs) in Iran. METHODS: The Gaucher patients were identified from the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) national registry database. The direct medical costs, including medication, diagnostic services, and physician visits were considered. The prices of therapeutic and diagnostic services were extracted from Iranian medical tariff book 2014-15. Iran Food and Drug Administration determined the cost of medications. RESULTS: 164 Gaucher patients have been registered in Iran. A valid and reliable diagnostic tests are not used to identify the type of GD. The average health care cost per annum was 20,758 USD per patient, which is higher than 4 GDP per capita in Iran. Medication cost constitutes 95.2% of the total cost. The average cost of each GP was $1,473,818 in his/her total life. CONCLUSION: GD is amongst the high-cost diseases and should be managed effectively. The application of oral medication for eligible GPs could improve allocative efficiency in GD management significantly. A sound, valid and reliable national clinical guideline could improve the efficiency of healthcare resources effectively. Selecting appropriate strategies for reducing the birth of a child with Gaucher, could support allocative efficiency of the limited resources effectively.

16.
Value Health Reg Issues ; 18: 165-169, 2019 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31082797

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS-I) is one of the most common types of MPS and lysosomal storage diseases, which impose considerable amount of economic burden on society. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the cost drivers in the treatment of MPS-I patients in Iran. METHODS: This is a cost-analysis study. The prevalence approach was used to evaluate costs from the healthcare payer's perspective. The number of patients found to have α-L-iduronidase deficiency was identified using the national registry database of the Ministry of Health (MOH). The direct medical costs of the patients were evaluated. Prescriptions; medical interventions; inpatient, outpatient, and diagnostic services, and also their costs were extracted from the patient's profiles in Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA). The prices of the medical services were taken out from Iranian medical tariff book 2014-15. Data extraction was performed from January 2017 to March 2018. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients were registered as MPS-I in MOH databases. The average annual healthcare cost for every patient was $87 971.99, 96.9% of which was allocated to medication therapy. Therapeutic and diagnostic services costs (2.4% and 0.7% correspondingly) were ranked second and third, respectively, but with huge differences in medication cost. CONCLUSIONS: The average annual cost of treatment for MPS-I patients is as high as 16.2 times the GDP per capita in Iran. The highest share of the cost belongs to medication. Selecting appropriate strategies for reducing the birth of a child with MPS could support allocative efficiency of the limited resources effectively.


Subject(s)
Mucopolysaccharidosis I/economics , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Health Care Costs/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Infant , Iran , Male
17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30258554

ABSTRACT

Human dignity (HD) in patient care is an important concept in clinical ethics that has various definitions in existing literature. This study aimed at analyzing the concept of HD in patient care. To this end, Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis was used. For this purpose, scientific databases PubMed, Elsevier, ScienceDirect, Scopus, OVID, Web of Science, CINHAL, IRANDOC, Google Scholar, Magiran, SID and IranMedex were searched fusing the words "human dignity", "patient care" and "ethics". The main criterion for inclusion in the final analysis was the literature published in English and Persian from 2006 to 2016 in online scientific journals within the context of health care disciplines. Ultimately, 21 articles were selected for the study. The attributes of the concept under study were identified in two areas of individual HD and social HD. Antecedents included facilitators and threats, and the consequences consisted of both favorable and unfavorable consequences. HD forms the essence of patient care and is a value-based and humanistic concept based on respect for the integrity of human beings and their beliefs. This concept, with its holistic approach to humans, takes into account all stages of disease, old age and the end of life period. HD in patient care is influenced by cultural, social, spiritual and religious factors, and with its justice-based approach emphasizes equality of all patients and extends patient care to all areas of society rather than restricting it to hospital settings. In this study, a clear definition of HD is introduced.

18.
BMC Med Imaging ; 18(1): 33, 2018 09 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30236069

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Neonate patients with metabolic disorder show encephalopathy and seizures that may lead to morbidity and mortality. Thus rapid detection and treatment of these patients is necessary. Although Amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) has been used for more than a decade in the evaluation of infants with encephalopathy but has not been used in the assessment of neonates suffering from metabolic disorders. In this study, we tried to determine the efficacy of aEEG as an easily available diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of neonates with metabolic diseases. METHODS: All cases which admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Children's Medical Center during a one-year period were enrolled. aEEG recordings were obtained by installing 4 electrodes on the infant's head by a trained nurse and aEEG was recorded for at least 24 h with a description of the whole tracing. Clinical information, final outcome and questionnaires, including patient information: symptoms of the disease, gender, age, duration of hospitalization and the type of the metabolic disease were recorded in details. The obtained data was analyzed with the Spss24 software. RESULTS: Only 3 (two girl and one boy) out of 29 aEEGs recordings were abnormal; other patients showed normal aEEGs. The most common clinical and neurological manifestations were seizure (34.5%), hypotonia (31%), and mortality rate was 10.3%. There was no significant correlation between aEEG findings and gender, age, type of disease, laboratory tests findings and positive family history. CONCLUSIONS: Although it has been shown that EEG has a diagnostic value in metabolic diseases, there has been no study on the efficacy of aEEG to evaluate neonates with metabolic diseases. But good accessibility and easy of working with aEEG, promote a tendency to use this procedure as screening tool for metabolic diseases. The current study about aEEG monitoring in these patients, while limited, can be used as a pilot study for further research on this topic. Therefore, a correct judgment in this field requires administration of aEEG on a larger population of neonates with metabolic diseases.


Subject(s)
Electroencephalography/instrumentation , Metabolic Diseases/diagnosis , Muscle Hypotonia/etiology , Seizures/etiology , Early Diagnosis , Electroencephalography/methods , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Intensive Care Units, Neonatal , Male , Pilot Projects , Surveys and Questionnaires
19.
Ann Med Surg (Lond) ; 28: 23-27, 2018 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29744047

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There are rising concerns about how to teach psychosocial aspects of medicine to students. The aim of the study was the use of "cinemedicine" as a tool and technique in teaching psychosocial aspects of medicine to medical students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). METHODS: This was an educational study with quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Two hundred seventy medical students participated in this study. Nine sessions were held to teach psychosocial subjects in medicine using movies. Each session began with an initial explanation of the program objectives. After the show, medicine related points of the movie were discussed and analyzed by experts and students. In the end, questionnaires were distributed to assess the students' perceptions. RESULTS: The results of our study show that most of the students (84%) stated that teaching these subjects through movies was a nice event comparing to usual lectures. 56.5% of the students agreed with the application of points learned in the events in professional performance. The majority of the students (72.8%) agreed that participating in those events was useful for them as a physician and they would advise other students to attend to later sessions. Content analysis of the students' notes uncovered three categories of cinemedicine: "learning by observation", "creation of a supportive and tangible learning" and "motivation for learning". CONCLUSION: Cinemedicine provides the opportunity for medical students to learn psychosocial subjects related to medicine through observing and reflecting on movies.

20.
J Res Pharm Pract ; 7(4): 171-177, 2018.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30622983

ABSTRACT

Gaucher's disease (GD) is one of the most common lysosomal diseases in humans. It results from ß-glucosidase deficiency and leads to necrosis, especially in macrophages with the accumulation of glucosylceramidase in cells. Most of the deleterious effects of the disease are seen in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of Imiglucerase with Eliglustat in treating patients with GD. PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to August, 2018. Predefined inclusion criteria for included studies were based on search methodology and are as follows: All randomized, quasi-randomized controlled, and cohort studies about patients with GD Type 1 that Imiglucerase was compared with Eliglustat were included. Two authors independently choose the papers based on the inclusion criteria. From 2979 recognized studies, three studies including two randomized clinical trials and one cohort study were recognized to meet the inclusion criteria. The primary outcomes were hemoglobin level, platelets count, liver, and spleen size, and the secondary outcomes were the immunological side effects of the medicines and bone complications. The results showed that there is no meaningful difference between the two medicines in terms of increasing blood hemoglobin, platelets count, and reducing the liver and spleen size. The findings of this review showed that both medicines are effective in the treatment of GD Type 1 and there is no statistically significant difference between their efficacies.

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