Paraclinical findings in Iranian veterans exposed to sulfur mustard gas: A literature review.

OBJECTIVE: Sulfur mustard (SM) causes various systemic disturbances in human beings. This study aimed to assess paraclinical changes caused by exposure to SM gas in Iranian veterans during the war between Iraq and Iran. METHODS: A literature review was carried out in international and national medical databases including ISI, Medline, Scopus, Iranmedex and Irandoc. Both Farsi and English literature were searched. RESULTS: Search of the literature yielded 422 medical articles related to SM poisoning. Among them, 30 relevant articles were thoroughly reviewed. The most important reported complications were leukopenia, neutropenia, lymphopenia, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, increased bleeding time, positive C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), antinuclear antibody (ANA), decreased T helper cells, natural killer cells, IL6, and IL8 levels, elevation of serum immunoglobulins, decreased levels of T3, T4 and cortisol, increased level of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), proteinuria, hematuria, and elevated liver enzymes. Also, there were some changes in chest assessments. CONCLUSIONS: SM causes profound systemic complications in victims, even years after exposure. The paraclinical changes can be observed in hematology, immune system, biochemistry, hormonal profile and some imaging studies.

Cancer Events After Acute or Chronic Exposure to Sulfur Mustard: A Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Sulfur mustard (SM) has been considered as a carcinogen in the laboratory studies. However, its carcinogenic effects on human beings were not well discussed. The main purpose of our study is to assess carcinogenesis of SM following acute and/or chronic exposures in human beings. METHODS: The valid scientific English and Persian databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, IranMedex, and Irandoc were searched and the collected papers reviewed. The used keywords were in two languages: English and Persian. The inclusion criteria were the published original articles indexed in above-mentioned databases. Eleven full-texts out of 296 articles were found relevant and then assessed. RESULTS: Studies on the workers of the SM factories during the World Wars showed that the long-term chronic exposure to mustards can cause a variety of cancers in the organs such as oral cavity, larynx, lung, and skin. Respiratory system was the most important affected system. Acute single exposure to SM was assumed as the carcinogenic inducer in the lung and blood and for few cancers including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: SM is a proven carcinogen in chronic situations although data are not enough to strongly conclude in acute exposure.

Vaccination in Hajj: An Overview of the Recent Findings.

BACKGROUND: About two million people annually travel to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. The pilgrims may be at risk of exposure to communicable diseases in this mass gathering and their vaccination against contagious diseases can prevent many morbidities and mortalities. The aim of our study was to review the papers which evaluated effectiveness and compliance of the vaccines applied in Hajj. METHODS: We used PubMed and Scopus to search international medical databases. The key words were as follows: Hajj, Haj, vaccine, vaccination, and immunization. The time interval of the search was from the beginning of 2010 to May 23, 2016. One hundred and thirty papers were extracted, and their contents were subsequently reviewed after title and abstract screenings. The original articles were included in the study and non-English articles were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Considering the extracted papers, almost all pilgrims were vaccinated against meningococcal diseases. Using of influenza and pneumococcal vaccine rates were different among the pilgrims. The other vaccines have been taking according to specific conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings regarding influenza vaccine effectiveness are contradictory. A few studies confirmed the flu vaccine effectiveness while some others rejected its usefulness. Meningococcal immunization is an effective preventive tool with high compliance for Hajj pilgrims. Further investigations are recommended for the other vaccines.

Treatment and prevention of acute respiratory infections among Iranian hajj pilgrims: a 5-year follow up study and review of the literature.

UNLABELLED: Background Respiratory diseases/syndromes are the most common causes of referring to physicians among pilgrims in Hajj. They lead to high morbidity, impose high costs on the health system and are among the major obstacles for pilgrims to perform Hajj duties. The main aim of our study was to determine types, frequencies, etiologies, and epidemiologic factors of respiratory diseases among Iranian Hajj pilgrims and to suggest some preventive and treatment strategies. METHODS: To determine the types and frequencies of respiratory syndromes, we implemented a syndromic surveillance method in Iranian health care system for Hajj during 5 consecutive years. To achieve the etiology of these diseases, we performed 4 concurrent before and after studies. We also evaluated efficacy of the flu and pneumovax vaccines among Iranian Hajj pilgrims in 2 studies. To determine some other epidemiological factors, we conducted 4 additional studies. RESULTS: The most common problem was common cold like syndrome. Origins of the most upper respiratory problems were infections, and allergies were less involved. Among infectious agents, viruses were the most common agents and their frequencies were as follows respectively: Adenoviruses 38 (36.2 %), Rhinoviruses 31 (30%), Influenza type B virus 21 (20%). Bacteria were often the secondary causes and their frequencies were as follows respectively: Intestine bacillus 69 (19.4%), Chlamydia pneumonia 20(15.8%), Haemophiluses 32 (9.1%) and Streptococcus (A,C and G) 30 ( 8.5%). We introduced some epidemiological factors as effective in creating respiratory diseases. CONCLUSION: In this paper, we suggested some applied points for prevention, treatment, and correction of common malpractices in the treatment of respiratory diseases of the pilgrims.

Iraq-Iran chemical war: calendar, mortality and morbidity.

OBJECTIVES: To review the calendar, mortality and morbidity of Iraq-Iran chemical war among Iranians based on researchers'reports. METHODS: We used national and international databanks such as PubMed, ISI, Scopus, Irandoc and Iranmedex and studied 350 articles related to chemical agents and their effects on different organs. The main criteria for qualification of articles were relevancy orientation and being published in approved medical journals. RESULTS: The Iraqi army invaded to west and southwest Iran using chemical weapons such as nerve agents (NAs) and sulfur mustard (SM). Most victims were civilians including women and children. These attacks had imposed more than 150 types of diseases and complications on Iranians and the frequency of death was 2%-3%. Most reports were about respiratory problems and a few were in the domain of socio-economic damages. CONCLUSION: At present, 25 years after the end of war, the victims are faced with different complications induced by chemical agents and it is estimated that they will be continuously troubled by these problems in future.

Sulfur Mustard Effects on Mental Health and Quality-of-Life: A Review.

OBJECTIVE: Mental disorders are more common among the chemically injured veterans rather the than the normal population. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of mustard gas (MG) on mental health and quality-of-life (QOL) in the people exposed to it based on reviewing valid published articles. METHODS: We searched English databases including Medline, ISI and Scopus as well as Farsi databases including Iranmedex and Irandoc and reviewed them. The used keywords were in two English and Farsi languages. Forty related full texts out of more than 300 articles were assessed and for their qualification, only the publications in accredited journals were considered sufficient. RESULTS: The average mental health score of victims using the general health questionnaire (GHQ) was 48.92. The frequency of anxiety was (18-65%), insomnia (13.63%), social performance disturbances (10.73%), severe depression (6-46%), low concentration (54%), emotional problems (98%), behavioral abnormalities (80%), thought processing disturbances (14%), memory impairment (80%), personality disorders (31%), seizures (6%), psychosis (3%). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common and important disorders with lifetime PTSD (8-59%), current PTSD (2-33%) and the QOL in chemical warfare victims decreased. CONCLUSION: Exposure to chemical weapons may lead to physical, mental, social, and economic damages and consequently decrease the victims' (QOL. Therefore, they should be taken into more care.

Mortality and injuries among Iranians in Iraq-Iran war: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The Iraq-Iran war was one of the longest conflicts in the twentieth century. The aim of our research was to review the incidence of mortality and injuries of the war. METHODS: A search strategy was designed and run in Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, and Iranian databases including Scientific Information Database (SID), IranMedex, and Magiran. Also, searching grey literature, checking references, tracking citations, hand-searching of focused journals, and websites were utilized for retrieval of related studies. All of articles which studied epidemiology of mortality or injuries of the war were included. The excluding criteria were case reports, case series, laboratory researches, and nonoriginal studies. RESULTS: Fourteen articles out of 1751 primary results were selected to be included in the study. During the war (1980 - 1988), 188,015 to 217,489 Iranians were killed (about 70 people per day). The mean age of mortality was 23 years. Six thousand four hundred twenty-seven (2.9%) of those who died during the war were females. One thousand five chemical warfare victims died between 1983 and 1994. From 1985 through 1998, 82 veterans had successful suicides too. At the end of war, we had 398, 587 veterans who needed follow- up. Among them, there were 52,000 chemical warfare victims. Between 1988 and 2003, 1400 people died and 2313 injured due to landmines and unexploded ordnances in five border provinces. CONCLUSION: The war caused a lot of mortalities and morbidities in our country. Now, 24 years after the war, many physically, mentally, and chemically injured victims have remained. We suggest other studies about indirect impacts of the war on societies, families, friends, and affiliates of the victims.

Long-term effects of mustard gas on respiratory system of Iranian veterans after Iraq-Iran war: a review.

To review long-term respiratory effects of mustard gas on Iranian veterans having undergone Iraq-Iran war. Electronic databases of Scopus, Medline, ISI, IranMedex, and Irandoc sites were searched. We accepted articles published in scientific journals as a quality criterion.The main pathogenic factors are free radical mediators. Prevalence of pulmonary involvement is approximately 42.5%. The most common complaints are cough and dyspnea. Major respiratory complications are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, and asthma. Spirometry results can reveal restrictive and obstructive pulmonary disease. Plain chest X-ray does not help in about 50% of lung diseases. High-resolution CT of the lung is the best modality for diagnostic assessment of parenchymal lung and bronchi. There is no definite curative treatment for mustard lung. The effective treatment regimens consist of oxygen administration, use of vaporized moist air, respiratory physiotherapy, administration of mucolytic agents, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and long-acting beta-2 agonists, antioxidants, surfactant, magnesium ions, therapeutic bronchoscopy, laser therapy, placement of respiratory stents, early tracheostomy in laryngospasm, and ultimately lung transplantation. High-resolution CT of the lung is the most accurate modality for the evaluation of the lung parenchyma and bronchi. The treatment efficacy of patients exposed to mustard gas depends on patient conditions (acute or chronic, upper or lower respiratory tract involvement). There are various treatment protocols, but unfortunately none of them is definitely curable.

Preventive measures against the mustard gas: a review.

The main aim in this study was to collect the experiences of Iranian researchers about sulfur mustard (SM) and provide a guideline for the prevention of abuse for this dangerous agent. We searched valid national and international databases using related key words in the two languages. We found 193 articles which had been published in medical journals. Among them, 25 articles had some implications about prevention measures. In this study, we have mentioned 8 preventive points before the attacks, 10 points during and 2 points afterwards, we also found 12 points for the prevention of people who were exposed with SM and suffering from respiratory, ocular, dermatologic and psychological complications. In conclusion, most of the published studies on chemical war victims in Iran are focused on diagnosis and treatment of late SM-induced complications. Hence, a research should be conducted separately in relation to the prevention.

Medical student's benefit rates from the clinical teaching rounds and its associated factors in Tehran University of Medical Sciences in the year 2010.

Among the various methods of clinical teaching, rounds and grand rounds are considered as the gold standards. Clinical round includes some standard components and it plays an effective role in student's learning process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of teaching rounds in 40 clinical wards in 4 medical teaching hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, and also to assess the learners benefit rate from these programs and determine the factors affecting those. This is a cross sectional, descriptive and analytical study conducted on 318 medical learners in different grades, about the content of clinical rounds. The data collection tool was a questionnaire made by researchers. The validity of the questionnaire according to experts opinions and the reliability with a pilot study conducted on 30 cases were confirmed (α=0.826). Data entered into the SPSS software and for analysis Chi-square, Student's t-test, ANOVA and linear regression analysis tests were used. In this study 20 subjects related to clinical rounds content were assessed. The highest score was related to the subject of diagnosis and the lowest one was related to legal issues. Overall, the mean score of the learner's benefit rate to this method was 3.52 out of five. The level of learner's benefit rate was above the average and the benefit rates according to educational grade, number of the students and faculties were significantly different (P<0.05). Average of the benefit rate among residents were significantly higher than the other medical trainees (P<0.05). In conclusion, in understudied clinical rounds, there has been more emphasized on history taking, clinical examinations and diagnosis subjects, and Issues like: accountability, health economy, patient's nutrition, non-drug treatments and medical legal issues are less considered in the studied rounds.

Trend of diseases among Iranian pilgrims during five consecutive years based on a Syndromic Surveillance System in Hajj.

BACKGROUND: Every year more than 2 million people depart from Iran to Saudi Arabia for Hajj ritual whichcan be faced with some different diseases. There are not much information about frequencies and trend of diseasesin Hajj. The main objective of this study was to determine the trend of prevalent diseases during five consecutiveHajj rituals among Iranian pilgrims. METHODS: We established a specific surveillance system for all Iranian pilgrims who had participated in Hajjfrom 2004 to 2008. We monitored the pilgrims' health status before departure, through their journey. The understudieddiseases were 19 selected types of diseases in the Hajj. The occurrences of diseases were recorded on aresearchers-made questionnaire. We used chi-square test for analysis with the alpha lower than 5% to reject thenull hypothesis. RESULTS: During 5 consecutive periods, a total of 254,823 of Iranian pilgrims were monitored for more commondiseases with this system. The most prevalent diseases were as follows: at least one type of respiratory involvement(71.26%), common cold like syndrome (47.15%), and musculoskeletal disorders (18.67%), The frequencyof respiratory involvement was lower in 2006 than other years (p <0.001).There were statistically significantdifferences between the numbers of hospitalization and patients who were referred back to Iran with theyear of Hajj (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Health managers should be informed about trend and frequency of more prevalent diseases inHajj. Easy access to health information via such surveillance system can be possible.