Lack of Association between Interarm Systolic Blood Pressure Difference and Coronary Artery Disease in Patients Undergoing Elective Coronary Angiography.

AIM: Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are, in many cases, asymptomatic and not usually diagnosed. The timely diagnosis of peripheral vascular diseases can act as an indicator or practical evidence of CAD. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between interarm systolic blood pressure difference (IASBPD) and severity and number of coronary artery stenosis. METHODS: The samples in this cross-sectional study consisted of 578 patients who were candidates for coronary angiography, with an average age of 57.5 ± 10.5 years. Patients were classified according to CAD and number and severity of coronary artery stenosis. The relationship between IASBPD and presence or lack of CAD as well as the number and severity of coronary artery stenosis was studied. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of IASBPD index were calculated for the detection of CAD using the Kappa coefficient. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant relationship between IASBPD, CAD, and severity and number of coronary artery stenosis. This index had low sensitivity and predictive value in the diagnosis of CAD and stenosis in coronary arteries in comparison with angiography. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the IASBPD index cannot be a valid criterion for the diagnosis of CAD as well as the number and severity of coronary artery stenosis. More studies with larger sample sizes and different designs are needed in this regard to achieve more conclusive results.

Emotional intelligence and learning strategies of postgraduate students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences in the southeast of Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Emotional intelligence and learning strategies are among the major requirements for success and academic achievement. The present research was designed and carried out to explore the relationship of emotional intelligence with learning strategies in postgraduate students. METHODS: The study employed a cross-sectional design and was conducted at Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2018. Using the emotional intelligence questionnaire by Bradberry and Greaves and a researcher-made questionnaire of learning strategic, we assessed the relationship of emotional intelligence with learning strategies in postgraduate students using a census method (n = 338). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including mean and standard deviation and analytic statistics such as Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, ANOVA, t-test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient at P < 0.05 significance level. RESULTS: This study showed that the mean emotional intelligence score of postgraduate students was 91.12 ± 13.92 and also no significant relationship between the learning strategies and the emotional intelligence in the participants, but the emotional intelligence components showed a positive significant relationship with the learning strategy components, namely self-efficacy, rehearsal, critical thinking, cognitive self-regulation, time and study environment management, peer learning, and help-seeking. CONCLUSION: It could be stated that emotional intelligence components can be taught and fostered to improve the emotional intelligence of the learners, optimal learning, and the quality of educational outcomes. However, a learning strategy is a natural, habitual, unique, and fixed preferential method that serves to absorb, process, and maintain new information and skills. In other words, reinforcement of emotional intelligence facilitates learning.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children is found to be related to the occurrence of ADHD in siblings and the male gender, but not to birth order, when compared to healthy controls.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to explore the extent to which the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in childhood is associated with birth order and gender, and the prevalence of ADHD and mental retardation (MR) in siblings, as compared to healthy controls. Methods. Data from 200 children diagnosed with ADHD (mean age: 11.13 years; 10.5% females) were compared to data from 200 healthy controls (mean age: 11.0 years; 27.5% females). The data were related to symptoms of ADHD, birth order, gender, family size, and the occurrence of ADHD and MR in siblings. RESULTS: Compared to controls, the occurrence of ADHD was found to be related to the male gender and to the occurrence of ADHD-related symptoms in siblings (odds ratio: 13.50). Birth order and MR were not associated with the occurrence of ADHD and ADHD-related symptoms. ADHD- related symptoms increased if a further sibling also suffered from ADHD. Conclusions. Among a sample of Iranian children suffering from ADHD, the ADHD and ADHD-related symptoms in childhood were found to be related to the male gender and to the occurrence of ADHD in siblings. Moreover, birth order was found to be unrelated. The fact that symptoms of ADHD-related symptoms increased if a further sibling was suffering from ADHD, and decreased if a further sibling was suffering from MR, is intriguing and needs further explanation.

In a randomized case-control trial with 10-years olds suffering from attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) sleep and psychological functioning improved during a 12-week sleep-training program.

OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that sleep training would improve emotional, social and behavioural functioning in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to children with ADHD without such intervention and to healthy controls. METHODS: Forty children with ADHD were randomly assigned to intervention and control conditions. Parents of 20 children with ADHD were instructed and thoroughly supervised in improving their children's sleep schedules and sleep behaviour. Parents of the other 20 children with ADHD and parents of 20 healthy children received general information about sleep hygiene. At baseline and 12 weeks later, parents and children completed questionnaires related to children's sleep and psychological functioning. RESULTS: Relative to the control groups, children in the intervention group improved sleep quantitatively and qualitatively (F values < 3.33, P values < 0.05). The intervention group children reported improvements in mood, emotions, and relationships (F values < 2.99, P values < 0.05). Parents reported that their children improved in physical and psychological wellbeing, mood, emotions, relationships, and social acceptance (F values < 3.02, P values < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Training and monitoring parents of children with ADHD in regulating and supervising children's sleep schedules leads to positive changes in the emotions, behaviour and social lives of these children.

Risk of nephropathy after consumption of nonionic contrast media by children undergoing cardiac angiography: a prospective study.

Despite increasing reports on nonionic contrast media-induced nephropathy (CIN) in hospitalized adult patients during cardiac procedures, the studies in pediatrics are limited, with even less focus on possible predisposing factors and preventive measures for patients undergoing cardiac angiography. This prospective study determined the incidence of CIN for two nonionic contrast media (CM), iopromide and iohexol, among 80 patients younger than 18 years and compared the rates for this complication in relation to the type and dosage of CM and the presence of cyanosis. The 80 patients in the study consecutively received either iopromide (group A, n = 40) or iohexol (group B, n = 40). Serum sodium (Na), potassium (K), and creatinine (Cr) were measured 24 h before angiography as baseline values, then measured again at 12-, 24-, and 48-h intervals after CM use. Urine samples for Na and Cr also were checked at the same intervals. Risk of renal failure, Injury to the kidney, Failure of kidney function, Loss of kidney function, and End-stage renal damage (RIFLE criteria) were used to define CIN and its incidence in the study population. Accordingly, among the 15 CIN patients (18.75%), 7.5% of the patients in group A had increased risk and 3.75% had renal injury, whereas 5% of group B had increased risk and 2.5% had renal injury. Whereas 33.3% of the patients with CIN were among those who received the proper dosage of CM, the percentage increased to 66.6% among those who received larger doses, with a significant difference in the incidence of CIN related to the different dosages of CM (p = 0.014). Among the 15 patients with CIN, 6 had cyanotic congenital heart diseases, but the incidence did not differ significantly from that for the noncyanotic patients (p = 0.243). Although clinically silent, CIN is not rare in pediatrics. The incidence depends on dosage but not on the type of consumed nonionic CM, nor on the presence of cyanosis, and although CIN usually is reversible, more concern is needed for the prevention of such a complication in children.

The prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Iran: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. Children with ADHD may experience significant functional problems. Our objective was to examine the prevalence of ADHD and its subtypes in Iran. METHODS: Pubmed, ISI web of science, psychinfo, Iranpsych, Iranmedex, Irandoc were searched. Irandoc, Iranmedex and Iranpsych are Iranian databases of which the last one is especially for psychiatry and psychology literature. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE: conducting studies by random sampling, using valid instruments to assess ADHD diagnosis or symptoms,and presenting a prevalence of ADHD or attention deficit and / or hyperactivity symptoms. RESULTS: After quality assessment, 16 studies were accepted. Their estimation of prevalence was different as different scales were used. Hyperactive type was more prevalent in boys, and inattentive type was more prevalent in girls. CONCLUSION: Being aware of the epidemiology of ADHD in Iran helps us to make improvements in planning the allocation of funds for mental health services. Using one instrument in studying the prevalence of ADHD in a population may lead to more precise estimations.