Iranian Journal Of Medical - Surgical Nursing
Volume:10 Issue: 1, Feb 2021

 One of the main stressors for patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is being away from family members and severe appointment time limits. Currently, the treatment environment is made of family members and patients, and the presence of family members plays an important role in the patient’s health.

 This study aimed to determine the effect of scheduled family appointments on the agitation of ICU patients.

 This quasi-experimental study was performed on 70 patients admitted to the ICU of medical centers affiliated to Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2020. The patients were selected using convenience sampling from among those who met the inclusion criteria. The selected patients were randomly assigned into two equal groups of control and intervention (n = 35 in each). The patients in the control group were visited via routine appointments. In contrast, the patients in the intervention group were visited both routinely and via scheduled appointments by a fixed member of the family for 20 minutes at 10-12 AM and 8-10 PM for three days. The data were collected using a demographic information form and Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS), which was completed by the researcher for each patient on the first day before and the third day after the intervention. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software (version 24) with the chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, independent samples t-test, and Mann–Whitney U test. The significance level was considered less than 0.05.

 The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, level of consciousness, and history of hospitalization in the ICU and there was no statistically significant intergroup difference (P > 0.05). According to the results of Mann–Whitney U and chi-square tests, there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of agitation at the end of the study (P < 0.05).

 Scheduled appointments for ICU patients can reduce patients’ agitation without affecting nurses’ care activities. This accelerates the recovery process for patients. Hence, the appointment-based policy needs to be implemented in ICUs.

 Pregnancy care and screening programs are very important, especially in high-risk pregnancies. However, few interventional studies have addressed mental and sexual health in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

 The present study aimed to examine the effect of a sexual health promotion training program on sexual function of pregnant women with GDM referring to comprehensive health centers in Zahedan, Iran, in 2020.

 This quasi-experimental study was performed on 80 pregnant women with GDM (gestational age: 24 - 30 weeks). The participants were selected using multi-stage sampling method and randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. The participants in the intervention group received sexual health promotion training in four sessions (60 - 90 minutes) two sessions per week. The participants in the control group received routine care. The demographic information questionnaire was completed by the participants at the beginning of the study, and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was administered before and four weeks after the completion of the sexual health promotion training program. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) using independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and chi-square test.

 The results showed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups in all subscales of sexual function (P < 0.05). Moreover, the results of ANCOVA for the total sexual function score showed that the women in the intervention group had significantly higher levels of sexual function (22.89 ± 3.24) compared to the women in the control group (16.78 ± 3.16) (P = 0.001).

 Given the positive and significant effect of sexual health promotion training on the sexual function of pregnant women with GDM, it is recommended to integrate this training program in prenatal care of these vulnerable women.

Hydatid disease has been introduced as a crucial health issue in the Eastern Mediterranean by the World Health Organization. Surgery is the standard gold treatment for hydatid disease. Here, we reported a case of a large hydatid cyst involving the lung in a 13-year-old girl complaining of shortness of breath and cough for 8 months. Early symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. After admission, computed tomography verified giant lung hydatid cysts. Complete collapse of the right lung and progressive respiratory distress of the patient were treated with thoracotomy considering the size of the hydatid cyst in the lung. It should be noted that in such patients, the preservation of lung tissue function is very significant, and also, the less part of the lung is removed after surgery, the fewer complications the patient will suffer.

 Recognizing the factors affecting maternal death can lead to the adoption of strategies to prevent similar deaths.

 This study was performed to investigate the prevalence and causes of pregnant mothers' death in the population covered by Zahedan University of Medical Sciences.

 In this retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study, the files of 126 pregnant mothers who died during 2013 - 2017 were evaluated. Demographic and obstetrics information and variables related to maternal mortality, such as maternal mortality ratio (MMR), the cause of mother’s death, the time of mother’s death, and place of death, were evaluated in general and separately in each city (i.e., Zahedan, Khash, Saravan, and Chabahar) based on descriptive statistics and according to the nature of the variables.

 Maternal mortality ratio in Zahedan was 174.96 per 100,000 case, in Khash 190.56 per 100,000 cases, in Saravan 371.87 per 100,000 cases, and in Chabahar 384.03 per 100,000 cases. Bleeding was the most common cause of death (42.53%), 61.9% of pregnant women were living in rural areas, 80.2% died in the third trimester of pregnancy, and 42.9% died in first 24 hours after delivery. The most common underlying disease was hypertension, 70.6% of mothers died in hospitals, and 47.6% were illiterate. The most common cause of maternal death in Zahedan was cardiac disease, in Khash it was hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome, eclampsia, and preeclampsia, and in Saravan and Chabahar the leading cause was bleeding.

 Maternal mortality ratio was high in Sistan and Baluchestan. The investigation of the causes of maternal deaths showed that some of these deaths are avoidable. It is also necessary to improve midwifery emergencies management with intensive monthly courses to increase team capabilities for making the best use of golden time measures.

Nowadays, the high prevalence of hypertension and its serious complications for affected patients have made this disease a major health issue worldwide. Hypertension, like other chronic diseases, reduces the patients’ quality of life. Maintaining and improving their lifestyles requires the serious support of families.

This study aimed to explore the effect of the family-centered empowerment model on the quality of life of patients with hypertension.

This clinical trial was performed on 70 hypertensive patients who were referred to two comprehensive health centers in Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in Zahedan, southeastern Iran, in 2020. The participants were selected and randomly allocated based on the inclusion criteria to the intervention (n = 35) and control (n = 35) groups using the consort. The participants in the interventiongroupreceived training in four60-minsessions individually basedonthe familyempowermentmodel. Tocollect data, a personal information form and the Quality of Life Questionnaire for hypertensive patients were used. The questionnaire was completed before the intervention and one and three months after the intervention by a self-report method. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS-22 using the independent samples t test, chi-square test, and repeated-measures analysis of variance.

The results of repeated-measures analysis of variance regarding the effect of time and group on the quality of life showed a statistically significant difference in the second and third phases between the two groups. In other words, the two variables of intervention and time affected the mean score of quality of life, and a statistically significant difference was observed in the measured time intervals (P < 0.001).

This study showed that implementing the family-centered empowerment model improves the quality of life of patients with hypertension. Therefore, we recommend employing this method by nurses to engage the patients with chronic diseases and their families in the process of treatment.

The crisis caused by the child’s illness and hospitalization affects all family members. Fear, worry, and anxiety are common issues of hospitalized children’s mothers. Betty Newman’s system model plays a vital role in adapting to stress detection and control.

This studyaimedtoexaminethe effect of thebehavioral systemsmodelonthe concerns of mothersof children admitted to the surgical ward.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 60 mothers of children admitted to the surgical ward of the Mousavi Hospital, Gorgan, Iran, in 2020. The participants were selected using convenience sampling and then divided into test and control groups using non-probability sampling. According to Neuman’s systems model, participants in the test group receivednursing care in 3 - 4 sessions (each lasting 30 - 45 minutes). Participants in the control group received only routine ward care. Data were collected using the Parental Concern Scale and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 21 software using statistical tests (analysis of covariance, unpaired samples t-test, and paired sample test).

The mean score of maternal concerns before the intervention was 42.63.06 in the control group and 43.212.27 in the test group. The results of the independent samples t-test did not show any significant difference between the groups in terms of maternal concerns (P = 0.11). The mean post-intervention maternal concern score was 37.6  2.71 and 41.716  2.55 in the test and control groups, showing a significant difference between the groups as indicated by the t-test results (P < 0.01). However, the paired t-test outcomes showed no difference in the mean maternal concern score in the control group before and after the intervention (P = 0.92). In contrast, there was a significant difference in the mean maternal concern score in the test group before and after the intervention (P < 0.01).

Given the effectiveness of Betty Neuman’s systems model, it can be used as a low-cost, effective care method to reduce maternal stress as the model was developed for understanding clients’ and caregivers’ needs and reducing their stress.