فصلنامه پرستاری، مامایی و پیراپزشکی
سال یکم شماره 1 (تابستان 1394)

Besides their effects on patients’ bodies, diseases and their treatments can also take a toll psychologically on different aspects of patients’ lives. On the other hand, patients’ experiences of diseases and treatments are affected by the type and the manifestations of diseases as well as their own socio-cultural background. Understanding patients’ experiences of diseases can help healthcare professionals improve the quality of care. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of prostate surgery among patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
This was a qualitative content analysis study. A purposive sample of patients who had recently undergone a transurethral resection of the prostate was recruited from the urologic care unit of Tohid Hospital, Sanandaj, Iran. Study data were collected through conducting fifteen in-depth interviews with patients. The qualitative content analysis approach was adopted for data analysis.
Findings: Study participants’ experiences of transurethral resection of the prostate fell into four main themes including succumbing to the disease, having no option other than undergoing the surgery, having freedom and comfort, and feeling worried about future.
Male patients who undergo transurethral resection of the prostate need educations and information in order to understand and accept the disease, its treatments, and its effects on different aspects of their lives. Study findings highlighted the necessity for developing and implementing post-operative care plans for this patient population.

Phlebitis and infection at the insertion site are among the most prevalent complications of peripheral intravenous catheters. The type of topical antiseptic solution used for preparing the catheter insertion site can affect the rate and the severity of these complications. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of ethanol, Betadine, and ethanol-chlorhexidine gluconate combination on phlebitis induced by peripheral intravenous catheters.
In this clinical trial, 123 patients were selected from the medical care wards of Besat Hospital, Sanandaj, Iran. Patients were randomly allocated to the ethanol, Betadine, and ethanol-chlorhexidine gluconate groups. In these three groups, the catheter insertion site was scrubbed by using 70% ethanol, 10% Betadine, or 35% ethanol-2% chlorhexidine gluconate, respectively. The rate and the severity of phlebitis and local infection were assessed by using a four-point scale. Study data were analyzed by conducting the one-way analysis of variance and the t tests by using the SPSS software.
Findings: Study groups did not differ significantly from each other regarding variables such as age, gender, catheter size, and the catheter insertion site. The rates of phlebitis in the ethanol, Betadine, or ethanol-chlorhexidine gluconate groups were respectively equal to %46, %53, and %22. In total, three patients developed local infection at the catheter insertion site, all of whom were from the Betadine group.
Compared with 70% ethanol and 10% Betadine solutions, 35% ethanol-2% chlorhexidine gluconate combination is more effective in preventing phlebitis and local infection at the insertion site of peripheral intravenous catheters.

Heart attacks are among the leading causes of disability and death worldwide. Many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as circadian variations, can affect the occurrence of heart attacks. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of the occurrence of heart attacks with circadian variations and other cardiovascular risk factors
This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2009–2010. A convenience sample of 170 male and 122 female patients (292 patients in total) with ischemic heart disease was recruited. Study data were collected by using questionnaires which were completed through interviewing patients or their families and referring to patients’ medical records. The Chi-square test was conducted by using the SPSS software (v. 14) for analyzing the study data.
Findings: There was no significant relationship between circadian variations and the occurrence of heart attacks. Moreover, the relationship of the occurrence of heart attacks with demographic characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors was not statistically significant. However, the type of ischemic heart disease was significantly correlated with variables such as employment, gender, and addiction to cigarette (P = 0.0001). Male and female patients differed significantly from each other regarding the time of experiencing a heart attack (P value Circadian variations do not affect the occurrence of heart attacks. Physical and psychological stress can exert more significant effect than circadian variations on the occurrence of heart attacks.

Clinical education is the heart of nursing education. It is a complex process which is affected by different factors. Identifying the problems of clinical education is the first step to resolving them. The aim of this study was to compare nursing instructors and fourth-year nursing students’ perspectives on problems with clinical education.
This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2007–2008. The census method was employed for recruiting twenty one nursing instructors and 130 fourth-year nursing students from the Nursing and Midwifery Faculty of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran. A 39-item questionnaire was used for assessing the problems of clinical nursing education. Study data were analyzed by using the SPSS software.
Findings: Most of the participating students (58.2%) noted that pre-clinical education suffers from many problems while most of the nursing instructors (66.7%) highlighted that the problems of pre-clinical nursing education are moderate. On the other hand, most of the students (53.4%) and instructors (73.7%) evaluated the problems of clinical education environment as moderate. Finally, most of the students (49.1%) and instructors (52.6%) highlighted that the problems of clinical evaluation are moderate.
Pre-clinical education, clinical education environment, and clinical evaluation are problematic. Providing and improving educational facilities as well as revising clinical evaluation procedures are recommended.

Pregnancy and delivery are among the most significant life events for women and their families. Currently, the rate of delivery by cesarean section has increased significantly due to women’s lack of knowledge about and negative attitudes towards normal vaginal delivery. Moreover, the complications of cesarean section have turned motherhood into an unpleasant experience. The aim of this study was to compare healthcare providers and primigravida women’s attitudes towards normal vaginal delivery.
In total, 637 primigravida women and 154 healthcare professionals were recruited from Sanandaj city, Iran, to this descriptive-analytical study. The data collection instruments were a researcher-made demographic questionnaire and seventeen questions on attitude towards normal vaginal delivery. Questions were scored on a five-point Likert scale. The SPSS software as well as the Chi-square and the t tests were used for data analysis.
Findings: The percentage of healthcare providers having a positive attitude towards normal vaginal delivery was significantly higher than primigravida women who did not have such an attitude (33.1% vs. 10% P value = 0.001). However, the percentage of primary health care providers (28.3%) and clinical care providers’ (43.8%) who had positive attitudes towards normal vaginal delivery was not statistically significant from each other (P = 0.143).
Lack of knowledge about the routes of delivery and the mechanism of normal vaginal delivery as well as lack of psychological support during delivery have increased women’s tendency for having a delivery by cesarean section. Educational programs need to be implemented for enhancing women’s knowledge about the benefits of normal vaginal delivery.

The Pyrus Biossieriana Bushe tree (Telka) belongs to pyrus genus and is found in northern Iran. The leaves of this tree are rich in arbutin and are used for alleviating inflammation, urinary frequency, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. In this study, we first determined the toxic dose of the Telka leaf extract and then assessed its preventive effects on the viability of HeLa cells exposed to tert-butyl hydroperoxide.
Materials and: This was an experimental study. HeLa cells were cultured under standard conditions in the medium culture of RPMI 1640 in 24-well plates. Then, the Telka leaf extract was added to the medium culture and cytotoxicity of the extract was evaluated 24 hours later by using the MTT technique. Thereafter, 100, 150, 200, and 250 micromolar concentrations of tert-butyl hydroperoxide were added to the medium culture and the preventive antioxidant effects of the extract were assessed. The viability of HeLa cells and the antioxidative effects of the Telka leaf extract were evaluated by using respectively the MTT and the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power techniques. Mean and standard error of mean measures (Mean±SEM) were used for reporting the study results. The level of significance was set at below 0.05.
Findings: Study findings revealed that the Telka leaf extract is cytotoxic at doses of 2% and higher. The differences between the less-than-2% doses of the extract and the control group were not statistically significant. The antioxidative power of the control group significantly differed from the “Telka leaf extract tert-butyl hydroperoxide” group (P value = 0.001). After adding tert-butyl hydroperoxide, the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power was significantly reduced compared with the control group.
Pre-incubation of cells at different doses of the Telka leaf extract increases the total antioxidative activity of the medium culture. Consequently, this extract can be used as a natural antioxidant.