Journal of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences
Volume:26 Issue: 1, Mar 2022

Planning cancer supportive care programs require assessing patients’ supportive needs.

This study aimed to investigate breast cancer patients’ supportive care needs and their related factors.

This cross-sectional study was conducted this Zahedan, Iran, in 2020. Patients with breast cancer, who referred to the clinical oncology departments of Khatam-Al-Anbia hospital and Ali ibn Abi Talib hospital were selected by the census method. Standard questionnaires were distributed among the participants to obtain information and analyze data in SPSS software version 19.0.

This study examined 120 breast cancer patients with a mean age of 47.35 (SD 10.67) years. The patients’ highest and lowest need for help were related to health system/information (63.23 ± 20.80) and sexual needs (6.73 ± 19.66). Spearman’s correlation coefficient analysis indicated that social support and illness adjustment negatively correlated with many supportive care domains.

Supportive care services, especially in the information and psychology domain, are needed for breast cancer patients in Zahedan, Iran. Patients can benefit from social support and positive coping strategies to help them cope with their disease.

A better understanding of the pattern of epidemic-related referrals to healthcare centers might allow the identification of vulnerabilities and the required changes that the healthcare management system should undergo.

This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 referral pattern and the role of media and health management planning in changing the trends.

Data extracted from the electronic medical database of Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex (IKHC), located in Tehran, Iran, from February 20 to June 4, 2020 were examined. Individuals were divided into two groups, COVID-19 positive and negative. We used Google Trends to evaluate Google Internet search queries and also available policy documents, programs, and official news related to COVID-19 in Iran during the mentioned period.

In this study, 8647 individuals aged 46.05 ± 16.5 years were referred to IKHC. Approximately 57% were male, and 70% were COVID-19 positive. The most clinical symptoms were dyspnea, fever, cough, and myalgia. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus were the most common underlying health conditions. In the first two weeks, the percentage of negative cases was higher than positive cases and then the pattern was reversed, when people searched for information about COVID-19 in media.

Proper and timely information and education to people through the media and health management measures can be effective in reducing unnecessary visits to health centers, preventing the exhaustion of medical staff, and controlling the disease during epidemics.

Accurate detection of the global epidemic-causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is for disease surveillance. Additionally, RT-qPCR has been accepted as a reference test and is widely used for this purpose. However, RT-qPCR applications are not possible in all health centers. Therefore, the tests commonly used in the diagnosis of infectious disease should be evaluated from all angles to assess their potential role in the prognosis and management of COVID-19 patients.

The present study aimed to compare the diagnostic sensitivity of point of care (POC), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and computed tomography (CT) used in the diagnosis of COVID-19.

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted via searching in databases such as NCBI, Google Scholar, and Medline in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA).

The pooled sensitivity of POC, ELISA, and CT was estimated at 68.62%, 88.05%, and 75.43%, respectively. In addition, the mean correct positivity rate of POC, ELISA, and CT was calculated to be 68.61%, 88.04%, and 79.25%, respectively. The sensitivity and true positivity rate of ELISA was observed to be the highest.

According to the results, ELISA is a more accurate approach to the diagnosis of COVID-19 compared to POC and CT owing to its high sensitivity and true positivity rate, low false negative rate, short processing time, and simple study procedure. Although helpful in diagnosis, confirmation of ELISA results by polymerase chain reaction remains the ‘gold standard’.

Vesicoureteral reflux is a common urinary tract abnormality, which could damage the renal parenchyma. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of microalbuminuria and its association with the severity of urinary reflux and renal scarring with reflux nephropathy in children aged less than 12 years referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam, Iran.

This longitudinal study was conducted during one year on the hospitalized patients who had tested positive for urine and urine culture. After the treatment of urinary tract infection and obtaining a negative urine culture, isotope cystography or radiographic cystography was performed to diagnose urinary reflux. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 20 using descriptive statistics, chi-square, and correlation-coefficients.

The prevalence of microalbuminuria in Ilam province was 35.7%. No significant difference was observed between the rates of microalbuminuria and reflux (P > 0.05). However, the inverse correlation in this regard was not considered significant (P > 0.05). A direct correlation was observed between the rate of microalbuminuria and the incidence and severity of scars, which was considered significant (P < 0.05).

According to the results, the mean rate of microalbuminuria in reflux decreased with the increased degree of reflux. Due to the changes in microalbuminuria compared to the severity of urinary reflux, this method cannot be used to determine the severity of reflux, which it could be considered an influential factor and a method used for the early diagnosis and follow-up of patients and preventing final kidney damage and renal failure.

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) is widely used as an evaluation tool for mindfulness.

The present study aimed to validate the Persian version of the MAAS in Iranian substance abusers.

This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted in Tehran during April 2017-December 2018 on 753 male Iranian substance abusers. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Persian version of the MAAS, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), the General Self-efficacy Scale, the Aggression Scale, and the Quality of Mindfulness Scale. The study had two stages of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 22, and a single-factor structure was employed to analyze the internal consistency of the MAAS in LISREL version 8.8.

The CFA results indicated that the single-factor model had a good fit to the data. In addition, negative correlations were observed between the MAAS, DASS-21, and aggression, while a positive correlation was denoted with self-efficacy (P < 0.01).

According to the results, the Persian version of the MAAS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the mindfulness of Iranian substance abusers. Our findings shed light on a new direction for future focus and exploration in this regard.