مجله دانشکده پزشکی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران
سال هشتادم شماره 2 (پیاپی 254، اردیبهشت 1401)

Nowadays, the COVID-19 pandemic has become a global problem that new methods must be used to prevent it. The virus is highly contagious and is mainly transmitted through the air. Ozone is a powerful oxidant that can be used to inactivate a wide range of viruses that may be resistant to other disinfectants. The purpose of this study was to review the use and effect of ozone in inactivating indoor viruses.

To conduct this review study, the keywords such as ozone, virus and air were used to search the PubMed and Scopus databases. Articles were searched from 2010 to 2020. As a result of the search, 57 articles in this field were selected and their content and results were used in this review study. 

This review study showed that ozone has been successfully used to prevent several viral diseases such as COVED-19. In addition, some viruses, such as coronaviruses, contain sulfhydryl functional groups containing cysteine and tryptophan that react better with ozone gas. The infected person's sneezing may result in the formation of 40,000 droplets in the air. The droplets can be transferred to the nearest surface up to approximately 2 meters before falling and also may remain in the air for 30 hours.

The use of ozone gas has many potential applications in inactivating viruses in enclosed spaces. Given the importance of virus-containing aerosols in the transmission of COVED-19, ozone can be a promising way to prevent the disease. The degree of inactivation of viruses by ozone gas depends on the gas concentration, contact time, temperature, humidity and type of virus. In general, studies in this field have shown the use of ozone gas in preventing the spread of viral diseases such as COVED-19. Necessary safety measures and precautions are also recommended in using this gas.

Despite the considerable advances in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) treatment and management, finding the cure for this disease has been hindered by emerging challenges such as virus resistance and treatment failures. The purpose of this study is to compare the cytokine profiles of patients with successful treatment and patients with unsuccessful treatment to gain a better understanding of treatment failure mechanisms.

Sixty-nine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients who were referred to the west health center of Tehran between September 2018 and March 2021 were included in this study. Blood CD4+ cell count and viral load was measured using the flow cytometry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) methods respectively. Based on the viral load test results patients were divided into successful treatment (viral load<200 copies/ml, n=36) and unsuccessful treatment (viral load>200 copies/ml, n=33) groups. Subsequently, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) serum levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

 Analysis of data revealed that there was no difference in demographic data, medical history and clinical laboratory test results between the study groups. Elisa test results showed that serum TNF-α levels were significantly higher in the unsuccessful treatment group compared to the successful treatment group (10.43±10.17 vs 5.37±5.25, P=0.01) but no differences were observed in IL-10 levels between the study groups. Furthermore, age and sex-adjusted linear regression models showed that non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI)-based treatment regimen is positively associated with serum IL-10 levels in patients with unsuccessful treatment (B coefficient 10.88 (95% CI: 1.32-20.45), P=0.03). Moreover, based on the results of the linear regression models, no relationship between HIV viral load and serum IL-10 and TNF-α level was observed.

Results of this study showcased the importance of TNF-α in disease progression and treatment failure. Further future studies regarding this relationship can provide vital information in AIDS treatment research.

Supralevator abscesses make up to 9% of all cryptoglandular abscesses. Given that platelet-rich fibrin accelerates tissue growth and reduces infection, it seems necessary to investigate its effect on the healing of fistula wounds because it can accelerate the healing of morbid wounds and reduce its effect on recurrence.

The study was performed as a single-blind clinical trial in patients who were referred to the surgical clinic of Rasoul Akram Hospital (PBUH), with the approval of the supralevator collection. Before surgery, Wexner Score were identified in patients who underwent surgery, and the entire path of fistulas and cavities was identified. Clinical outcomes were monitored one day after surgery for up to two months once a week, then every month until complete recovery, and then six months after surgery. After the operation, the patients were examined for recurrence, until the PRF was absorbed, the dressing of the operation site was performed only with normal saline, and the patients were on a low-residue diet so that they could not excrete as much as possible.

10 people participated in the final analysis. The mean age of patients was 33.20 years (26-46 years). Three patients had a history of perianal abscess surgery, two patients had a history of fistula surgery and 1 patient had a history of Fisher surgery. The mean closing time of the cavity was 14.2 days (10-22 days). Two patients (20%) had a fever and two patients (20%) had a surgical site infection. Bleeding and recurrence were not observed in any of the patients. The mean preoperative Wexner score was 0.80±0.76 Which decreased to 0.68±0.50 postoperatively (P=0.045).

Finally, the findings of the study showed that the use of PRF to repair a complex fistula is a method that can be easily repeated with minimal side effects and can heal wounds caused by fistulas with supralevator collection. This treatment can play an important role in the treatment of complex fistulas that have moderate or extensive involvement with the sphincter, or the occurrence of fistulas with sphincter dysfunction.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive imaging technology that shows detailed anatomical and pathological images. It is often used for disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring, in particular with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, conventional MRI provides only qualitative information and cannot distinguish between myelin and axon destruction. One of the new methods in early detection for axonal injury is the DTI sequence, which can be used to observe and quantify the various dimensions of these plaques, including the direction of diffusion and average diffusion. In other words, in DTI, quantitative data from the image helps to estimate the physiological and pathophysiological information of plaques in the brain. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between DTI parameters including FA, MD, RD, AD, axon injury and severity of clinical symptoms in patients with MS.

This is a cross-sectional control case study that was performed in Isfahan Milad Hospital from December 2020 to August 2021. DTI imaging was performed on 41 patients with MS and 41 normal individuals, and DTI indices including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) in different areas of the brain were evaluated. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the severity of clinical symptoms in patients. The relationship between DTI indices and the severity of clinical symptoms and axon injury was analyzed by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.

Correlation analysis showed that there is a significant correlation between DTI sequence parameters and the VAS visual analog scale (P˂0.05) and according to the positive values of the correlation coefficient, there was a positive and significant relationship between VAS and the mentioned parameters and with increasing parameters. The DTI sequence of the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was significantly increased.

Indicators obtained from the DTI sequence can be used in the prognosis of the disease and the estimation of the severity of clinical symptoms during the patients' involvement.

Labeled leucocytes could be used for localization of infection foci after surgeries or in inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel diseases. Extraction of leucocytes needs 10% Hetastarch which is not available in Iran. We provide a method employing multiple centrifuges to extract and label leucocytes with Tc-HMPAO.

The study was conducted from April to June 2018 in the Nuclear Medicine Unit of Valiasr Hospital. Leucocytes were extracted from a 60 ml blood sample anticoagulated with Acid-citrate-dextrose through four-step centrifugation as below: 1-whole blood was centrifuged at 1k cycle per minute (CPM) for eight minutes to precipitate red blood cells (RBC). Supernatant including RBC free plasma, WBC, and platelet was extracted for the next step. 2-WBC was precipitated at 1.8k CPM for five minutes and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as supernatant. 3- PRP was centrifuged at 3k for five minutes and cell-free plasma (CFP) was extracted as supernatant, and 4- precipitate WBS at step two was washed with saline and centrifuged at 0.5k CPM to achieve washed WBC. Then the leucocytes were labeled with 40 mCi Tc-HMPAO through 15 minute incubation at 37-38 degrees centigrade. The extra free pertechnetate was eliminated using two additional centrifugation steps as follows: 1-0.5k CPM for five minutes to dispense free pertechnetate, and 2-0.5 for five minutes to achieve high radiochemical purity labeled WBC. Finally, the labeled WBC was re-suspended in CFP and reinjected to the patient. Imaging at 2-4 hours was done. The pathology and imaging of labeled WBC distribution are reported

No RBC was detected in microscopy. The majority of the leucocytes were lymphocytes with rare accompanying platelets. The radiolabeling efficiency of the procedure was higher than 40%. The viability test indicated more than 80% of viable cells. The radiochemical purity of the final product was more than 95%. Two to four hours after injection, low background images were acquired. The liver and spleen were target organs with low-grade urinary, thyroid, and GI activity.

Employing multi-stage centrifugation, Tc-HMPAO labeled leucocyte scan could be efficiently performed.

Head lice is one of the threats to public health in advanced and developing societies. In previous studies in Kerman Province, the rate of head lice infection was reported to be 3.8%. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of head lice infection among female students of elementary schools of Kerman, and to identify the factors involved.

This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study from September 2019 to March 2019. The statistical population in the present study was female students from first to sixth grade of elementary school in districts one and two of Kerman. In selected schools, 2850 female students were examined by census. 179 people were randomly selected from different classes and after the examination; a questionnaire was completed for each of them. The extracted data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression tests. Odds Ratio was analyzed with 95% confidence (at the level of P<0.05).

Female students whose mothers were illiterate were 3.51 times more likely to develop head lice. Students who bathed once a week were 0.03 times more likely, and those who shared personal items were 3.6 times more likely to develop the disease.   In terms of father occupation, the highest incidence of head lice among the subjects was 8 people (66.7%) related to people whose father job was free and the lowest was related to other occupations of 4 people (33.4%). There was no significant relationship between     father's job and head lice infection in the subjects (P=0.061).

The results of this study indicate the high infection rate of head lice in elementary school students of Kerman. This high level of infestation can cause more contamination among female students consequently, and may cause students to drop out of the school. Serious attention to reducing this infection by holding educational classes for school principals and teachers, as well as parents, seems necessary.

The decision to extubate the patient is crucial and challenging. The use of corticosteroids to reduce airway edema and extubation failure in intensive care patients is debatable.

In an observational prospective cohort study from April 2021 to July 2021, 110 patients undergoing head and neck surgery at Imam Khomeini Hospital's special wards were enrolled. Inclusion criteria: Patients undergoing head and neck surgery. Exclusion criteria: previous corticosteroid use, presence of tracheostomy tube, history of head and neck surgery. The intervention group (n=55) received intravenous dexamethasone 8 mg three times a day for the first 24 hours and 4 mg twice a day for the next 24 hours. The control group did not receive any corticosteroids (n=55). All the patients were weaned with the same protocol, including pressure support ventilation with pressure support 6-8 cm H20 and PEEP <5 cm H2o and FIO2 ≤0.4 for 1-2 hours without respiratory distress, hypoxia, tachycardia, and diaphoresis. Before extubation, the cuff leak test was done for all the patients with the cut-off point of 110 ml. The Chi-square or Fisher's exact test was performed for categorical variables, and a t-test was used to describe the quantitative variables. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

The mean age was 52.1±14.1, and there was no difference between the two groups. Demographic characteristics, including sex, body mass index, duration of surgery, kind of intubation, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, were not significantly different. The length of stay in the intensive care unit in the dexamethasone group was significantly longer than the control group (104 vs. 79-hour, P=0.001, CI 95%: 10.995-40.878). The rate of failure in extubation and postoperative stridor was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.237).

Dexamethasone usage seems not to be effective in reducing airway edema, and its routine use is not recommended in reducing stridor after endotracheal tube removal.

Health & Well-being is one of the most important fundamental human requirements and the main indicators of development and social welfare. However, with rising health costs and unlimited needs and dwindling health system resources, it is necessary to rethink new remedial behavior. Paraclinical services are an important and costly part of health services, it appears crucial to understand the elements that influence them.

This is a qualitative study that has been designed & performed from 23rd September 2019 to 23rd September 2021 through face-to-face interviews with selected experts. The project has been approved by the institutional review board of Islamic Azad University, Semnan branch through ethical registration codes as IR.IAU.SEMNAN.REC.1399.014. The first stage was to identify the dimensions and components affecting paraclinic services offered at Iran Social Security Organization (SSO) clinics & hospitals. A semi-structured questionnaire was prepared. The interview has been arranged with SSO managers, experts and officials and finally analyzed through the thematic analysis method.

Doing qualitative research and conducting thematic analysis, paraclinical services were classified into three categories: input, process, and outcome. The inputs  category had 5 organizing themes including paraclinical structure, human resource empowerment, cost management, social responsibility and service purchasing. The processes consisted of four themes: organizing the acceptance and delivery of services, monitoring and evaluating implementation, interdisciplinary coordination, applying innovation, and creativity in service delivery. Finally, outputs included three themes: organizing disease prevention and health promotion, gaining a competitive advantage, and reducing health costs.

According to the study's findings, to purchase or rationally use paraclinical services, it is necessary to know the dimensions and components that affect them. Managers of the social security organization are urged to lay a greater focus on employee empowerment, the employment of innovative approaches, and interdepartmental collaboration to enhance paraclinical service supply. Additionally, they may better fulfill their social duties and enhance their workers' health services by monitoring and evaluating executive actions.

The use of the traditional method for saphenous vein harvesting is associated with wound complications and not on-time patient mobilization. This has caused the improvement of minimally invasive vein harvesting techniques, together with general bridging. This study was designed to compare the therapeutic results of large saphenous vein harvesting with conventional and standard bridging techniques for lower extremity vascular reconstruction in patients with chronic lower extremity ischemia.

In this randomized clinical trial study, 66 patients with chronic lower extremity ischemia were randomly divided into two groups: large saphenous vein harvesting by conventional technique (continuous longitudinal incision) (n=30) and standard Bridging technique (small and multiple incisions) (n=36). Pain score (VAS), graft patency, wound complications, surgery results and patient satisfaction was recorded. The follow-up period was six months. (IRCT20190511043562N1).

Graft patency (P=0.353), and Amputation-free Survival (P=0.397) did not show a significant difference between the two groups. Changes in pain score at rest (P=0.846) and movement (P=0.380) at different times did not show a significant difference between the two groups. One week after the operation, the incidence of infection in the bridging technique showed a significant decrease (P=0.045). During the six months of follow-up, the wound healing rate, ischemic pain relief, and claudication improvement were better in the bridging technique but did not show a significant difference with the conventional technique (P<0.05). Patient satisfaction was higher in the bridging technique but did not show a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).

It seems that the use of the bridging technique in venous resection large saphenous vein harvesting is associated with reducing wound complications and pain, reducing the length of hospital stay, increasing the speed of wound healing, and improving patient satisfaction. The duration of graft patency and Amputation-free Survival were similar in the two groups. We believe that each technique has advantages and disadvantages that should be considered by the patient and surgeon when choosing a surgical procedure.

Tic disturbances are a group of developmental neurological disorders that often occur in childhood because of abrupt and automatic constrictions of muscles. This study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in children with a tic disorders.

This present case-control research was performed on 63 children with tic disorders and 63 children who were healthy and were referred to Besat clinics in Kerman, Iran from October 2019 to October 2020. The clinical information of patients with tic disorders was collected using a questionnaire. Serum vitamin 25(OH) D3 levels were assessed in patients with tic disturbances after identifying tic disorder.

In the group of children with tic disorders, the highest number of patients were girls and in the group of children who were healthy, the highest number of patients were girls. The average age of patients in the case group was 10.37±0.31 years old and the average age of patients in the control group was 10.06±0.41 years old. The average age difference between the children with tic disorders and healthy children was not statistically significant (P=0.971). The average body mass index (BMI) in the case group was 16.98±0.35 and the average BMI in the control group was 16.0±84.56. The average body mass index difference between the children with tic and healthy children was not statistically significant (P=0.838). The mean serum Vit 25(OH) D3 levels in the control group were higher than the average serum level of vitamin D in the case group. The mean serum vitamin D level difference between the children with tic disorders and healthy children was statistically considerable (P=0.036).

The results showed that the average serum level of vitamin D in children with tic disorders was significantly lower than in children who were healthy. To investigate and confirm this relationship, more long-term studies with a larger number of patients are needed.