Hormozgan Medical Journal
Volume:27 Issue: 2, Apr 2023

 Chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) can lead to hopelessness, negative emotions and thoughts, and reduced quality of life. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of spirituality therapy and mindfulness-based training in increasing the resilience of MS patients.

 The present study was a quasi-experimental study adopting a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all patients referring to the MS Association of Tehran in 2018. Using a convenience sampling method, 60 patients were selected and randomly divided into three groups. Data were collected using the Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC) and analyzed adopting repeated measure analysis of variance. Data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software.

 The results of repeated measure analysis of variance showed that spirituality and mindfulness-based interventions exerted effect on resilience (P≥0.008). Comparing the results also revealed that spirituality therapy had more powerful effect on resilience (P≥0.001).

 It was concluded that spirituality therapy and mindfulness-based training were both effective in promoting resilience in MS patients; however, spirituality therapy was found to be more effective in increasing the MS patients’ resilience.

Hypertension during pregnancy, along with proteinuria and organ dysfunction, causes preeclampsia, which can lead to several complications, even death in some cases for both the mother and her fetus. This study aimed to compare the risk factors of preeclampsia incidence in multipara women in Bandar Abbas.

This case-control study reviewed 215 medical records of pregnant women referring to the Persian Gulf Hospital of Bandar Abbas, Iran from April 2019 to March 2020. They reviewed the records after their classification into the case (with preeclampsia) and control (without preeclampsia) groups. Both groups were matched, and after gathering the main variables and demographic factors, the data were analyzed by SPSS, version 22.

The mean age of the participants was 31.43 ± 5.04 years. There was a significant relationship between preeclampsia and chronic blood pressure (BP) (P=0.0001) with an odds ratio of 14.77. However, no significant association was found between liver disease (P=1.00), heart disease (P=0.095), diabetes (P=0.053), and kidney disease (P=0.76) with preeclampsia. In addition, the comparison results revealed a significant relationship between demographic variables and preeclampsia, systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P=0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (P=0.001) with the incidence of preeclampsia.

The results showed that even though there was no significant relationship between diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease with preeclampsia, patients with these diseases were 2.27, 1.21, and 6.3 times more likely to develop preeclampsia, respectively.

Currently, Iran has entered the malaria elimination phase, and no malaria cases have been observed in this country during the last two consecutive years. Continuous monitoring and analysis of the malaria situation are necessary to achieve the elimination goals set to be achieved in 2025. This study aimed to determine the malaria situation analysis during the implementation of the elimination programme in Jask county, one of the most important malaria foci in Iran.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in Jask county of Hormozgan province in the southeast of Iran from 2010 to 2020. Data were collected from the national malaria surveillance system and special forms that were completed by malaria focal points in Jask county. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 software and descriptive statistics.

A total of 347 confirmed malaria cases were recorded, and the total number of cases was found to decrease from 114 cases in 2010 to 11 in 2020. The mean age of the patients was 23.4±19.6 years, and most cases (74.06%) belonged to 15-year-old or older people. Plasmodium vivax was the most prevalent species (83.86%). Based on the results, males were more infected (81.84%) than females, and the majority of the patients were from rural areas (86.4%).

Malaria incidence has significantly decreased during the past eleven years in Jask county. The considerable drop in the incidence of malaria may be related to the implementation of comprehensive malaria control measures and intensive entomological and parasitological monitoring.

Biological aerosol particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter are among the health concerns in hospitals since they remain in the air for a long time and are infectious and easily transported. We aimed to investigate the concentration of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosols and evaluate their risk in the indoor environment of different wards of Khatam al-Anbia hospital, Jask, Iran, in 2020.

This descriptive-analytical study was performed by collecting and analyzing 50 samples from seven different hospital wards. The active sampling of bioaerosols was performed according to the standard method of the National Organization for Occupational Health and Safety and by a pump with a flow rate of 28.3 L/min for 10 minutes. Blood agar and eosin methylene blue were used to detect bacteria. Then, the Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to assess the microbial risk.

The concentration of S. aureus in different wards of the hospital was 4.81 to 18.11 CFU/m3 . The lowest and highest concentrations of S. aureus were in the operating room and general emergency wards, respectively, while the highest and lowest concentrations of E. coli were in the inpatient wards (0 CFU/m3 ) and infectious emergency ward (21.22 CFU/m3 ), respectively. The highest and lowest daily risk of S. aureus was observed in the neonatal and general emergency wards (8.03×10-4 and 3.02×10-4), respectively. Moreover, the lowest and highest daily risk of E. coli was found in the neonatal and male inpatient wards (zero and 7.21×10-3), respectively.

In some hospital wards, the concentration and infection risk of E. coli and S. aureus were found to be higher than the acceptable value. Since high concentrations of airborne bacteria can play an important role in producing nosocomial infections in patients and staff, it is necessary for hospital officials to take corrective measures in equipment control, use proper ventilation systems in the wards, and closely monitor the disinfection process.

In the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, frontline nurses were active in this event and faced numerous challenges. This study aimed to discover the emotional challenges nurses faced on shifts in COVID-19 wards.

In this phenomenological qualitative research, purposive sampling was used to collect the data. A phone interview was conducted with nurses who worked in COVID-19 wards in five Medical Science Universities in Iran in 2020. Then, the recorded interviews were written down. Findings were analyzed using a 6-step thematic analysis guided by Van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The validity and reliability of the study were assessed based on the four criteria proposed by Lincoln and Guba: credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transformability of data.

According to analyzed data obtained from interviews with 15 nurses working in the COVID-19 ward, the age average of participants was about 32±5.05. The thematic analysis consisted of four themes, including unpleasant reception (subthemes of limited resources, lack of knowledge, and unpreparedness to deal with the crisis), full involvement and various conflicts (subthemes of extreme fatigue, affected family life, uncontrollable fear, and career change), mental or psychological tortures (subthemes of unexpected incidents, distressing observations, and performance dissatisfaction), and patients’ emotional deprivation (subthemes of disappointment and frustration, communication disorder, and isolation).

This study described the experiences of nurses working in COVID-19 wards facing four emotional challenges. It is suggested to provide psychological support for nurses, meet their needs, and boost their morale as effective measures to expand the quality of care and society’s satisfaction with healthcare services.

 Smokeless tobacco (ST) refers to tobacco products that are used by a means other than smoking such as snuff, chewing tobacco, nas, and betel quid (pan). There is little understanding of the oral manifestations with tissue alterations of nas or pan consumption. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the oral manifestations in nas and pan consumers in Bandar Abbas, Iran, to raise the awareness of individuals and predict the associated risks and treatment strategies.

 This is a cross-sectional study carried out on 160 patients who referred to the dental clinic of the dentistry school at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences in the winter of 2018. Clinical examination was performed using periodontal sound, periodontal probe, mirror, wooden tongue blade, and sterilized gauze under standard unit light. A checklist was prepared and utilized to gather the demographic statistics and other data from the contributors. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23, and the significance level was considered 0.05.

 The participants comprised 145 (90.69%) males and 15 (9.37%) females. The average age of participants was 37.28±12.05, of which 60 patients (37.5%) had tissue alterations due to substance use. The majority of those with tissue alterations (68.33%) had superficial lesions with a color analogous to the surrounding mucosa with negligible wrinkling and without apparent thickening. Further, individuals with lower income had greater oral lesions significantly (P=0.016). The mean age of individuals with tissue changes was higher than those without tissue changes, but this difference was not significant (P=0.114).

 Tissue alterations in men were greater than those in women, but this difference was not significant. Lower income was significantly related to greater oral lesions. This might be due to various factors such as a lack of oral health literacy or a lack of access to financial resources for taking care of their oral health.

 Diltiazem is a calcium channel blocker that can prevent calcium absorption by myocytes and decrease the tone of the internal anal sphincter. Thus, it can be used for the treatment of anal fissures; however, its effect on post-hemorrhoidectomy pain is unclear. Accordingly, the current study aimed to evaluate the effect of topical diltiazem on post-hemorrhoidectomy pain.

 This cohort study included 50 candidates of hemorrhoidectomy referred to Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran from March 20, 2020, to March 21, 2021. First, the characteristics of the patients, including age, gender, degree of hemorrhoid, and the number of hemorrhoid pockets were recorded based on the study purpose. One group received topical diltiazem 2% three times a day for three days after hemorrhoidectomy, and the other group received Vaseline®. Both groups also received 500 mg paracetamol tablets. Post-hemorrhoidectomy pain was assessed using a numerical rating scale (NRS) by patients on the first and third days after surgery. The cumulative amount of consumed paracetamol was also noted on the third day.

 Patients in both groups were comparable regarding age, gender, degree of hemorrhoids, and the number of pockets. There was no significant difference between groups in terms of pain on the first day after surgery (P=0.626), while the mean pain score was significantly lower in the diltiazem group on the third day compared to the placebo group (P<0.001). Finally, the cumulative amount of consumed paracetamol was significantly higher in the placebo group (P=0.001).

 Overall, topical diltiazem appears to be more effective than placebo for post-hemorrhoidectomy pain reduction.

 Psoriasis is an autoimmune and common disease that affects 1 to 3% of the world’s population. The appearance and progress of psoriasis are influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Topical steroids have remained the first-line treatment for psoriasis. Long-term use of topical corticosteroids is associated with the risk of side effects. The purpose of this study was to compare the complications and efficacy of topical clobetasol ointment with Salvia officinalis ointment in the treatment of plaque psoriasis.

 A topical ointment containing 20% Salvia officinalis was prepared in the pharmaceutical laboratory of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. After standardization, this experimental study was performed on 84 voluntary patients with mild plaque psoriasis for two weeks. One group was treated with the prepared S. officinalis ointment twice daily and the other group was treated with topical clobetasol ointment twice daily. In each group, psoriasis severity was assessed using the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) at determined time points including baseline and one and two weeks after treatment initiation.

 At the end of treatment (2 weeks), the mean PASI score changed from 2.36 to 1.55 in patients who received topical clobetasol ointment and this score reduced from 2.74 to 2.23 in patients who applied topical S. officinalis ointment. After 14 days of treatment, the mean percentage decrease in mean PASI score was greater in patients who applied topical clobetasol ointment.

 This study provides evidence that topical clobetasol ointment is more effective than 20% S. officinalis ointment in the treatment of psoriasis. However, S. officinalis ointment can be used as an adjuvant therapy to the main treatments of mild plaque psoriasis.

 Although there are very few studies in the literature, out-of-hospital deliveries are increasing in Turkey. Our aim was to examine trends in out-of-hospital deliveries, the risk profile of these deliveries, differences in women’s access to these deliveries, and delivery outcomes.

 This cross-sectional study included 215 women and was conducted retrospectively in a rural setting in Turkey between 2020 and 2021. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the authors. The questionnaire included demographic information, obstetric background, and reasons for giving birth at home, as well as data on who encouraged the decision to give birth at home and who helped with home births.

 In the study, the delivery time of mothers was found to be 5.99 hours, which is shorter than the average delivery time in the literature. It was observed that 87% of the mothers did not undergo episiotomy, and none of them experienced the need for induction at birth. It was determined that 49.8% of the mothers gave birth in the position they wanted and chose to give birth in bed. It was observed that 99.1% of the mothers did not experience complications at birth.

 Overall, midwife-managed births met the mothers’ expectations of privacy, a safe environment, social support, and uninterrupted birth. More importantly, there were no complications in midwife-led deliveries, and midwifery care was given in line with evidence-based practices.