Modern Care Journal
Volume:21 Issue: 1, Jan 2024

 Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common fungal infection caused by Candida species in the female genital tract.

 This study attempts to predict predisposition to VVC related to risk factors and clinical symptoms among vaginitis cases using the artificial neural network (ANN) model.

 This cross-sectional study was performed on 250 women referred to gynecology clinics in Birjand, Iran. A questionnaire was used to record participants' demographic information. Swabs were used for wet mounts and culture. Candida species were identified by morphological and physiological methods. The performance of the optimal neural network model was assessed by the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy area under the ROC curve (AUC). Descriptive statistics were used for the statistical description of data, and chi-square test, t-test, and ANN analysis using SPSS application tools (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) version 22 software at 0.05 significant level.

 The prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis was 41.0%, and Candida albicans was the most frequently identified species (55.9%). The descriptive statistics (chi-square test and t-test) revealed no significant difference between the frequencies of Candida infection with demographic factors and clinical presentations. However, factors such as abortion history, number of sexual intercourse, dyspareunia, education, natural vaginal delivery (NVD), and lower abdominal pain included in our ANN model had significant differences (P < 0.05).

 The result of the ANN model revealed that using demographic factors and clinical symptoms can predict VVC infection. Therefore, this model can identify the effect of the clinical presentations and symptoms of infection.

 Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment can negatively impact the quality of life and lead to symptoms such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Internet-delivered interventions may reduce these symptoms in patients with limited access to face-to-face psychological treatments.

 This study aimed to determine the effect of online mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention on the sleep quality of women with breast cancer in Birjand City.

 In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 62 eligible women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy in Birjand were selected using convenience sampling. They were assigned to two groups, intervention, and control, each consisting of 31 individuals, using random allocation. In addition to standard treatments, the intervention group received online MBSR training consisting of four two-hour sessions over four consecutive weeks. The control group only received standard cancer treatments. The data collection tool included a demographic form and a standard Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire completed by individuals before, immediately, and 2 months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 statistical software. The following tests were conducted at a significance level of P < 0.05: Chi-square, Fisher's exact, Independent t, repeated-measures ANOVA, Bonferroni, Mann-Whitney U, and Friedman.

 The mean sleep quality scores decreased immediately and 2 months after the intervention compared to before in the intervention group, while it increased in the control group (P < 0.001). Also, the independent t-test showed that the mean sleep quality scores decreased in the intervention group from before to immediately after the intervention, as well as from before to 2 months later (P > 0.001). In contrast, the control group patients experienced increased sleep quality scores (P > 0.001).

 Mindfulness-based stress reduction significantly improved sleep quality in the intervention group, as demonstrated by decreased scores immediately and 2 months after the intervention. On the other hand, the control group experienced an increase in sleep quality scores. These findings highlight the effectiveness of MBSR in enhancing sleep outcomes.

 This study aimed to determine breastfeeding women's feelings, thoughts, and experiences during COVID-19.

 This qualitative research was conducted in a research hospital in Central Anatolia, Turkey. The study focused on women who had given birth in the postpartum clinic, and it involved in-depth interviews with 42 participants on their first day of maternity. The interviews were recorded using a tape recorder. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.

 Four main themes and 12 subthemes were developed, namely: fear (catching the disease, not being able to breastfeed, infecting the baby), strain (loneliness, lack of social support, feeling sad and inadequate), lack of knowledge (social isolation, compliance with hygiene rules, taking action), and requirement (need for information, expectation of help, increasing mother support).

 Women may be vulnerable postpartum due to restrictions on access to social support systems and isolation.

 Patients with bipolar disorder suffer from different problems, including emotional disorders, e.g., the loss of emotional self-regulation.

 This study aimed to investigate the effects of emotional schema therapy and dialectical behavior therapy on emotional self-regulation in patients with bipolar II disorder (BP-II).

 This was an experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The research population comprised patients with BP-II who visited the counseling and psychology centers of Dezful (Iran) in 2022. A sample of 45 eligible patients was purposively selected and randomly allocated to three groups. Each of the two experimental groups received twelve 90-minute sessions of emotional schema therapy and eleven 90-minute sessions of dialectical behavior therapy, while the control group was on the waiting list. The data were collected using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and analyzed using the analysis of covariance with the Bonferroni post-hoc test in SPSS v. 26.

 In the emotional schema therapy group, the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the post-test scores of adaptive and maladaptive emotional self-regulation were 20.60 ± 2.99 and 12.66 ± 2.22, respectively. Moreover, in the dialectical behavior therapy group, the mean ± SD of the post-test scores of adaptive and maladaptive emotional self-regulation were 21.60 ± 3.33 and 14.13 ± 2.35, respectively. Both interventions significantly reduced maladaptive emotional self-regulation and significantly increased adaptive emotional self-regulation in the patients with BP-II, compared to the control group (P < 0.001).

 Emotional schema therapy and dialectical behavior therapy improved emotional self-regulation in patients with BP-II. Therapists and healthcare professionals can thus administer both methods and other effective methods to improve health-related traits, especially self-regulation, in patients with BP-II.

 Various psychological, social, and biological factors affect the lifestyles of middle-aged women, and unhealthy lifestyles are primary concerns, according to the World Health Organization. Mindfulness counseling has emerged as a widely used approach to modifying and improving lifestyles.

 This study assessed the effectiveness of mindfulness-based counseling on the health-promoting lifestyle in Iranian middle-aged women.

 An experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design and a control group involving 48 middle-aged women who were referred to Comprehensive Health Services Center No. 1 in Lordegan, Iran. The study was initiated in October 2020 and finished in February 2021. The first step was to recruit women through convenience sampling and then randomly assign them to the intervention (n = 24) and control (n = 24) groups. The intervention group received mindfulness counseling from a trained midwife once a week for 8 weeks. Walker's health-promoting lifestyle profile II (HPLP II) was completed at the beginning of the study and 4 weeks after the intervention. Independent and paired t-tests, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests were used for data analysis in SPSS v. 24. Statistical significance was attributed to a P-value of less than 0.05.

 Before any intervention, no notable difference was detected in the average health promotion lifestyle in the intervention (113.04 ± 24.05) and control (109.41 ± 15.68) groups (P = 0.539) and the dimensions of both groups (P > 0.05). However, the intervention group showed a significantly higher mean (151.66 ± 14.01) for the health-promoting lifestyle than the control group (107.75 ± 12.27) following the counseling sessions (P < 0.001).

 Enhancing the health-promoting lifestyle and, subsequently, the quality of life of middle-aged women can be achieved through mindfulness counseling. Therefore, the administration of group counseling incorporating mindfulness techniques is recommended for this population.

 One-lung ventilation (OLV) is often required to facilitate surgical exposure. Hypoxemia is a common disorder during thoracic surgery.

 We studied whether changing from the supine to the lateral position during OLV and two-lung ventilation (TLV) in thoracic surgery would affect positions on arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2) in two groups of smokers and nonsmokers.

 This single-blinded prospective observational pilot study was conducted on patients who underwent thoracotomy under general anesthesia. The effect of lateral and supine PaO2 was investigated in 15 patients with a history of smoking (≥ 40 packs/year) and 15 patients without. The data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS v. 19.

 Arterial oxygen pressure did not significantly differ between the two groups in the supine TLV (P = 0.98), supine OLV (P = 0.16), lateral TLV (P = 0.06), and lateral OLV (P = 0.31). However, the PaO2 level was higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (except during supine TLV). Changing the position from supine to lateral caused a relative decrease in PaO2 (except during TLV in smokers) during TLV and OLV. This reduction in PaO2 levels was less in smokers (72.12) than in nonsmokers (95.28). Oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels were the same in all positions regardless of whether they were a smoker or nonsmoker.

 Changing the position from supine to lateral had no significant effects on PaO2 and SpO2 levels in smoker and nonsmoker patients during OLV and TLV in thoracic surgery.

Cervical medullary injury is a severe type of spinal cord injury that can lead to neurogenic bladder and neurogenic rectum, which increases the risk of autonomic dysreflexia (AD) in patients. Autonomic dysreflexia is a common group of clinical syndromes characterized by autonomic dysfunction after spinal cord injury in the T6 or higher level. If left untreated, AD can lead to severe complications such as hypertensive crisis, paroxysms, intracranial hemorrhage, and even death. Nursing interventions are crucial in selecting the timing of catheterization for a patient with frequent AD during intermittent catheterization for cervical medullary injury, enhancing the overall quality of care for patients with cervical medullary injury.

This study focused on a tetraplegic patient with a cervical medullary injury who developed AD during intermittent catheterization. The factors influencing AD during intermittent catheterization were explored through a literature review, urodynamics, and a bladder scanner. The nursing interventions implemented included active control of AD, personalized assessment of the risk of abnormal autonomic dysreflexia, prevention, early identification, acute episode management, precise bladder management, and implementation of a personalized care plan. After 31 days of treatment, the number of AD episodes was significantly reduced, leakage was decreased, and urine volume was controlled in the normal range with good results. The key points of care included timely control of urine output, selection of the best catheterization timing, and other health education methods. The nursing interventions played an active and effective role in maintaining normal bladder function, and the patient resumed regular intermittent catheterization.

Nursing interventions are vital in managing patients with cervical medullary injuries who require intermittent catheterization. A comprehensive nursing care plan that includes personalized assessment and management of AD can significantly improve outcomes for these patients and prevent the occurrence of AD, ultimately leading to a better quality of life.