Human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and syphilis co-infections among patients with anogenital warts in Tabriz, Iran

Introduction: Genital infection with papilloma virus is the most common sexually-transmitted disease (STD). It is recommended that individuals who have a sexual risk factor, should be screened for syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and hepatitis B and C. However, this strategy is often not carried out in Iran. In the present study, patients with genital warts were screened for syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C. Methods: We evaluated 311 patients with anogenital warts visiting dermatology clinics from June 2016 to June 2017. In addition, demographic data were collected using a pre-designed questionnaire. Patients who presented to Sina Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, were examined for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, urethral and vaginal discharge, and history of painful genital lesions, while patients presenting to Bahar Behavioral Disease Counseling Center of Tabriz were examined only for HIV. Data were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests via SPSS software. Results: Out of 263 cases with genital warts presenting to Sina Hospital, 1, 1, and 2 cases were positive for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, respectively. At the same time, one of the patients presenting to Bahar Center showed HIV infection. Conclusion: We found two HIV-positive, two hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive, and one syphilis cases in 311 patients with genital warts, so it is recommended to assess these tests routinely in high-risk individuals with genital warts, including multi-partner and addicted patients

Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasonography for Identification of Small Bowel Obstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is known as a common cause of acute abdominal complaints in the emergency department (ED). The modality of choice for the diagnosis of SBO has not yet been established. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the accuracy of ultrasonography for the diagnosis of SBO. Methods: Systematic search was performed on five electronic databases including Medline, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Embase, and Cochrane Library, and the retrieval period was from the inception of each database to November 2023. The quality of the included studies were investigated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2). The pooled values of diagnostic characteristics for ultrasonography were estimated using meta-Disc and Stata statistical software. Results: Twenty-one studies with a total of 1977 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimate for sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the summary ROC curve of ultrasonography for diagnosing SBO were 0.93 (95% CI: 0.91–0.95), 0.8 (95% CI: 0.77–0.83), 5.69 (95% CI: 3.64–8.89), 0.1 (95% CI: 0.07–0.16), 83.51 (95% CI: 18.12–182.91) and 0.96, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this meta-analysis showed that the utilization of ultrasonography holds promise as a diagnostic imaging for SBO with high accuracy. However, additional worldwide studies are essential to get more evidence on the value of ultrasonography for the diagnosis of SBO

Predictive Value of Braden Risk Factors in Pressure Ulcers of Outpatients With Spinal Cord Injury

Pressure Ulcers (PUs) remain among the most common complications after traumatic spinal cord Injuries (SCIs). The main goal of risk factor assessment with different tools has been to provisionally estimate the chance of developing pressure ulcers in patients with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Braden tool has been of good predictive value and most commonly employed in hospital communities for risk assessment of pressure sore development. The objective of this study was to determine the Braden risk factors as well as the prevalence of pressure injuries in SCI patients. This cross-sectional study was performed from June 2013 to December 2015 on 163 consecutive referred outpatients with chronic traumatic SCI in our tertiary SCI rehabilitation clinic. We assessed pressure induced skin injuries as well as their Braden risk factors and analyzed their association with stage and location of Pressure Ulcer (PU) and calculated prevalence of PU. One hundred and sixty-three patients out of 580 were found to have active pressure sores, with a prevalence of 28.1%. In the multiple models, only the Braden scale had significant association with the presence of active pressure sore. Patients with severe and moderate Braden scores were 2.36 and 1.82 times, more at risk of pressure sore development, as compared with those having mild scores (P≤0.01). It may be deduced that in various stages of SCI rehabilitation, the Braden scale may be calculated, and patients with moderate and severe risks (according to Braden sale) may need more attention and/or inpatient care for PU prevention.