Correlations between Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Ventricular Arrhythmias Following Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background: Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), which result from acute myocardial infarction and revascularization, are preventable causes of sudden cardiac death. This study aimed to determine the incidence, types, and risk factors of VAs in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the cardiology department of a tertiary care cardiac center in Zanjan, Iran. All the patients were monitored during hospitalization, and the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias and the outcomes were recorded. Result: Among 315 patients, the mean age was 62.14±10.11 years, and 76.2% were male. Male gender was significantly associated with VA occurrence (P=0.038). Among the patients, 50.5% had VAs, of which 26.4% were sustained ventricular tachycardia (sustained VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF). Sustained VT and VF, but not total arrhythmias, were more common in anterior infarctions. Most arrhythmias occurred during the first 12 hours, and frequent premature ventricular contractions (43.3%) and idioventricular rhythm (20.1%) were the most common. A history of PCI and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was associated with substantially reduced arrhythmias (P=0.017 and P=0.013, respectively). However, cardiovascular risk factors exerted no statistically significant effects on the VA type. Conclusion: Approximately half of our patients experienced reperfusion-induced VAs. Overall, gender and a history of PCI and CABG were significantly associated with VA occurrence. Therefore, males and patients without a positive history of PCI and CABG should receive antiarrhythmic drugs as a precaution

In Memoriam Professor Mohsen Ziai; A Pediatrician with Many Gifts (July 29, 1927- March 27, 2013)

Iranian Journal of Pediatrics lost a famous Editorial Board member and the Iranian medical community lost a leader on 27th March 2013, with the death of Prof. Mohsen Ziai, at age 86. Prof. Ziai was highly respected and widely regarded as a giant in pediatrics, not only in Iran, but in the U.S. as well. Numerous textbooks teach pediatrics but no book is written on how to become a noble, dedicated and superb pediatrician. However, the life story of Prof. Ziai, illustrates how a young man from Khorasan, Iran, traveled to the U.S. soon after World War II, received a great medical education, returned home to practice and teach medicine, and ended up with a highly distinguished career in pediatrics

An experimental study of acidizing operation performances on the wellbore productivity index enhancement

Abstract The hydrocarbon fossil fuels are considered as the preferable fuels to provide sufficient energies for industrial purposes. Also, extracting oil from the exploration wells might be a concerning issue in the coming decades, and petroleum engineers push themselves into limits ind novel solutions to enhance the oil recovery factor. Wellbore stimulation procedures exert a profound impact on the current production rate enhancement; respect of the way, reservoir productivity index witnesses a steep rise during the production operation and subsequently would virtually eliminate unnecessary expenditures of other methodologies. Appropriate investigation of acidizing procedures and its significant role in the wellbore production enhancement are utterly dependent on the quality and types of additives, types of acid, acidizing operation and types of formation. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of injected acid in the carbonated reservoir and subsequently its comparison with the acidizing operations model. Therefore, available well-testing experiments are administered to determine the critical reservoir parameters such as skin factor, reservoir pressure, and permeability. Since then by modeling the wellbore condition in the acidizing operation simulator software, the impact of acidizing on the reservoir is simulated. Consequently, the provided information from software is compared with the real data from well-testing operations. As a result, productivity index is increased dramatically owing to successful acidizing procedures

Investigating the difference in the length of lower limbs in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome

Background: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the common causes of anterior knee pain in young people.Objectives: This study investigated the length difference of lower limbs in patients with PFPS syndrome.Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the difference in the length of the lower limbs of patients in the supine position was assessed using five different clinical methods. These five methods included: 1- the measurements of the actual length of the lower limb, 2- the apparent length of the lower limb, 3- the method of Iliac Crest Palpation and Book Correction (ICPBC) under the short leg of the patient, 4- evaluation of the internal ankles, and 5- bilateral anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS). Data were analyzed using the SPSS software.Results: Nearly 60% of the patients with PFPS felt pain in both knees. The average actual length difference of the lower limbs in patients was 7.00±4.04 mm. Moreover, 75% of the patients had a limb length difference of more than 4 mm. There was no significant difference in the actual length of the limbs regarding age, BMI, employment status, and history of underlying diseases. However, these factors were significantly higher among women than men (p=0.047). Moreover, the results showed that the average length of limbs was significantly lower among patients who exercised during the week (p=0.015). Measurement of lower limb length had moderately correlated using two methods of actual limb length and ICPBC (p=0.001, Kappa=0.421) and two methods of apparent limb length and medial ankle (p=0.032, Kappa=0.317).Conclusions: The difference in lower limb length was more than 4 mm in most patients (75%). Furthermore, in most patients with knee pain on the left side (unilateral/bilateral left more severe), their right side was short and vice versa