The effect of tactile-kinesthetic stimulation on growth indices of healthy neonates

Abstract Therapeutic touch is emphasized by healthcare professionals for improvement of neonates' growth and development. However, inconsistencies exist regarding effects and methods of massage in neonates. The purpose of this clinical trial is to assess and comprise intervention and control groups regarding the effects of tactile-kinesthetic stimulation (TKS) by mothers on growth indices of healthy term neonates. Sixty healthy term neonates were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. Mothers of neonates in the experimental group were trained to perform TKS for their newborns at home before feeding for at least 28 consecutive days, two times a day, and 15 min each time. Neonates in the control group were not required to receive this intervention. The neonates’ growth indices were measured within 24 h after birth, and then at days 14 and 28. During the study and the three consecutive measurements, no significant difference was found between the mean weights, heights, and head circumferences of the neonates in the two groups (p > 0.05). Keywords: Tactile-kinesthetic stimulation Growth indices Neonates Mother's touc

Minocycline combination therapy with fluvoxamine in moderate-to-severe obsessive�compulsive disorder: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial

Aim: Several lines of evidence implicate glutamatergic dysfunction in the pathophysiology of obsessive�compulsive disorder (OCD), presenting this neurotransmitter as a target for the development of novel pharmacotherapy. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of minocycline as an augmentative agent to fluvoxamine in the treatment of patients with OCD. Methods: One hundred and two patients with the diagnosis of moderate-to-severe OCD were recruited to this study. A randomized double-blind trial was designed and patients received either L-carnosine or placebo as adjuvant to fluvoxamine for 10 weeks. The patients randomly received either minocycline 100 mg twice per day or placebo for 10 weeks. All patients received fluvoxamine (100 mg/day) for the first 4 weeks, followed by 200 mg/day for the rest of the trial, regardless of their treatment groups. Participants were evaluated using the Yale�Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). The main outcome measure was to assess the efficacy of minocycline in improving the OCD symptoms. Results: General linear model repeated measures demonstrated significant effect for time � treatment interaction on the Y-BOCS total scores, F(1.49, 137.93) = 7.1, P = 0.003, and Y-BOCS Obsession subscale score, F(1.54, 141.94) = 9.72, P = 0.001, and near significant effect for the Y-BOCS Compulsion subscale score, F(1.27, 117.47) = 2.92, P = 0.08. A significantly greater rate of partial and complete response was observed in the minocycline group (P < 0.001). The frequency of side-effects was not significantly different between the treatment arms. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that minocycline could be a tolerable and effective adjuvant in the management of patients with OCD. © 2016 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2016 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurolog

Mothers satisfaction with two systems of providing care to their hospitalized children

Background: Despite the paramount importance of the patients satisfaction, there are limited data on mothers satisfaction with the nursing care provided to their children in Iranian clinical settings. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate mothers satisfaction with two systems of providing care to their hospitalized children. Patients and Methods: This research was a two-group quasi-experimental study. Primarily, the basics of the case method and the functional care delivery systems were educated to the practicing nurses of the study setting. Each system was implemented independently. After the implementation of each system, 200 mothers whose children were hospitalized in the pediatric care ward of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, were invited to respond to the 28 -item Pediatric Family Satisfaction Questionnaire. Study data were analyzed by SPSS v. 16.0. Results: Results were indicative of mothers� satisfaction with medical care delivered by case method as 13.2 ± 5.2 and by functional method as 13.17 ± 5.56. Also, no significant difference was seen between two groups (P = 0.4). Mothers� satisfaction with nursing care delivered by case method was 17.7 ± 4.43 and by functional method was 13.33 ± 5.69 and there was a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.004). Mothers� satisfaction with accommodations by case method was 16.78 ± 4.07 and by functional method was 17.9 ± 6.67 with a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.06). Conclusions: Improving the quality of care is associated with higher patient�s satisfaction. Accordingly, developing and implementing programs for improving nurses� communication and clinical skills can improve both care quality and patient outcomes. © 2015, Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal

A multicenter study of clinical and laboratory findings of palindromic rheumatism in Iran

Objective: Considering demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of palindromic rheumatism and finding out the difference between rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide positive and negative cases of palindromic rheumatism in Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional and multicenter study, patients with intermittent arthritis were evaluated by a rheumatologist for palindromic rheumatism. Diagnosis of palindromic rheumatism was made after ruling out other causes of recurrent arthritis, and the fulfillment of the Pasero and Barbieri criteria. Then the demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded and compared in rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide positive and negative patients. Results: Of the 69 patients with palindromic rheumatism, 35 were men and 34 were women. The mean ages of the patients at the time of diagnosis were 38.5 ± 14.6 years. The mean attack intervals and duration of the attacks were 66.3 ± 38.4 days and 3.9 ± 3.3 days, respectively. The most commonly involved joints were knees, metacarpophalangeals and proximal interphalangeals. Rheumatoid factor in 46.4 and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide in 42 of the cases were positive. Palindromic patients with positive anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide had higher age, shorter duration of disease, shorter duration of attacks, more frequent attacks and more metacarpophalangeal joints involvement. Conclusions: Rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides were found in a high proportion of patients with palindromic rheumatism. The clinical features of the disease in our study were different in rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide positive and negative patients. © 2012 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

Physical activity patterns in the elderly kashan population

Background: Physical activity is an important component of health in old age that provides personal independence, physical ability, and quality of life. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate physical activity and associated factors among the elderly population in Kashan, Iran. Patients and Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample was 400 elderly people (aged more than 60 years) living in Kashan, Iran in 2014. The subjects randomly selected via multi-stage cluster sampling from healthcare centers in three regions of Kashan. The sample size differed by gender and residence type. Each participant�s demographic characteristics and level of physical activity were recorded in a questionnaire, and the data were analyzed by SPSS version 16. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Pearson correlations, and ordinal regression were used in the data analysis. The significance level for all the tests was P < 0.05. Results: 237 (59.2) of the subjects were female. The average age of the study population was 67.6±6.8 years. Their average physical activity energy consumption was 326.21±364.84 according to the metabolic equivalent of hours per week. 20 subjects (5) reported no physical activity. 320 (80) and 59 (14.8) subjects had low and moderate physical activity levels, respectively. Only 1 subject (0.2) had extreme levels of physical activity. Men (n = 43, 26.4) were more likely to be moderately or extremely physically active than women were (n = 17, 7.2). There was a significant relationship between physical activity and sex (P < 0.0001), marital status (P < 0.0001), educational status (P < 0.002), current occupation (P < 0.0001), and personal independence (P < 0.00001). Of course, effective predictive variations included age (P = 0.034), gender (P = 0.001), marital status (P = 0.033), independent status (P = 0), and local environment (P =0.001). Conclusions: The study revealed low physical activity in the elderly population in Kashan. The pattern of physical activity in the elderly depends on their lifestyle. A promotion of active lifestyles should be a part of health care planning for the elderly. © 2016, Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal

Herbal medicines and phytochemicals for obsessive–compulsive disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively prevalent mental disorder that poses significant health burdens on the community. Although current conventional medications have good efficacy for many patients, they can elicit a range of associated adverse effects. Plant‐based compounds have been evaluated for different mental disorders, with a range of anxiolytic properties revealed. To determine the current evidence in the area, we conducted a systematic review using the electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library up to June 12, 2019, for pharmacological and clinical evidence of herbal medicines and phytochemicals with antiobsessive–compulsive effects. Additional search criteria were employed for locating research on the underpinning mechanisms of action. Results revealed that tentative low‐quality evidence exists for several plant medicines, including Crocus sativus, Silybum marianum, Echium amoenum, Hypericum perforatum, and Withania somnifera, along with several natural molecules, including crocin, cannabidiol, and curcumin. Although more research is needed to confirm effectiveness, present preclinical studies indicate that monoamine pathway modulation (in particular serotonin reuptake inhibition) may be the most important anti‐OCD mechanism among the studied natural compounds