National Program for Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in Iran

This is an Article in format of Letter to the Editor (LTE) and do not need an abstract

Towards defining criteria for metformin usage in management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

This is an article in the format of Letter to the editor. Then it does not have an abstract

Ectopic Pregnancy risk factors among the patients referred to Shariati hospital in Bandarabbas

Background: Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is the most common cause of death related to pregnancy during the first trimester and its' incidence is increasing. Knowledge about the risk factors of EP can be helpful in diagnosis and also in prevention of EP, because some of these risk factors are preventable. The aim of this study is to assess the EP patients and the prevalence of EP risk factors among them in Bandarabbas.Methods: Eighty two patients with EP referred to Shariati hospital in Bandarabbas in 2009 were included in our descriptive study. Study was conducted using a questionnaire about demographic characteristics, EP risk factors, and information about treatment and duration of hospital stay. Data was collected using interview with patients by educated personnel and patients' records during hospitalization. After data collection we analysed the data using SPSS 17.0 software using descriptive statistics (Mean, Standard Deviation, and frequency).Results: Mean age of the participants was 27.46±5.98. Sixty four (78%) patients were households and 18(22%) were employees. Sixteen (19.5%) had low socioeconomic status, 62(75.6%) had intermediate socioeconomic status and 4 (4.9%) had high socioeconomic status.Twenty one (25.6%) of patients were using withdrawal method for contraception at the time of conception. Condom, Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCP), DMPA, and IUD was reported in 7 (8.5%), 13 (15.9%), 8 (9.8%), and 2 (2.4%) respectively. Other 31 (37.8%) patients weren’t using any method for contraception. Six (7.3%) patients had previous history of EP. Also 4 (4.9%) had history of previous EP in their near family members. One (1.2%) patient was undergone surgery for Tubal Ligation (TL).Four (4.9%) patient were using tobacco. EP location was in fallopian tube in 62 (75.6%) and in other places in 20 (24.4%) of patients. Thirty four (41.5%) received drug therapy, 35 (42.7%) undergone surgery and 13 (15.9%) received both drug and surgery treatment. Mean duration of hospital stay was 5.73±3.96.Conclusions: Despite the progress in diagnostic and therapeutic options for management of EP still there is a need for prevention of EP. All women should be aware of the risk factors of ectopic pregnanc

Epidemiologic findings of the patients who attempted suicide and referred to the Shahid Mohammadi hospital of Bandar Abbass in 2009

Objective: Suicide is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide and is influenced by cultural, psychological and social aspects. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of suicide in Bandar Abbas in 2009.Methods: In a cross-sectional study in 2009, all suicidal patients who were referred to the emergency room (ER) of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital of Bandar Abbass were enrolled. Fully trained medical interns of the ER first collected demographic data of the suicidal patients. Then the data, including their reason for attempting suicide, how they attempted suicide, previous suicide attempts, history of substance use, and the size of the family, were collected by direct interviewing the patient. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS-16 software.Results: About 405 patients were enrolled in the study consisting 172 men (44.2%) and 226 (55.8%) women. Mean age of the participants was 24.29±5.5 years. Most of the suicidal patients were 18 to 26 years old (64.2%). Thirty-eight percent of the women and 62% of the men were addicts. Eleven patients (2.71%) died, including eight men and three women. The most prevalent method of suicide leading to death was drug toxicity. Conclusion: Teaching problem-solving skills is an important way to control suicide. Identifying the risk groups, paying closer attention to the 18-26 age group, and moral support of the patients with previous unsuccessful suicide attempts might decrease the suicide rate

Correlation between Grades in the Medical Basic Science Course and Scores on the Comprehensive Basic Sciences Exam in Iran

Introduction: Medical students in Iran are required to undertake a Basic Sciences Comprehensive Exam (BSCE) at the end of their BS course in order to progress to the next stage of medical education. BSCE results are widely used to evaluate medical education programs among different medical universities. The aim of this study is to explore the correlation between BSCE results and students’ mean BS course scores.Methods: A cross-sectional study, using secondary data analysis, was carried out in 2007 in Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences (HUMS) in Iran. Data from the 20th BSCE (held in 1998) to the 36th BSCE (held in 2006) was collected. All medical students who took these exams and for whom the mean results of the BS course and the BSCE were available were eligible for inclusion in the study. For each medical student, data were obtained regarding age at the time of participation in BSCE, together with sex, entrance year, zone as categorised by the national quota system, mean BS course scores, BSCE result, duration of BS course (number of semesters) and number of failed semesters. Students whose data was not complete were excluded from the study. Data was analysed by using SPSS 15 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA) software.Results: 372 students undertook the BSCE during the research study period. Complete data was available for 365 medical students (98.1%). Among the participants, 224 (61.4%) were female and 141 (38.6%) were male. The mean age at the time of sitting the BSCE was 22.01±1.22. Mean BSCE scores were higher among students who had not previously failed a semester and who also finished the BS course within five semesters. Students with higher BS course scores had higher BSCE scores (P=0.000).Conclusions: Students’ BS course scores were found to correlate to BSCE results. Hence it may be prudent to identify medical students with low BS course scores, in order to provide additional educational support to improve their medical knowledge and thereby enhance their performance on the BSCE

Epidemiology of Schizophrenia in Bandarabbass in 2009

Objective: Schizophrenia is a harmful disorder with an unknown etiology that causes dysfunction and interferes with work, school and the patient's communications. The prevalence and incidence rate of schizophrenia varies in different countries. The aim of the current study is to investigate the epidemiology of schizophrenia in Bandarabbass in 2009.Methods: This descriptive and retrospective study was conducted in 2009 in Ebnesina Mental Hospital and patients who were diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the DSM-IV criteria were enrolled (198 patients). Then, by using a checklist prepared by a psychiatry specialist, the data was extracted from the medical records. The gathered data was analyzed by SPSS 19 using the descriptive statistics test.Results: The mean age of the 198 participants was 36.5±11.591, and 69.2 percent of them were male and 30.8 percent were female. Also 60.6 percent of the patients were married and 76.8 percent were unemployed. Four percent had diabetes and 3 percent were hypertensive and 84.3 percent didn't have substance use comorbidity. Hallucinations were seen in 45.4 percent of the patients and 60.1 percent experienced delusions. Conclusion: As discussed above, many of the symptoms were different in Bandarabbass and this confirms that race plays a significant role in schizophrenia and its symptoms. Therefore more research must be performed about schizophrenia in different regions. Since the presentation of this disorder varies, unique treatments according to patient’s race might be needed