Effect of acupressure on pain in Iranian leukemia patients: Arandomize d controlled trial study

Nonpharmacological methods of pain relief such as acupressure are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Practitioners often claim that such methods are highly effective and less invasive than analgesic drugs, but available empirical evidence is largely inconclusive. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that, postacupressure intervention, the amount of pain experienced by sampled leukemia patients, who received acupressure in addition to standard care, will reduce substantially compared to patients who received only routine treatment. This controlled trial was undertaken with hospitalized leukemia patients between February and June 2015. Our primary sample consisted of 100 participants who were randomly allocated to 2 groups. One (intervention) group underwent 12 acupressure sessions in addition to standard treatment while the control group received no intervention apart from being given the standard treatment for leukemia. The visual analogue scale was used to measure the levels of pain experienced. No significant differences were found between the 2 groups across 12 interventions. However, each group reported significantly different pain level changes before and after each intervention, suggested that the acupressure method was effective in reducing pain in the short term. Nurses are able to apply this complementary therapy alongside other procedures to manage these patients' pain. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to better understand the specific conditions under which acupressure can provide effective pain relief

Effect of nociceptive stimulation on heart rate, respiratory rate and SPO2 in patients with traumatic brain injury

Background and purpose: Pain assessment is a challenge in traumatic brain injury (TBI) in critical care units. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the effect of nociceptive stimulation on heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation (SPO2) in patients with traumatic brain injury. Materials and methods: A quasi-experimental research was conducted in 35 TBI patients, applying nociceptive and non-nociceptive procedures. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and SPO2 were measured one minute before, during, and 15 minutes after the procedures. Results: There was a significant association between the mean scores for physiological variables before, during, and after the intervention. Eta values of physiological variables in nociceptive procedure were higher than those of the non-nociceptive procedures. There were significant associations between the nociceptive procedure and heart rate and SPO2 changes. But, there was no association between nociceptive procedure and respiratory rate (P<0.05). Conclusion: Current findings suggest that painful stimulation could significantly increase heart rate and decrease SPO2 in patients with traumatic brain injury. Therefore, nurses could use these physiological markers as a convenient and easy-to-access method for initial assessment of pain in traumatic brain injury patients

The Effect of Life Skills Training on Mental Health of Iranian Middle School Students: A Preliminary Study

Objective: This research aimed to study the effect of life skill training on mental health of Iranian middle school students. Method: This experimental study was conducted In 2015 on 100 students of city of Ghaemshahr (North of Iran), who were randomly selected and divided into two equal groups of intervention (n = 50) and control (n = 50). Qualified trainers provided eight sessions (two sessions a week for 2 hours) of life skills training to the intervention group for one month. The control group did not participate in any training sessions during the same period. Mental health in both groups was assessed by a questionnaire pre- and post-training. Data were analyzed using descriptive and infernal (ANCOVA and paired t-test) statistic tests. Results: The average age of the participants in both groups was 13.5±1.01. ANCOVA test results revealed that the average score of violence, addiction, stress and sensation-seeking before and after the training was statistically significant in the intervention group and control groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: Life skills training had positive effects on mental health of the participants. Given the importance of mental health in modern societies, it is necessary for schools to incorporate life skills in their curriculum to support the mental health of adolescents

In Vitro Comparison of the Effect of Three Types of Heat-Curing Acrylic Resins on the Amount of Formaldehyde and Monomer Release as well as Biocompatibility

Background/Purpose. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of formaldehyde and monomer are essential in resin-based denture’s byproducts. This present study was performed to compare the release of formaldehyde and monomer and biocompatibility of three brands of heat-curing acrylic resins, including Ivoclar, Bayer, and Acropars, with different mixing properties and the same processing methods. Materials and Methods. In this experimental in vitro study, 18 samples were fabricated from Ivoclar, Bayer, and Acropars heat-curing acrylic resins (each group consisting of 6 samples). The released formaldehyde and monomer level were measured and registered for 1, 7, and 30 days. Also, methyl methacrylate release from samples was used to test cell cytotoxicity using L-929 murine fibroblast. The data were analyzed with repeated measures, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Results. For formaldehyde release of 1 day, Ivoclar acrylic resin showed the lowest level, followed by Bayer and Acropars acrylic resins (P<0.05). On 7 and 30 days, Bayer acrylic resin released the lowest formaldehyde, followed by Ivoclar and Acropars acrylic resins (P<0.05). Acropars showed the weakest and most significant results regarding biocompatibility and monomer release in all three points of time, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion. Acropars acrylic resin showed the most significant formaldehyde and monomer release and least biocompatibility compared to Bayer and Ivoclar for 1, 7, and 30 days; however, after 30 days, all three resins displayed the same amount of formaldehyde release