The Software Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Needs to Be Upgraded Further: Letter to the Editors

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Evaluation of Predictive Factors and Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening in Women Referring to Comprehensive Health Centers in Khorramabad, Lorestan Province, Iran during 2020

Background: Cervical cancer is among the most common malignancies in women, especially in developing countries. Proper and timely screening can prevent this cancer and its complications. The present study aims to assess the cervical cancer screening status in women referring to comprehensive health centers in Khorramabad, Iran.Methods: A total of 457 married women aged 18-60 years, who referred to health centers in Khorramabad city, were included in this cross-sectional study using a multi-stage (stratified-cluster-random) sampling method. Information on demographic characteristics, pregnancy history, cervical cancer screening status, including taking or not taking screening tests so far, frequency and intervals of screening and the reason for not taking screening tests were collected using a multi-part questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The mean age of participants in the study was 36.1± 9.69 years. About 66.7% of the participants stated that they had the history of taking at least one Pap smear (Papanicolaou smear) by the time of the study. The age of first Pap smear in most participants was 25-29 years and the frequency of taking a Pap smear test in most cases (28.9%) was once. Most participants reported that they did not take Pap tests because they were unaware of the importance and necessity of taking a Pap smear test. The frequency of Pap smear screening in the women surveyed was statistically significant by age (PV=0.001), education level (PV<0.001), occupation (PV=0.001), and place of residence (PV=0.001).   Conclusion: The level of awareness and subsequently cervical cancer screening frequency can be increased in women of the community with proper planning and training women in the community at various levels, including the comprehensive health center

Comparing the Accuracy of Radiography and Sonography in Detection of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Diagnostic Study

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative disorder occurring in elderly people. Radiography and sonography are convenient techniques to detect diverse pathological features of knee OA. BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative disorder occurring in older people. Radiography and sonography are convenient techniques to detect diverse pathological features of knee OA. AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of radiography and sonography in the detection of diverse features of knee OA. METHODS: In a prospective cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study, 50 consecutive patients with suspected knee OA (40 women and 10 men, mean age 41.2 ± 6.1 years), referred to the rheumatology clinic of the Shohada Hospital of Khorramabad. All obtained magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radiographic and sonography images were evaluated by two radiologists and rheumatologist with sufficient expertise in degenerative knee disorders. MRI has been considered as a gold standard test in evaluating other tests. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV) and accuracy with 95% confidence intervals of radiography and sonography in the diagnosis of knee OA were calculated. RESULTS: Prevalence of the marginal osteophyte, geode and decreased joint thickness were significantly higher in patients with age &gt; 40 years compared to ≤ 40 years (P ˂ 0.05). The incidence of diverse features of knee OA was not significantly different in terms of the patient’s gender, except for decreased joint space. The specificity of radiography was higher than its sensitivity. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that both radiography and sonography are useful imaging modalities, especially to diagnosis the positive cases of knee OA. The specificity of radiography is higher than to its sensitivity for all pathological features of knee OA. The sensitivity of sonography to detect some features of knee OA such as decreased joint thickness is considerably higher than radiography. &nbsp

Workplace violence against nurses working in Khorramabad educational hospitals and their Confronting behaviors in violent events

Background & Aims: Workplace violence is considered as a health problem in nursing profession. The aim of this study was to determine nurses behavior meeting to workplace violence and their confronting reactions in violent events. Materials & Methods: This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on all of nursing staffs of Khorramabad educational hospital in 2011. A questionnaire containing, personal and occupational characteristics, prevalence of four types of occupational violence (Physical, Verbal, Racial and sexual), nurses confronting behavior and violence predisposing factors was used. After collecting, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including mean and frequencies by SPSSversion16. Results: Analysis of the data showed that the most frequent type of violence against nurses was verbal violence committed by patient and their relatives (%78.5), managers (%46.2) and staffs (%43.1) respectively. The least frequent type of workplace violence was the sexual one. Most of the nurses' confronting violent behavior was calling hospital guard, and most of the nurses’ confronting behavior was ineffective. Conclusion: The result showed high prevalence of violence against nursing staffs, and the use of ineffective confronting behavior by nurses. Therefore it is necessary to develop educational program to empower the nursing staff against violent events

An Investigation into the Evaluation of the Satisfaction with Prenatal Care Services among Pregnant Women Attending Healthcare Centers during Pregnancy in the Capital of Lorestan Province, Iran

Background: Pregnancy period is one of the most important periods for mother and infant, and the maternal and fetal health during this period is of paramount importance. This study aimed to evaluate the satisfaction with prenatal (also known as antenatal) care services among pregnant women attending healthcare centers in the capital of Lorestan province (Khorramabad, west Iran).Methods: This cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study evaluated the satisfaction with benefitting from prenatal care services among pregnant women in the last months of pregnancy. The research sample was selected using a multistage sampling method involving a combination of stratified, cluster, and random sampling. The required data were gathered using a three-part questionnaire, including information regarding demographic survey questions, information about the extent to which pregnant women in Khorramabad benefit from prenatal care services, and the degree of pregnant women's satisfaction with prenatal care. Independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data.Results: According to the obtained results, the mean score of benefiting from and satisfaction with prenatal care services was high. The difference in the score of benefitting from services was statistically significant in terms of type of pregnancy and a history of stillbirth (p <0.05). The number of children, occupation, and type of pregnancy were statistically significant, and these factors produced the mean satisfaction score (p <0.05).Conclusion: To increase the rate of benefiting from and satisfaction with prenatal care services among pregnant women, the health authorities of the region should take effective practical and educational measures to improve the quality-of-care delivery, train health service providers, and complete and equip prenatal centers.Keywords: Satisfaction; Care; Pregnant women; Healthcare centers 

Probiotics and gastrointestinal diseases: A promising complementary medicine resource for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and diseases

Context: Probiotics are living microorganisms (bacteria or yeasts) whose swallowing in an appropriate number has beneficial effects on host health and improves the host microflora. Different types of digestive diseases are treated by probiotics, including inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases, functional gastrointestinal disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis. Aims: To analyze the role of the effect of probiotics on gastrointestinal disorders, especially intestinal illness. Methods: Articles related to “probiotics and digestive disorders and diseases” were searched in citation databases including PubMed, Institute for Scientific Information, Scopus, Google Scholar and Magiran. The search strategy was based on the terms “probiotics and gastrointestinal disorders”. Clinical trials and systematic reviews regarding the effects of probiotics on the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases were included. Irrelevant articles were deleted, and the rest of the articles were used to conduct review. Results: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Bifidobacterium lactys, Streptococcus thermophilus, Saccharomyces boulardii, Escherichia coli Nissle, Probiotic VSL#3, Bacillus coagulants, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus thermophilus are one of the most important probiotics that affect gastrointestinal disorders. Conclusions: According to the findings found in this review from clinical trials regarding the effects of probiotics on the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, there is evidence that the probiotics have beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal disorders

Investigation of breast cancer screening among the women of Khorramabad (west of Iran): A cross-sectional study

Abstract. Breast cancer is the most common women's cancer that more than 90% of the patients can be treated or even cured through early diagnosis. So we intend to investigate the status of breast cancer screening in Khorramabad, a city in the west of Iran. In the present cross-sectional study, the study population included 457 number of 20 to 65 year old women referring to the health centers of Khorramabad during the second half of 2015 to receive health care services. The sampling method was multistage random-cluster. A multi-part questionnaire were used. Fisher exact test, chi-square and independent t tests were used to analyze the data. &nbsp;The regular self-breast exam (SBE) had been carried out by 12.3% of the women, visiting doctors for regular clinical breast exam (CBE) had been done by 6% of the respondents and regular mammography every one to two years had been performed by 2.4% of the women. A statistically significant relationship was seen between occupation (P = 0.001), regular consumption of contraceptive pills (P = 0.032), history of breastfeeding, history of breast cancer in the first degree relatives (P = 0.001), and a history of cancer in the second degree (P = 0.005) relatives, and the regular SBE. Planning to enhance the women's awareness about breast cancer and the methods of early diagnosis and designing educational programs can be an important step to reduce deaths and disabilities caused by this disease among the women in such deprived cities

Evaluating Infant Complementary Feeding Pattern and Some Related Factors in Health Care Centers in Khorramabad, 2017 Year

Objective: Inappropriate starting of complementary feeding is an important factor leading to infant growth delay and malnutrition. This study was aimed to determine the complementary feeding pattern and some related factors in health care centers in Khorramabad.&nbsp; Methods: This cross-sectional study, included 300 one year old infants who had referred to nine health care centers in Khorramabad by multistage sampling. In present study, we used a questionnaire included individual information about mothers and infants and a checklist for evaluating breastfeeding and complementary feeding. Chi-square test and one way ANOVA were used to analyze the data.&nbsp; Results: In present study, 50.7% of infants were girls and 60.3% of cases were the first infant in their family. 59.3% of infants were delivered by cesarean. Average age of starting complementary feeding was 0.5 8.5. 75.7% of infants had exclusive breastfeeding up to first six months of their life. Among most cases, the first complementary food was rice flour porridge (29.3%) and almond porridge (15.7%). Most mothers had acquired necessary information about complementary feeding by using booklets (20.7%) and physician guidance (16.7%). There was a statistically significant relationship between age of starting complementary feeding and mother’s education (P=0.043) level and employment status (P=0.001).&nbsp; Conclusion: Related authorities should begin comprehensive and effective education by using novel training strategies to raise mothers' knowledge about age of starting complementary feeding and how to do it at health care centers

Comparison of Reasoner’s 2A Agar and Muller Hinton Agar Media for Microbiological Monitoring of Dialysis Water

Background and Aim: Microbiological culture of dialysis water is a routine safety measure. In, Khorramabad laboratories perform these cultures on Muller Hinton Agar (MHA) at 35–378C for 48&nbsp;h, not on the Reasoner’s&nbsp;2A agar (R2A agar) at 17–238ºC for 7 days recommended by international standards, the objective of the present study was the comparison of the efficiency of R2A and MHA media in the counting of heterotrophic bacteria in the samples of water collected in dialysis centers from 2 hospitals in Khorramabad, from September to November 2019. Methods: A total of 165 samples of treated water in dialysis centers were collected aseptically and then transported in ice‑packs to the Department of Medical Microbiology of the Lorestan University of Medical Sciences and the pour plate technique was carried out for the enumerating of heterotrophic bacteria. Finally, bacterial colonies were counted after incubation at 34±2ºC for 48&nbsp;hours on MHA and 25ºC for 1 week on R2A. Results: Results showed heterotrophic bacterial counts in R2A were greater than those in MHA in 89% of the samples, so enumeration of heterotrophic bacteria should be carried out in R2A agar associated with longer incubation times, because of the greater sensitivity. The proportion of water samples yielding colony counts ≥200&nbsp;CFU/mL by R2A -7d was significantly different from the proportion by MHA-48h (p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: The results proposed using R2A agar combined with relative low culture temperature (20-25°C), and an extended incubation time (7-10&nbsp;days) is more efficient. However, as the spectrum of bacterial contamination is not similar for dialysis centers and countries, many studies using different media and culture parameters are required to confirm this. *Corresponding Author: Faranak Rezaei; Email: [email protected] Please cite this article as: Pouladi I, Delfani S, Hadian B, Soroush S, Anbari K, Rezaei F. Comparison of Reasoner’s 2A Agar and Muller Hinton Agar Media for Microbiological Monitoring of Dialysis Water. Arch Med Lab Sci. 2020;6:1-5 (e10). https://doi.org/10.22037/amls.v6.3290