The Information Needs of Parents of Children with Cancer: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Cancer is one of the chronic diseases in children. Parents of children with cancer, as members of the healthcare team with the special role, need enough information about cancer. The aim of this study was exploring and identifying the information needs of parents of children with cancer. Method: This was a qualitative research using content analysis method with a phenomenological approach. 14 parents were selected from Children's Medical Center Hospital of Tehran, Iran, and interviewed using semi-depth method for three months. The obtained data were constantly analyzed through constant comparison analysis method. Results: The obtained data were categorized into 4 themes and 14 subthemes. Medical information about child with cancer, physical healthcare, psycho-educational care, and lifestyle information were the main concerns of parents. Conclusion: Medical information, psycho-educational, and physical healthcare information have been identified as the most important concerns of parents in relation to the child with cancer. Thus, it seems essential to develop suitable parents’ education plans. Keywords: Child, Cancer, Parents, Information sharing, Needs, Qualitative researc

Establishing Normal Ranges of Hematological Parameters From an Iranian Healthy Population: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study of Hospital Data

Measurement of hematological parameters and their reference ranges play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of many infectious diseases and cancers. However, there are marked differences in the reference ranges between developing and developed countries. The aim of this study was to establish reference ranges of hematological parameters. This cross-sectional study was conducted in patients visiting Noor Eye Hospital who had no systemic diseases. In the lying position, blood samples were collected in two test tubes (Becton Dickinson Ltd, UK) using the Venoject method. EDTA-containing blood samples were used for complete blood count and differential leukocyte count using a cell counter (Nihdon Kohden Celltac E, Japan). Descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA were used for data analysis. The data of 46,595 individuals were analyzed of whom 47.3% (n=22,042) were men. The mean (95% confidence interval) of white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), platelet, and Hemoglobin (Hb) was 6.68 (6.66-6.69), 4.83 (4.83-4.84), 238.40 (237.87-238.93), and 14.29 (14.27-14.30), respectively. There was no difference in hematological parameters between male and female subjects. Except for the platelet count that was higher in individuals below 18 years than those 18-64 years and ≥65 years, other parameters had no relationship with age. Normal values of hematological parameters in the Iranian population are similar to the Middle East and African countries but below standard reference values. Except for the platelet count that decreased with age, there was no significant difference in hematologic and immunologic parameters between age and sex groups. Considering the difference between our results and standard reference values, we suggest that normal values be determined locally for each country