Management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: A national clinical guideline

One of the best approaches for evidence-based care is providing and using the guidelines. Observing these guidelines results in a better quality of health care, decreased unnecessary or harmful interventions, lower health costs, and an increase in patients� satisfaction. Management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-1 in children and adolescents is a guideline published after 6 years of research and review of resources in the domain of treatment of ADHD. A research team formed in Iran University of Medical Sciences provided this guideline by addressing reliable references and observing a scientific approach. This guideline is provided with respect to the present resources for the standard treatment of ADHD in our country. To prepare this guideline, this research team considered the most recent and strict version of the writing method in the treatment section of Health, Treatment, and Education Ministry. Although the present guideline has some shortcomings, it is a turning point in the history of the development of health care. It presents a systematic approach in the treatment of such disorder, one of the most prevalent disorders in child psychiatry. The colleagues and treatment centers can help such an issue by applying this guideline. © 2020, Iran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Long-term health status 20 years after sulfur mustard exposure

To describe the long-term health status of Sardasht civilians 20 years after sulfur mustard exposure, a historical cohort study was carried out in Sardasht (Iran) that included 372 exposed and 128 unexposed civilians. Their symptoms, diagnoses, drug use, and general health were compared. The most common complaints were about the respiratory system (93.5), eyes (52), skin (94.7), and anxiety and depression (69.2). Respiratory (42.5), skin (75.5), ophthalmic (19.6), and mental (62.7) diseases were diagnosed by specialists and they were more common in the exposed group than the control group (P<0.001). Most of the exposed group had used drugs (70.6), which was more than control group (42.8). It seems that exposure to sulfur mustard caused a lot of health problems in Sardasht. Identifying the pathophysiology of these problems can help them more, but more investigation is needed

Long-term pulmonary complications in sulfur mustard victims of Sardasht, Iran

Sulfur mustard (SM) has widely been used against the military and civilians during the Iraq-Iran war (1980-1988). It mostly affects the respiratory system. A large historical cohort study was designed to evaluate the pulmonary status of non-military victims in Sardasht, Iran, in comparison with a matched control group 20 years after a single massive exposure. The exposed group was divided into two subgroups of hospitalized and non-hospitalized based on the severity of the injuries indicated by hospitalization a few days following exposure. All participants' respiratory symptoms and signs were evaluated by internists. Dyspnea (n = 261; P = 93.2) was the most common symptom. Chronic cough, cough severity, sputum, hemoptysis, dyspnea, pattern of dyspnea, severity of dyspnea (P < 0.001 for all), and chest pain (P = 0.003) were statistically significantly different between the two groups. Wheezing was the most common pulmonary finding (11.4). There was also a statistically significant difference in the auscultation of wheezing (P = 0.045) and rhonchi (P = 0.018) between the hospitalized and control groups. Considering objective findings, pulmonary involvement was observed in 24.3 (n = 68, P = 0.007)

Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study of Chemical Warfare Victims: Design and Methods

Background: insights into long-term clinical consequences of sulfur mustard have emerged from some investigations but less is known about the basic and molecular mechanisms of these complications. Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study is a comprehensive historical cohort study on Sardasht chemical victims' population which was designed to find out the long-term complications of sulfur mustard exposure and the basic mechanisms underlying clinical manifestations. This paper describes the design and methodology of Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study. Methods: In Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study, 500 individuals including 372 subjects from Sardasht, as the exposed group, and 128 subjects from Rabat, as the unexposed age-matched control group were evaluated. The exposed group was divided into two groups based on the severity of clinical complications at the time of exposure. Different samples including blood, sputum, saliva, tear, urine, and semen were collected for immunologic, hematologic, biochemical, and other laboratory analysis. Data were gathered from medical records, clinical examinations, laboratory tests, and questionnaires for psychological and lifestyle situations. Conclusion: The Important distinctions setting this study apart from the previous ones are discussed. The Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study provides important information on various aspects of long-term consequences of sulfur mustard exposure. This database will provide a better position to suggest guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of delayed complications in the patients exposed to sulfur mustard