The Epidemiological Status of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in East Azerbaijan Province (Iran) in 2016-2018

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Serum ferritin levels and irregular use of iron chelators predict liver iron load in patients with major beta thalassemia: a cross-sectional study

Aim To determine whether serum ferritin, liver transaminases, and regularity and type of iron chelation protocol can be used to predict liver iron load as assessed by T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with beta thalassemia major (TM). Methods This cross-sectional study, conducted from March 1, 2014 to March 1, 2015, involved 90 patients with beta TM on regular packed red blood cell transfusion. Liver and cardiac iron load were evaluated with T2* MRI. Compliance with iron-chelating agents, deferoxamine or deferasirox, and regularity of their use, as well as serum ferritin and liver transaminase levels were assessed.Results Patients with high serum ferritin were 2.068 times (95% confidence interval 1.26-3.37) more likely to have higher liver or cardiac iron load. High serum aspartate aminotransferases and irregular use of iron chelating agents, but not their type, predicted higher cardiac iron load. In a multiple regression model, serum ferritin level was the only significant predictor of liver and myocardial iron load. Conclusions Higher serum ferritin strongly predicted the severity of cardiac and liver iron load. Irregular use of chelator drugs was associated with a higher risk of cardiac and liver iron load, regardless of the type of chelating agent

Diagnostic Accuracy of Chest x-Ray and Ultrasonography in Detection of Community Acquired Pneumonia; a Brief Report

Introduction: Chest x-ray (CXR) is the simplest diagnostic tool of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP), but it has some limitation. Therefore, the aim of this study is comparing the diagnostic accuracy of CXR and chest ultrasonography (CUS) in detection of CAP. Methods: In the present study, a consecutive sample of suspected patients with CAP was underwent CUS, CXR, and chest computed tomography (CT) scan. Diagnostic accuracy of CUS and CXR was assessed by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios using SPSS 20 statistical software. Results: 30 patients with CAP were enrolled (93.3% male with mean age of 63.8 ± 18.3 years). Sensitivity of CUS and CXR in detection of CAP were 100.0% (95% Cl: 85.4-100.0) and 93.1% (95% Cl: 75.8-98.8), respectively. Specificity of CXR was 0.0 (95% Cl: 0.0-94.5), while the CUS specificity was not calculable. Conclusion: Findings of the present study demonstrated on the higher diagnostic accuracy of CUS versus CXR in detection of pneumonia

Thyroid Function Tests and the Serum Levels of Prolactin in Women With Suicide Attempt

Background: Suicide is a major public health concern across the world. Based on related studies, thyroid dysfunction is associated with psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to determine the relationship between thyroid function tests and serum prolactin in women with suicide attempt.Methods: A total of 261 women with the suicide attempt were included in this descriptive-analytical study which took over one year (July 2015- July 2016). In addition, the patients’ serum Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH), free T4, and prolactin were measured, too.Results: Of 261 patients, 44(16.9%) had subclinical hypothyroidism, 3(1.1%) clinical hypothyroidism, and 1(0.4%) hyperthyroidism. The median value of serum prolactin in the patients with decreased thyroid function was higher. There were not significant relationship between suicide attempts and thyroid dysfunction or serum level of prolactin.Conclusion: Although there was no significant relationship between thyroid test, serum level of prolactin and suicide attempts, the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and high serum levels of prolactin were clinically significant in women who attempted suicide. Thus, the measurement of serum TSH, free T4 and serum levels of prolactin could be considered for these patients

Battered Child Syndrome; a Case Study

One of the important and usual missed causes of pediatric traumas is child abuse. This ominous phenomenon, which can be presented physically, psychologically, sexually, and emotionally has grown significantly in recent years. Many children are not diagnosed in the early stages of evaluation. Battered Child Syndrome is used to describe the clinical condition of the child serious physical abuse by parents or caregivers. Medical staff should always keep the syndrome in their mind for those brought to the emergency department with trauma. In this report, we described a patient complained of dysphagia following a falling from a height and multiple epidural hematomas and final diagnosis of battered child syndrome

Effect of fruit essential oil on ephedrine induced manic like behavior: evidence from a new protocol

Introduction: Estimating ephedrine’s effect on animal’s locomotor activity and evaluation of cumin fruit essential oil (FEO) effect and mechanism of ephedrine-induced hyper-locomotion.Methods: A new protocol developed for evaluation of manic behavior induced by ephedrine in a dose and time dependent manner. Following the suppressive effects of cumin FEO on acquisition and expression of ephedrine induced manic behavior was examined. Furthermore, the effect of L-NAME on expression of manic behavior and effect of bicuculline on suppressive effects of cumin FEO was evaluated.Results: Ephedrine at the dose of 100 mg/kg (i.p.) in a five days protocol significantly increased the locomotor activity in mice. In addition, cumin FEO at the specific dose of 2% significantly suppressed the acquisition and expression of hyperactivity induced by ephedrine. L-NAME at doses of 30 (p<0.01) and 40 mg/kg (p<0.05) showed similar effects as cumin FEO at the dose of 2%. Bicuculline (as a GABAA antagonist) at the specific dose of 2 mg/kg (p<0.01) could significantly reverse the suppressive effects of cumin at the dose of 2%.Conclusion: It could be concluded that cumin can suppress the manic behavior induced by ephedrine through the both previously suggested mechanisms of nitric oxide syntheses pathway and GABAergic system.Declaration of Interest:None.Keywords: Cuminum cyminum fruit, Ephedrine, Manic disorder

Transient Unexplained Shock in 30-Year-Old Trauma Patient

Shock as an inadequate tissue perfusion is one of the frequent causes of death in trauma patients. In this context, there are various reasons for hemodynamic instability and shock including hypovolemic (hemorrhagic), obstructive (cardiac tamponade, tension pneumothorax), cardiogenic, neurogenic, and rarely septic. In the present report, a 30-year-old trauma patient with full clinical signs and symptoms of shock referred while had unknown origin; it was finally recognized as anaphylactic shock.

Poisonous Spiders: Bites, Symptoms, and Treatment; an Educational Review

More than 40,000 species of spiders have been identified in the world. Spider bites is a common problem among people, however few of them are harmful but delay in treatment can cause death. Since the spider bites are risk full to human, they should be taken seriously, especially in endemic areas. Our objective in this review was to study about poisonous spiders and find out treatments of them. Therefore we collected related articles from PubMed database and Google Scholar. Three important syndromes caused by spider bites are loxoscelism, latrodectism and funnel web spider syndrome. Many treatments are used but much more studies should have done to decrease the mortality. In this review, we describes different venomous spiders according to their appearance, symptoms after their bites and available treatments.