Pattern of Acute Pediatric Poisonings in Birjand City, East of Iran

Background: Acute pediatric poisoning represents a frequent cause of admission to the emergency departments. This descriptive and retrospective study was conducted in Birjand, eastern Iran, with the aim of evaluating the pattern of pediatric poisoning in this region.Methods: During the 6-year period from 21st March 2006 to 20th March 2012, all files of pediatrics poisoned patients admitted to the emergency department of Vali Asr teaching hospital was reviewed and the data were recorded in a pre-designed form. The results were analyzed by relevant statistical tests.Results: During this period, 246 cases (41.1% female and 58.9% male) were admitted with a diagnosis of acute poisoning. The mean age was 37.6 +/-32.64 (range: 0.06-156) months. The majority of poisonings occurred in the children aged about 2 to 5 years. The most common agents involved were opioids (39.43%), pharmaceuticals (22.76%) and envenomations (15.9%). Most of the patients were living in urban areas (56.91%).  There was a significant correlation between older age and intentional poisoning (P<0.01). There were also significant correlations between the toxic agent and either the season (P<0.0001), or patients’ age (P<0.0001), residential status (P=0.008) and or consciousness (P<0.0001). Moreover, we introduced Majoon Birjandi as a new cause of poisoning in the literature.Conclusion: Acute opium poisoning was the most common in terms of morbidity and mortality in this region. Health authorities should consider preventive programs in this regard. Moreover, Majoon-e-Birjandi as a new cause of poisoning should be considered in this region, which is not previously reported in the literature

Treatment of 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2, 4-D) Poisoning; a Case Study

Background: 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2, 4-D) is an herbicide in chlorophenoxy group that use as a weed killer. Acute poisoning with 2, 4-D may be fatal in large ingestion. There is no specific antidote for 2, 4-D herbicide poisoning. We report here a case of 2, 4-D toxicity with rhabdomyolysis.Case Report: In this case study we present a case of intentional consumption of 2, 4-D herbicide with main gastrointestinal complain that became toward   rhabdomyolysis and liver damage during hospital course. Successful treatment with sodium bicarbonate and other conservative therapies was performed.Conclusion: In cases of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid poisoning, rhabdomyolysis should be in mind and an alkaline diuresis can increase herbicide elimination as well as treatment of rhabdomyolysis should be considered

C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE IN SERUM AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID IN RAPID AND EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF CHILDHOOD MENINGITIS

ObjectiveBacterial meningitis is still a life threatening epidemiological problem especially in many developing countries; considering its dire consequences, its prompt and accurate diagnosis has become a priority for clinicians. Because of the various limitations of conventionally used laboratory techniques, we evaluated and compared the diagnostic utility of C-reactive protein(CRP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis and its effectivity in distinguishing it from aseptic meningitis (AP).Material and MethodsA total of 125 pediatric cases, aged between 1 month and 12 years, including patients with bacterial meningitis (n=45), aseptic meningitis (n=42) and a control group (n=38), were retrospectively analyzed on the basis of data from the initial clinical examinations. Cultures, smears and other common serum and CSF indices were compared with serum and CSF CRP levels and LDH activity.ResultsCompared with each of the other variables, there were significant differences in the mean values of serum-CRP, CSF-glucose, CSF-LDH and CSF/serum LDH ratio between the bacterial and aseptic meningitis groups (

Flash flood susceptibility assessment and zonation by integrating analytic hierarchy process and frequency ratio model with diverse spatial data

Flash floods are the most dangerous kinds of floods because they combine the destructive power of a flood with incredible speed. They occur when heavy rainfall exceeds the ability of the ground to absorb it. The main aim of this study is to generate flash flood maps using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Frequency Ratio (FR) models in the river’s floodplain between the Jhelum River and Chenab rivers. A total of eight flash flood-causative physical parameters are considered for this study. Six parameters are based on remote sensing images of the Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS), Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and Sentinel-2 Satellite, which include slope, elevation, distance from the stream, drainage density, flow accumulation, and land use/land cover (LULC), respectively. The other two parameters are soil and geology, which consist of different rock and soil formations, respectively. In the case of AHP, each of the criteria is allotted an estimated weight according to its significant importance in the occurrence of flash floods. In the end, all the parameters were integrated using weighted overlay analysis in which the influence value of drainage density was given the highest weight. The analysis shows that a distance of 2500 m from the river has values of FR ranging from 0.54, 0.56, 1.21, 1.26, and 0.48, respectively. The output zones were categorized into very low, low, moderate, high, and very high risk, covering 7354, 5147, 3665, 2592, and 1343 km2, respectively. Finally, the results show that the very high flood areas cover 1343 km2, or 6.68% of the total area. The Mangla, Marala, and Trimmu valleys were identified as high-risk zones of the study area, which have been damaged drastically many times by flash floods. It provides policy guidelines for risk managers, emergency and disaster response services, urban and infrastructure planners, hydrologists, and climate scientists

Determinants of online purchase intention and moderating role of trust in social network websites in Malaysia

The rapid growth of social networking sites (SNSs) has led to a change in marketing strategies and purchase behaviour of consumers. Drawing on the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, a theoretical basis for the online buying intention based trust, performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, habit, social influence and effort expectancy constructs was examined. The data came from a sample of 370 students who had a prior experience in online buying. It was found that habit, hedonic motivation and performance expectancy were significant predictors of buying intention; however, effort expectancy and social influence did not significantly predict purchase intention. Habit had stronger influence on buying intention for customers with a high level of trust, whereas hedonic motivation and performance expectancy had a higher effect for customers with a low level of trust. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed

Validation of the Persian version of the Instagram Addiction Scale among Iranian students

Background: The increasing use of social networking sites (SNSs) globally has brought about significant changes in individuals' daily lives and interpersonal relationships. Instagram is one of the most popular SNSs and has played an important role in these changes. While most individuals' use of Instagram has beneficial effects, there have been some studies suggesting that Instagram use can be addictive for a small minority of users. Therefore, valid and reliable tools are needed to investigate this phenomenon. Method: The present study tested the psychometric properties of the 15-item Persian version of the Instagram Addiction Scale (IAS) among Iranian students. Confirmatory factor analysis and convergent validity were used to evaluate scale validity, and Cronbach's alpha and test-retest methods were used to evaluate the reliability. The sample comprised 660 students, including 476 women (72.1%) and 184 men (27.9%). The mean age of the total sample was 23.7 years. Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.87 for the whole scale, 0.74 for the social effect subscale and 0.84 for the compulsion subscale. Correlation coefficients obtained from divergent validity with psychological well-being and life satisfaction scales were significant. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the Persian IAS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the risk of Instagram addiction among Iranian students

Basic psychological needs and psychological well-being: the mediating role of Instagram addiction

Instagram is a popular social network platform that brings benefits to many. However, for a small minority, problematic use may be an issue of concern (i.e., Instagram addiction). This addiction appears to originate from various contexts and can also have psychosocial consequences. The present study investigated the basic psychological needs and psychological well-being and the mediating role of Instagram addiction. The sample comprised 660 participants who completed a number of psychometric scales including the: Instagram Addiction Scale (15 questions), Basic Psychological Needs Scale (21 questions), and Psychological Well-being Scale (18 questions). The results confirmed the fit of the model, and showed the direct adverse and significant effects of basic psychological needs on Instagram addiction, Instagram addiction on psychological well-being, and the positive and significant direct impact of basic needs on psychological well-being. There were also significant indirect effects of basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in well-being via Instagram addiction. The failure to satisfy basic psychological needs appears to play an important role in the addictive use of Instagram, leading to a decrease in psychological well-being