Effects of Transfer Training on Musculoskeletal Pain in the Caregiver of a Stroke Patient: a Case Report

The purpose of this case report was to evaluate the effectiveness of training of transfer techniques to a caregiver of a person who had suffered a stroke in decreasing musculoskeletal pain, depression and anxiety. This study adopted a single subject research design to evaluate the effectiveness of transfer-techniques training on musculoskeletal pain, depression, and anxiety in a 25-year-old female caregiver of a person with a stroke. The study was completed in four phases, including a baseline evaluation (1st and 3rd week), training (3rd, 5th and 7th week), post-training (9th week), and follow-up evaluation (11th week). During the 1st week, demographic and descriptive information (such as age, time since diagnosis, cognition and independence of daily living) were collected from the stroke patient. Also, pain severity, anxiety and depression levels of the caregiver were evaluated. In weeks 3, 5 and 7, transfer training was undertaken. The patient was involved in the training with the caregiver under the supervision of an occupational therapist in their own home. The effectiveness of the training with regard to musculoskeletal pain and depression and anxiety levels of the caregiver was evaluated in the 5th, 9th and 11th weeks. The data were analyzed using a visual analysis of trends and levels. The results showed a decrease in pain severity, anxiety and depression during training and post-training. The changes continued during the follow-up stage. This study suggests promising results for the effectiveness of the transfer-techniques training and justifies further clinical trials. A larger trial is required to confirm the effectiveness of transfer training in improving pain management in caregivers of stroke survivors

Delayed Referral in Children with Speech and Language Disorders for Rehabilitation Services

Objectives: Speech and language development is one of the main aspects of evolution in humans and is one of the most complex brain functions such that it is referred to as one of the highest cortical functions such as thinking, reading and writing. Speech and language disorders are considered as a major public health problem because they cause many secondary complications in the childhood and adulthood period which affect one’s socioeconomic status overall. Methods: This study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was to identify all potential factors influencing delay in referral of children with speech and language disorders for receiving rehabilitation services, based on literature as well as the families’ and experts’ points of view. In the second phase of the study which was designed in a case-control manner, actual factors influencing the time of referral were compared between two groups of participants. Results: Parental knowledge of their children's problems related to speech and language had no significant impact on the on-time referral for treatment for children with speech and language disorders. After the child definite diagnosis of speech and language disorders, parents’ information about the consequences of speech and language disorders, had a significant influence on early referral for speech and language pathology services. Discussion: In this study family structure plays an important role in the early identification of children with developmental disorders. Two-parent families had access to more resources than single-parent families. In addition, single-parent families may be more involved in the work and business of life

Needle and syringe sharing among Iranian drug injectors

Abstract Objective The role of needle and syringe sharing behavior of injection drug users (IDUs) in spreading of blood-borne infections – specially HIV/AIDS – is well known. However, very little is known in this regard from Iran. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence and associates of needle and syringe sharing among Iranian IDUs. Methods In a secondary analysis of a sample of drug dependents who were sampled from medical centers, prisons and streets of the capitals of 29 provinces in the Iran in 2007, 2091 male IDUs entered. Socio-demographic data, drug use data and high risk behaviors entered to a logistic regression to determine independent predictors of lifetime needle and syringe sharing. Results 749(35.8%) reported lifetime experience of needle and syringe sharing. The likelihood of lifetime needle and syringe sharing was increased by female gender, being jobless, having illegal income, drug use by family members, pleasure/enjoyment as causes of first injection, first injection in roofless and roofed public places, usual injection at groin, usual injection at scrotum, lifetime experience of nonfatal overdose, and history of arrest in past year and was decreased by being alone at most injections. Conclusion However this data has been extracted from cross-sectional design and we can not conclude causation, some of the introduced variables with association with needle and syringe sharing may be used in HIV prevention programs which target reducing syringe sharing among IDUs.</p

In vitro development of embryos from experimentally Kerack-addicted Mice

Background: Prenatal drug exposure, as a common public health concern, is associated with an increased risk of adverse effects on early embryo development. Objective: To investigate the in vitro development of - embryo from experimentally Kerack-addicted mice. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five female mice were studied in five groups: control, vehicle, and three experimental groups of Kerack-dependent mice (I, II, and III) which received different doses of Kerack for 14 days. After the establishment of addiction model (7 days), experimental groups I, II, and III were given Kerack intraperitoneally at the doses of 5, 35, and 70 mg/kg, twice a day for a period of 7 days, respectively. The vehicle group received normal saline and lemon juice whilst the control group just received water and food. Morulae were obtained through oviduct flashing. The survived embryos were cultured in T6+ 5mg/ml bovine serum albumin. The developmental rates up to hatched stage daily and embryo quality (differential staining and Tunnel staining) were also assessed Results: The developmental potential of embryos obtained from the addicted mother was significantly decreased in comparison with control group. There was a significant reduction in the rate of blastocyst formation in the high dose Kerack dependent group. However, in addicted mice there was reduction in the total cell number (40.92% vs. 65.08% in control) and, inner cell mass percentage (17.17% vs. 26.15% in control) while apoptotic cells numbers were increased (7.17 vs. 1.46 in control) (p<0.05). Conclusion: The Kerack addiction during pregnancy retards preimplantation development and induces apoptosis