The COVID-19 Outbreak in Iran; The First Patient with a Definite Diagnosis.

The novel coronavirus, formerly named as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) caused a rapidly spreading epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Wuhan, China and thereafter, progressed globally to form a pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in numerous countries; and now confirmed cases are reported from several provinces of Iran. Now various medical centers, clinicians and researchers around the world share their data and experiences about COVID-19 in order to participate in the global attempt of controlling the pandemic. The current report investigates the clinical presentations and paraclinical findings of the first confirmed cases and mortalities in the initiation of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran.

Migraine, dyspepsia, and Helicobacter pylori: Zeroing in on the culprit.

Background: Numerous studies have evaluated the impact of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on the number, severity, and recurrence of migraine attacks. But the association of migraine, H. pylori, and gastrointestinal (GI) presentation is challenging. The aim of the current study was to investigate the correlation between migraine, H. pylori, and peptic ulcers among patients with dyspepsia undergoing upper GI endoscopy. Methods: 305 patients with dyspepsia referring to our endoscopy ward, Shahid Beheshti Hospital affiliated to Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran, for upper GI endoscopy filled out the study questionnaire. If a patient was experiencing headaches and the migraine was confirmed by neurologists, he/she was asked to answer the questions related to migraine, which were prepared exactly from Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire. The relation between migraine and confirmed H. pylori contamination was investigated using statistical models. Results: Of all the 305 patients, 133 (43.6%) had confirmed episodic migraine headaches (MHs) and 177 patients (58.04%) had positive RUT for confirming H. pylori contamination, of which 123 (69.5%) had confirmed migraine. 52 (17.0%) had duodenal peptic ulcer(s), of which, 49 (94.2%) had a positive rapid urease test (RUT) (P < 0.001). 20 (6.5%) of all patients had the gastric peptic ulcer(s) which did not have a significant relation with H. pylori contamination. There was a significant relationship between the peptic ulcer site and migraine. In total, 177 patients (58.0%) had a positive RUT. History of migraine was significantly positive in those with positive H. Pylori contamination. Notably, multivariable analysis demonstrated a significant relation of H. pylori and migraine at younger ages. Conclusion: The prevalence of H. pylori and migraine in patients with dyspepsia seems to be high. Moreover, there is a meaningful association between migraine, duodenal peptic ulcers, and H. pylori infection, too.

A young woman with traumatic vertebral artery occlusion: a case report.

Vertebral artery occlusion (VAO) may result from closed head or neck trauma and can be lifethreatening due to brain-stem and cerebellar infarction. CT angiography is recommended as a screening diagnostic tool in selected patients after blunt cervical trauma. A 24-year-old woman was admitted to our emergency department with left hemiplegia two days after motor vehicle collision. Final diagnosis of occlusion of the right vertebral artery was made in CT angiography. She was treated with anticoagulant for 4 days then discharged with 5/5 muscle forces. She was advised to continue warfarin and atorvastatin for her after discharge.

The concept of portal system obstruction in Avicenna's canon of medicine

Historical literature on portal hypertension is mainly focused on the contemporary advances in therapeutic methods, especially surgical ones. However, it seems that the origin of the human knowledge on the portal system, its association with the caval system, obstructive pathologies in this system and the gastrointestinal bleeding due to hepatic diseases might be much older than previously believed. Avicenna provided a detailed anatomy of the portal venous system and its feeding branches in the Canon of Medicine. Soddat al-Kabed va al-Masarigha (liver and mesenteric occlusion) is also a disease presented by Avicenna with clinical, etiological and therapeutic descriptions suggesting the fact that Soddat al-Kabed va al-Masarigha has multiple similarities with the currently identified concept of "portal hypertension". He presented sense of heaviness in the liver area with or without mild pain, anemia, pale and inappropriate body color, and loose stool which can be complicated with ascites, infection, fever and abdominal pain as clinical manifestations of this disease. He has also suggested therapeutic approaches including laxative and diuretic herbs to help excreting the obstructive material into stool or urine.

Psychological effects on patient's relatives regarding their presence during resuscitation.

Introduction: Presence of family and patients' relatives throughout resuscitation procedure is one of the most challenging concerns. Methods: In an interventional (quasi-experimental) study that was conducted during a 6 months period, the patients' relatives were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (the relatives who were eager to be present throughout the resuscitation procedure- under the family protection protocol, all of the procedure steps were explained to the relatives by an expert nurse who was not involved in the resuscitation procedure and control group (those who were not invited routinely to be present throughout the resuscitation procedure. However, if the control group were eager to be present, they were allowed to observe the procedure (these people were not supported by the protocol). After 90 days, subjects were contacted through telephone and filled standard questionnaires (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]) and Impact of Event Scale (IES) were completed for all subjects. These questionnaires focus on anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The obtained data were analyzed. Results: One hundred thirty three relatives were divided into two groups of control (59 subjects) and intervention (74 people). No significant difference was observed between two groups regarding demographic features. The evaluation after 90 days revealed depression, anxiety disorders and PTSD to be significantly more prevalent in control group than the intervention group (P < 0.0001 ). Conclusion: Emotional and psychological support and intervention on the patients' relatives are efficient and can prevent the emergence of psychological disorders.

Determination of the diagnostic value of the Modified Mallampati Score, Upper Lip Bite Test and Facial Angle in predicting difficult intubation: A prospective descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Difficult intubation is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity related to anesthesia. We decided to evaluate the value of Modified Mallampati Score, Upper Lip Bite Test and Facial Angle in the prediction of difficult intubation. METHODS: In a prospective descriptive study, data from 132 patients who were candidates for elective maxillofacial surgeries under general anesthesia were gathered. Facial Angles were measured by a maxillofacial surgeon according to cephalometry. The Modified Mallampati Score and Upper Lip Bite Test were first measured by an anesthesiologist and then another anesthesiologist was assigned to record the Cormack and Lehane score during the intubation. Grades 3 and 4 were considered as difficult intubation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and Youden index were calculated for all tests. RESULTS: Difficult intubation was reported in 12% of the patients. Facial Angle≤82.5° can predict difficult intubation with 87.5% sensitivity and 88.8% specificity. Among the three tests, a high Modified Mallampati Score had the highest specificity (94.5%) and a high Modified Mallampati Score and Facial Angle (FA≤82.5°) had the highest sensitivity (87.5%). The highest NPV, sensitivity and Youden index were observed when using Facial Angle with the Modified Mallampati Score or with Upper Lip Bite Test. CONCLUSIONS: Facial Angle has a high sensitivity, NPV and Youden index for the prediction of difficult intubation, but the best result is achieved when Facial Angle is used in combination with either the Modified Mallampati Score or Upper Lip Bit Test.

A prospective randomized trial of tapered-cuff endotracheal tubes with intermittent subglottic suctioning in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Endotracheal tube placement is necessary for the control of the airway in patients who are mechanically ventilated. However, prolonged duration of endotracheal tube placement contributes to the development of ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAPs). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether subglottic suctioning using TaperGuard EVAC tubes was effective in decreasing the frequency of VAP. METHODS: A total of 276 mechanically ventilated patients for more than 72 hours were randomly assigned to group E (EVAC tube) and group C (conventional tube). All patients received routine care including VAP prevention measures during their intensive care unit stay. In group E, subglottic suctioning was performed every 6 hours. Outcome variables included incidence VAP, intensive care unit length of stay, and mortality. RESULTS: Frequency of intraluminal suction, mechanical ventilation-free days, reintubation, the ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure to fractional inspired oxygen and mortality rate were similar between the 2 groups (P > .05). The mean cuff pressure in group E was significantly less than that in group C (P < .001). Ventilator-associated pneumonia was significantly less in group E compared with group C (P = .015). CONCLUSION: The use of intermittent subglottic secretion suctioning was associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of the VAP in critically ill patients. However, larger multicenter trials are required to arrive at a concrete decision on routine usage of TaperGuard tubes in critical care settings.

Comparison of four techniques on facility of two-hand Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation: E-C, Thenar Eminence, Thenar Eminence (Dominant hand)-E-C (non-dominant hand) and Thenar Eminence (non-dominant hand) - E-C (dominant hand).

Introduction: Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation is the first and important part of the airway management. The aim of present study was to evaluate the quality of four different BVM ventilation techniques - E-C, Thenar Eminence, Thenar Eminence (Dominant hand)-E-C (Non dominant hand), and Thenar Eminence (Non dominant hand)-E-C (Dominant hand) - among two novice and experienced groups. Methods: In a case-control and mannequin based study that was conducted in Tabriz University of medical sciences, 120 volunteers were recruited and divided into two groups. 60 participants in experienced and other 60 as novice group who observed BVM ventilation but hadn't practical experience about BVM ventilation. Every participant in both groups performed 4 BVM ventilation techniques under the supervision of an experienced assessor. Quality of mannequin chest expansion was recorded by two other experienced assessors who were blind to ventilation process. The data were analyzed with SPSS 17.0. Results: In novice group, when evaluating each technique performance, they did Thenar Eminence (non-dominant hand) - E-C (dominant hand) technique much better than the others (P<0.0001). But in the experienced group, there was no meaningful difference between the all four techniques (P= 0.102). Conclusion: Novice participants did Thenar Eminence (non-dominant hand) - E-C (dominant hand) technique better than the others. Therefore, it is recommended that training of this technique was placed in educational program of medical students.

The effect of combined conventional and modified ultrafiltration on mechanical ventilation and hemodynamic changes in congenital heart surgery.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with increased fluid accumulation around the heart which influences pulmonary and cardiac diastolic function. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of modified ultrafiltration (MUF) versus conventional ultrafiltration (CUF) on duration of mechanical ventilation and hemodynamic status in children undergoing congenital heart surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 46 pediatric patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass throughout their congenital heart surgery. Arteriovenous MUF plus CUF was performed in 23 patients (intervention group) and sole CUF was performed for other 23 patients (control group). In MUF group, arterial cannula was linked to the filter inlet through the arterial line, and for 10 min, 10 ml/kg/min of blood was filtered and returned via cardioplegia line to the right atrium. Different parameters including hemodynamic variables, length of mechanical ventilation, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, and inotrope requirement were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: At immediate post-MUF phase, there was a statistically significant increase in the mean arterial pressure, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05) only in the study group. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in time of mechanical ventilation (P = 0.004) and ICU stay (P = 0.007) between the two groups. Inotropes including milrinone (P = 0.04), epinephrine (P = 0.001), and dobutamine (P = 0.002) were used significantly less frequently for patients in the intervention than the control group. CONCLUSION: Administration of MUF following surgery improves hemodynamic status of patients and also significantly decreases the duration of mechanical ventilation and inotrope requirement within 48 h after surgery.

Premedication With Single Dose of Acetazolamide for the Control of Referral Shoulder Pain After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: The use of laparoscopic surgeries is escalating thanks to their advantages over the open surgeries. However, several complications can be observed following laparoscopy operation. Postoperative pain is a major concern in cholecystectomy surgeries. Pain can be both experienced in operated areas and radiated to the right shoulder. Acetazolamide is used for glaucoma, acute mountain sickness prophylaxis, and epilepsy in few patients with recurrent epilepsy. It seems that patients' pain can be reduced by preventing carbonic acid production in abdomen after operation. OBJECTIVES: We aimed at evaluating if administration of acetazolamide preoperatively could affect early or late postoperative pain following laparoscopic surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a randomized-controlled clinical trial study, 70 subjects (30 - 60 years) scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included after obtaining a written informed consent. Patients were divided into two groups randomly (intervention and control). The intervention group received 5 mg/kg oral acetazolamide one hour before the operation. The control group did not receive any further medication. RESULTS: Administration of a single dose of acetazolamide did not have any statistically significant impact on sleep quality (P = 1.000). Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between groups regarding nausea and vomiting on single dose administration of acetazolamide (P = 1.000). Single dose of acetazolamide was associated with statistically significant decrease in shoulder pain immediately after laparoscopy (P = 0.017). However, there was no statistically significant difference regarding shoulder pain between the studied groups 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 hours after laparoscopy. Single dose of acetazolamide did not significantly affect analgesic administration in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 hours after laparoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Single dose of acetazolamide was associated with statistically significant decrease in shoulder pain immediately after laparoscopy. However, this effect was limited to the first postoperative hours and it failed to reduce postoperative pain of right shoulder during 24 hours after the operation.

Can donepezil facilitate weaning from mechanical ventilation in difficult to wean patients? An interventional pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Management of difficult to wean patients is a dilemma for health care system. Recently published studies demonstrated efficacy of donepezil to counteract respiratory depression in sleep apnea. However, to the best of our knowledge, pharmaceutical interventions with donepezil to facilitate weaning have not been tested so far. Therefore in the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of using donepezil on weaning course in difficult to wean patients. METHODS: In this non-randomized interventional clinical study, difficult to wean patients with prior inappropriately depressed respiratory responses were included from two referral intensive care units (ICU) in Iran. Patients with another potentially reasons of weaning failure were excluded from the study. Donepezil was started for eligible patients at dose of 10 mg daily for 2-4 weeks. For the primary outcomes, arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters were also measured before and after intervention to evaluate the possible effects of donepezil on them. In addition, weaning outcomes of patients were reported as final outcome in response to this intervention. RESULTS: Twelve out of 16 studied patients experienced successful results to facilitate weaning with donepezil intervention. The mean duration of donepezil treatment until outcome measurement was 12 days. There were not any significant differences in ABG parameters among patients with successful and failed weaning trial on day of donepezil initiation. However after donepezil intervention, mean of PCO2 and HCO3 decreased in patients with successful weaning trial and mean of PCO2 increased in those with weaning failure. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced central respiratory drive was infrequently reason of failed weaning attempts but it must be considered especially in patients with hypercapnia secondary to inefficient gas exchange and slow breathing. Our results in the clinical setting suggest that, the use of donepezil can expedite weaning presumably by stimulation of respiratory center and obviate the need to re-intubation in cases of respiratory drive problem in difficult to wean patients. We suggest decrease PCO2 and HCO3 during donepezil steady could be valuable predictors for positive response to donepezil intervention.

Efficacy of video-guided laryngoscope in airway management skills of medical students.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Video-guided laryngoscopy, though unproven in achieving better success rates of laryngoscopy outcome and intubation, seems to provide better glottic visualization compared with direct laryngoscopy. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of video-guided laryngoscope (VGL) in the airway management skills of medical students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical students throughout their anesthesiology rotations were enrolled in this study. All students received standard training in the airway management during their course and were randomly allocated into two 20 person groups. In Group D, airway management was performed by direct laryngoscopy via Macintosh blade and in Group G intubation was performed via VGL. Time to intubation, number of laryngoscopy attempts and success rate were noted. Successful intubation was considered as the primary outcome. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: All data were analyzed using SPSS 16 software. Chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used for analysis of categorical variables. For analyzing continuous variables independent t-test was used. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: Number of laryngoscopy attempts was less in Group G in comparison to Group D; this, however, was statistically insignificant (P: 0.18). Time to intubation was significantly less in Group G as compared to Group D (P: 0.02). Successful intubation in Group G was less frequently when compared to Group D (P: 0.66). Need for attending intervention, esophageal intubation and hypoxemic events during laryngoscopy were less in Group G; this, however, was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: The use of video-guided laryngoscopy improved the first attempt success rate, time to intubation, laryngoscopy attempts and airway management ability of medical students compared to direct laryngoscopy.

A Review of Current Analgesic Techniques in Cardiac Surgery. Is Epidural Worth it?

In this review we addressed the various analgesic techniques in cardiac surgery, especially regional methods such as thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA). There are many techniques available for management of postoperative pain after cardiac operation including intravenous administration of analgesic drugs, infiltration of local anesthetics, nerve blocks, and neuroaxial techniques. Although there are many evidences declaring the benefits of neuroaxial blockade in improving postoperative well-being and quality of care in these patients, some studies have revealed limited effect of TEA on overall morbidity and mortality after cardiac surgery. On the other hand, some investigators have raised the concern about epidural hematoma in altered coagulation and risks of infection and local anesthetics toxicity during and after cardiac procedures. In present review, we tried to discuss the most recent arguments in the field of this controversial issue. The final conclusion about either using regional anesthesia in cardiac surgery or not has been assigned to the readers.

Hypothermia after cardiac arrest as a novel approach to increase survival in cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation: a review.

CONTEXT: The aim of this review study was to evaluate therapeutic mild hypothermia, its complications and various methods for induced mild hypothermia in patients following resuscitation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Studies conducted on post-cardiac arrest cares, history of induced hypothermia, and therapeutic hypothermia for patients with cardiac arrest were included in this study. We used the valid databases (PubMed and Cochrane library) to collect relevant articles. RESULTS: According to the studies reviewed, induction of mild hypothermia in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation would lead to increased survival and better neurological outcome; however, studies on the complications of hypothermia or different methods of inducing hypothermia were limited and needed to be studied further. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides strategic issues concerning the induction of mild hypothermia, its complications, and different ways of performing it on patients; using this method helps to increase patients' neurological survival rate.

Novel treatment in refractory tic douloureux.

A patient with refractory trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux) was treated by intravenous magnesium sulfate successfully. Parenteral magnesium sulfate is an analgesic that expresses its analgesic effects through a noncompetitive blockade of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which in turns inhibits calcium entry into the cells.

Comparison of three methods in improving bag mask ventilation.

INTRODUCTION: Increasedlife expectancy in populations has brought along specific new scenarios in the fields of medicine for the elderly; prevalence of physical complications such as edentulism and patients with dentures is growing. Management of anesthesia and ventilation in this group of patients has turned into a great challenge. Some researchers suggest dentures to be left in place during bag-mask ventilation; yet, no unanimous agreement exists in this regard. METHODS: In a single blind randomized clinical trial, we studied 300 patients with ASA class I, II (American Society of Anesthesiologists), Mallampati class (I, II) and aged over 55 years in three groups. After induction of anesthesia, in group G dentures were removed and in each buccal space an eight-layer 10 × 10 cm gauze and an oral airway were placed. In group D, the dentures and an oral airway were left in place. In group C (control), after removing dentures just an appropriate oral airway was placed. Then, each three group underwent bag-mask ventilation. Success of bag-mask ventilation (BMV) was considered as increase in end-tidal carbon dioxide to more than 20 mmHg and back to baseline with fresh gas flow of 3 L/min and adjustable pressure limiting valve pressure of 20 cm H2O. Success rates were evaluated between groups. RESULTS: Effective BMV was possible in 91 (91%), 64 (64%) and 41 (41%) patients in groups G, D and C respectively. The differences were statistically significant. Successful BMV rate was significantly higher in female patients in group G compared to group C; 43/44 versus 25/46 individuals, P = 0.0001, odds ratio = 0.03, 95% confidence interval (0.00, 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: Leaving dentures in place in edentulous patients after inducing anesthesia improves bag-mask ventilation. However, placing folded compressed gauze in buccal space leads to more significant improvement in BMV compared to leaving dentures in place.

Postoperative Management of Shivering: A Comparison of Pethidine vs. Ketamine.

BACKGROUND: One of the unpleasant side effects of general anesthesia is shivering in the process of recovery. It is an involuntary oscillatory mechanical movement that can be classified as clonic movements. These movements can affect one or several groups of skeletal muscles beginning from 5 to 30 minutes after the discontinuation of anesthesia. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to study ketamine's effect on shivering after operation compared to pethidine as a way for treatment of postoperative shivering. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, 60 patients who underwent ENT surgery with general anesthesia and had shivering during recovery were randomly divided into two groups of 30 patients each receiving ketamine (0.2 mg/kg IV) and pethidine (0.5 mg/kg). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the shivering intensity in both groups. Only regarding the shivering in the first minute after entering the recovery room, there was an obvious difference between ketamine and pethidine groups which was again not statistically significant (P = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that ketamine and pethidine are both equally effective in the reduction of postoperative shivering.

Rapid Shallow Breathing Index Survey, a Predictor of non-Invasive Ventilation Necessity in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbation: An Analytical Descriptive Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are susceptible to respiratory failure which would ultimately lead to their hospitalization. Need to Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) is considered as the choice respiratory support in acute respiratory failure and is associated with a beneficial role in patients with COPD exacerbation. Hence, determining patients that would benefit NIV could be of great assistance. OBJECTIVES: We aimed at evaluating the use of Rapid Shallow Breathing Index (a ratio determined by the frequency (f) divided by the tidal volume (VT)) in NIV requirement in COPD patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective descriptive study, ninety eight patients over 40 years old with documented COPD exacerbation who were referred to emergency department of Imam Reza hospital, Tabriz, Iran were studied. Rapid Shallow Breathing Index (RSBI), ABG parameters and APACHE II scoring were measured in each patient. Quantitative data were analyzed by Student's t-test and One-way ANOVA and qualitative data were analyzed using chi square (X2). Findings were analyzed with SPSS software version 16. RESULTS: Patients requiring NIV included 43.9 % of all studied patients. RSBI and APACHE II score with sensitivity of 94.8 %, (cut off point = 110) and 72 % (cut off point = 14) respectively, had high diagnostic sensitivity and also the ability to predict patients requiring NIV. None of ABG parameters solely played a significant role in determining patients requiring NIV. CONCLUSIONS: RSBI and APACHE II score in patients with COPD exacerbation are of the ability to predict NIV requirement, as a predicting factor of Non-Invasive Ventilation requirement.