ABSTRACT
Background: Human Development Index [HDI], maternal mortality rate [MMR] and children aged under 5 years mortality rate [U5MR] are fundamental issues, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in HDI, MMR and U5MR from 1980 to 2010 in certain West Asian countries as well as the relationship between these indexes.
Methods: In this ecological study, HDI, MMR and U5MR information from studied countries during 1980 to 2010 was extracted from the gap minder site and then analysed using descriptive and analytical methods, including Spearman correlation.
Results: The lowest and highest rates of HDI and MMR in 2010 were seen in the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan [HDI: 0.49, 0.81; MMR: 7.14, 335.45 respectively]. HDI is rising in all countries studied, with the highest increase in the Islamic Republic of Iran [0.21]. MMR and U5MR saw a decline over the years, with the greatest decrease seen in India, and the lowest and highest child mortality rate in 2010 found in Bahrain and Pakistan [8.3, 91.8 respectively]. However, there was a negative relationship between HDI and MMR [r = -0.7, P < 0.001].
Conclusions: HDI increased during 1980-2010. The highest rate of HDI decrease was observed in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the greatest reduction of MMR was seen in India. Also, the highest decrease in U5MR was related to India as well, while MMR and U5MR rate decreased. Hence, improving HDI might have a definite impact on decreasing MMR and U5MR, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: One way to prevent deaths due to rabies is the timely utilization of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Therefore, in addition to an understanding of the epidemiological distribution of animal bites, it is necessary to explore the factors leading to delays in PEP initiation. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Iran in 2011, and included 7097 cases of animal bites recorded at the Rabies Treatment Center of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences using the census method. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with delays in PEP. RESULTS: Among the patients studied, 5387 (75.9%) were males. The prevalence of animal bites in Fars province was 154.4 per 100 000 people. Dogs were the most frequent source of exposure (67.1%), and the most common bitten part of the body was the hands (45.5%). A delay in the initiation of PEP was found among 6.8% of the studied subjects. This delay was more likely in housewives (odds ratio [OR], 4.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.12 to 10.23) and less likely in people with deep wounds (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Although all animal bite victims received complete PEP, in some cases, there were delays. Further, the type of animal involved, the depth of the bite, and the patient’s occupation were the major factors associated with a delay in the initiation of PEP for rabies prevention.
Subject(s)
Animals , Dogs , Humans , Male , Censuses , Cross-Sectional Studies , Epidemiology , Hand , Iran , Logistic Models , Occupations , Post-Exposure Prophylaxis , Prevalence , Rabies , Vaccination , Wounds and InjuriesABSTRACT
Background: Major Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive disease with complications, mortality and serious pathology. Today, the life expectancy of patients with major thalassemia has increased along with therapeutic advances. Therefore, they need lifelong care, and caring for them would incur many costs. Being aware of the patients' costs can be effective for controlling and managing the costs and providing efficient treatments for the care of patients. Hence, this study was conducted to estimate the economic burden of the patients with major thalassemia
Methods: Totally, 198 patients with major thalassemia were randomly selected from among the patients with major thalassemia in Tehran, Iran in 2015. The economic burden of the patients was estimated from a social perspective and through a bottom-up, prevalence-based approach
Results: The average annual cost per patient was estimated $ 8321.8 regardless of the cost of lost welfare. Of this amount, $ 7286.8 was related to direct medical costs, $ 461.4 to direct non-medical costs, and $ 573.5 to indirect costs. In addition, the annual cost per patient was estimated $ 1360.5 due to the distress caused by the disease
Conclusions: Considering the high costs of the treatment of patients with major thalassemia, adopting new policies to reduce the costs that patients have to pay seems necessary. In addition, making new decisions regarding thalassemia screening, even with higher costs than the usual screening costs, can be useful since the costs of treatment are high
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Introduction: Aim of current study is determination of optimal number of nurses in the emergency department of Shiraz Ali Asghar Hospital
Method: Current study is an applied study and belongs to operational research [OR] studies. The population has been studied in this research, includes records of referred patients to the emergency department of hospital in 2008. Sampling was performed in the forms of stratified [monthly] and simple for all of the records and each of months respectively. Required data collection was performed from statistics notebook and also patient's records using data collection forms. After average determination of entering patients in a day at eight period in three hours, determining the type of provided services and also the period of offering nursing services [with using time information]determine optimum number of required nurses in different periods of hospital with using of linear programming technique by lingo 8 software
Results: The minimum number of nurses needed in emergency department of Ali Asghar hospital regarding to desired services to the patients were obtained 1 and 3 nurses for each shift and a day respectively
Conclusion: According to the results the used number of nurses in the emergency department was more than optimum number. It seems that, obtained number of nurses from quantitative methods such as linear programming technique is much less than the calculated number experimentally by the directors of nursing
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Satisfaction of the patients is considered as an important index in evaluating the performance of the hospitals and is highly effective in developing and improving the quality of the provided services .so, the present study aims to compare the satisfaction of the patients suffering from anal fissure from inpatient and outpatient treatments
Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 212 subjects who were selected through systematic sampling from the patients with anal fissure referring to Motahari clinic and Shahid Faghihi hospital. In order to compare the patient satisfaction in two inpatient and outpatient groups, 21-item questionnaire was designed in order to assess the patient satisfaction. Independent t-test and chi-square test were used to analyze this data
Results: satisfaction of the inpatients was significantly more than that of the outpatients [P<0.001]. The inpatients' waiting time for operation was significantly longer than that of the outpatients [P=0.029]. In comparison to the inpatients, the outpatients were more satisfied with the explanations provided regarding food diets after the operation [P=0.004]. Of course, outpatients had felt more stress during the operation compared to the inpatients [P=0.002]. Concerning the treatment environment, the outpatients were more satisfied than the inpatients [P<0.001]; however, the inpatients were more satisfied with the treatment services [P>0.001], quality, and other services compared to the outpatients [P=0.041]
Conclusion: According to the advantages that mentioned, outpatient operations can be a better choice for small surgeries; of course, health planners should pay more attention to its importance and necessity and provide more equipments and welfare facilities in treatment centers