The Effects of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Extract Ointment on Pain and Episiotomy Wound Healing in Nulliparous Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Episiotomy is a usual midwifery surgery. Iran is a country with an abundant source of medicinal plants. This study aimed to investigate ginger extract ointment's effects on the pain and recovery of episiotomy incisions in nulliparous women. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted in a public hospital in Iran on 70 nulliparous women with an episiotomy incision. The women were randomly assigned to ginger extract ointment and placebo groups. The primary outcomes included pain and wound healing that were assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS), redness, edema, ecchymosis/bruising, discharge, and an approximation scale (REEDA). The participants were followed up before discharge from the hospital and 5×1 and 10×1 days after the intervention. The secondary outcome was the number of painkillers used during the study. Data were analyzed by chi-square, independent t test, and the Mann-Whitney U via SPSS-13. The significance levels were determined to be P≤0.05. Results: There was no significant difference between participants treated with ginger extract ointment and placebo in the pain and wound healing scores before the intervention, 5×1 and 10×1 days after the intervention. But, the pain intensity decreased, and the recovery speed increased clinically. Also, regarding the secondary outcome of this study, no significant difference between the placebo and intervention groups in the number of painkillers participants took. Conclusion: The ginger ointment could not significantly improve episiotomy wounds' pain and healing rate, but it was clinically helpful. So more studies with different doses of this ointment are needed.

Self-Care Performance of Pregnant Women in Preventing COVID-19 Infection and Its Relationship with Perceived Stress.

Objective: To determine the status of self-care performance of pregnant women in the prevention of COVID-19 disease and its relationship with perceived stress during the epidemic period of this disease. Method : This cross-sectional study was performed on 228 pregnant women who referred to the health centers in Tabriz, Iran, for prenatal care. They were selected by cluster sampling. Data collection tools included questionnaires about Demographic-Social Characteristics, the Self-Care Performance Questionnaire and Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale. Spearman correlation test was used to examine the correlation between self-care performance and perceived stress in bivariate and multivariate analyses. Also, multivariate linear regression was used, with control of demographic-social and obstetric characteristics as possible confounders. Results: The median (25-75 percentiles) self-care performance score of participants was 0.71 (0.65-0.76), from the achievable range of 20-80, and its mean (± SD) perceived stress score was 25.5 (± 5.6), from the achievable range of 0-56. The Spearman's rank correlation test results showed a significant inverse correlation between perceived stress and self-care performance scores (r = -0.13; P = 0.041). According to multivariate linear regression test, the variables of self-care performance, education, spouse's education and number of family members were the predictors of perceived stress in pregnant women during the COVID-19 epidemic. Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, self-care performance of pregnant women in prevention of the COVID-19 disease was good and their stress was moderate. There was a significant inverse correlation between self-care performance and perceived stress that could indicate the high value and importance of the fetus for the mother and her strict adherence to health protocols to prevent COVID-19, which also leads to calming and reduced perceived stress.

Prevalence and severity of urinary incontinence and associated factors in Iranian postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most common symptoms during menopause, leading to a decreased quality of life and limited social activities. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of urinary incontinence and associated risk factors in postmenopausal women. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study using cluster sampling on 433 postmenopausal women in Tabriz-Iran, 2021-2022. Data were collected using questionnaires of socio-demographic characteristics, Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis (QUID), and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UISF). Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors related to urinary incontinence. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of urinary incontinence was 39.5%; 20.6% stress urinary incontinence (SUI), 10.4% urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), and 8.5% mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the prevalence of SUI (aOR 0.38; 95% CI 0.18-0.77) and UUI (aOR 0.38; 95% CI 0.15-0.94) was significantly lower in women with three childbirths than the ones with fewer childbirths. Also, the odds of UUI increased significantly in women at the 50-55 age range (aOR 3.88; 95% CI 1.16-12.93) than those less than 50 years. CONCLUSION: Due to the high prevalence of urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women, caregivers should screen for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of urinary incontinence to prevent its destructive impact on the quality of life.

The relationship between urinary incontinence with sexual function and quality of life in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence has a significant impact on the psychosocial well-being of postmenopausal women. This study aimed to determine the relationship between urinary incontinence with sexual function and quality of life. METHOD: It was a cross-sectional study using cluster sampling on 433 postmenopausal women in Tabriz-Iran, 2021-2022. Data were collected using questionnaires of socio-demographic and obstetrics characteristics, female sexual function index (FSFI), Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL), and Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis (UIDQ). Independent sample t-test and general linear model (GLM) were used to compare the quality of life and sexual function score between the two groups of women with and without stress, urgency, and mixed urinary incontinence. RESULTS: Independent sample t-test showed a significant difference in the quality of life and sexual function between women with and without stress, urgency, and mixed urinary incontinence (p < 0.05). Based on the GLM with adjusting the socio-demographic and obstetrics characteristics, women without stress incontinence reported a lower mean score of MENQOL (B = - 23.38; 95% CI = -30.1 to -16.6; p < 0.001) and a higher mean score of sexual function (B = 4.5; 95% CI = 2.1-7.0; p < 0.001) compared to women with stress incontinence; a lower MENQOL score and a higher sexual function score indicate better condition. However, there was no significant relationship between urgency and mixed incontinence with quality of life and sexual function (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: As urinary incontinence remarkably affects sexual function and quality of life of postmenopausal women, health care providers should consider better solutions for this issue in their work program.

Psychometric Assessment of Infant Colic Scale in Iranian Population.

Introduction: Infant colic, causing excessive crying, poses anxiety for parents and a challenge for pediatricians and nurses. The Infant Colic Scale (ICS) serves to assess the severity and causal factors of colic. Despite its significance, the psychometric properties of ICS have not been evaluated in the Iranian population. This study seeks to address this gap by assessing the psychometric properties of ICS in Iran. Methods: A sample of 220 mothers with 2-16-week-old term infants diagnosed with infantile colic was selected through convenience sampling. Following forward and back-translation, the face validity, content validity, and construct validity of ICS were systematically evaluated. Reliability was examined through both internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest stability methods. Results: Content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) values for ICS were 0.94 and 0.81, respectively. The good fit indices confirmed the validity of the five-factor structure. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were 0.71 and 0.94, respectively. Conclusion: The Persian version of ICS is a valid and reliable tool, suitable for assessing infantile colic in the Iranian population. Future studies and clinical practice can utilize this tool to identify major causes of this disorder in the Iranian context.

Validation of the Iranian version of the ENDOPAIN-4D questionnaire for measurement of painful symptoms of endometriosis.

Endometriosis is one of the leading gynecological disorders in reproductive ages. About two-thirds of women with endometriosis experience chronic pelvic pain. There are different methods for the assessment of pain in endometriosis. One of these questionnaires is endometriosis painful symptoms-4 dimensions (ENDOPAIN-4D) questionnaire, which has not been validated in Iran. Therefore, we decided to conduct a study to determine the psychometric properties of this questionnaire. In this study, we randomly selected 169 women with endometriosis from two educational-medical centres of Al-Zahra and Taleghani in Tabriz, Iran, in 2020. We evaluated the validity of ENDOPAIN-4D in terms of face, content, and structure (through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses). We used internal consistency assessment and test-retest reliability to determine the questionnaire reliability. In this study, the CVI and CVR for the ENDOPAIN-4D instrument were obtained as 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. In the exploratory factor analysis, we extracted a four-factor structure, and the confirmatory factor analysis gave a good fit for the extracted model. We obtained Cronbach's alpha coefficient as 0.96 and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) (at 95% confidence interval) as 0.94 (0.85 to 0.98). The Persian version of ENDOPAIN-4D has acceptable content validity, construct validity and reliability for the evaluation of pelvic pain and gynaecology in Iranian women with endometriosis.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? There are different methods for the assessment of pain in endometriosis. But there is no specific psychometric instrument to determine the painful symptoms of endometriosis in Iran so far.What do the results of this study add? The Persian version of ENDOPAIN-4D is a valid and reliable instrument for the evaluation of pelvic pain and gynaecology in Iranian women with endometriosis.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or future research? The validation of the Persian version of the ENDOPAIN-4D questionnaire leads to correct assessment of painful symptoms in Iranian women with endometriosis and will be useful in evaluating the patients' pain intensity and the response to treatment in practice.

Effect of hope therapy on psychological well-being of women after abortion: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Giving a healthy birth plays a vital role in a person's personality development, but giving unhealthy birth and abortion can increase the risk of a range of mental disorders and psychological harms including reduced well-being and quality of life. Psychological interventions can reduce the problems of individuals, so the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of counseling with hope therapy on psychological well-being (primary outcome) and quality of life (secondary outcome) of women with an experience of abortion. METHOD: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in Alzahra and Taleghani educational and medical centers in Tabriz, Iran, on 52 women aged 16 years and above whose pregnancies led to abortion in 2020-21. Participants were assigned to intervention and control groups using random blocking method. The intervention group received counseling with hope therapy approach in 8 sessions of 45 min twice a week. The psychological well-being and WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaires were completed before the intervention and immediately and 4 weeks after the intervention. Independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare the outcomes in two groups. RESULTS: After the intervention based on the repeated measures ANOVA test and by adjusting the baseline score, the mean total score of psychological well-being in the counseling group was significantly higher than that in the control group (adjusted mean difference (AMD): 76.76; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 63.81 to 89.70; P < 0.001). Also, the mean total score of quality of life in the counseling group was significantly higher than in the control group (AMD: 7.93; 95% CI: 6.38 to 9.46; P < 0.001). The mean score of all sub-domains of psychological well-being and quality of life in the counseling group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Using hope therapy can improve the psychological well-being and quality of life of women after abortion. However, further clinical trials are required before making a definitive conclusion. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): IRCT20120718010324N60 . Date of registration: 17 Dec 2020. Date of first registration: 20 Dec 2020.

Impacts of epidural electrical stimulation on Wnt signaling, FAAH, and BDNF following thoracic spinal cord injury in rat.

Electrical stimulation (ES) has been shown to improve some of impairments after spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The Wnt signaling pathways and the endocannabinoid system appear to be modulated in response to SCI. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ES therapy on the activity of canonical/noncanonical Wnt signaling pathways, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and fatty-acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which regulate endocannabinoids levels. Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: (a) Sham, (b) laminectomy + epidural subthreshold ES, (c) SCI, and (d) SCI + epidural subthreshold ES. A moderate contusion SCI was performed at the thoracic level (T10). Epidural subthreshold ES was delivered to upper the level of T10 segment every day (1 hr/rat) for 2 weeks. Then, animals were killed and immunoblotting was used to assess spinal cord parameters. Results revealed that ES intervention for 14 days could significantly increase wingless-type3 (Wnt3), Wnt7, ß-catenin, Nestin, and cyclin D1 levels, as well as phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3ß and Jun N-terminal kinase. Additionally, SCI reduced BDNF and FAAH levels, and ES increased BDNF and FAAH levels in the injury site. We propose that ES therapy may improve some of impairments after SCI through Wnt signaling pathways. Outcomes also suggest that BDNF and FAAH are important players in the beneficial impacts of ES therapy. However, the precise mechanism of BDNF, FAAH, and Wnt signaling pathways on SCI requires further investigation.

The effect of equisetum arvense (horse tail) ointment on wound healing and pain intensity after episiotomy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Episiotomy, a common surgical practice in midwifery, is accompanied with high levels of pain and discomfort for mothers. The importance of medicinal herbs and traditional medicine in wound healing cannot be neglected. OBJECTIVES: Considering the positive effects and easy accessibility of Equisetum arvense, this study examined the effectiveness of topical application of Equisetum arvense ointment in wound healing, reduction of inflammation and pain relief after episiotomy in nulliparous mothers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This double-blind clinical trial was performed on 108 postpartum nulliparous mothers (54 women in horsetail group and 54 women in placebo group) in Alzahra Educational-Medical Center (Tabriz, Iran). About 5 ± 1 and 10 ± 1 days after the childbirth, the primary outcomes of episiotomy, i.e. wound healing and pain intensity, were assessed based on redness, edema, ecchymosis, discharge and approximation of the edges (REEDA) scale and a visual analogue scale (VAS), respectively. The secondary outcomes evaluated in the current research were the number of used painkillers and the adverse events during the 10-day period of the study. Data was analyzed using independent t and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: The case and control groups had no significant differences in for the mean wound healing score (5.0 ± 1.6 vs. 4.1 ± 1.6) and mean pain intensity (5.7 ± 2.4 vs. 5.3 ± 2.2) at baseline. During both follow-up sessions (5 ± 1 and 10 ± 1days after delivery), the mean scores were significantly lower in the case group than the control group. The adjusted pain score difference (MD) after 5 ± 1 and 10 ± 1 days was -2.3 (95% CI: -3.2 to -1.3) and 3.8 (95% CI: -4.7 to -3.0), respectively. The mean numbers of acetaminophen pills used in the control and case groups during the 10-day period of the study were 6.8 ± 4.4 and 11.6 ± 7.1, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: According to our findings, 3% Equisetum arvense ointment promoted wound healing and relieved pain during the 10-day period after episiotomy. Since this study was the first to assess the effects of Equisetum arvense ointment on wound healing and pain intensity following episiotomy in humans, further research is warranted to fully clarify the beneficial effects of prepared ointment.

Mental health and its personal and social predictors in infertile women.

INTRODUCTION: Infertility is considered a traumatic stressor for infertile couples, and it becomes a psychosocial crisis for that person. Considering the importance of fertility and based on the cultural and social aspects of it in Iran, the present study aimed to determine mental health and its individual and social predictors in infertile women referring to the infertility center of Al-Zahra hospital in Tabriz, Iran, during 2012-2013. METHODS: This was a descriptive-correlational study on 345 infertile women referring to Al-Zahra hospital in Tabriz, Iran, via convenient sampling. Data was gathered by the perceived social support questionnaire and mental health questionnaire. To determine the relationship between social support and personal and social characteristics, and mental health, multivariate linear regression was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: The mean (SD) total score of mental health of women was 29.70 (11.50), the score ranged from 0 to 84. The best condition was below the depression scale, and the worst condition was below the social dysfunction scale. Social support from the family was also a predictor of the mental health of infertile women. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study showed that infertile women, in terms of mental health and its subscales, have unfavorable conditions. Moreover, social support from the family is an important factor influencing mental health. Therefore, strengthening the social support of the family to improve the mental health of infertile women seems necessary.

The Effect of Rosa Damascena Extract on Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Double-blind Cross-over Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common types of cyclic pain that affects 50% of women and girls in their menstrual ages. Because of the side-effects and contraindications of chemical medicines, using herbs has been investigated in treating dysmenorrhea. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Rosa damascena extract on primary dysmenorrhea among the students of Kowsar dormitory in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was performed in Iran on 92 single 18-24 year old students with BMI :19-25 and obtaining pain intensity score of 5-8 in Visual Analogue Scale that were randomly classified and included in two groups of 46 persons. The participants received two capsules of Mefenamic Acid and Rosa damascena with the similar physical properties in two consecutive cycles per 6 hours for 3 days in a cross-over form. The data were collected through the questionnaire of demographic characteristics and check-list of visual analogue scale. Descriptive statistics and repeated measurement test and independent samples t test by using SPSS (13/win) were used in order to determine and compare the effects of two drugs on dysmenorrheal pain intensity of the groups. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the average of pain intensity at different hours of measurement in each group after the end of first cycle and second cycle (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the average of pain intensity in two groups in the first cycle (P = 0.35) and second cycle (P = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: In this study¸ Rosa damascena and Mefenamic acid had similar effects on pain intensity of primary dysmenorrhea . With further studies, Rosa damascena which has no chemical side effects¸ can be suggested for treating primary dysmenorrhea.

Perceived Social Support and Stress among Pregnant Women at Health Centers of Iran- Tabriz.

INTRODUCTION: Social support is considered the interaction between the person and environment, which reduces stressors, covers the effects of stress and consequently protects individuals from the harmful effects of stressful situations. This study aimed to determine social support in pregnant women and its relationship with the rate of pregnant women's perceived stress at health centers of Tabriz in 2012-13. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 450 pregnant women selected through cluster sampling. Data collection tools consisted of a demographic questionnaire, interpersonal support evaluation list (ISEL) and perceived stress questionnaire (PSS) that were completed in an interview. The range of obtainable score for social support and perceived stress was 0-90 and 0-30, respectively. Descriptive and analytical statistics including Pearson and Independent t-test were used for analyzing the data. RESULTS: The mean score of social support and perceived stress in pregnant women was 96.6 (14.6), and 11.5 (5.5), respectively .The women with favorable social support had significantly less stress than the women with unfavorable social support. CONCLUSION: The study finding showed that the rate of social support in highly stressful women is significantly less than low-stress mothers. Therefore, considering adverse effects of the stress on pregnancy outcomes, some strategies should be designed and implemented in order to strengthen and improve the social support for pregnant women so that it can reduce the rate of pregnant women's stress.

Diagnostic value of non stress test in latent phase of labor and maternal and fetal outcomes.

PURPOSE: The Non Stress Test (NST) is the one of the significant diagnostic fetal well being testes. The purpose of this study is to access diagnostic value of NST during latent phase of labor by considering maternal and neonatal outcomes. SUBJECTS: This case study control study was performed on 450 healthy pregnant women with gestational age between 38-42 weeks in AL-Zahra teaching hospital in Tabriz, Iran. All participants underwent NST after being admitted to labor during their latent phase of delivery. Participants were divided into groups including the study group which included 150 participants with non-reactive NST results whereas 300 subjects with reactive NST results assigned in the control group. Subjects in both groups were hospitalized for pregnancy termination because of the delivery time. In order to find out the importance of routine performance of NST during delivery, the relationship between NST results and maternal and fetal outcomes was evaluated. Several criteria including type of delivery, meconium defecation, descent arrest, bradicardia, Apgar score, and still birth were compared between two types. RESULTS: Finding of this study showed that descent arrest occurred in 2.7% of the subjects in the study group, whereas it occurred in 4.7% of the participants in the control group (p=0.44). Bradicardia found in 28% of the participants in study group and 3.3% of the control group (p<0.001). The low Apgar Score was found in 2.7% of case group however; no the low apgar score detected in the control group. Meconium defecation observed in 11.3% of the subjects in the study group and 9.7% of the participants in control group (p=0.62). The amount of stillbirth were found in control group. There was a significant difference between the results of both groups in terms of bradicardia, descent arrest, and the low Apgar score and cesarean section. CONCLUSION: Results of this study revealed that participants in study group with nonreactive NST results had more fetal complications than those with reactive NST results. NST was found to be a value diagnostic test for diagnosis of fetal distress during delivery in the latent phase. This findings of this study suggest that NST should be performed routinely as a valuable diagnostic test during the latent phase of delivery.

The Effect of Interventional Program on Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy and Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Pregnant Women in Ahvaz, Iran.

Objective. This study aimed to determine the effect of educational program on Breastfeeding self-efficacy and duration of exclusive breastfeeding in pregnant women in Ahvaz, Iran. Methods. This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 120 nulliparous pregnant women who tended to breastfeed. The primary self-efficacy scores of samples were measured using Faux and Dennis breastfeeding self-efficacy questionnaire. Women were randomly recruited into two intervention and control groups. Educational program (two training sessions, each lasted two hours) with two days interval was performed for intervention group. One month after delivery, self-efficacy scores were determined. Six months after child birth, duration of exclusive breastfeeding was assessed. Data were analyzed by means of descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings. The breastfeeding self-efficacy in the intervention group increased significantly compared to the control group one month after delivery (123.6 versus 101.7, P < 0.001). The duration of exclusive breastfeeding was significantly higher in the intervention group (5.03 mo versus 2.7 mo, P < 0.001). Also, there was a significant relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy and duration of exclusive breastfeeding (P < 0.001). Conclusion. The educational program could increase the self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding duration of mothers. These results can draw the attention of authorities to the importance of educational programs for mothers regarding the exclusive breastfeeding.

Evaluation of the effects of acoustic stimulation and feeding mother stimulation on non-reactive non-stress test: a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Non-stress test (NST) is known as one of the most common assessments for evaluation of fetus well being. Since the prevalence of its false positive results is high and majority of fetuses with non-reactive results are not at risk, it is important to find out effective approaches to identify such results to avoid unnecessary interventions. So this survey was conducted with the aim of comparing the effects of acoustic stimulation with feeding mothers stimulation on non-reactive NST results. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study preformed on 104 healthy pregnant women with non-reactive NST results and gestational ages between 32 and 42 weeks in Tabriz Alzahra hospital. Subjects were divided into two groups for acoustic stimulation and feeding mother stimulation. Half an hour later NST repeated for participants of each group in the same environmental condition and again the results evaluated. RESULTS: According to our findings, 75 % of subjects with non-reactive NST results changed to reactive after acoustic stimulation group. However, 80 % of participants with non-reactive NST results changed into reactive after feeding stimulation. No significant differences found while comparing test results. CONCLUSION: Both stimulating approaches were effective in the identification of false positive NSTs and might be useful in preventing the unnecessary interventions.

The effect of folic Acid on menopausal hot flashes: a randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: The use of alternative therapies for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes has increased due to the serious risk of hormone therapy. Most alternative therapies have not been accepted by women. Therefore, conducting a study to find effective treatment, which has a low rate of complications and is more acceptable, is necessary. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of folic acid on menopausal hot flashes. METHODS: In the present study 70 menopausal women were placed into two groups of 35 with random allocation, and were treated with folic acid 1 mg tablets and placebo tablets once a day during four weeks. Information was gathered by questionnaire, interviews, and hot flash diary during five stages. Comparisons of within-group RESULTS were performed by ANOVA and between-group results were performed using ANCOVA. Data were analyzed by SPSS for Windows. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between mean severity, duration, and frequency of hot flashes before and after treatment within both groups. In comparing the results between the groups, mean hot flash severity in second, third, and fourth weeks were significantly different. The mean hot flash frequency was significantly different in third and fourth weeks, and the mean hot flash duration was significantly different in the fourth week. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicated that folic acid was effective in reducing the severity, duration, and frequency of hot flashes during menopause. Therefore, it can be recommended as an affordable and accessible method for treating menopausal hot flash for women.

The effects of continuous and interrupted episiotomy repair on pain severity and rate of perineal repair: a controlled randomized clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Perineal pain is the most common complaint after episiotomy. It imposes extra pressure on mothers who attempt to adapt to their new conditions. Therefore, the present study was performed to compare pain severity and perineal repair in two episiotomy repair methods. METHODS: In this clinical trial, 100 primiparous women who referred to hospitals of Tabriz (Iran) for delivery were randomly allocated into two groups of 50 to undergo either continuous or interrupted episiotomy repair. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate pain severity 12-18 hours after episiotomy repair and also 10 days after delivery. Perineal repair rate was also assessed using the REEDA (redness, edema, ecchymosis, discharge, and approximation) scoring scale. The obtained data was analyzed in SPSS15. RESULTS: Statistical tests did not show significant differences between the 2 groups in pain severity variations or REEDA scores at 12-18 hours and the 10th day after delivery. However, the mean required time for repair and the number of used threads were significantly lower in the continuous repair group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that pain severity and episiotomy repair rate were similar in the two methods. Nevertheless, shorter time of repair and fewer threads were required using the continuous repair method. Therefore, this method would provide better services for mothers and reduce the required time, energy, and costs.

Clinical learning environment in viewpoint of nursing students in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

BACKGROUND: Clinical learning environment (CLE) is an important factor in clinical education of nursing students. The CLE of nursing students has been less studied in Iran. Therefore, the aim of present study was to investigate the viewpoints of nursing students in Tabriz nursing faculty regarding CLE. METHODS: In this descriptive study, 133 nursing students participated. For data collection the CLE inventory was used that assesses six aspects including personalization, cooperation, task orientation, innovation, satisfaction with clinical education, and satisfaction with clinical instructors. The score ranged from 46 to 184 and scores below 115 were considered as a negative. RESULTS: The average score of viewpoint regarding CLE was 108.4 (12.7) and 93.2% of students had a negative viewpoint about CLE. CONCLUSIONS: Educational authorities should have special attention to the quality of CLE of nursing students.