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OBJECTIVE: Determination of the amount of parenchymal damage in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is crucial to choose the best treatment and management. AIM: Here, the associations between laboratory data and severity of steatosis and fibrosis plus hepatic vessel Doppler indices in NAFLD patients were investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty patients (20 males and 30 females) with NAFLD criteria were enrolled. Fatty liver was graded by sonography (SGFL) and FibroScan (FGFL). In addition, liver fibrosis was graded through FGLF. Damages to the portal, hepatic, and splenic veins were evaluated by color Doppler/dopplex. Serum liver enzymes and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also measured. RESULTS: Significant association existed between SGFL and FGFL (P = 0.006). Portal vein pulsatility index (PI) and phasicity plus the triphasic and monophasic pattern of hepatic veins significantly associated with fatty liver grade evaluated by sonography. Splenic vein Peak systolic velocity and PI showed significant association with FGFL. Eventually, elevated liver enzymes and CRP significantly correlated with FGLF. CONCLUSION: We found that the severity of fatty liver is correlated with hepatic and portal veins damages; however, the degree of parenchymal fibrosis was independent to these indices and can be directly evaluated by FGFL. In addition, elevated liver enzymes and CRP correlated with the degree of fibrosis.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Bad news disclosure is one of the most complex tasks of physicians. Recent evidences indicate that patients' and physicians' attitude toward breaking bad news has been changed since few years ago. The evidence of breaking bad news is different across cultures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the attitude of medical staff toward breaking bad news to provide a clinical guideline in Iran. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted during 2008-2009 on a sample of 100 medical staff (50 physicians and 50 nurses) at Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini hospital. The subjects' demographic characteristics and their attitudes toward the manner of revealing the diagnosis were registered in a questionnaire. RESULTS: The majority of the physicians (86%, n=43) and nurses (74%, n=37), mostly the older and more experienced, tended to reveal the diagnosis to patients. Only a few physicians (8%, n=4) had been trained how to disclose bad news, which discloused diagnosis more than non trained ones. Physicians and nurses preferred to inform the patients about the diagnosis when either the patients were alone or in the presence of their spouse respectively. Only a few physicians (14%) and nurses (24%) agreed to explain life expectancy to patients. CONCLUSION: Compared to past, physicians and nurses are more willing to share cancer diagnosis with patients. However, lack of adequate communication skills in caregivers, and their concerns about managing patients' emotional reactions reduce their tendency to disclose bad news to the patients. Therefore, training physicians and nurses to expose bad news to the patients seems to be necessary.