Efficacy and safety of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) in moderately ill patients with COVID-19: a randomized controlled trial.

Licorice extract (glycyrrhizin), a potent antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant remedy, is a potential therapeutic option for COVID-19. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of licorice in patients with moderate COVID-19. In this study, 60 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive licorice (at a dose of 760 mg three times a day for seven days) or control groups. The primary outcomes were SPO2, body temperature, and respiratory rate (RR) after the end of the intervention. The findings indicated that SPO2, body temperature, and RR had no significant difference between the groups at the end of the intervention. However, CRP and ALT improved in the licorice group toward the baseline. The number of patients with worse prognoses, LOS, mortality, and the incidence of adverse events were not different between the groups at the end of the study. Licorice had no beneficial effect on the clinical symptoms of COVID-19. Moreover, this intervention demonstrated a safe profile of adverse events. The confirmation of the results of this preparatory trial requires more detailed multiple-center trials with a larger sample size.

D-dimer Versus Procalcitonin for the Diagnosis of Pediatric UTI and Prediction of Renal Parenchymal Involvement.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have investigated the applicability of different serum biomarkers for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) and differentiation between acute pyelonephritis (APN) and cystitis. We aimed to compare serum D-dimer with procalcitonin (PCT) for the diagnosis of UTI and prediction of APN in a pediatric population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included children aged 1 month to 14 years with their first UTI episode confirmed by positive urine culture. Serum PCT and D-dimer were measured in all participants before the initiation of antibiotic therapy. Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan was performed in all children within 2 months of UTI resolution to determine renal parenchymal involvement. RESULTS: From the 43 children included in this study, 69.8% were female. D-dimer level was significantly higher in boys (823.26 ± 298.19 vs. 582.96 ± 359.96 ng/mL; P < .05). PCT level was comparable in boys and girls (P > .05). Logistic regression revealed that regardless of gender, children aged 2 to 6 years had significantly higher chance of at least one positive marker compared to those 6 to 14 years (OR = 6.12, 95% CI: 1.09 to 34.47, P < .05). The area under the curve value from the receiver operating characteristic curve of D-dimer ≥ 513 ng/mL for prediction of APN was 0.873, with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of 84.8, 90, 96.6, 64.3, and 86%; respectively. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of the current study, 81.4% of children aged 1 month to 14 years with their first UTI episode, were either PCT or D-dimer positive. D-dimer appears to have the highest diagnostic performance for the detection of APN. DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.6089.

The efficacy and safety of Ivermectin in patients with mild and moderate COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: We will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ivermectin in patients with mild and moderately severe COVID-19. TRIAL DESIGN: This is a phase 3, single-center, randomized, open-label, controlled trial with a 2-arm parallel-group design (1:1 ratio). PARTICIPANTS: The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Departments of the Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran, will screen for patients age ≥ 20 years and weight ≥35 kg for the following criteria: Inclusion criteria for patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms (outpatients) 1. Diagnosed mild pneumonia using computed tomography (CT) and/or chest X-ray (CX-R) imaging, not requiring hospitalization. 2. Signing informed consent. Inclusion criteria for patients with moderate COVID-19 symptoms (inpatients) 1. Confirmed infection using PCR. 2. Diagnosed moderate pneumonia using CT and/or CXR imaging, requiring hospitalization. 3. Hospitalized ≤ 48 hours. 4. Signing informed consent. Exclusion criteria 1. Severe and critical pneumonia due to COVID-19. 2. Underlying diseases, including AIDS, asthma, loiasis, and severe liver and kidney disease. 3. Use of anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) and ACE inhibitors (e.g., captopril). 4. History of drug allergy to Ivermectin. 5. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Intervention groups: Outpatient and inpatient groups will receive the standard treatment regimen for mild and moderate COVID-19, based on the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education's protocol, along with oral Ivermectin (MSD Company, France) at a single dose of 0.2 mg/kg. Control groups: The outpatient group will receive hydroxychloroquine sulfate (Amin Pharmaceutical Company, Iran) at a dose of 400 mg twice a day for the first day and 200 mg twice a day for seven subsequent days. The inpatient group will receive 200/50 mg Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Heterd Company, India) twice a day for the seven days, plus five doses of 44 mcg Interferon beta-1a (CinnaGen, Iran) every other day. Other supportive and routine care will be the same in both outpatient and inpatient groups. MAIN OUTCOME: The primary outcomes are composite and include the improvement of clinical symptoms and need for hospitalization for outpatient groups, and the length of hospital stay until discharge, the need for ICU admission until discharge, and the need for mechanical ventilation for inpatient groups within seven days of randomization. The secondary outcome is the incidence of serious adverse drug reactions within seven days of randomization. RANDOMIZATION: Patients in both outpatient (mild) and inpatient (moderate) groups will be randomized into the treatment and control groups based on the following method. A simple randomization method and table of random numbers will be used. If the selected number is even, the patient is allocated to the treatment group, and if it is odd, the patient is allocated to the control group in a 1:1 ratio. BLINDING (MASKING): This is an open-label study, and there is not blinding. Numbers to be randomized (sample size) A total number of 120 patients (60 outpatients and 60 patients) will be randomized into two groups (30 patients in each of the intervention groups and 30 patients in each of the control groups). TRIAL STATUS: The protocol is Version 1.0, November 17, 2020. Recruitment began November 25, 2020, and is anticipated to be completed by February 25, 2021. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This clinical trial has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT). The registration number is " IRCT20200506047323N6 ". The registration date is November 17, 2020. FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting the dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.

Effects of Ginger on clinical manifestations and paraclinical features of patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome due to COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: We investigate the effects of Ginger, compared to the usual therapeutic regimen on clinical manifestations and paraclinical features in patients with confirmed COVID-19 that are moderately ill. TRIAL DESIGN: This is a single center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with parallel group design. PARTICIPANTS: Inclusion criteria: 1. Patients admitted to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Departments at Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran 2. Age ≥18 years (weight ≥35 kg) 3. Hospitalized ≤48 hours 4. Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (Positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) 5. Moderate pneumonia and lung involvement in imaging 6. Signing informed consent and willingness of study participant to accept randomization to any assigned treatment arm Exclusion criteria: 1. Underlying diseases, including heart disease, chronic hypertension, severe renal failure, severe liver failure, and thyroid disorders 2. Use of warfarin, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), diuretics, corticosteroids, and antiarrhythmic drugs 3. Severe and critical pneumonia 4. History of known allergy to Ginger 5. Pregnancy and breastfeeding INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Intervention group: The standard treatment regimen for COVID-19 along with Ginger-based herbal tablets (Vomigone ®, Dineh Pharmaceutical Company, Iran) at a dose of 1000 mg three times a day for a period of seven days. CONTROL GROUP: The standard treatment for COVID-19 based on the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education's protocol, along with Vomigone-like placebo tablets (Dineh Pharmaceutical Company, Iran) at a dose of two tablets three times a day for a period of seven days. MAIN OUTCOMES: The primary outcome is recovery rate of clinical symptoms, including fever, dry cough, tiredness, and GI symptoms as well as paraclinical features, including thrombocytopenia, lymphocytopenia, and C-reactive protein within seven days of randomization. Time to improvement of clinical and paraclinical features along with the incidence of serious adverse events are the secondary outcomes within seven days of randomization. RANDOMIZATION: An interactive web-based system will be used to allocate eligible participants, based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, to one of the two study arms (in a 1:1 ratio) using block randomization. BLINDING (MASKING): All study participants, research coordinators, clinicians, nurses, and investigators will be blinded to the group assignment. NUMBERS TO BE RANDOMIZED (SAMPLE SIZE): A total of 84 participants will be randomized into two groups of 42 patients. TRIAL STATUS: The protocol is Version 1.0, May 23, 2020. Recruitment began July 21, 2020, and is anticipated to be completed by October 30, 2020. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This clinical trial has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT). The registration number is " IRCT20200506047323N1 ". Registration date is 23 May 2020. FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.

Frequency and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of Diabetic Foot Infection of Patients from Bandar Abbas District, Southern Iran.

Diabetic foot infection is among the most common complications of diabetes mellitus which significantly causes hospitalization and is the most prevalent etiology of nontraumatic amputation worldwide. The current study aimed at assessing the frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of diabetic foot infection of patients from the Bandar Abbas area, in the south of Iran. In this study, a total of 83 diabetic patients with diabetic infected foot wounds referring to Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, from 2017 to 2018 were assessed. Samples were obtained from wound sites and evaluated by aerobic culture and also an antibiogram test for antibiotic susceptibility. Factors including age, sex, type of diabetes, the medication used for diabetes, previous history of diabetic foot infection, duration of wound incidence, fever, and laboratory indices were recorded for each subject. The most prevalent detected bacteria were Escherichia coli (20.5%), Enterococcus sp. (16.9%), Klebsiella sp. (12%), Staphylococcus aureus (8.4%), Enterobacter sp. (7.2%), and Acinetobacter sp. (6%). The results of antibiogram tests revealed the most and the least antibiotic sensitivity for E. coli sp. as meropenem and ciprofloxacin, for Enterococcus sp. as gentamicin and ciprofloxacin, for Klebsiella sp. as amikacin and cotrimoxazole, and for Enterobacter sp. as cotrimoxazole and both amikacin and ciprofloxacin. Staphylococcus aureus was sensitive to vancomycin and doxycycline, and Acinetobacter sp. was 100% resistant to all antibiotics except amikacin and gentamycin. A significant statistical association was found between the C-reactive protein and the patients' diabetic foot infection organisms (P=0.019). Findings of the study revealed E. coli sp. as the most common bacteria which are infecting the foot lesions in the studied population. The highest antibiotic susceptibility was seen for vancomycin, linezolid, and carbapenem.

Effects of Licorice on clinical symptoms and laboratory signs in moderately ill patients with pneumonia from COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: We investigate the effects of Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) root extract, an anti-inflammatory natural medicine, compared to the usual therapeutic regimen on clinical symptoms and laboratory signs in patients with confirmed COVID-19 that are moderately ill. TRIAL DESIGN: This is a single-center, open-label, randomized, clinical trial with parallel-group design. This study is being conducted at Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran. PARTICIPANTS: Both male and female patients with ≥18 years of age (≥ 35 kg of weight), admitted at the Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas for treatment, screened for the following criteria. INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection (via polymerase chain reaction [PCR] and/or antibody test). 2. Presenting as moderate COVID-19 pneumonia (via chest computed tomography (CT) and/or X-ray) requiring hospitalization. 3. Hospitalized ≤48 hours. 4. Signing informed consent and willingness of study participant to accept randomization to any assigned treatment arm. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Underlying diseases, including chronic heart disease, chronic hypertension, severe renal failure, severe liver failure, and thyroid disorders. 2. Severe and critical COVID-19 pneumonia. 3. Use of warfarin, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), diuretics, corticosteroids, and antiarrhythmic drugs. 4. Treatment with Investigational and antiviral therapy in a clinical study within one month before randomization. 5. History of allergy to Licorice. 6. Pregnancy and breastfeeding. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Intervention group: The standard treatment regimen for COVID-19 along with a Licorice-based herbal preparation (D-Reglis ®, Irandarouk Pharmaceutical Company, Iran) at a dose of 760 mg three times a day for a period of seven days. CONTROL GROUP: The standard treatment for COVID-19 based on the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education's protocol for a period of seven days. MAIN OUTCOMES: The recovery rate of clinical symptoms, including fever, dry cough, and tiredness, as well as paraclinical features, including thrombocytopenia, lymphocytopenia, and C-reactive protein, are evaluated as primary outcomes within seven days of randomization. Time to improvement of clinical and paraclinical features and length of stay in a hospital, along with the incidence of adverse reactions are also evaluated as the secondary outcomes within seven days of randomization. RANDOMIZATION: An electronic table of random numbers will be used to allocate the included participants into either control or intervention groups (in a 1:1 ratio) using the simple randomization method. BLINDING (MASKING): This is an open-label trial without blinding and placebo control. NUMBERS TO BE RANDOMIZED (SAMPLE SIZE): A total of 60 participants randomizes (30 patients allocated to the intervention group and 30 patients allocated to the control group). TRIAL STATUS: The protocol is Version 1.0, May 31, 2020. Recruitment began July 30, 2020, and is anticipated to be completed by October 30, 2020. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This clinical trial has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT). The registration number is "IRCT20200506047323N2", https://www.irct.ir/trial/47990 . The registration date is 31 May 2020. FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Melatonin in moderately ill patients with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: We will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Melatonin, compared to the standard therapeutic regimen on clinical symptoms and serum inflammatory parameters in patients with confirmed COVID-19, who are moderately ill. TRIAL DESIGN: This is a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with a parallel-group design conducted at Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran. PARTICIPANTS: All patients admitted to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Departments of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran will be screened for the following criteria. INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Age ≥20 years 2. Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (positive polymerase chain reaction). 3. Moderate COVID-19 pneumonia (via computed tomography and or X-ray imaging), requiring hospitalization. 4. Hospitalized ≤48 hours. 5. Signing informed consent and willingness of the participant to accept randomization to any assigned treatment arm. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Underlying diseases, including chronic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, seizure, depression, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and cholestatic liver diseases. 2. Severe and critical COVID-19 pneumonia. 3. Use of warfarin, corticosteroids, hormonal drugs, alcohol, other antiviral and investigational medicines, and illegal drugs (during the last 30 days). 4. History of known allergy to Melatonin. 5. Pregnancy and breastfeeding. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Intervention group: The standard treatment regimen for COVID-19, according to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education's protocol, along with Melatonin capsules at a dose of 50 mg daily for a period of seven days. CONTROL GROUP: The standard therapeutic regimen for COVID-19 along with Melatonin-like placebo capsules at a dose of one capsule daily for a period of seven days. Both Melatonin and placebo capsules were prepared at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran. MAIN OUTCOMES: The primary outcomes are the recovery rate of clinical symptoms and oxygen saturation as well as improvement of serum inflammatory parameters, including C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-ɑ), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and IL-6 within seven days of randomization. The secondary outcomes are the time to improve clinical and paraclinical features along with the incidence of serious adverse drug reactions within seven days of randomization. RANDOMIZATION: Included patients will be allocated to one of the study arms using block randomization in a 1:1 ratio (each block consists of 10 patients). This randomization method ensures a balanced allocation between the arms during the study. A web-based system will generate random numbers for the allocation sequence and concealment of participants. Each number relates to one of the study arms. BLINDING (MASKING): All study participants, clinicians, nurses, research coordinators, and those analyzing the data are blinded to the group assignment. NUMBERS TO BE RANDOMIZED (SAMPLE SIZE): A total of 60 patients randomized into two groups (30 in each group). TRIAL STATUS: The trial protocol is Version 1.0, August 14, 2020. Recruitment began August 22, 2020, and is anticipated to be completed by November 30, 2020. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial protocol has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT). The registration number is " IRCT20200506047323N5 ". The registration date was 14 August 2020. FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting the dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.

Situational Analysis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Focus of the Disease, Southeastern Iran.

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis is one of the most important vector-borne diseases in Iran, existing in a variety of forms ranging from cutaneous to visceral forms. Jask County has been recognized as an endemic focus of the disease in the southeastern region of Iran. This study analyzed the situation of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) during 2006-2014. METHODS: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on CL data got from health sector. ArcGIS 10.3 was exploited for the spatial analysis of CL. Potential high-risk areas of the disease regarding its' current geographical distribution were considered. RESULTS: Overall, 874 CL cases had been registered in the district health center, implying an average incidence of 162.5per 100000. More than 90% of the cases emerged from rural areas. The disease is geographically distributed in the southeastern regions of Jask County. Over one-third of the total study area can be classified as high-risk areas, involving 61 villages with a total population of about 18000. Remarkably, altitude and total precipitation were realized to play key roles in CL transmission within the study area. CONCLUSION: Although the national protocol for the control of ZCL recommends the substantial destruction of rodent colonies serving as reservoirs of the disease in infected foci, critical improvement of the knowledge of the residents in these areas is crucial for community-based management of the disease in Jask County.

A report of outbreaks of measles on the southern coast of Iran from 2009 to 2015.

INTRODUCTION: Immunogenicity assessment figures of the measles vaccine is approximately 90%, and decreases over time. Therefore, the immunity level of measles vaccine is variable which can result in outbreaks of measles in a population. The aim of current study was to report the outbreaks of measles in Hormozgan province from 2009 to 2015. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Hormozgan Province on the southern coast of Iran. The documented data of all cases suspected of measles are included in this study. We used a checklist including gender, age, area, place of residence, contact history, and vaccination status to extract required data. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics software version 21.0. RESULTS: Eight hundred fifty-one suspicious cases of measles were determined from 2006 to 2015. Of those, 135 infected cases were reported. Among patients, 49% were male, 79% were Iranian, 18% were Afghans, and 3 % were Indians or Pakistanis. Also, 31% of cases were reported from Bandar Abbas, 25% were reported from Minab, 18% from Qeshm, 17 % from Jask and other cases were reported from other areas of the Hormozgan Province. Thirty percent of the cases were reported from urban areas. CONCLUSION: A high percentage of cases with measles in rural areas were reported in the areas which were covered by complete vaccination. This shows interruption of cold continuum. Also, increasing the number of under one-years-old cases reported, could be due to poor nutritional status of the children and insufficient immunization of mothers. Further studies are required for identifying the causes of cold continuum interruption. Further studies are required for the assessment of immunization in children and mothers and various vaccination protocols.

Prevalence of night blindness in Bashagard district in Hormozgan, Iran, in 2011.

BACKGROUND: Night blindness is a visual disorder associated with unusual vision during the night or in darkness. Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), which is easily preventable, is the main known etiology of night blindness. Malnutrition is a common health issue in Bashagard and some other areas in the Hormozgan province of Iran. The aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence of night blindness in Bashagard. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done on 814 Bashagard residences. Data was analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive studies. RESULTS: About 60% of the study participants were uneducated people or people with low education. Thirty-two out of 814 people that were studied had problems with night vision. Therefore, the prevalence of night blindness in Bashagard was 3.93%. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of night blindness in Bashagard is three times higher than its prevalence in all of Iran. Therefore, preventive interventions such as dietary regimes with vitamin A enrichments or supplementations are recommended.

Prevalence of selected sexually and blood-borne infections in Injecting drug abuser inmates of bandar abbas and roodan correction facilities, Iran, 2002.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and other blood borne viral infections like hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are major health issues especially in young and growing population of developing countries. All around the globe correctional facilities are known as potential source of spreading such disease. During summer 2002, HIV, HCV antibodies, hepatitis B surface (HBs) antigen and rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test were checked in venous blood samples of 252 injecting drug abuser prisoners from correctional facilities in southern Iran. Overall HIV, HCV and HBV infection rate was 15.1% (38/249), 64.8% (163/249), and 4.7% (12/249), respectively. HCV infection rate of HIV positive cases was 94% (35/38). All RPR results were negative. Duration of previous drug abuse and imprisonment were correlated with HIV and HCV infection (p value = 0.0003 and 0.015 & p value =0.02 and 0.02). Considering the higher prevalence of HIV and HCV infection in correctional facilities compared to general population of Iran, warrants immediate multidisciplinary approaches targeted at controlling further spread of these infections primarily among prisoners and secondarily preventing them to act as carrier to general population.

Prevalence of selected sexually and blood-borne infections in Injecting drug abuser inmates of bandar abbas and roodan correction facilities, Iran, 2002

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and other blood borne viral infections like hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are major health issues especially in young and growing population of developing countries. All around the globe correctional facilities are known as potential source of spreading such disease. During summer 2002, HIV, HCV antibodies, hepatitis B surface (HBs) antigen and rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test were checked in venous blood samples of 252 injecting drug abuser prisoners from correctional facilities in southern Iran. Overall HIV, HCV and HBV infection rate was 15.1 percent (38/249), 64.8 percent (163/249), and 4.7 percent (12/249), respectively. HCV infection rate of HIV positive cases was 94 percent (35/38). All RPR results were negative. Duration of previous drug abuse and imprisonment were correlated with HIV and HCV infection (p value = 0.0003 and 0.015 & p value =0.02 and 0.02). Considering the higher prevalence of HIV and HCV infection in correctional facilities compared to general population of Iran, warrants immediate multidisciplinary approaches targeted at controlling further spread of these infections primarily among prisoners and secondarily preventing them to act as carrier to general population.