Correlation of invalidation with symptom severity and health status in fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE: Invalidation is a new construct in health psychology, especially in diseases with inherently invisible symptoms such as FM. It can potentially affect both the quality of life and disease severity in patients with FM. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of illness invalidation with health status and symptom severity in FM. METHODS: A total of 112 consecutive patients with FM referred to the rheumatology clinic were enrolled. Invalidation was measured by the Illness Invalidation Inventory (3*I). To measure patient status and progress of FM, the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) was used and patients' quality of life was assessed by the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed and Spearman's correlations were calculated. RESULTS: All the patients were female and aged between 18 and 61 years. No significant differences in discounting and lack of understanding between various sources of invalidation were found. The strongest correlation was observed between FIQR symptom score and discounting by work (r = 0.519, P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that only discounting from the spouse significantly predicted FIQR total scores of FM patients [P = 0.03 (CI 0.28, 10.64)]. CONCLUSION: Discounting correlated more strongly with SF-12 subscales and FIQR domains than did lack of understanding. The current study revealed that active negative social responses and the source of invalidation are important in predicting symptom severity and quality of life in FM.

Validation of fibromyalgia survey questionnaire and polysymptomatic distress scale in a Persian population.

The aim of this study was to assess validity of the fibromyalgia survey questionnaire (FSQ) and polysymptomatic distress scale (PSD) in an Iranian population. We also sought to classify the severity levels of fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms according to the PSD scale. Participants were divided into FM and non-FM chronic pain disorder groups according to expert physician diagnosis. Patients in both groups answered to Persian-translated version of FSQ, fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ) and Short-Form-12 (SF-12). Both 1990 ACR criteria and FSDC were assessed in participates of two groups. Internal consistency and construct validity were evaluated. There was good internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha (0.814 for FSQ). FSQ and its subscales correlated significantly with FIQ scores and SF-12 subscales, indicating acceptable construct validity. The concordance rates of FSQ with 1990 ACR criteria and expert diagnosis were 61.2 and 75.7, respectively (convergence validity). The mean score of PSD and its components in FM group were significantly more than in control groups (discriminative validity). Using lower PSD score cutoff (≥8.5) for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia appeared to be the most effective approach in our population. ROC analysis of the PSD scores revealed 8.5-11.5, 11.5-15 and more than 15, respectively, as a mild, moderate and severe FM. Persian version of FSQ was a valid instrument for application in survey research among Iranian patients with chronic pain disorders. The current study revealed that PSD could be used as a valid tool for assessment of symptoms intensity regardless of fibromyalgia diagnosis.

The validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire.

The Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), an updated version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) achieved a better balance among different domains (i.e., function, overall impact, and symptom severity) and attempts to address the limitations of FIQ. As there is no Persian version of the FIQR available, we aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of a Persian translation of the FIQR in Iranian patients. After translating the FIQR into Persian, it was administered to 77 female patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. All of the patients filled out the questionnaire together with a Persian version of the FIQ, short form-12 (SF-12). The tender-point count was also calculated. One week later, FM patients filled out the Persian FIQR at their second visit. Reliability was analyzed by internal consistency and reproducibility including Cronbach's α coefficient and intra-class correlation coefficient. Construct validity was evaluated by Spearman's correlation coefficient and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows version 17.0. All patients included in this study were female, and the mean age was 38.23 ± 10.68 years. The total scores of the FIQR and FIQ were 49.77 ± 18.27 and 54.05 ± 14.00 that were closely correlated (r = 0.63, p < 0.01), and each of the three domains of the Persian FIQR was also correlated well with the three related FIQ domains (r = 0.36-0.63, p < 0.01). Also some significant inverse correlations of FIQR with quality-of-life (assessed by SF-12) domains and items were found. Cronbach's α was 0.87 for FIQR in the first visit. The Persian FIQR showed adequate reliability and validity. This instrument can be used in the clinical evaluation of Iranian patients with fibromyalgia.

Potassium permanganate in treatment of diabetic foot ulcer: A randomized clinical trial.

Background and Aims: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are a severe complication in diabetes patients, often resulting in significant morbidity and mortality due to non-healing. This study investigated the effectiveness of 5% topical potassium permanganate on these ulcers. Methods: A clinical trial was conducted on 23 patients with Wagner grade I and II DFU. Patients in the control group received standard treatment, while those in the intervention group also received 5% potassium permanganate topically. Data were recorded at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days for analysis. Results: Among 23 patients studied, 7 (30.4%) were male and 16 (43.7%) female, with an average age of 59 ± 4 years. Both groups showed a statistically significant decrease in wound size and infection over time (p < 0.001). The intervention group, however, had a more substantial reduction in wound size and infection rate (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Potassium permanganate, when applied topically, is both well-tolerated and effective in enhancing wound healing and reducing infection in DFU, suggesting its potential as a complementary treatment.

Serum Vitamin D Status in Iranian Fibromyalgia Patients: according to the Symptom Severity and Illness Invalidation.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to assess serum vitamin D status (25-OHD) in the fibromyalgia (FM) patients and to compare it with a healthy control group. It also aimed to investigate the correlation of serum vitamin D level with FM symptom severity and invalidation experiences. METHODS: A total of 74 consecutive patients with FM and 68 healthy control participants were enrolled. The eligible FM patients completed the Illness Invalidation Inventory (3(*)I), the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) and a short-form health survey (SF-12). Venous blood samples were drawn from all participants to evaluate serum 25-OHD levels. Mann-Whitney tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed and Spearman's correlations were calculated. RESULTS: 88.4% of FM patients had low levels of serum 25-OHD. FM patients had significantly higher level of serum 25-OHD than the control group (17.24 ± 13.50 and 9.91 ± 6.47 respectively, P = 0.0001). There were no significant correlations between serum 25-OHD levels and the clinical measures of disease impact, invalidation dimensions, and health status. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that an increased discounting of the disease by the patient's spouse was associated with a 4-fold increased risk for vitamin D deficiency (OR = 4.36; 95% CI, 0.95-19.87, P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that although high rates of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency were seen among FM patients and healthy non-FM participants, but it seems there was no intrinsic association between FM and vitamin D deficiency. Addressing of invalidation experience especially by the patient's spouse is important in management of FM.

Endovascular Treatment of a Huge Hepatic Artery Aneurysm by Coil Embolization Method: A Case Report.

Hepatic artery aneurysms are rare but potentially life threatening. We describe a novel case of a successful endovascular coil embolization of a huge hepatic artery aneurysm. A 67-year-old woman presented with recent abdominal pain that had begun from 2 weeks before referring to our hospital. Sonographic and computerized tomographic (CT) findings revealed a huge hepatic artery aneurysm with 95 mm × 83 mm diameter. The patient underwent an endovascular technique. In aortic angiography, the celiac artery orifice and superior mesenteric artery were so narrow, so sonography was used in order to determine the exact position of the catheter in the celiac artery orifice. The aneurysm was thrombosed using coil embolization. Pulsation of the aneurysm immediately disappeared. Huge hepatic artery aneurysm can be safely treated using coil embolization.