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Background and Objective: The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II classification system has been extensively used for predicting the patient mortality in various diseases admission in ICU ward. The aim of this study was to assess the predicting mortality rate of patients in critical care unit using APACHE-II index. Materials and Methods: This descriptive analytial study was done on 204 hospitalized patients with multiple diagnostic diseases admitted to ICU ward in Gazvin Kusar hospital during 2007. We used than demographic questionnaire and APACHE-II tool to evaluate the prediction mortality rate. Results: Out of 204 patients admitted, 147 (72.1%) survived. Mean APACHE-II score of the subjects was 11.38 (with arrange of 0 to 41). The predicted death rate was 30.26% and the observed death rate was 27.9%. There was a perfect correlation between APACHE-II score and predicted death rate (r=0.976 and P<0.05). Mean APACHE-II score in survivors and non-survivors subjects was 13.97 and 25.36, respectively (t:9.93 P<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that APACHE-II score can truly predict mortality rate in patients in ICU ward. In addition, this index is helpful in follow up treatment cycle in critical care patients.

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Background and Objective: Substance abuse is a major concern all over the world. Due to some individual, familial and social factors the identification of related factors can help us to design a more effective strategies for the prevention of drug abuse. This study was performed to evaluate the relation between individual and familial characteristics with substance abuse tendency in self-introduced addicts. Materials and Methods: This case control study was done on 120 addicted subjects referred to addiction clinic of 5Azar hospital, Gorgan, North of Iran and 120 matched non-addicted subjects were considared as controls. Data collections were performed by questionnaire and interview. Data analyzed with using T-test, Chi-Square and logistic regression. Results: Univariate analysis showed that high school (OR=4.63, 95%CI: 1.78-12.02) and high school graduate subjects (OR=15.5, 95%CI: 4.9-50) showed higher tendency toward addiction compared to university educated people. History of substance abuse in friends (OR=7.33, 95%CI: 4.09-13.13) and previous and present cigarette smoking (OR=12.35, 95%CI: 6.65-22.93) increased abuse tendency. Permanent employment decreased abuse tendency (OR=0.109, 95%CI: 0.05-0.22) compared to temporary job. Conclusion: This study showed that addicted friends, cigarette smoking, low level of education and temporary job increase drug abuse tendency.

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Background and Objective: Mucocutaneons manifestations are common in hemodialysis patients.The aim of this study was evaluate the prcvalence of cutaneous and mucosal manifestations in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who are on the maintenance hemodialysis.

Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was performed on 100 (51 males, 49 females) hemodialysis patients in 5 Azar hospital in Gorgan, North of Iran during 2009. Patients selected on randomly based an all of them completely examined by a deramatologist for any changes in skin, hair, nail and mucous membrane. If necessary biopsy perform and refer to a pathologist. Data analysed with SPSS-13, mann-whitney, t-test, Chi-Square and Fisher tests.

Results: The average age was 49±12.3 years. The most common causes of ESRD was dibetes mellitus. The most common skin lesion was xerosis (78.3%), after that pruritis (39.1%) lentigo (34.8%) skin discoloration (32.6%) leukonychia (32%) thining of nail bed (24%) were common lesions. Lentigo was more common in female than male 42.85% vs 21.50% (p=0.042). Xerosis (p<0.01), scaling (p=0.042), lentigo (p<0.01), folliculitis (p<0.01), idio pathic guttate hypopigmentation (p<0.01) leukonychia (p<0.01) and half and half nail (p<0.01) have meaningful correlation with age. There was also meaningful correlation between dialyis duration and skin discoloration (p<0.031) and leukonychia (p<0.041). Clubhing and ca-p product also have meaningful correlation (p<0.027). Pruritis (p<0.048) and skin fungal infection (p<0.047) (tinea versi color) also have meaningful correlation with serum ferritin level.

Conclusion: Mucocutaneous manifestation were common in end stage renal disease patients.

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Background and Objective: The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic disorders that are associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases and type-II diabetes. This study investigated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among adolescents population in Gorgan, Northern Iran - 2009.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 450 adolescents 15-17 years, selected through 2 stage cluster randomized sampling from high schools. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipid profile were assessed. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to NHANES III criteria. Data was analyzed by SPSS-16 software, Chi-Square and logestic regration.

Results: The overall metabolic syndrome prevalence was 3.3% (CI 95%:1.8–5.4). More than half of cases (54.6%) had at least 1 or 2 components. High triglyceride level was the most common disorder in both genders (boys 27.6%, girls 52.4%) and then low HDL cholesterol level (17.3%) and central obesity (7.6%) were common among boys and girls respectively. Where as abdominal obesity in boys (0.9%) and hypertension in girls (3.1%) were less common.

Conclusion: This study showed that the rate of metabolic syndrome is slightly lower but the obsity in adolescents is higher than other parts of country.

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Background and Objective: Over half of medical researches in Iran are done by students of different levels as their thesis. In medical school, thesis is a 6 hours mandatory course. This study caried out to determine the publication of thesis in faculty of medical in Gorgan, located in North of Iran.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was performed on all thesis and all faculty members who have been advisor of at least one thesis up to the time of this study. To collect data, we used a questionnaire which contained questions about the research, their output and any obstacles to publication. All data have been analyzed by SPSS-13 software and Chi-Square test.

Results: According to the collected information, 322 thesis were directed by 43 faculty academic members of Gorgan Medical School. 87.6% and 12.4% thesis supervisors were clinical and basic science academic members respectively. The majority of 127 (39.4%) published papers have either been published by domestic medical journals or represented in medical seminars inside the country. Basic members have published 70% of their papers while only 35.1% of clinical faculty members have published their research findings. Experimental papers have been published more than other papers (48.5%). The most important publication barrier were lack of time and collaborator in this matter.

Conclusion: This study showed that publication rate of medical student thesis is far from ideal.

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Visceral leishmaniasis, also known as Kala-azar, is one of the main parasitic vector borne diseases, which transmitted by sand fly. The current study reported the seven positive cases of Kala-azar in Maravetapeh county in Golestan province, Iran from 2007-15. Using geographic information system, villages which had confirmed cases of Kala-azar were identified and their geographical information was registered. Villages with confirmed cases of Kala-azar were introduced as at risk villages for visceral leishmaniasis. All of these cases were aged under 6 years and in all of them fever and splenomegaly was reported. All subjects had lower normal range of hemoglobin and plateles. These cases were reported from 6 villages in 3 districts of Maraveh Tapeh County. All of these villages are in hot and dry areas of county and they have mountainous and semi-mountainous geographical status with higher altitude compare to other villages. Fifty two villages of county were recognized as at-risk villages for Kala-azar. Kala-azar presented in sporadic condition in Maravetapeh County. Continuous case finding of Kala-azar for early diagnosis and treatment is necessary.

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Background and Objective: Dietary acid load affects acid–base homeostasis, which may be associated with overweight and obesity as well as dietary quality index international (DQI-I), mean adequacy ratio (MAR), energy density (ED). This study was done to determine the association between dietary acid load with weight status and dietary quality indices among women.
Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was randomly performed on 306 women aged 20 to 55years. Dietary acid load was calculated by potential renal acid load (PRAL), net endogenous acid production (NEAP) and dietary acid load (DAL). DQI-I, MAR, ED were estimated for the participants.
Results: The probability of obesity (95% CI=0.97-5.50, OR=2.33, P=0.04), as well as abdominal adiposity (95% CI=1.21-4.50, OR=2.4, P=0.005) was significantly increased with tertile of DAL (P<0.05). While even after control of confounder variables, other dietary acid load indices (PRAL and NEAP) showed no significant association between dietary acid load and obesity, overweight or abdominal obesity. Also ,with increasing dietary acid load scores, DQI-I and MAR significantly decreased whereas energy density showed a significant increased across tertile categories of dietary acid load indices (P<0.05).
Conclusion: DAL was associated with increased risk of obesity and abdominal obesity. PRAL, NEAP and DAL were good indicators of diet quality indices.