Advances in Nursing & Midwifery

Background

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective intervention with no medication in many psychiatric patients. Since electricity and convulsions are evident in this method, many patients feel an unwanted fear from it, leading to noncompliance.

Purpose

This descriptive study was conducted to assess fear-related factors in patients undergoing ECT in psychiatric wards of hospitals affiliated to Shaheed Beheshti Medical University in 2008. 

Methods

200 patients were selected with nonrandomized sampling method. A questionnaire was used for data collection, validated and made reliable by content and internal consistency methods respectively. Data were collected by self-report method.

Results

99.5% of the subjects reported fear from the therapy while 0.5% experienced no fear. Factors related to procedures during the therapy were the most fearful ones in this regard.  

Conclusion

Most subjects experienced fear during electroconvulsive therapy more than what has been reported in other studies. The fear from the procedure of the therapy was the highest, which is congruent with past evidence. It can be concluded that education and counseling can reduce the fear to make the therapy more comfortable and acceptable for the patients.

Keywords: Fear, Electroconvulsive therapy, Psychiatry.

Background

Stroke is the most common neurologic disorder and the third leading cause of death in many countries. It has two types: ischemic and hemorrhagic. The latter has more complications and is lethal. Some risk factors of stroke include diabetes, hypertension, smoking and hyperlipidemia.

Purpose

This cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the frequencies of risk factors in patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, hospitalized at Hazrat-e-Rasoul Hospital in 2007.

Methods

100 patients were randomly selected in an every other manner for each type of stroke and assessed as well as compared in terms of most significant risk factors. A form for recording age, sex, type of stroke and related risk factors was used to collect data from medical records.

Results

74% and 26% of the patients suffered from ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke respectively. Mean ages of the first and second group were 68.3±16.56 and 61.9±13.69. The frequencies of risk factor in ischemic stroke were 64.86% for diabetes, 56.75% for hypertension, 21.62% for smoking and 13.51% for hyperlipidemia. The corresponding figures for hemorrhagic stroke were 65.38%, 61.53%, 3.8% and 3.8%. A significant difference was found between the frequencies of smoking (P=0.048) and hyperlipidemia (P=0.000) in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

Conclusion

With respect to high frequencies of the above risk factors, controlling them in a better and more accurate manner, increasing public awareness and modifying life style are valuable in primary and secondary prevention of stroke and its complications.

Keywords: Stroke, Ischemic stroke, Hemorrhagic stroke, Risk factors, Diabetes, Hypertension,

                  Smoking, Hyperlipidemia.        

Background

Medication error in nursing is one of the most common errors of healthcare systems (over 78%) with detrimental outcomes. Different reasons have been suggested in this regard and it seems that further investigations are still needed.

Purpose

This descriptive study was conducted to identify the reasons for medication errors in nurses’ views.

Methods

100 nurses from different wards at several hospitals completed a 3-part questionnaire including demographic, occupational and medication error questions. Content and test-retest methods were used for validity and reliability of the questionnaire respectively. Different tests were used for statistical analysis of data.

Results

53% of the subjects reported medication errors at least 1 time in their work experience. The most common ones were wrong dose (27%), drug neglect (22%) and wrong time (18%) respectively. Most errors were made by nurses between 25 and 30 (51%), at neonatal and pediatric wards (60%) and mainly in morning shifts (65%). The most common reasons included heavy workload (70%), shortage of staff (62%), physical and emotional fatigue (59%) and lengthy working hours (58%).

Conclusion

It can be concluded that the 3 reasons for making errors refer to organizational-humanistic factors. In fact, insufficiency in healthcare system leads to increased medication errors. Identification of these factors can help both healthcare system and nurses to eliminate them and decrease the errors resulting in improved quality care and patient’s safety.

Keywords: Medication errors, Nurses, Reasons.

Background

Postpartum depression is a common disorder affecting on maternal-neonatal bonding.

Purpose

This analytical study was performed to identify demographic features influencing on postpartum depression in 2007.

Methods

246 women having normal vaginal delivery with no history of physical and mental disorders during pregnancy or earlier were selected in a healthcare setting affiliated to Hormozgan Medical University. They were assessed on day 40 after delivery with 2 demographic and Edinburg’s questionnaires in terms of parity, educational level of spouses, neonatal disorders, sex of neonate, occupation of spouse, family planning, and decision for abortion, marital satisfaction, and history of stillborn babies.

Results

A significant difference was found between the groups in terms of marital relationships, level of education, sex of neonate, decision for abortion and unwanted pregnancy while there was no difference in parity, occupation of spouse and age.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that women having unwanted pregnancies with lower educational level, unsatisfactory relationship with their spouses and undesired sex of their babies should receive more help in preventive programs for postpartum depression.

Keywords: Postpartum depression, Edinburg’s depression test, Demographic characteristics.  

Background

With respect to different problems and complications of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), appropriate educational programs and interventions should be performed for them to promote their quality of life.

Purpose

This descriptive study was conducted to identify educational needs of patients who were the members of Iranian MS Society in 2007.

Methods

174 subjects referring to the society were selected with convenience sampling method. A questionnaire in 4 parts was used for data collection.

Results

Most subjects (26.4%) were between 32-39, women (71%) as well as married (59.8%) and history of the disease less than 3 years (27.7%). 39.1% was in great need of education, 0.6% of disease nature, 94% of sexual disorders and 64.8% of administrative problems. A significant relationship was found between educational needs concerning physical issues and education (P=0.027) and also these needs and times of hospitalization (P=0.004).

Conclusion

It can be concluded that the most urgent educational needs were about sexual problems, mobility problems and administrative problems and the lowest need for education was about elimination problems.

Keywords: Educational needs, Multiple sclerosis, Iranian Multiple Sclerosis Society. Physical needs.      

Background

Occupational contact with chemotherapeutic drugs is considered as a potential threat for health. These agents may cause menstrual disorders according to many studies regarding the effects of long-term contact of the agents with health personnel. Oncology nurses involved in the preparation and administration of these drugs may be prone to many threats and complications.

Purpose

This retrospective study was conducted to detect menstrual disorders in nursing staff with or without contact with chemotherapeutic agents at Namazi Hospital in Shiraz.

Methods

Nurses from chemotherapy, hematology, pediatrics, Eastern 3 as well as bone marrow transplantation wards in case group and from internal general, internal women, internal men as well as Western 3 in control group (totally 94 subjects) was selected. A questionnaire in 4 parts including demographic, past medical history, menstrual disorders and contact with the agents was used for data collection. Pelvic sonography and hormonal tests were also checked.

Results

61.1% of nurses in the case group suffered from menstrual disorders in comparison with 53.3% of subjects in the control group. TSH, FSH, and LH levels were higher and prolactin level was lower in the case group. Most nurses in the case group experienced the disorders in the last 6 months. No significant relationship was found between menstrual disorders and application of protective devices.

Conclusion

Because of potential effects of contact with chemotherapeutic agents on reproductive system, involved staff should use available protective devices to prevent infertility and menstrual disorders.

Keywords: Menstrual disorders, Occupational contact, Chemotherapeutic agents.       

Background

Children make a significant proportion of human population and their healthy growth and development ensure the future health of society. Childhood is considered as one of the most significant life stages for growth and health at other stages. Due to specific nutritional need, children are prone to food insufficiency. Accordingly, nutritional condition of children under 5 is an appropriate measure for evaluating the condition of health in a society.

Purpose

This study was intended to report malnutrition condition of Iranian children under 5 by reviewing related studies.

Methods

Different Iranian and international databases including Iran Medex, Irandoc and Pubmed were searched.

Results

Studies found that the prevalence of malnutrition in children under 5 was different at regions of the country and between 8.6% and 34%. The least amount (8.6%) was seen in Gilan province and the highest in Sistan and Baloochestan province. Risk factors in this regard were low-birth-weight, poor family planning, lack of consumption of complementary food, lack of mother’s knowledge regarding the proper time to start complementary nutrition and low level of mother’s education.       

Keywords: Malnutrition, Children under five, Nutritional state.