Arch Iran Med
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Multicenter Study
A Multicenter Survey on the Trend of Chest CT Scan Utilization: Tracing the First Footsteps of COVID-19 in Iran.
Chest computed tomography (CT) scan has been used widely to diagnose COVID-19 in Iran. ⋯ The observed peak in chest CT utilization in Month 3 prior to the surge in Month 6 could be explained by the seasonal influenza. However, unawareness about an emerging viral disease, i.e. COVID-19, might have underutilized chest CT in Months 4 and 5 before the official announcement in Month 6. The unbalanced increase in the workload of radiology departments in the shortage of cardiothoracic radiologists with the simultaneous decrease in income initiated a vicious cycle that worsened the economic repercussions of the pandemic.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of Three Different Therapies for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Identification of the Etiologic Isolates in Isfahan, Iran.
In Iran, zoonotic and anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are caused by Leishmania major and L. tropica respectively. Despite extensive studies, no effective therapies have ever been reported for CL. The main objective of this research was to determine and compare the three different protocols for treatment of CL patients referring to Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center (SDLRC), affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran from September 2017 to October 2018. ⋯ In this study, the average duration of lesion healing among the three groups was the shortest in patients with IL glucantime plus 50% TCA treatment regimen. Also, the use of 50% TCA in patients suffering from CL was associated with a significant improvement in the depth of scars, the time and the percentage of recovery, and the low cost of this agent in the treatment of CL.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been widespread since late December 2019, with several symptoms related to the upper and lower respiratory system. However, its cardiac manifestations are less frequently studied. We aimed to analyze the available COVID-19 data on acute cardiac injury, using troponin and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. ⋯ Acute cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients is more frequent than what was expected at the beginning of the outbreak. Meanwhile, further studies are needed to investigate the utility of cardiac biomarkers as diagnostic and prognostic tools for long-term cardiac complications of this infection.
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We studied the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 905 hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex (IKHC), Tehran, Iran. ⋯ Older age, experiencing a severe form of the disease, and having a comorbidity were the most important prognostic factors for COVID-19 infection. Larger studies are needed to perform further subgroup analyses and verify high-risk groups.
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The aim of this study was to identify gastrointestinal (GI) and liver injury presentations in children admitted with COVID-19 infection. ⋯ The findings showed that there were no severe clinical GI symptoms in children with COVID-19 infection. Besides, children with increased liver enzymes did not have more respiratory involvement than those without a rise in liver enzymes.