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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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.
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Mass screening for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began in Iran on March 23, 2020, with the purpose of improving early detection of patients for their own health and to prevent onward transmission to others. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the change towards mass screening on new cases reported, cases recovered, and deaths due to COVID-19. ⋯ Following the scale-up of mass screening for COVID-19 in Iran, the rate of new cases detected and reported recovered accelerated significantly. Mass screening is likely to have detected many mild and asymptomatic cases that were infectious. Our data support the role that mass screening, coupled with isolation and contract tracing, can have in slowing the COVID-19 epidemic.
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Thrombocytopenia is the most well-known hematological abnormality occurring in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the rate of platelet count reduction is not the same across different chronic liver disease etiologies. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the differences in the platelet count levels between primary sclerosing cholangitis-related cirrhosis (PSC-C) and other causes of liver disease. ⋯ The findings indicate that PSC-C patients present with mild degrees of thrombocytopenia compared to other causes of chronic liver disease.