Spinal cord injury-related pain interferes with daily activities of patients and significantly influences their quality of life.

Sulfur mustard (SM), also known as mustard gas, is an alkylating compound used as a chemical weapon in World War I and by Iraqi forces against Iranians and indigenous Iraqi Kurds during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. Although SM is a proven carcinogen there are conflicting views regarding the carcinogenicity of a single exposure. The present study characterizes lung cancers formed in mustard gas victims from the Iran-Iraq War.Methods and Materials-Demographic information and tumor specimens were collected from 20 Iranian male lung cancer patients with single high-dose SM exposures during the Iran-Iraq war. Formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded lung cancers were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for p53 protein. In addition, DNA was extracted from the tissues, PCR amplified and sequenced to identify mutations in the p53 and KRAS genes associated with SM exposure.Results-A relatively early age of lung cancer onset (ranging from 28 to 73 with a mean of 48) in mustard gas victims, particularly those in the non-smoking population (mean age of 40.7), may be an indication of a unique etiology for these cancers. Seven of the 20 patients developed lung cancer Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript before the age of 40. Five of 16 cancers from which DNA sequence data was obtainable provided information on eight p53 mutations (within exons 5-8). These mutations were predominately G to A transitions; a mutation consistent with the DNA lesion caused by SM. Two of the lung cancers had multiple p53 point mutations, similar to results obtained from factory workers chronically exposed to mustard agent. No mutations were detected in the KRAS gene.Discussion-The distinguishing characteristics of lung carcinogenesis in these mustard gas victims suggest that a single exposure may increase the risk of lung cancer development in some individuals.

No abstract

Landmines and UXOs comprise a significant safety hazard to the children living in the Western border of Iran decades after the Iraq-Iran War. The large number of injuries and lack of risk training among victims suggest that landmine cleanings and landmine-risk education should be age-specifically targeted and expanded substantially.

No abstract

No abstract

Background Although the use of sterile gloves for minor and major surgical repairs is the current standard of care, use of non-sterile and clean gloves has been shown to be safe in certain procedures. In this study, we compared the infection rates of contaminated lacerations repaired with sterile versus non-sterile gloves. Materials and methods A prospective, randomised, two-centre pilot trial included patients that attended the emergency department with any type of visible contaminated soft tissue lacerations. The patients were selected according to convenience sampling technique and divided into two groups using random number table. Age, sex, and characteristics of the wound were assessed by a physician. According to that, the physician used sterile gloves or non-sterile, clean gloves for wound repair. Clinical data were analysed by chi-square test and paired-t test where appropriate. A p value =/< 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results Two hundred and twenty two recruited subjects with visible contaminated simple wounds were randomised to 2 groups. Males constituted 89.2% of the patients. The sites of lacerations were extremities in 50.5% of patients, head or neck in 48.4% of patients, and trunk in 1.1% of patients. Overall infection rate was 3.2%. The infection rates in the sterile gloves group and the clean gloves group were 2.02% and 4.6%, respectively (relative risk=2; odds ratio=2.3). Incidence of infection was not significantly different between two groups (p=0.322). Conclusion It seems that uses of clean gloves rather than sterile gloves do not increase the risk of infection in the repair of contaminated simple wounds in emergency department setting. (Hong Kong j. emerg.med. 2014;21:148-152)

At this time there is no healing for phantom pain; medical and surgical modalities only bring temporary relief, and less than 1% of the respondents achieve permanent relief through different treatment methods.