Introduction:The aim of this study was to determine self-care predictors in diabetic patients based on health belief model.Materials and Methods:The cross-sectional study was conducted on 110 diabetic patients referred to health service centers in Ardakan city, Yazd, Iran. The data was collected by a questionnaire including perceived benefits, barriers, severity, susceptibility, self-efficacy, social support, self-care behaviors and demographic variables.Results:Regularly medicine use (mean= 6.48 times per week) and shoes checking (mean= 1.17 times per week) were reported as the highest and the lowest self-care behaviors respectively. Health belief model constructs including perceived benefits, barriers, severity, susceptibility, self-efficacy and social support predicted 33.5% of the observed variance of self-care behaviors. Perceived susceptibility and self-efficacy had positive effect on self-care behavior; whereas perceived barrier’s has negative effect. Self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility and barriers were most powerful predictor respectively.Conclusion:The findings approved the efficiency of health belief model in prediction of self-care behaviors among diabetic patients. The findings realized the health belief model structure; therefore, it can be used as a framework for designing and implementing educational interventions in diabetes control plans.

Introduction: Nosocomial pneumonia (NP) and ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) occur most frequently in intensive care units (ICU). This study seeks to determine the etiological agents of NP and VAP along with their antibacterial susceptibility patterns, and to evaluate the factors contributing to patient mortality. The impact of appropriate therapy in terms of three parameters (body temperature, PaO2/FiO2 ratio and leukocyte count) was also assessed. Methodology: This study involved 836 adult patients admitted to ICUs at the Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz, Iran, over nine months during 2008 and 2009. The inclusion criterion was the commencement of infection at least 48 hours following hospital admission. Clinical parameters including core temperature, leukocyte count. and PaO2/FiO2 ratio were evaluated. Antibiotic sensitivities of the isolated bacteria to a panel of antibiotics were determined using E-test. Results: Of 836 cases, only 58 (6.9 %) cases of NP were diagnosed, of which 42 (72 %) were VAP. A. baumannii, MRSA, P. aeruginosa and MSSA were the most prevalent bacteria. Significant correlations between previous antibiotic therapy (p = 0.04), use of corticosteroids (p = 0.02) and attributable mortality were found. A strong correlation between fever abatement and the ratio of PaO2/FiO2 with responses to treatment and outcomes was also evident. Conclusions: Combined treatment with meropenem/imipenem, ciprofloxacin and vancomycin seems to be appropriate and could cover all possible infective agents. To reduce mortality rate, reasonable prescription of antibiotics and corticosteroids could be effective. Furthermore, adopting a strategy to reduce body temperature and PaO2/FiO2 ratio could be beneficial in patients' outcomes.

Objectives.To determine the prevalence of calcifi ed carotid artery atheromas (CCAAs) in panoramic radiographs of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods. The panoramic radiographs of 751 patients referred to the Oromaxillofacial Radiology Department of the Dental Faculty of Shahid Sadoughi University for routine dental treatment were evaluated for CCAAs. In this descriptive study, the data for each patient were recorded on a questionnaire based on the medical history, an interview, and a physical examination. The prevalence of CCAA was compared statistically to determine the signifi cance of atherogenic risk factors. Results. Of the 751 patients studied, 75 showed signs of CCAAs in their radiographs (10%). Fifty-fi ve of the 128 diabetics patients had CCAAs compared with only 20 of 623 nondiabetic patients (43% vs. 3.2%; P < 0.001). The prevalence of CCAA in 180 patients over 50 years of age was 28.9%, while the prevalence was only 4% in patients under 50 years. The prevalence of CCAAs on the radiographs of nondiabetic patients over age 50 was 11.8% versus 47.1% in diabetics over age 50 (P < 0.001). Conclusion. Individuals over age 50 and patients with diabetes mellitus have a greater prevalence of CCAAs in their panoramic radiographs than younger individuals and nondiabetic patients.

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between capillary blood glucose levels (CBGLs) and sulcular blood glucose levels (SBGLs) using blood obtained from gingival tissue during routine periodontal examinations to determine if sulcular blood samples can be used as a non-invasive means to diagnosis blood glucose levels. Methods and Materials Thirty non-diabetics and 30 diabetic patients with moderate to severe periodontitis were included in the study and subjected to routine clinical periodontal examinations. Blood was collected using a 1.6-1.8 mm diameter micro bite collection tube to transport the sample from the gingival sulci of anterior teeth following periodontal pocket probing to a test strip of a glucose self-monitoring device. As a control, capillary blood was taken with a finger-stick. Statistical analysis was performed using the Pearson's correlation coefficient and a t-test. Results The blood glucose levels in patients ranged from 58 mg/dl to 477 mg/dl, and the values of blood samples taken from gingival sulcus or finger tip of the same patient showed a very high intra-patient correlation (r =0.99, p< 0.0001). Conclusion The results of this study suggest sulcular blood from a routine periodontal examination may be used for diabetes mellitus screening. Clinical Significance Considering 50% of diabetics remain undiagnosed, testing sulcular blood may provide a suitable method for identifying potential diabetic patients during routine dental visits since there is a correlation with capillary blood. Appropriate referrals to a physician can then be made when warranted. Citation Ardakani MRT, Moeintaghavi A, Haerian A, Ardakani MA, Hashemzadeh M. Correlation between Levels of Sulcular and Capillary Blood Glucose. J Contemp Dent Pract 2009 March; (10)2:010-017.

The interaction between organs is a crucial part of modern medicine. As a very prerequisite to manage a disease, practitioners should have a full awareness of the related organs. Kidney and heart are two vital organs that are closely interconnected in various fields. These two organs have a lot of common risk factors for making a person unhealthy; therefore, if you prevent the disease in one of them, the other’s morbidity might be alleviated as well. Among them, nephrolithiasis and myocardial infarction (MI) have more risk factors in common, and both could be fatal. Also, these two diseases are important regarding the prevalence, incidence, and burden of disease. Some studies confirm the relationship between MI and nephrolithiasis; however, further researches are needed to discover the exact direction of their relationship. The present review aims to explain the mechanism of MI and nephrolithiasis; clarify the relationship between these two disease based on physiological, pathological, and clinical studies; and propose some solutions for the prevention and treatment of such diseases. [GMJ.2019;8:e1289]