Background: Leukemia is a common cancer among adults with growing prevalence in Iran. This disease affects different aspects of the patient, especially their quality of life. One of the methods to promote hygiene and health and, consequently, quality of life is to empower the family of the patient. Objectives: The effect of family-based empowerment on quality of life in patients with leukemia was studied in this research. Methods: This study was a clinical trial conducted on 46 adult patients with leukemia together with 46 of their family members in 2015. Eligible patients were selected by the available method and randomly placed in two groups of test and control. Tools for gathering data included a demographic questionnaire about the patient and their family member and a specified questionnaire about the quality of life of patients with cancer. Family-based empowerment intervention was held for research samples in the test group based on its quadruple steps (perceived threat, self-efficiency promotion, increase of self-esteem through educational participation, and assessment) in six 90-minute sessions and a second test was conducted a month and half after the intervention. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 20 statistical software. Results: Results of chi-square test reflected that both groups of test and control were similar in terms of demographic information (P > 0.5). Moreover, statistical independent T-test did not show a significant difference in aspects of quality of life in test and control groups before the intervention (P = 0.98) while this test showed a significant difference in both groups after the intervention (P = 0.00), except for the spiritual aspect (p=0.2). Paired T-test indicated a significant increase in aspects of quality of life in the test group after the intervention (p=0.00) while this test reflected a reverse significant difference in general aspect of quality of life in the control group (P = 0.006). Conclusions:In general, results of this research showed that implementing family-based empowerment pattern has been effective for increasing quality of life in patients with leukemia.

A relationship has been identified between the blood group and infectious diseases. COVID-19 is an infection caused by a new coronavirus designated as SARS-CoV-2, which has rapidly spread worldwide. In this retrospective study, COVID-19 patients who were referred to Razi Hospital in Ahvaz from February 2020 to May 2020 were evaluated and analyzed using SPSS v.16.0. The relationship between the ABO blood group and COVID-19 was assessed using the Kruskal Wallis test and Spearman correlation coefficient. The frequencies of blood types O, AB, B, and A were 40.2, 11.8, 25.5, and 22.5%, respectively, Among the 8016 COVID-19 patients, the frequencies of blood types O, AB, B, and A were 41.9, 9.3, 25.7, and 23.1%, respectively, and no significant difference was observed in terms of the distribution of blood groups between the healthy and infected people (P = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.66-1.23). In addition, patients admitted to the ICU ward had blood groups of O, AB, B, and A, with a percentage of 21.3, 31.29, 33.6, and 35.3%, respectively. Furthermore, dead patients had A, B, AB, and O blood types with a percentage of 10.0, 11.4, 11.05, and 16.3%, respectively. A significant relationship was observed between the blood group and disease severity and death in COVID-19 patients (p=0.05, 95% CI = 1.02-1.73). The study showed that people with blood types A and O are at higher and lower risk of infection, severity, and death from COVID-19, respectively.

Spinal stenosis has been diagnosed as a factor leading to low back pain; medicinal and surgical actions play a vital role in reducing spinal stenosis and low back pain. The purpose of this study was to compare pain intensity after surgery for patients with spinal stenosis with and without instrumentation. This was a descriptive-analytical study. Considering the sample size formula, 144 patients who had spinal stenosis surgery through target-based method were entered in this research. Patients with spinal stenosis divided to two groups of group 1 consisting of 72 patients who had non-instrumented spinal stenosis surgery (Laminectomy) and group 2 consisting of 72 patients who had instrumented spinal stenosis surgery (Pedicular Screw Fixation). Demographic data questionnaire of Numeric Pain Rating Scale was used as data collection tool in this study. In this research, patient expressed and recorded his/her pain intensity in checklist using vas scale under the supervision of researcher. Data were analyzed using statistical tests of paired t test, independent t test, and Chi-square through SPSS22 Software. Findings indicated no significant statistical difference (P>0.05) between studied group in terms of age, sex, education, marital status, and job. In case of pain intensity considering the value of p=0.0001, mean difference in pain intensity of the group with instrumentation was significant before and after intervention and considering the obtained p=1.000, this mean difference was not significant before and after intervention in the group without instrumentation. Moreover, mean of changes in pain intensity scores of two groups indicted no significant difference (P<0.0001). This means that pain intensity among group members with instrument was lower than group without instrument (P<0.098). Pedicular Screw Fixation can be named as one of effective methods in treating lumbar disc that not only reduces pain after surgery but also enables patient to do daily activities.

Introduction: The prevalence of psychological disorders has a major impact not only on mental and physical health but also on the process of treatment, recovery and duration of hospitalization and referrals. The aim of this study was to compare obsessive beliefs, depression and anxiety in patients with suspected Covid-19 and healthy individuals in Ahvaz. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted using purposive sampling method, 150 patients with Covid-19, 150 suspects and 150 healthy patients referred to Razi Hospital. Information using questionnaires Obsessive beliefs, depression and anxiety were collected and data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. Results: The results showed that there were significant differences between patients with Covid-19, suspected patients and healthy individuals in terms of obsessive beliefs, depression and anxiety (p <0.001). Mean obsessive beliefs (132.35±17. 17.64) and depression (11.01±4. 4.17) were higher in patients with Covid-19 than in the other two groups (p <0.001), and anxiety (22.62 ± 5.72) was higher in patients with Covid-19 than in the other two groups. The other two groups were higher (p <0.001).