Background: The wide application of antibiotics and antiseptics for patient therapy and medical equipment and surfaces disinfection has resulted in the emergence of resistant microorganisms. Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) are found as a part of the normal resident flora in human so that up to two-thirds of the healthy populations are permanently or transiently colonized by S. aureus and CoNS. Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic agent particularly effective against Gram-positive bacteria. It is widely used for hygienic hand wash to prevent transmission of Staphylococci nosocomial infections. The plasmid-borne qacA/B, qacC, and smr genes confer resistance to cationic antiseptic agents in S. aureus and CoNS. Objectives: The objective of the current study was to characterize the antibiotic resistance and susceptibility to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), methicillin-sensitive coagulase-negative staphylococci (MSCoNS), and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci (MRCoNS). Methods: In this study, the antibiotic susceptibility and resistance to Chlorhexidine in 120 Staphylococcal strains were evaluated by disc diffusion and Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) methods, respectively. The MICs of CHG were determined in triplicate by broth micro-dilution, and the presence of mecA, qacA/B, qacC, and smr genes was examined by PCR assay. Results: Of total 60 S. aureus isolates, 51 (85%) were MRSA, and of 60 CoNS, 7 (11.66%) were MRCoNS. The results showed that the MIC

Background and Objective: Infertility refers to the failure in achieving pregnancy of a couple after one year of regular sexual intercourse without using a protection method. The purpose of this research work was to evaluate the current status of the test and quality control performance in semen analysis in selected laboratories. Material and Methods: The semen analysis was performed in the Laboratory of Andrology in terms of macroscopic examination which include volume, color, viscosity, pH and acidity, and in terms of microscopy: the rate of sperm movement, the exact number of sperms per ml of semen, the percentage of sperm viability and movement, the presence of germ cells and white blood cells. Several questions for each part of the test were selected and answered by the director of the laboratories or andrology section supervisor. Results: There was a wide range in the performance of selected medical laboratories in Tehran regarding the standards of semen analysis according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Laboratory Manual for the examination and processing of human semen, fifth edition in 2010. They followed the instructions related to the sample collection in about 70% of the evaluated parameters, initial macroscopic examination in about 87% of the selected subjects, and the microscopic evaluation of sperm in about 65% of the test parameters. Conclusion: some laboratories do not follow the instructions of the WHO in performing semen analysis, and most of them do not follow the suggested methods in all parts of the test.

Gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis (GIB) is a rare, life-threatening fungal infection affecting immunocompetent individuals in tropical and subtropical regions. A diverse presentation of GIB has been reported, but no report has yet been published on intussusception. We describe a 23-month-old immunocompetent boy from a subtropical area in Iran who presented with intussusception. Prolonged fever, an abdominal mass, hepatomegaly, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and peripheral eosinophilia strongly suggested GIB. Accordingly, GIB was diagnosed based on the characteristic histopathology (the Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon) detected in a liver sample taken via biopsy. Exploratory laparotomy showed several organs, including the colon, gall bladder, liver, and abdominal wall, were involved. Antifungal therapy with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, liposomal amphotericin B, a saturated solution of potassium iodide, and surgical resection of involved tissues were used with improved outcome. The presence of non-septate fungal hyphal elements in the colonic mucosa led to the thickening of the bowel wall, leading to secondary intussusception.

Background: Chest computed tomography (CT) scan has been used widely to diagnose COVID-19 in Iran. Objectives: To trace the footsteps of COVID-19 in Iran by exploring the trend in using chest CT scans and its economic impact on radiology departments. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the number of imaging examinations from 33 tertiary radiology departments in 9 large cities of Iran was collected from September 23, 2019 to March 20, 2020 (Months 1 to 6) and the corresponding months in 2018–2019. Results: A 50.2% increase was noted in the chest CT scan utilization in 2019–2020 compared to 2018–2019. This increase was +15%, +15%, +27%, +2%, +1% in Months 1–5 of 2019–2020, respectively. In Month 6 of 2019–2020, a 251% increase in the acquisition of chest CT scans was observed compared to the Month 6 of 2018–2019. Following negative balance of revenue from Month 1 to 5 with respect to the inflation rate, the total income in Month 6 was further 1.5% less than the same Month in 2018–19. Conclusion: 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.