Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease that is now endemic in south eastern Iran. The most important factor associated with mortality is a platelet count of less than 50,000/mL. The purpose of this study is to compare treated cases with severe thrombocytopenia using ribavirin with high-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) with patients receiving ribavirin without HDMP. A clinical trial was conducted for confirmed patients with CCHF and severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 50,000/mL) admitted to Boo-Ali Hospital in Zahedan between January 2010 and October 2011. The intervention group was given oral ribavirin, supportive managements and HDMP and the controls were treated with ribavirin and supportive management. Following HDMP therapy in hospitalized patients with severe thrombocytopenia, the platelet count increased within 36 h and the leukocyte count within 48 h of the beginning of treatment. Fewer in the intervention group required a transfusion of blood products than in the controls (P < 0.001). No one in the intervention group died. It seems that high-dose methylprednisolone is effective in the treatment of patients with CCHF. The increased platelet count and reduction of blood product requirement for severe CCHF patients after receiving HDMP are promising results. Further investigation is necessary in order to determine the efficacy of corticosteroid and its effect on outcome.

Context: Neck pain is a common phenomenon and affects a large segment of the population. Chronic neck pain, lasting more than 3 months, likely occurs in 10% - 30% of patients with acute neck pain and affects up to 288 million cases globally, carrying a significant cost in terms of quality of life, disability, and healthcare dollars. Here we review neck pain background, acupuncture and the evidence that exist to support acupuncture use in chronic neck pain. Results: Neck pain not only affects quality of life directly, but also contributes to depression, job dissatisfaction and reduced productivity. Unfortunately, neck pain is strongly linked to office and computer work and is likely to continue increasing in prevalence. Traditional treatments, such as analgesics, physical therapy, exercise, and non-invasive therapy bring some relief, and invasive therapy is indicated if anatomical pathologies exist. Acupuncture is a form of integrative medicine, originally described and practiced in traditional Chinese medicine and now expanded to include methods including acupressure, dry needling, and others. Traditionally, it focused on restoring the patient’s flow of Qi by puncturing specific points along the meridians. It has previously been shown to be effective in other forms of chronic pain and disability. Clinical trials studying acupuncture for neck pain have shown significant reduction in both pain and associated symptoms. These therapies are reviewed in this text. Conclusions: Neck pain is a common and significant global problem. Acupuncture, dry needling, and cupping were all shown to be effective in alleviating pain both immediately after treatment, as well as provide long-lasting relief. These treatments are generally safe and inexpensive and should be considered as part of a multimodal approach for the treatment of neck pain. More head-to-head studies will provide better data to support a choice of a specific treatment over another.

Background and Objectives: Postoperative hypothermia is a common and important complication of anesthesia and surgery that negatively affects the mother and the neonate. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of the hypothermia prevention program on central temperature changes and hemodynamic parameters in women undergoing cesarean section. Methods: In this two group quasi-experimental study, 92 pregnant women were conveniently selected, who were candidates for cesarean section under spinal anesthesia in Ali Ibn Abi Talib hospital, Zahedan, Iran, 2017. Then, they were allocated randomly in two intervention and control group. The intervention group received a hypothermic prevention program. Central temperature, blood pressure, and pulse rate of the patients were measured and recorded seven times. Data analysis was performed using repeated measures analysis of variance in SPSS software, version 21. Results: The results showed that the pattern of temperature changes in the groups was significantly different over time (P = 0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the groups considering the hemodynamic parameters. Conclusions: The hypothermia prevention program is effective in reducing the central temperature loss and can reduce its severity after the surgery in women undergoing cesarean section.

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Introduction: Cesarean section is one of the most common major surgeries performed worldwide. Considering the importance of post-cesarean pain, finding a drug that can provide the patient with the least amount of complications can make the patient feel the least pain and most relaxation. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of pregabaline and diclofenac suppository on pain relief after elective cesarean section with spinal anesthesia. Methods: This study was performed in 2016 on 100 women admitted to Ali Ibn Abi Talib Hospital due to elective cesarean section. Patients were divided into two groups of 100mg rectal diclofenac half an hour before surgery and 300mg pre-gabbaline group. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Probability level lower than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean score of after surgery pain at 6 and 12 hours after surgery in the diclofenac group was significantly lower than in the pregabaline group, but at 18 and 24 hours, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. The mean dose of pethidine used in the diclofenac group was significantly lower than the pregabaline group. Maternal satisfaction was significantly higher in the diclofenac group. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, diclofenac has a stronger antinociceptive effect than pregabalin.