Objectives: Low quality sleep is one of the most common problems in old age. The present study aims to determine the effect of a sleep hygiene education program using Telephone Follow-Up (TFU) method on the sleep quality of the elderly. Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 80 eligible elderly people aged 60-74 years who were selected using a systematic random sampling method and were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received a one-hour face-to-face education session on sleep hygiene. The TFU were carried out two times per week in the first month and once a week in the second month after intervention. The control group received routine care. The data collection tools were a demographic form and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. The PSQI was completed for both groups immediately after the second month. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the mean PSQI score before intervention in the intervention (8.02) and control (7.47) groups (P=0.32), but after the intervention, the mean PSQI score in the intervention group (5.42) was significantly reduced compared to the control group (7.67) (P<0.001). Conclusion: Sleep hygiene education program based on TFU improves the sleep quality of the elderly. It is recommended that health care providers use this method to improve the sleep quality of the elderly.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged an unprecedented number of publications on epidemiological, pharmacological, immunological, and medical issues. Studies have also been performed on hemodynamic changes in the patients admitted to different wards. Objectives: This study aims to determine the hemodynamic status of the COVID-19 patients under anesthesia. Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study of the two groups, 40 patient candidates for surgery and general anesthesia in the hospital were enrolled in the study based on the inclusion criteria, after signing written informed consent. The patient’s demographic information was obtained from the patient’s file and oral interview. Then, non-COVID-19 patients and patients with COVID-19 definitive tests were followed during the operation. During surgery, hemodynamic factors including pulse, blood pressure, SpO2 and respiration were monitored and recorded by a monitoring device. SPSS software version 19 was used to analyze the data. Results: The mean ± SD of patients’ age was 47.55 ± 21.37. The data showed that systolic blood pressure before anesthesia and pulse before and during anesthesia in the COVID-19 group was significantly higher than that in the non-COVID-19 group (P < 0.05). Also, respiration and SpO2 before anesthesia were lower in the COVID-19 group than in the non-COVID-19 group (P < 0.05); while respiration and SpO2 during anesthesia were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). In the COVID-19 group, systolic blood pressure, pulse, and respiration during anesthesia were significantly lower than before anesthesia and conversely, SpO2 was higher (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The findings of the present study showed that patients who do not have severe COVID-19 and serious clinical symptoms do not go through severe hemodynamic changes during surgery. Therefore, it can be said that in emergencies, surgery can be performed by observing standard principles. However, more research is needed in this regard.

Aims Chronic musculoskeletal pain is among the major problems of old age. An effective nursing intervention in relieving pain is the use of local herbal ointments. The present study evaluated the effect of purslane ointment on chronic musculoskeletal pain in the elderly. Methods & Materials This was a randomized, blinded clinical trial study and conducted in 2018, on 60 elderly residents of Gonabad City, Iran. The patients were recruited by convenience sampling method. The samples were randomly assigned to the purslane and placebo groups. The instrument used in this study was McGill pain questionnaire; its validity and reliability were confirmed in previous studies. The intervention was conducted for two weeks. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS and at a significance level of P<0.05. Findings The collected results suggested that the purslane ointment could effectively reduce the sensory and emotional dimensions of pain, compared with placebo. The severity of pain in the elderly was significantly lower in the purslane group after two weeks of intervention, compared to the Pre-test phase. The mean score of pain in two sensory and emotional dimensions was not significantly different between the two genders. Conclusion The use of purslane ointment is effective in reducing musculoskeletal pain in the elderly; therefore, the use of this plant can be considered as a safe and cost-effective intervention by nurses.

Aims: Ginger of the Zingiberaceae family is abundant in individuals’ diets globally. It has well-known properties, including regulating the immune system, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, inhibiting hyperlipidemia, anti-nausea, and antioxidant features. Despite these properties, research suggested its increased bleeding and anticoagulation effects. Thus, the excessive use of this drug can adversely impact anesthesia and surgery. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and practice of anesthesia staff and students about the complications of ginger in surgery and anesthesia. Methods & Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study examined the level of knowledge and practice of 68 anesthesiologists and students of Allameh Bohlol Gonabadi Hospital about the effects of oral ginger in surgery and anesthesia by a two-part researcher-made questionnaire (to determine knowledge and the performance of individuals). The validity of the instrument was determined based on content and face validity methods and the reliability of the instrument was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = 0.078). Data analysis was performed using SPSS v. 19. Findings: The Mean±SD age of the research units were 23.42±11.6 years, with a work experience of 1 to 22 years. In total, 66.7% of the research units were female, 70.5% were married, and most (97.4%) them had a bachelor’s degree. The obtained results suggested that 83.3% of the research units had poor knowledge; concerning performance, 78.2% of the study subjects had poor performance in the preoperative examination of the patient. The level of knowledge of research units was significantly related to education (P=0.033). Furthermore, the examined individuals’ performance was significantly related to their work experience (P=0.029). Conclusion: The present study findings indicated that anesthesiologists were unaware of the beneficial and adverse effects of ginger on anesthesia and surgery of patients and failed to well assess the patient respecting ginger overdose and diet. Therefore, considering the importance of herbal medicines and their effects on the surgical process and treatment of patients, it is suggested to provide training workshops and informing the staff.