Pressure ulcer prevention is one of the most important roles of nurses in an orthopaedic setting. The results of this study suggest that orthopaedic nurses in Iran were not sufficiently knowledgeable about pressure ulcers. Therefore, there is a need to improve their knowledge with some targeted, educational programmes.

Background:Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent chronic disorders. Several pharmacological and non pharmacological approaches are used to treat this disease. Today, the effect of B and E vitamins on rheumatology diseases is being discussed. In this study, the efficacy of B and E vitamins accompanied with diclofenac on pain relief in patients with knee osteoarthritis was investigated and compared.Methods:In this double-blinded clinical trial, 120 patients with knee osteoarthritis referring training Rheumatology and Orthopedics Clinic of Shahrekord University of Medical sciences were investigated. Of these patients, 12 were excluded throughout the study. The patients underwent treatment in three groups (oral diclofenac + oral B vitamin, oral diclofenac + oral vitamin E, and oral diclofenac + placebo). Pain relief was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaire and morning stiffness and physical function were assessed by WOMAC standard questionnaire at three times; the first examination, two weeks, and three weeks after referring.Results:The mean score of WOMAC questionnaire at VASs of knee pain, total pain severity, knee joint stiffness, and function of the last 48 hours decreased significantly in all three groups (diclofenac, E and B vitamins) from the first to third examination (P<0.001). Decrease in VAS of knee pain and function of the last 48 hours was higher in B vitamin group than the diclofenac and E vitamin group (P=0.008) and decrease in total pain severity was reported higher in B vitamin group than E vitamin and diclofenac group (P=0.019). Decrease in knee joint stiffness underwent a similar trend in the three groups.Conclusion:In view similar analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as very few, non prevalent complications of B and E vitamins, use of two or more drugs with a different mechanism of effect seems necessary to enhance their effect on osteoarthritis treatment.

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Background: Osteoarthritis is a syndrome characterized by joint pain and reduced performance and efficien- cy in patient. Thymus daenensis has been used since old times for the treatment of bone and joint deformities and pain in traditional medicine. Purpose: This study was conducted to examine traditional usages and pharmacological features of T. daen- ensis with respect to the effect of the plant in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: 120 patients with osteoarthritis were divided into 3 groups. Patients in each group were treated by 5% Thymus daenensis gel, 1% diclofenac gel, or placebo for 6 weeks, along with oral celecoxib capsules. Patients were assessed in different intervals, based on the VAS score for assessment of pain in the joint and different dimensions of WOMAC questionnaire. Results: Pain level (P < 0.005), stiffness during the day (P < 0.05), morning stiffness (P < 0.05) and physi- cal performance (P < 0.05) were significantly different among the groups. Conclusions: Thymus daenensis gel improves the symptoms in patients equal and without significant difference than diclofenac group. It can be argued that its use can produce a satisfactory effect on patients with osteoarthritis due to its low cost, easy access, the plant’s natively occurring in Iran.

Background and objectives Low back pain (LBP) is a common health condition in populations. Limited large-scale population-based studies evaluated the prevalence and predictors of LBP in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with LBP among the Iranian population. Methods We used baseline information from the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN), including individuals from 16 provinces of Iran. LBP was defined as the history of back pain interfering with daily activities for more than one week during an individual's lifetime. Various factors hypothesized to affect LBP, such as age, sex, marital status, educational status, ethnicity, living area, employment status, history of smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, sleep duration, wealth score, history of joint pain, and history of morning stiffness in the joints were evaluated. Results In total, 163770 Iranians with a mean age of 49.37 (SD = 9.15) were included in this study, 44.8% of whom were male. The prevalence of LBP was 25.2% among participants. After adjusting for confounders, the female gender [OR:1.244(1.02–1.50)], middle and older ages [OR:1.23(1.10–1.33) and OR:1.13(1.07–1.42), respectively], being overweight or obese [OR:1.13(1.07–1.19) and OR:1.21(1.16–1.27), respectively], former and current smokers (OR:1.25(1.16–1.36) and OR:1.28(1.17–1.39), respectively], low physical activity [OR:1.07(1.01–1.14)], and short sleep duration [OR: 1.09(1.02–1.17)] were significantly associated with LBP. Conclusion In this large-scale study, we found the lifetime prevalence of LBP to be lower among the Iranian population in comparison to the global prevalence of LBP; further studies are warranted to evaluate the causality of risk factors on LBP.