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Objectives Hospitalization is a vulnerable period for the elderly. During this period, they are at risk of falling. There are various clinical guidelines for fall prevention, whose usefulness depends on their quality and clinical acceptance. This study was to evaluate the methodological quality of selected clinical guidelines for fall prevention in hospitalized elderly people in Iran using the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research, and Evaluation (AGREE) checklist. Methods & Materials A systematic search was conducted for clinical guidelines published from 2009 to 2020 using the keywords clinical guideline, falling, prevention, aged, and hospitalization. Of 351 clinical guidelines identified, 4 guidelines were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and by a purposive sampling method. The quality of the selected guidelines was evaluated by 5 experts independently using the AGREE II checklist. Based on the quality scores, the guidelines were categorized as “highly recommended” or “recommended with modifications”. Results The "Falls Assessment and Prevention of Falls in Older People", "Preventing Falls and Harm From Falls in Older People", and "Preventing Falls and Reducing Injury from Falls" were categorized as highly recommended, while the "Post Fall Multidisciplinary Management Guidelines for Western Australian Health Care Settings" was categorized as “recommended with modifications”. Therefore, they can be localized and used to reduce the risk of falls in hospitalized elderly people in Iran. The mean overall scores of 6 domains for the guidelines were as follows: 91. 1% for “clarity of presentation”, 86. 6% for “scope and purpose”, 83. 6% for “stakeholder involvement” 72. 08% for “editorial independence”, 71. 14% for “rigor of development”, and 66. 66% for “applicability”. Conclusion Evaluation of the methodological quality of clinical guidelines using the AGREE tool should be done to be able to be used in clinical practice. It is recommended to use these tools in updating the current or future clinical guidelines to ensure their methodological quality.

Background: Promoting self-management behaviors is one of the most important supportive measures for people with diabetes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of home visit program on self-management behaviors and glycemic control indices in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with insulin. Methods: This clinical trial study was performed on 64 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (32 patients in each case and control groups) in Shahid Asghar Shabani Center, Isfahan, Iran, in 2018. For the two groups of case and control, the demographic and self-management questionnaires were completed immediately, and three months after the intervention. The intervention was performed as a 4-6 session of the home visit program for the intervention group. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square, independent t, and paired t tests via SPSS software. Findings: Before the intervention, the mean score of self-management behaviors and blood glucose control indices did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, the mean score of self-management behaviors became significant immediately and three months later, and the mean blood glucose control indices became significant three months after the implementation of the program in the intervention group. (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The home visit improve the patients' self-management behaviors scales, and fasting blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) tests.

Introduction: Occupational exposure with polluted sharp equipment usually occurs during procedures such as transfusion of blood and blood products, blood sampling, disposal of needles, and collection of polluted sharp materials. Considering the fact that students have less work experience and lower practical skills, they are more vulnerable to work-related infections. The present study was conducted to determine and compare the awareness of nursing, midwifery, and surgical technology students about occupational exposure management. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 221 students of nursing, midwifery, and surgical technology selected using the stratified random sampling in 2016. Data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire including the students' demographic characteristics and awareness about occupational exposure management. Data were analyzed by SPSS18 using descriptive and analytical statistical tests. Results: Our findings showed that the mean scores of awareness about occupational exposure management were not significantly different among the nursing, midwifery, and surgical technology students (p value = 0.435). We observed that the students' age and educational level were significantly correlated with their scores of awareness about occupational exposure management (p value < 0.001). Conclusions: Results of the present study indicated poor awareness of the students about in-time management of occupational exposure. Measures such as educational workshops on preventive aspects in occupational exposure, observance of safety principles and comprehensive standards for accurate measurement of viral markers should be taken. Individual health profiles should be designed for each student to improve the occupational exposure management.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of central nervous system, which affects economic, financial and emotional aspects in individuals, families and the society. The present study aimed to investigate the association between family caregivers’ quality of life and psychological capital of the patients with MS. Methods: This is a descriptive analytical cross-sectional study, conducted on 95 MS patients and their caregivers (total of 190 subjects) referring to MS Clinic of Alzahra hospital in Isfahan, Iran, who were selected through convenient sampling. Data collection tool was including demographic characteristics, quality of life and psychological capital. After data collection, the obtained data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistical tests through SPSS software. Findings: The results showed that caregivers’ mean score of quality of life was 52.7. Mean score of psychological wealth in domains of self-efficacy, hope, tolerance and optimism were 25.2, 19.5, 19.6 and 21.3, respectively. There was also a significant association between caregivers’ score of quality of life and MS patients’ score of psychological capital and its domains (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The present study showed an association between MS patients’ family caregivers’ quality of life and MS patients’ psychological capital and its four domains among these patients. Consideration of MS patients’ family caregivers’ quality of life and its association with patients’ psychological capital is of great importance to facilitate their recovery, care and administration of efficient interventions to help their survival and recovery.

Introduction: Diabetes is a chronic illness which needs specific self care behaviors to the end of life. On the other hand, studies have shown that improvement in knowledge and practice of diabetic patients brings about improvement of metabolic status for which self care education specially with active method (active involvement of diabetic patients) is necessary. So, this study has been conducted to determine the effect of self care program with group discussion on knowledge and practice of diabetic adolescent girls referring to Iranian Diabetes Society. Methods: This research is a quasi experimental study conducted on 80 diabetic adolescent girls aged 15-19 (40 as experiment and 40 as control group) in Iranian Diabetes Society in 2008-2009. Self care program was designed after data had been collected in pre intervention stage by questionnaires of knowledge and practice as well as educational needs assessment in both groups, and then, self care program was administrated through 8 discussion sessions for experiment group. Finally, the same questionnaires were completed for experiment and control groups of diabetic adolescent girls once just after and one month after intervention again. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS 15 with statistical tests of X2, Independent Sample T test, Repeated Measures and Paired T test. Results: Results showed no significant differences between experiment and control groups in demographic characteristics(age, height, weight, father’s job etc.) through Independent Sample T test and X2 .In experiment group, there was a significant increase in scores of knowledge and practice compared to before, just after and one month after intervention (p0.05) and Independent T-test showed no significant difference in knowledge and practice between experiment and control groups before intervention(p>0.05). There was a significant difference in mean scores of knowledge and practice just after and one month after intervention between two groups of experiment and control shown by Independent T-test (p

Introduction: Today self care behaviors education is the base of diabetes treatment and the nurses have been the special position in self care education in diabetic patients. The self care behaviors education history to diabetic patients had been speared changes that in this article we will review it and the nurses position in self care behaviors education to diabetic patients. Methods: This article is a review article about the history and changes in self care education to diabetic patients in the world, Iran and the nurses position in this field that has been assembled with study articles and nursing and diabetes scientific journals. Results: The self care education to diabetic patients has one hundred years history. At first, doctors had a key role in self care education to diabetic patients, but now the diabetic patient's treatment in most countries has a team working approach and the nurses have a key role in this team and do the self care education to diabetic patients with different approaches such as group discussion, home visit, face to face education, education by telephone and …, and in this way face with barriers and lots of challenges such as lack of workforce in nursing system, lack of self motivation in diabetic patients, emotional stresses, lack of family supports, insufficient information about the importance of education in diabetes, fear of diabetes, problems of subway and … Conclusion: Self care education to diabetic patients had been a valuable and important strategy in field of diabetes control and for achieving to that, it is necessary to use a teamwork approach and use the variable education methods and omitting the existing barriers for nurses and diabetic patients.

Introduction: Patients with diabetic foot ulcers are at the risk of limb amputation. One of the most common treatments to prevent limb amputation is the use of dressings or other appropriate treatments. This study was conducted to compare the effect of two methods of vacuum-assisted closure therapy and modern dressing on wound healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study (n=140) was performed on patients with grade 2 and 3 diabetic foot ulcers referring to selected hospitals affiliated with the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, in 2019. The necessary data were collected using a two-part questionnaire of demographic characteristics and wound condition checklist distributed at the baseline and once a week up to 4 weeks. The Wagner ulcer classification system was used to measure the degree of the wound. Different types of new dressings, including foam, hydrocolloid, hydrogel, alginate, and hydrofilm, were used in the present study depending on the patient's needs and wound conditions. In this study, vacuum therapy is performed by a vacuum device made in Iran. Finally, the changes in depth, discharge, shape, size, and degree of the wound were compared in the two groups. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The results showed that the mean scores of changes in the area, discharge, depth, and degree of the wound were significant in the two groups after the intervention (P-value 0.05). It was also found that it was found that the vacuum-assisted closure therapy method was more effective in wound healing than the new dressing method. Conclusion: The results indicated that both vacuum-assisted closure therapy and modern dressing methods were effective in healing diabetic foot ulcers. However, vacuum therapy-assisted closure therapy could accelerate and improve the healing process of diabetic foot ulcers, compared to the modern dressing method. Patients with diabetes, as a vulnerable group, need educational planning and counseling services regarding treatment and recovery. Since nurses are the main individuals who can provide the required services in the field of planning and caring for a patient with diabetes, they can play a key role in guiding the patient to choose the appropriate treatment for the type of wound at the onset of the treatment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]