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Background: HIV/AIDS is one of the diseases which not only makes threats to physical health, but also, due to the negative attitudes of people and the social stigma, affects the emotional and social health of patients. The aim of this study was to identify the psychological, social, and family problems of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Iran. Methods: In this qualitative study, we used purposive sampling to enroll PLWHA, their families, and physicians and consultants in two cities of Kermanshah and Tehran. Each group of PLWHA, their families, physicians, and consultants participated in two focus group discussions (FGDs), and a total of eight FGDs were conducted. Six interviews were held with all key people, individually. Results: Based on the views and opinions of various groups involved in the study, the main problems of PLWHA were: Ostracism, depression, anxiety, a tendency to get revenge and lack of fear to infect others, frustration, social isolation, relationship problems, and fear due to the social stigma. Their psychological problems included: Marriage problems, family conflict, lack of family support, economic hardships inhibiting marriage, and social rejection of patient's families. Their family problems were: Unemployment, the need for housing, basic needs, homelessness, and lack of social support associations. Conclusions: It seems that the identification and focusing on psychological, social, and family problems of affected people not only is an important factor for disease prevention and control, but also enables patients to have a better response to complications caused by HIV/AIDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The most fundamental way to decrease the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is to identify and control their related risk factors. The goal of this study is to determine socioeconomic inequalities in risk factors for NCDs using concentration index based on Non Communicable Disease Surveillance Survey (NCDSS) data in Kurdistan province, Islamic Republic of Iran in 2005 and 2009. Methods: The required data for this study are taken from two NCDSSs in Kurdistan province in 2005 and 2009. A total of 2,494 persons in 2005 and 997 persons in 2009 were assessed. Concentration index was used to determine socioeconomic inequality. To assess the relationship between the prevalence of each risk factor and socioeconomic status (SES), logistic regression was used and odds ratio (OR) was calculated for each group, compared with the poorest group. Results: The concentration index for hypertension was 0.095 ( 0.158, 0.032) in 2005 and 0.080 ( 0.156, 0.003) in 2009. The concentration index for insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables was 0.117 ( 0.153, 0.082) in 2005 and 0.100 ( 0.153, 0.082) in 2009. The concentration index for the consumption of unhealthy fat and oil was 0.034 ( 0.049, 0.019) in 2005 and 0.108 ( 0.165, 0.051) in 2009. The concentration index for insufficient consumption of fish was 0.070 ( 0.096, 0.044) in 2005. The concentration index for physical inactivity was 0.008 ( 0.057, 0.075) in 2005 and 0.139 (0.063, 0.215) in 2009. In all the cases, the OR of the richest group to the poorest group was significant. Conclusion: Hypertension, insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables, consumption of unhealthy fat and oil, and insufficient consumption of fish are more prevalent among poor groups. There was no significant socioeconomic inequality in the distribution of smoking, excess weight, and hypercholesterolemia. Physical inactivity was more prevalent among the rich groups of society in 2009. The reduction of socioeconomic inequalities must become a main goal in health care policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has been considered as a healthcare-associated infection with high mortality. Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae are the common causes of VAPs around the world. Methodology: This research was a retrospective observational study in the intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary referral collegiate hospital in Tehran between March 2016 and May 2018. Patients who fulfilled VAP due to documented Multidrug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) or Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) criteria were enrolled. General demographic features, duration of hospital stay, antimicrobial treatment regimens, duration of ICU admission, the period of mechanical ventilation (MV) and 30-day mortality were documented and compared. Results: 210 patients were found with clinical, microbiological and radiological evidence of VAP. In total, 76 patients with MDR-AB and 76 patients with ESBL-KP infections were matched in the final analysis. Duration of hospitalization in the patients with MDR-AB was significantly more than that of patients infected with ESBL-KP (p-value: 0.045). Patients diagnosed with MDR-AB VAP had a 65.8% mortality rate compared to 42.1% in the ESBL-KP infection group (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Results of the present study demonstrated that VAPs caused by MDR-AB may be more hazardous than ESBL-KP VAPs because they could be accompanied by a longer hospitalization course and even a higher mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The most fundamental way to decrease the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is to identify and control their related risk factors. The goal of this study is to determine socioeconomic inequalities in risk factors for NCDs using concentration index based on Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance Survey (NCDSS) data in Kurdistan province, Islamic Republic of Iran in 2005 and 2009., Methods: The required data for this study are taken from two NCDSSs in Kurdistan province in 2005 and 2009. A total of 2,494 persons in 2005 and 997 persons in 2009 were assessed. Concentration index was used to determine socioeconomic inequality. To assess the relationship between the prevalence of each risk factor and socioeconomic status (SES), logistic regression was used and odds ratio (OR) was calculated for each group, compared with the poorest group., Results: The concentration index for hypertension was -0.095 (-0.158, -0.032) in 2005 and -0.080 (-0.156, -0.003) in 2009. The concentration index for insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables was -0.117 (-0.153, -0.082) in 2005 and -0.100 (-0.153, -0.082) in 2009. The concentration index for the consumption of unhealthy fat and oil was -0.034 (-0.049, -0.019) in 2005 and -0.108 (-0.165, -0.051) in 2009. The concentration index for insufficient consumption of fish was -0.070 (-0.096, -0.044) in 2005. The concentration index for physical inactivity was 0.008 (-0.057, 0.075) in 2005 and 0.139 (0.063, 0.215) in 2009. In all the cases, the OR of the richest group to the poorest group was significant., Conclusion: Hypertension, insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables, consumption of unhealthy fat and oil, and insufficient consumption of fish are more prevalent among poor groups. There was no significant socioeconomic inequality in the distribution of smoking, excess weight, and hypercholesterolemia. Physical inactivity was more prevalent among the rich groups of society in 2009. The reduction of socioeconomic inequalities must become a main goal in health-care policies.