Patterns of marriage and reproductive practices: is there any relationship?

Today, a transition from traditional to modern marriages can be observed in many countries. This shift in patterns of marriage has evidently affected childbearing and reproductive practices. This study aimed to examine the relationship between patterns of marriage and reproductive practices in Iran. Hence, 880 married women, aged 15–49 years old, living in the North of Iran were selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling strategy and their patterns of marriage and reproductive practices were cross sectionally studied. The results revealed that there were no significant differences in the reproductive practices by three main patterns of marriage in Babol, Iran. The study also indicated that there were no significant differences in reproductive practices in three patterns of marriage after controlling for socio-economic variables. It seems that apart from the patterns of marriage, other influencing factors are the determinants of fertility in women, and the policy-makers of Iran need to pay attention to these determinants before making any decisions in this area.     

Ensuring cultural sensitivity for Muslim patients in the Australian ICU: Considerations for care

Australia is a diverse and multicultural nation, made up of a population with a predominant Christian faith. Islam, the second largest religion in the world, has demonstrated significant growth in Australia in the last decade. Coming from various countries of origin and cultural backgrounds, Muslim beliefs can range from what is considered ‘traditional’ to very ‘liberal’.It is neither possible nor practical for every intensive care clinician to have an intimate understanding of Islam and Muslim practices, and cultural variations amongst Muslims will mean that not all beliefs/practices will be applicable to all Muslims. However, being open and flexible in the way that care is provided and respectful of the needs of Muslim patients and their families is essential to providing culturally sensitive care.This discussion paper aims to describe the Islamic faith in terms of Islamic teachings, beliefs and common practices, considering how this impacts upon the perception of illness, the family unit and how it functions, decision-making and care preferences, particularly at the end of life in the intensive care unit.     

Making health systems more equitable

Health systems are consistently inequitable, providing more and higher quality services to the well-off, who need them less, than to the poor, who are unable to obtain them. In the absence of a concerted effort to ensure that health systems reach disadvantaged groups more effectively, such inequities are likely to continue. Yet this situation need not be accepted as inevitable, for there are many promising measures that might be pursued: establishment of goals for improved coverage in the poor, rather than in entire populations, and use of those goals to direct planning toward the needs of the disadvantaged; use of one or more of the several techniques that seem to have been effective in at least some of the settings where they have been tried; and empowerment of poor clients to have a more central role in health system design and operation.     

Effect of completion of cardiac rehabilitation on heart rate recovery

To evaluate the effects of a cardiac rehabilitation program on heart rate recovery after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, a historical cohort study was performed on 436 patients of whom 285 were grouped on completion of 5, 10, or 24 training sessions. All 3 groups showed significant improvements in heart rate recovery, peak heart rate during treadmill testing, and end-training heart rate, from baseline to follow-up. Heart rate recovery on follow-up correlated significantly with the number of completed exercise sessions. The number of sessions, baseline ejection fraction, and age were independent predictors of mean post-training heart rate recovery. The cardiac rehabilitation program had a significant effect on peak heart rate and heart rate recovery, regardless of the underlying characteristics of the patients.     

Efficacy of clofibrate on severe neonatal jaundice associated with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (a randomized clinical trial)

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency may cause severe hyperbilirubinemia with bilirubin encephalopathy unless intervention is initiated. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of clofibrate in full term G6PD deficient neonates with jaundice. A randomized clinical trial study was performed in two groups of full-term G6PD deficient jaundiced neonates (clofibrate treated group, n = 21; control group, n = 19). Infants in the clofibrate group received a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg clofibrate, whereas control group received nothing. Both groups were treated with phototherapy. Serum total and direct bilirubin levels were measured at the onset of treatments, 16, 24 and 48 hours later. On enrollment, the mean total serum bilirubin (TSB) level in the clofibrate treated group was 18.40 +/- 2.41 and in the control group was 17.49 +/- 1.03 (p = 0.401). At 16, 24 and 48 hours of treatment, the mean TSB in the clofibrate group were 15.2 +/- 1.9, 12.6 +/- 2.4, and 10.1 +/- 2.4 and in the control group were 16.5 +/- 1.2, 13.3 +/- 2.2 and 11.4 +/- 2.4, respectively (p = 0.047). At 48 hours, 7 (33%) cases in the clofibrate group and one (5%) case in the control group were discharged with a TSB < 10 mg/dl (p = 0.031). No side effects were observed on serial examinations during hospitalization, or on the 1st and 7th days after discharge. The results show that clofibrate induces a faster decline in serum total bilirubin level, a shorter duration of phototherapy, and hospitalization with no side effects in full-term G6PD deficient neonates with jaundice.