What is it like to be the wife of an addicted man in Iran? A qualitative study

Drug misuse is increasing and diversifying in Iran. This study is the first to explore in detail the impact on, and ways of coping used by, spouses of addicted men in Iran. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 spouses. Four main themes were identified in the data: heart-breaking news of the husband’s addiction; coping alone; progressive deterioration and suffering; and disruption of family relationships and finances. Reactions upon learning of the husband’s addiction involved shock and collapse, and/or fear, disbelief and confusion. Spouses tried to hide the problem and to solve the problem alone, feeling for a long time as if they were “walking in the dark” without any social support and exposed to stigma. As time had gone on they had experienced distress and turmoil, and mixed feelings towards, and loss of trust and confidence in, their husbands, whose behaviour was increasingly unreliable. This had led to impairment in the relationship, and financial stress, and a general degradation and disruption of normal family life, leading to strain for spouses, akin to a state of burnout. Present findings confirm the conclusions of similar research conducted in other countries, that substance misuse in the family can have devastating effects for spouses, on children and all aspects of family life. The situation for Iranian wives may be compounded by the relatively closed nature of family life, and the existence of culturally based attitudes, including shame, towards “family defects” such as addiction. More information and support is needed for Iranian families of addicted individuals.     

Cluster of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infections in Iran, 2014

During January 2013–August 2014, a total of 1,800 patients in Iran who had respiratory illness were tested for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. A cluster of 5 cases occurred in Kerman Province during May–July 2014, but virus transmission routes for some infections were unclear.     

Early childhood experiences, parenting and the process of drug dependency among young people in Tehran, Iran

Introduction and Aims. Substance abuse has become a major public health problem in Iran. The process of developing an addiction is complex and multifaceted. Early childhood experiences are thought to be one of the important determinants of addictive behaviour. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the early childhood experiences, especially the experiences within the immediate family, of current substance‐using young adults in Iran. Design and Methods. The study is qualitative in nature. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 15 young men and women who were either in treatment for their addiction or were active drug users at the time of the interviews. Moreover, four interviews have been conducted with family members of participants. Results. The majority of the participants experienced traumatic events during childhood and came from dysfunctional families. There appears to be a significant disconnect between these individuals and their families. An obedience‐instilling parenting style and parents' knowledge and attitude toward drug using and prevention were also identified as important determinants of substance use. Discussion and Conclusions. The results of this research point out the need for early interventions for at‐risk families as well as at‐risk individuals.[Mirlashari J, Demirkol A, Salsali M, Rafiey H, Jahanbani J. Early childhood experiences, parenting and the process of drug dependency among young people in Tehran, Iran. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:461–468]     

Congenital rubella syndrome in Iran

Background  

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) can be prevented with appropriate vaccination programs. The prevalence rates of rubella and CRS in Iran are unknown; therefore, the risk of exposure in pregnant women is not clear. The prevalence of CRS in the pre-vaccine period can be estimated by evaluating the proportion of children in the population with sensorineural hearing loss attributable to rubella.     

Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) Analysis of Chromosomal Aberrations in Iranian Patients with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Breast Cancer.

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women; however, due to the complexity of chromosomal changes, limited data are available regarding chromosomal constitution. Materials and Methods: In this study, Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) was used on 16 Iranian patients diagnosed with invasive ductal breast carcinomas. Results: 12 samples had abnormal CGH results (75%), including 21 types of chromosomal imbalance. The most prevalent were chromosomal gain of +1q, +17q, +8q and chromosomal loss of -13q. All three cases with DNA loss at chromosome 13q (-13q) had lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: CGH is able to detect chromosomal abnormalities which are difficult to identify by conventional cytogenetic techniques. More studies on a larger sample size may help to confirm or rule out any possible correlation between 13q monosomy and lymph node metastasis, which could result in establishing new strategies for prevention and early detection of invasive breast tumors.     

Microkeratome-assisted posterior lamellar keratoplasty in pseudophakic and aphakic corneal edema

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of microkeratome-assisted posterior lamellar keratoplasty for replacing diseased endothelium in pseudophakic and aphakic corneal edema. METHODS: Microkeratome-assisted posterior lamellar keratoplasty was performed on 10 eyes with pseudophakic or aphakic corneal edema. A nasal hinged 130- to 250-microm-thick flap was created with an automated microkeratome. The underlying 7.0-mm trephined button of deep stroma and endothelium was substituted with the same size donor button prepared by removing a same-sized flap and trephination of the remaining donor bed. The donor lenticule was fixated without sutures in position; the retracted flap was repositioned and sutured to the peripheral recipient tissue. The viscoelastic content of the anterior chamber was replaced by air to hold the graft in position. RESULTS: All surgeries were uneventful except for one case of donor button posterior dislocation forming a secondary anterior chamber, which was corrected through donor button exchange 1 month postoperatively. All uncomplicated cases had stable refraction and corneal topography as early as 1 month after surgery, which was maintained in follow-up examinations. In two eyes, corneal astigmatism > 5.00 diopters was recorded. One case of prolonged re-epithelialization and two cases of epithelial interface ingrowth occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Microkeratome-assisted posterior lamellar keratoplasty is an alternative to conventional penetrating keratoplasty for patients with diseased corneal endothelium, significantly reducing the time of visual rehabilitation. Determination of the relative advantages of this technique over penetrating keratoplasty and other recent alternative endothelial graft procedures relies on controlled prospective studies.