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Aims: The birth of an infant requiring cares in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is one of the stressful sources in life. The aim of this study was to determine the stressful sources in mothers of infants in NICU. 

Instrument & Methods: In the descriptive study, all mothers of infants hospitalized in NICU of Hajar Hospital in Shahr-e-Kord were studied in 2011. The subjects (n=110) were selected by census method. Data was collected by family information form and Miles and Funk’s parent stress questionnaire.  Data was analyzed by SPSS 18 software using Spearman and Kruskal-Wallis correlation analyses noticing data abnormality.

Findings: There were no significant correlation between educational level, type of child birth, mother’s job, and residence place and mothers’ stressors (p>0.05). There were significant and reverse correlations between environmental stressor and birth weight of infant (p=0.025; r=-0.213), mother’s age (p=0.034; r=-0.203), and income (p=0.002; r=-0.292). There was no significant correlation between relation stressor and any demographic characteristics. There were significant correlations between the status of home resident and environmental (p=0.031), face (p=0.008), and relation (p=0.0001) stressors.

Conclusion: The mothers describe their own experiences of NICU as stressful. In addition, the environmental stressors affect such experiences in the highest level.

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Aims: The nosocomial infection in the intensive care units (ICU) results in an increase in the death level, as well as hospitalization length. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effects of alcoholic extract of Nigella sativa on the bacteria removed from the patients hospitalized in the hospital.

Materials & Methods: In the experimental study, 100 clinical samples collected from the hospitalized patients in ICUs in Tehran hospitals during 2015 were studied. The samples presented to the laboratory included 28 samples of respiratory system secretions (28%), 25 blood samples (25%), 20 wound samples (20%), 18 urine samples (18%), and 9 cerebrospinal fluid samples (9%). Each sample, having been cultured on 2 blood agar environment, was incubated at both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The micro-broth dilution method was used to determine the lowest concentration of Nigella sativa extract with inhibitory effect.  

Findings: The most and the least micro-organism numbers removed from the patients were Staphylococcus aureus (35 samples) and Escherichia coli (17 samples), respectively. In different concentrations of the extract, the growth of all the micro-organisms was inhibited. Excluding type of the removed bacteria, the growth rates of 24 isolates at 200mg/ml, 46 isolates at 100mg/ml, 29 isolates at 50mg/ml, and 1 isolate at 25mg/ml were inhibited.

Conclusion: As effective antibacterial factors, different concentrations of Nigella sativa extract can be used to prevent the nosocomial infection due to different bacteria.

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Aims: One of the most important needs of hospitalized patients in intensive care units is patients visiting by their family members, but it is very limited in these units. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of increased visiting to patients’ time on pain and level of consciousness of hospitalized patients in intensive care units.

Materials & Methods: In this clinical trial, 60 hospitalized patients in intensive care units of Vali-Asr Hospital in Arak City, Iran, in 2013-2014 were selected by convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. Each visiting was done for 10 minutes, 3 times a day (9- and 12am and 15pm) in the intervention group and for 10 minutes once a day (15pm) in the control group. Then patients’ pain and level of consciousness was measured before, during, and after 10 and 30 minutes of visiting by family. Data was analyzed in SPSS 20 software using Chi-square, paired T, independent T, and repeated measure ANOVA tests.

Findings: There was no significant difference between pain and level of consciousness between 2 groups before intervention (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between the means of pain and level of consciousness before and 30min after the visiting at 15pm in control group (p>0.05). There were significant differences between the means of pain before and 30min after visiting at 9am, 12am and 15pm in intervention group (p<0.05), but no significant differences were seen in the level of consciousness (p>0.05). 

Conclusion: Increasing the time of visiting to patients decreases the pain of the hospitalized patients in intensive care units.

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Aims: To reduce discomfort and anxiety, providing true sedation for the patients hospitalized in ICU is very important. Therefore, the staff of ICU needs tools to measure effective sedation in the patients. The aim of this study was to assess the sedation status in the patients hospitalized in ICU via Sedation-Agitation Scale (SAS) and to compare the findings with Visual Analog Scale (VAS).

Instrument & Methods: In this correlational study in 2015, 106 patients hospitalized in the intensive care units of Qaem Hospital of Mashhad, Iran, were selected via quota sampling method and studied. Sedation status of the patients was assessed by the validated Persian version of SAS and VAS. Data was analyzed by SPSS 20 software and Spearman’s correlation coefficient test.

Findings: There was a positive and significant correlation between SAS and VAS (p<0.001; r=0.824). The highest scoring of SAS, which was 6, was equivalent to score 3 in VAS. In general, the higher the score of SAS, the higher the score of VAS was. 

Conclusion: SAS and VAS are in a high correlation to assess sedation. Therefore, SAS can be used as a valid tool in the treatment sector.

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Aims: Nowadays, the pulse oximetry is widely used to monitor the oxygen saturation constantly. In the clinical care, it is observed that the ear pulse oximetry with the finger sensor is sometimes utilized in the ICUs. The aim of the study was to determine the accuracy of the ear pulse oximetry and the fingertip with the finger sensor in the ICU patients under the mechanical ventilation. 

Materials & Methods: In the analytic comparative study, 60 hospitalized patients under the mechanical ventilation in the ICU of Moddares Hospital in Kashmar Township were studied in 2015. The subjects were selected via available convenience sampling method. One finger pulse oximetry sensor having been attached to the upper part of the ear and the other to the fingertip, the arterial blood sampling was done simultaneously. Data was analyzed by SPSS 22 software using repeated ANOVA and Spearman correlation tests. 

Findings: Mean oxygen saturation percentage and the heartbeat of ear, fingertip, and arterial blood pulse oximetry were significantly different (p<0.001). In addition, the oxygen saturation percentage of ear, fingertip, and arterial blood pulse oximetry was significantly correlated by the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂; p=0.001). Nevertheless, the mentioned parameters were not significantly correlated by the peripheral edema and especially, by the hand (p>0.05).   

Conclusion: The utilization of ear pulse oximetry with the finger sensor on the fingertip cannot lead to accurate results of the oxygen saturation in the hospitalized patients in the ICU under the mechanical ventilation. However, in case of any reduction in the arterial blood oxygen pressure, the accuracy of the finger pulse oximetry starts to drop out.

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Aims: Patients undergoing artificial ventilation require tracheal tube suction because of inability to clear their effective airways, which is usually a painful process for the patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of spike lavender’s inhalant on pain during tracheal tube suctioning in ICU intubated patients.

Materials & Methods: In this double-blinded randomized clinical trial, 60 intubated patients hospitalized in ICU of Shahid Modarres Hospital of Kashmar City, Iran, in 2017 were selected by available and simple sampling method, and were randomly divided into 2 control and case groups (each 30 individuals). Before the standard suctioning process, the test group patients received inhalant of 2% spike lavender for 5 minutes and the control group received inhalant of distilled water. The level of pain was recorded before and during tracheal tube suctioning. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software using independent T, paired T, Fisher and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Findings: There was no significant difference in pain score before tracheal tube suction between 2 groups (p>0.05). However, there were significant differences between the level of pain during tracheal tube suctioning and the pain was increased in both groups, but this increase was significantly higher in the control group (p<0.001).  

Conclusion: Spike lavender’s inhalant is effective on pain reduction during suctioning process of ICU intubated patients.

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Aims: Based on the principles of physiology, the blood used in the system of point of care is the capillary blood that its biochemical contents are in equilibrium with the mediastinum fluid. In edematous diabetic patients, the first and second blood drops of the stick place are apparently different. In the clinical centers of the country, the first drop is used as a blood glucose test using point of care method. The aim of this study was to compare the level of glucose through first and second fingertip blood and venous blood samples of edematous diabetic patients in stroke intensive care units.
Materials & Methods: In this cross sectional, analytical descriptive study, 103 edematous diabetic patients were selected via available sampling method. The subjects were hospitalized in stroke ICU Qaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran in 2012. Glucometry was performed, using first and second capillary blood drops and standard venous sample simultaneously. The data were analyzed by SPSS 17 software, using repeated meature ANOVA, paired t-test, and Bland–Altman plot.
Findings: There was no significant difference in glucose levels in the first and second fingertip blood drops (p=0.257), while there was a significant difference between glucose levels in the first and second fingertip blood drops with standard venous sample (p<0.05). There was also a significant correlation between 2 drops in expression of glucometry results.
Conclusions: The first or second fingertip blood drops have similar glucose test results.