Baqiyatallah University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Medical Reviews2345-525X5120180320The Role of Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis in Evidence-Based Medicine117666510.29252/IJMR-050101ENMohsenSaberi IsfeedvajaniMedicine, Quran and Hadith Research Center & Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran0000-0002-3455-7013Journal Article20180222https://www.ijmedrev.com/article_76665_2e2130005743cc92e2d4625d6aa5b6f6.pdfBaqiyatallah University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Medical Reviews2345-525X5120180320Averrhoa carambola Linn: Is It Really a Toxic Fruit?257819810.29252/IJMR-050102ENLydiaFerraraDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, ItalyJournal Article20180204<em>Averrhoa carambola</em>, or star fruit, is a tropical fruit found throughout Southeast Asia and is usually consumed fresh or as fruit juice. The fruit is a very good source of natural antioxidants, phenolic compounds such as gallic acid in gallotannin form, catechins, and epicatechins. Various medicinal uses for carambola are found in folk medicine. In India, the ripe fruit is administered to halt hemorrhaging, and the dried fruit or the juice may be taken to counteract fevers; star fruit jam is said to allay biliousness and diarrhea and to relieve a hangover from excessive indulgence in alcohol. In Brazil, carambola is recommended as a diuretic and for the treatment of eczema. Because of the high concentrations of oxalic acid present in carambola, the excessive consumption of its fruit by dialysis patients can cause neurotoxicity and impair cognitive abilities and, if there is no immediate relief, even death. In addition to oxalic acid which is responsible for nephrotoxic phenomena in subjects with impaired renal function, caramboxin has recently been identified as a substance that acts on the central nervous system causing symptoms such as sobbing, confusion, and in more serious conditions, convulsions and death.https://www.ijmedrev.com/article_78198_e9492be148f2a8bfedde00178fb36af7.pdfBaqiyatallah University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Medical Reviews2345-525X5120180320Phimosis and Circumcision: Concepts, History, and Evolution6187703510.29252/IJMR-050103ENBruno PinheiroFalcãoFederal University of Piauí, Piauí, BrazilMarcelo MarcondesSteganiFederal University of Paraná, Paraná, BrazilJorge Eduardo FoutoMatiasFederal University of Paraná, Paraná, BrazilJournal Article20180119Phimosis is classically characterized by the impossibility of completely withdrawing the foreskin and exposing the glans. A distal preputial narrowing occurs, which may be congenital or acquired. Excess foreskin and the presence of balanopreputial adhesions may be components of this spectrum. Circumcision corresponds to foreskin excision, one of the most commonly performed surgeries in boys, whether for medical or religious reasons. Such a procedure is considered sacred by many peoples around the world as a symbol of faith or even as a ritual of tribal emancipation. The appearance of the procedure in several places and times allowed the development of the surgical technique, today adapted to minimize complications and provide evident medical benefits. We present fundamental physiological and histological concepts, classically described, knowing the natural history of a potential disease. We discuss the emergence and development of surgical techniques still used today and identify factors that interfere with the disease and influence the treatment.https://www.ijmedrev.com/article_77035_7c8a25c47c40363518bc3df70047d152.pdfBaqiyatallah University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Medical Reviews2345-525X5120180320Fire in the Forest: Adverse Effects of Antibiotics on the Healthy Human Gut Microbiome19267666210.29252/IJMR-050104ENManoshaPereraSchool of Dentistry and Oral Health, Griffith University, Queensland, AustraliaIroshaPereraPreventive Oral Health Unit, The National Dental Hospital (Teaching), Colombo, Sri LankaJournal Article20171205Antimicrobial resistance, especially the emergence of multidrug-resistant human pathogens, remains a serious public health crisis across the globe. The human gut microbiome regulates essential human functions including digestion, energy metabolism, brain function, and immunity by modulating multiple endocrine, neural, and immune pathways of the host. Increasing evidence shows adverse effects of antibiotics on the community structure and functions of healthy gut microbiomes. Short-term antibiotic treatment is able to change the richness and diversity of species into a long-term dysbiotic state. The colonization of invading pathogens is encouraged because of decreased competitive exclusion. Furthermore, the accumulation of antimicrobial resistant genes in the gut microbiome (gut resistome) facilitates the emergence of multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogens. In this study, the adverse effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiome are highlighted in terms of dysbiosis and the accumulation of resistance genes. In light of evidence of such adverse impacts, several epidemiological studies have been conducted on traditional culture techniques and 16S rRNA metagenomics to assess the compositional and functional changes occurring in the gut microbiome after exposure to antibiotics. They have failed to agree on specific antibiotic-associated microbiome and its functional redundancy subsequent to exposure to antibiotics. This mini-review describes the composition and role of a healthy microbiome to understand and appraise the value of gut microbiome and summarizes the current understanding of adverse effects of antibiotics on it.https://www.ijmedrev.com/article_76662_a6fbd1e24f7767cb48b9ec532d396d52.pdfBaqiyatallah University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Medical Reviews2345-525X5120180320Management of Refractory Diabetic Macular Edema: A Review Article27347785210.29252/IJMR-050105ENHamidrezaTorabiHealth Management Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranJournal Article20180202Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of visual impairment worldwide. Visual reduction in patients with DR is usually related to diabetic macular edema (DME). Today, the intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) is replacing macular laser photocoagulation as the standard treatment for DME; however, in some patients, incomplete responses to the anti-VEGF injection, defined as refractory DME, may occur. Currently, the sequence of using one treatment option and the timing to switch from one agent to another is not fully understood, and the data from clinical trials on the appropriate approach to manage refractory DME is insufficient. In the current study, a review was conducted to evaluate therapeutic options for the management of refractory DME.https://www.ijmedrev.com/article_77852_47da00bdd38a0f2a32f08eeb620070c3.pdfBaqiyatallah University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Medical Reviews2345-525X5120180320The Prevalence of Needlestick Injuries and Exposure to Blood and Body Fluids Among Iranian Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review35407703410.29252/IJMR-050106ENZhilaFereidouniSchool of Nursing, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, IranMortezaKameli MorandiniDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, IranAzizallahDehghanNoncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, IranNahidJamshidiStudent Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IranMajidNajafi KalyaniSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran0000-0002-7711-8184Journal Article20180202<strong>Introduction:</strong> This study aimed to systematically review previous studies conducted in Iran on the prevalence of injuries caused by needlestick, sharp, and cutting instruments and exposure to blood and body fluids.<br /> <strong>Methods:</strong> In this systematic review, all published full-text articles authored by Iranian researchers in Farsi or English in the field of needlestick injuries among healthcare workers during the period 2001-2016 were examined. Searches were performed on Iranian databases such as Scientific Information Database (SID), Iran Magazine Information Bank (Mag Iran), Iranian Journals of Nursing (N Index), and Directory of Medical Sciences Articles (Iran Medex) as well as international databases including Google Scholar, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, and CINAHL.<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> The prevalence of injuries caused by needles ranged from 10.0% to 84.29% in different studies. The prevalence of exposure to blood and body fluids ranged from 13.46% to 79%.<br /> <strong>Conclusions:</strong> The results indicated that almost half of Iranian healthcare workers during their daily work are at the risk of needlestick injury and exposure to blood and body fluids. Hence, research and needlestick injury reduction strategies should be emphasized, and modifications should be made to organizational factors such as the development of educational programs, prevention along with performance monitoring, engineering factors such as redesigning tools to promote safety, and behavioral factors such as behavior modification of capping needles.https://www.ijmedrev.com/article_77034_c1e19bd5c895f6b23ea7b71df9337ee0.pdfBaqiyatallah University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Medical Reviews2345-525X5120180320A Review of Scientific Outputs on Spirituality and Depression Indexed in Important Databases41466539110.29252/IJMR-050107ENJamilehMohammadiDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IranKazemRasoolzadeh TabatabaeiDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IranMasoudJanbozorgiDepartment of Psychology, Research Institute of Howzah and University, Qom, IranAbbasPasandidehHadith Department, The University of Quran and Hadith, Qom, IranMahmoodSalesiChemical Injuries Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranJournal Article20180214<strong>Introduction:</strong> Depression is known as a mental disability. In recent years, interest in spirituality as a factor in decreasing depression symptoms has increased. The current study evaluated scientific articles on spirituality and depression indexed in the Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (WoS) databases.<br /> <strong>Methods:</strong> This bibliometric review collected all articles on the subject of spirituality and depression published through 2016 from the Scopus, PubMed, and WoS databases. The citation counting period was until 13 September 2017. Data on the yearly trend, top-cited articles, most frequently cited journals, article type, multi-author collaboration, and international collaboration was collected from both articles from Iran and other countries.<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> A total of 516 documents published by the end of 2016 were retrieved from the Scopus, PubMed, and WoS databases. The type of article most published was original article (355 (68.8%) articles). The findings showed that the number of documents increased from 1 document in 1932 to 55 documents in 2016. Authors from the USA have produced approximately 60% of the documents published on this matter in the three searched databases, while Iran ranks second with 5.8% (32 documents) of the scientific articles published by the end of 2016. In these 516 articles, multi-author collaboration and international collaboration accounted for 80.7% and 10.6% of articles, respectively. The average number of citations per paper was 19.8 (H-index=47) and 14.6 (H-index=42) in the Scopus and WoS databases, respectively. These rates for Iranian articles were 2.9 (H-index=6) and 0.9 (H-index=3), respectively. Only 4 Iranian papers had been cited between 7 to 15 times; all other Iranian articles had been cited fewer than 4 times.<br /> <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Iran has a low number of articles on spirituality and depression in the international indexes. As a religious and ideological country, Iran needs to increase its efforts to extend its spiritual and religious ideas on the international level. Establishing effective research networks that include other universities or countries and encouraging researchers and journals to focus on hot topics and international indexes are two approaches to managing future research in Iran.https://www.ijmedrev.com/article_65391_e433f65eed44a43a4005119194bb17b1.pdf