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  Background and Aims: Staphylococcus aureus as a�Gram- positive coccus causes a variety of infections in humans. It is one of the infectious agents in hemodialysis patients. Those patients who carry this organism at their nose are exposed to infection and possible morbidity and mortality due to this bacterium. Resistance to antibiotics in staphylococci is increasing. Resistance development is due to mutation and by plasmid DNA transmission. The aim of this study was to determine plasmid profile and antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from nasal carriers in dialysis patients in Imam Khomeini Medical Center. Susceptibility testing to antibiotics, plasmid extraction and analysis and epidemiologic relationship of these isolates were investigated.�

  Methods: In this study nasal specimens of 107 patients in dialysis ward of Imam Khomeini Medical Center were collected and cultured on blood agar plates. The colonies were identified as S.aureus strains. The susceptibility of 50 strains isolated from the patients against 12 antibiotics were tested using Kirby- Bauer standard method. A standard S.aureus strain (ATCC29213) was used to control quality of antibiotic discs. The isolates were cultured on LB medium and plasmid DNAs were extracted and electrophoresed on agarose gel using Parisi et al method.

  Results : The results of resistance rate against 12 used antibiotics were as follows: resistance of the strains against gentamicin, oxacillin, neomycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, cotrimoxazole, choloramphenicole, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin were 20%, 28%, 30%, 26%, 30%, 44%, 32%, 36%, and 10%, respectively. All of the strains were resistant to amoxycillin and penicillin and none of them were resistant to vancomycin. Of 50 S. aureus strains, only 27 strains contained plasmid DNA. Most of the strains revealed a big plasmid. Plasmid profiles of the strains will be presented.

  Discussion: Our results showed that there was a close relationship between high resistance to antibiotics and presence of plasmids in S. aureus strains. Similarities among resistance to antibiotics and plasmid profiles in our strains isolated from the same ward showed that these strains were from the same sources and indicated a unique clonal possibility. The resistance to antibiotics of the strains lacking plasmids could be from choromosomal resistance

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  Background & Objective: Many risk factors are important in genesis of coronary artery disease. Their effect and prevalence are different in hypertensive patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of cardiac risk factors in hypertensive patients and compare those in normotensive patients.

  Methods: With descriptive cross sectional study and random sampling, 976 of 3000 patients’ units who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) during year of 2004 were studied. Demographic and angiographic data were collected. Data entry and analysis were done by SPSS 11.5 and EPI 6 statistical software.

  Results: Prevalence of patients who underwent CAG was 60.5%. Mean age of patients were 58.6 and 53.9 years and prevalence of CAD were 84 and 84.5 percent in hypertensive and non hypertensive patients respectively. Prevalence of two and three vessel disease was higher in hypertensive patients. Male gender, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and age were main predictors of CAD in hypertensive patients but in normotensive patients male gender, smoking, familial history and age were major predictors.

  Conclusion: Prevalence of HTN, RFs and CAD�are high in patients who underwent CAG and pattern of CAD in our country follows western country patterns. Male gender, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and age were main predictors of CAD in hypertensive patients, respectively regarding to high prevalence of cardiac risk factors and their severe effect on genesis of CAD in hypertensive patients rapid health measures are needed for control of HTN in general population.

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Background & objectives: cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of mortality around the whole world. However, there is limited information on its economic costs in Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate the economic costs of coronary heart disease in Iran in 2014.
Methods: The diseases costs were calculated based on the incidence approach using a bottom-up method and a community-oriented perspective.   The drug cost information was obtained from angiographed patients (607 cases) in Shahid Modarres Hospital using simple random sampling method. Other information like disease incidence, distribution of patients, treatment patterns, length of stay and mortality rate was gathered from the literature, interview with patients, consultation with specialists, questionnaire, ministry of health and statistical center of Iran.
Results: Coronary heart diseases impose a significant economic burden in the range of 4,715 and 4,908 billion dollars (210,037,860,000,000-201,778,425,000,000 rials) upon Iran economic system. The medical costs and the costs of lost productivity due to premature death were calculated at USD 3.572 billion (152,863,740,000,000 rials) and USD 933 million (39,927,735,000,000 rials) respectively. The major part of medical costs was related to angioplasty costs (47%) and the minor part was related to drug costs (1.15%).
Conclusion: Coronary heart diseases impose a lot of financial costs to Iran healthcare system which cover more than 16% of whole healthcare financial costs. It is possible to streamline all consequential costs due to coronary heart disease by means of economic and effective use of resources and widespread self-care plan.