Background & Objective: Control of TB is regarded as a health priority program in underdeveloped countries, and Iran in no exception in this regard. Annual risk of infection (ARI) is an important index in this program. This index shows the percentage of people in a society who have been contaminated, and consequently their skin test has changed from negative to positive. In this study, Tuberculin skin test is conducted on Ardabil primary school students and its changes, if any, after one year have been regarded using renewed skin test in order to show ARI in this age group.

 Methods: 780 students were selected from among 17 primary schools using simple random sampling method. They were 8-14 years old, (mean 9.92). Tuberculin skin test was performed on all subjects two times with a one- year interval (May 1998-1999). The test results were recorded and analyzed. In this study PPD over 10 mm was considered positive.

 Results: In 55 (7.1%) students the test was positive in both tests, and in 33 (4.2%) students, PPD changed from negative (first time) to positive (second time) and in 78 subjects the results were doubtful. 765 students (98.1%) had history of BCG vaccination.

 Conclusions: This study indicated that, firstly, over the time, BCG has little effect on Tuberculin skin test, and secondly, the high rate of tuberculin skin test changes from negative (first time) to positive (second time) represents probability of severe contamination in this area.

 Background & Objectives: Authorities and scholars believe that determining cigarette smoking status of individuals and groups and finding reasons of smoking plays an important role in manipulating and facing with this dirty habit. The present study is an attempt to determine the rate of prevalence and the causes inducing smoking among students of Ardabil university of medical sciences.

 Methods:�This survey was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Of 1300 medical sciences students, 1106 ones volunteered to participate in this study. The data were collected using a questionnaire and were analyzed in SPSS.

 Results: 154 students (13.9%) had experienced cigarette smoking previously and 82 students (7.2%) were already a smoker. Intimacy with smokers, self-gratification and acquiring enjoyment, educational failures, vague future career and smoking for entertainment were the most important factors inducing smoking.

 Conclusion: Cigarette smoking prevalence rate in this study was relatively low in comparison with similar studies. However, regarding the critical social status of these students, some serious measures should be taken to inform them about the dangers of smoking and at the some time some facilities should be provided for students, which can be of great help in this regard.

 Background & Objectives: The incidence of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia disease is noticeable. Studying neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and its related factors is a step to reduce its incidence and remarkable treatment expenses. On the other hand, due to lack of on time recognition and suitable treatments, this disease can cause irreversible neuro-cerebral complications. This study was conducted to examine the etiology of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and its associated signs, in order to provide on time and suitable treatment measures.

 Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 2003 on neonates affected by neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Ardabil Sabalan hospital. The data obtained from their conditions, clinical examination, and measurment of total and direct bilirubine was used to fill out a questionnaire. The data were analyzed by SPSS software (release 10).

 Results: From among 132 neonates affected by neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, 50% were male and others were female. 85.6% of these subjects were fullterm births and the rest were premature. 56% of these neonates were born by C/S. 6.8% of hyperbilirubinemia cases, which were considered as “pathologic”, occurred during 24 hours after birth. 72% were related to the second to seventh days of birth, 17.2% to second week of birth, and the rest (4%) had prolonged Icter. 65% of these neonates were the first children of the family. The average time of hospitalization was 4.8 days. 34.8% of these neonates had pathologic signs beside hyperbilirubinemia and had a clinically serious condition. About 23% of these neonates were born by C/S and only 11.8% of them were vaginal births. 46 cases (34.8%) had accompaynig pathologic problems in addition to Icter, among whom 33 children (25%) had evident infection. The causes of hyperbilirubinemia were Crigler-Najjar syndrome in one case, ABO in 11 cases (8.33%) and RH discord in 4 cases (2.8%). Generally speaking the precise cause of 36.89% of Hyperbilirubinemia was determined.

 Conclusion: Some factors such as children by C/S, neonatal infection, prematurity, ABO discords and RH discords play an important role in hyperbilirubinemia incidence and severity.

 �

 The term periodic fever and diseases classified under periodic fever, have particular situation in pediatrics. Periodicity and fever are the hallmark of these syndromes, though there could be other symptoms and signs in each syndrome. On the other hand, most of these syndromes have familial pattern. Since some of these syndromes are common in north-west Iran, the understanding and recognition of these diseases seems to be necessary. Nowadays at least seven periodic fever syndromes have been explained in pediatrics: The first one is FMF and the last and new one is PFAPA. The rest of them are: Hyper IgD, FCAS, Muckel- Wells, CINCA, and TRAPS.

 Background and Objectives: Familial Mediterranean fever which is the prototype of the hereditary periodic fever syndromes is common in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Regarding the geographical position of the northwest of Iran, having Turkish originality and its vicinity to the Mediterranean Sea , the incidence of this disease is significant in Ardabil. The goal of this study was to introduce Familial Mediterranean Fever as a disease with significant outbreak in this area.

 Methods: This research is a descriptive study which has been done during one year from October 2004 to October 2005. According to the Tel-Hashomer criteria, the patients suffering from Familial Mediterranean Fever were collected from private clinics and pediatric rheumatology clinics records. Then from 112 patients only 74 ones were studied. All of the patients were interviewed and filled out a questionnaire.

 Results: Familial Mediterranean fever is common among children under 18 (76%) and more common in male than female. Abdominal pain has been the most common complaint (74%) and abdominal pain and fever (95% and 84% respectively) were the main clinical symptoms. The most common period of pain was 12-72 hours and the common recovery (attack free) period was from 1 week to 1 month (63/5%). Majority of the patients had hospital admission for diagnostic work up (85%) and some of them (32%) had been under surgical operation mistakenly. On the whole 92% of the patients had taken medications as a result of wrong diagnosis and 20% had positive familial history. 50% of the patients' parents were first degree relatives and in 59.5% delay in diagnosis was more than 3 years.

 Conclusion: Results of this study and introduction of this group of patients in a one-year research indicate that: Familial Mediterranean Fever is more common in the Northwest of Iran although physicians are not familiar with that. The common age for manifestation of this disease is under 18 and its presentation after the age of 40 is very rare.

 Background & Objective: Developmental dislocation of hip (DDH) as an inherited joint disorder results from external location of the head of femora from the acetabulum.Early diagnosis of this disorder is very important and any delay may result in long life handicap. Nowadays new methods such as sonogrphy are recommended in diagnosis of this disorder. Radiology and physical examination are traditional methods. This study was designed to evaluate the results of sonographical, radiological and physical examination findings in 100 infants who were suspected to have DDH.

 Methods: This analytical-cross sectional study was done in private clinics from June 2004 to June 2005. The one hundred infants who were suspected to have DDH in physical examination entered the study. A questionnaire was completed for each infant, and then sonography and radioghray have been done for them. The data were collected and analyzed by statistical programs.

 Results: Among 100 infants 48% were female and 52% male, with mean age 42±7.23.In 44% they were the firstborn.58% had normal delivery and 42% cesarean section. 15% had breech presentation. In 28% radiological and 56% sonographical methods showed findings in favor of DDH.

 Conclusion: This study showed, simultaneous physical and sonographic examination especially during the first month result in early and precise diagnosis of DDH, on the other hand it does not have radiologic side effects.

  Background & Objectives: Ardabil city with population of about 340386 is still supplied with groundwater resource for drinking. That should have optimum quality standards in different aspects. If a drinking water physicochemical parameters levels is higher than the permitted recommended levels, they may create irreversible damages. This study intended to determine the physicochemical parameters of drinking water in Ardabil in the year 2004.

  Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that has been done on 35 samples of Ardabil city drinking water resources in 2004. Most of the physicochemical parameters due to their importance and present limitations or even through technical restriction in water and wastewater laboratory of Ardabil health care centers were chemically analyzed and the results were statistically analyzed and compared by 1053 country standard methods.

  Results: According to the results of analyzed samples and their comparison with their related standard, it is estimated that So₄, Po₄ and total hardness of samples were %9, %71 & %41 respectively more than maximum acceptable level. Fluorine of samples was %57 less than the minimum recommended fluorine.

  Conclusion: Due to the lack of consistency in the values of So₄, Po₄, fluorine and total hardness of testing samples with the related standards, programming for obviation of the problems seems essential.

 Background & Objectives: Identifying urinary tract infection, especially in infants and young children is very important from the viewpoint of start of treatment, and if it is delayed probably the children are affected by risk of failure to thrive, sepsis and chronic problems such as renal scars, increase of arterial blood pressure and renal failure. Increasing usage of antibiotics, result in AB resistance microorganism. This study was done because of bacterial differences in resistance in different regions and the change in the rate of resistance in UTI.

 Methods:�This research is a descriptive-prospective study 510 children under the age of 12 as the study samples were chosen. These children were referred to clinics of Ardabil Aliasghar and Sabalan Hospitals in 2006. Their urine culture colony was above 100000. Data gathering was accomplished by their parents through questionnaire and interview's then gathered Data were analyzed by computer software programs of the SPSS and Excel.

 Results:�Findings of research showed that symptoms of malodorous urine (54.7%) in children under 12 months, dysuria (58.9%) in 1-3 years age groups, frequency (54.8%) in 3-6 years old groups dysuria (49.2%) in 6 years old groups and above were most prevalent symptoms which were reported. From the viewpoint of gender differences UTI in girls was 4 times more than that of boys that this difference in 1-3 years old groups was highest range (4.8 to 1). About antibiotical resistancy of microorganisms, Ampicillin with 78.9% resistance, Co-trimoxazole with 66%, Cephalexin with 62.8% and cephazoline with 33.3% were most resistant antibiotics respectively. E-coli resistance against gentamicine was 15.8%, that compared with other microorganisms is very high and its resistance against ceftriaxon was 8%, which is low compared with other microorganisms.

 Conclusion: Findings of research showed the variety of UTI symptoms in children and also showed that drug resistancy against Ampicillin, Co-trimoxazole, Cephalexin and cephazoline is high.