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Abstract Background: Methanol causes so many severe toxicities. Chronic low dose methanol ingestion can cause severe toxicity. There are many unpublished reports from doctors about side effects of toxicity by methanol like blinding in chronic user of herbal essences. Regarding to kinds of herbal essences producing and side effects of its chronic using, probability, there is methanol in the process of making. Therefore we decided to evaluate rate of methanol in various products. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional analytic study, 3 samples of high consumption homemade herbal essences in Arak (Pussy, Mint, Fenugreek, Hedysarum, Dill and Chicory) and 3 samples of the same herbal essences from industrial products with trademarks were gathered. All of them have been analyzed with spectrophotometer in five times. Results: The maximum methanol concentration was related to a sample of industrial Mint (415.04 ppm) and the minimum methanol concentration was related to a sample of handmade Fenugreek (60.26 ppm). There was no significant difference between methanol concentration in handmade and industrial herbal essences. Conclusion: There is probability of methanol toxicity after chronic usage of some herbal essences. Due to lack of maximum permissible concentration for non methanol essences, it is recommended that a cut of point of methanol concentration was determined and inform people about it.

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Background: Positive electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in patients with unstable angina or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction are well known, but problem arises when no specific changes in ECG are identified. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of these changes in hospitalized patients at Amir Kabir Hospital of Arak. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional one that was conducted on 124 patients hospitalized at the heart emergency ward of Arak Amir Kabir Hospital with unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. ECG changes and serum cardiac enzyme levels were analyzed on admission and 12 hours after admission. Results: According to patients’ history and serum cardiac enzymes, 62 patients had undergone myocardial infarction without ST segment elevation, 98.4% of whom had ECG changes and 1.5% showed no ECG changes. Of the 60 patients, who had been hospitalized with unstable angina, 90% showed ECG changes and the rest 10% revealed no such changes. Conclusion: In comparison to other studies reporting that 50% of patients with unstable angina and non ST elevation myocardial infarction reveal no ECG changes, a high percentage of patients referring with a chest pain to the heart emergency ward of Amir Kabir Hospital, had no significant changes in their ECG and were not hospitalized.

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Background: Addiction is undoubtedly one of the biggest problems of human societies that every year governments spend enormous amounts of money on fighting it. Most addicts, besides their addiction, cause many psychological problems in their families therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the presence of these disorders between the families of addicts and non-addicts. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was done on a sample of 650 persons of opium addicts' and non-addicts' families using random sampling method. Data were collected through SCL-90-R questionnaire and were analyzed by Chi-square and t-test using SPSS software version 18. Results: There was a significant difference in psychiatric disorders in addicts' and non-addicts' families (p=0.005). Among the 9 psychiatric disorders under assessment, only anxiety, aggression, paranoia, and depression disorders in three types, including pathologic, borderline, and combined (pathologic-borderline), were significantly higher in addicts' families compared with non-addicts' families (p=0.005). Conclusion: Drug dependence disorder in one member of a family has a very important effect on the mental hygiene of the other family members and requires prevention and treatment in both.