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Background & Aim: Peer assisted learning is a useful educational method in clinical teaching from which students benefit as teachers and learners. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of peer assisted learning on clinical reasoning in students of medicine in clerkship and internship phases in urology ward. Methods: Six consecutive groups of clerkship students (N=42) and internship students (N=24) who had simultaneously entered the urology ward were assigned to control and case groups by alphabetical order in groups of four and seven. The first three groups were assigned as the control group and the second three groups were assigned as the case group. Some parts of teachers' duties were undertaken by Interns in the case group and data were collected from pre and posttests results. The data were analyzed using dependent t-test. Results: The mean difference of trainees' scores in domains of information gathering, hypothesis formation, and problem solving showed a statistically significant increase in the case group in comparison with the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Peer assisted learning was effective in promoting clinical reasoning skill among training students. Training allows the integration of attitudes, skills and knowledge in teacher and solace in learners. The promotion of students' independence in learning can lead to the improvement of their clinical reasoning skills.

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Background & aim: Brucellosis or Malta fever is a highly contagious zoonosis disease. In addition to clinical complications, the disease leads to an important economic loss. The aim of this study was to determine the demographic and epidemiological prevalence of brucellosis in the Kohgilooye and Boyerahmad province (2009-2013). Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 374 patients with brucellosis in a period of five-year (2009-2013). Demographic data and address of all patients were obtained from the health centers of Kohgilooye and Boyerahmad province and analyzed based on the statistical methods. For data analysis, descriptive and analytical tests were performed. Results: Distribution of patients in this study showed that the majority of patients were in the Kohgilooye, Boyerahmad and Gachsaran districts, respectively, and the lowest were in Basht and Bahmaei districts. Among 374 patients, 8.5%, 23.5% and 68% of cases showed nomadic, urban and rural origin, respectvely. 84% of patients had a history of contact with animals and 31.5% were ranchers and slaughterhouse workers in the province. 50.5% and 49.5% of patients were female and male respectively.The mean age of patients was 39 years old. Conclusion: Contact with livestock plays an important role in prevalence of brucellosis in this province. Refering to report of notable urban cases, consumption of contaminated diary may have priority in the urban regions. This study provides a guideline for health managers to determine hazard regions of brucellosis and so perform the more efficient and with lower budget control deals in this province.

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Background & aim: Prostate cancer is one of the most common visceral cancers in men. One of the methods used for early diagnosis of this disease and before its symptoms appear is screening with the help of prostate specific antigen measurement. Another factor that increases prostate specific antigen is prostate infections. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of ofloxacin on the amount of prostate specific antigen in men with high antigen.
 
Methods: In the present descriptive-analytical study conducted in 2019, 224 men with specific antigen higher than 4 nanograms were evaluated by administering 200 mg of ofloxacin every 12 hours for 10 days. Exclusion criteria included age less than fifty or more than 75 years, history of sensitivity to fluoroquinolones, history of recent prostate manipulation, use of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, and known cases of prostate cancer. After ten days of taking the drug, the prostate specific antigen was measured for the second time and the results were evaluated using vital statistics tests. In all patients, a complete urine test and prostate examination were performed through the intestine. The collected data were analyzed using Chi-square statistical tests.
 
 
Results: The average age of the patients was 61.18 years and the average antigen level before antibiotic administration was 26.3 (21.9±97.4). In 120 patients (53.57%) after taking antibiotics, the antigen level decreased to a certain extent, which eliminated the need for biopsy, and in the remaining patients, biopsy was performed, and 65 cases of prostate cancer and 39 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia were reported. In 114 patients (50.89%), pyuria was shown in the urine test.
 
Conclusion: The present study indicated that in a patient who has active urine (pyuria) and the prostate examination is normal, it is possible to delay the decision on prostate biopsy and start antibiotics for the patient. Moreover, if there was a significant drop in the amount of antigen, the patient continued taking antibiotic and avoided unnecessary biopsy. Otherwise, antibiotics are useless in an asymptomatic patient with a complete urine test that is normal, but with high antigen.