Abstract Asthma is a complex disease defined by chronic airway inflammation and airflow limitation causing variable respiratory symptoms which include shortness of breath (SOB), wheezing, chest tightness and cough. Asthma guidelines advocate adding a second long acting bronchodilator to medium doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) rather using high doses of ICS alone to control moderate to severe persistent asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of three medication regimens indicated for Iraqi patients suffering from persistent asthma. This study was interventional randomized clinical study conducted on a sample of adult Iraqi asthmatic patients in Baghdad City. The study composed of three visits distributed over eight weeks; baseline visit followed by first follow up and second follow up visits after four and eight weeks respectively. The study enrolled 78 adult patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma as diagnosed by specialist physician according to patient history and baseline pulmonary function test (PFT) and allocated them randomly to three groups (each group included 26 patients) to receive equivalent medium doses of budesonide inhaler in addition to either formoterol inhaler, oral modified release aminophylline tablets or tiotropium inhaler (first, second and third group respectively). Sixty four patients completed this study. The mean ages of patients were above 35 years with slightly more male predominance. The study groups developed significant increase of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and forced vital capacity (FVC) values at the first follow up visit compared to baseline values (p<0.001). Thereafter, the first and third groups achieved significant higher values at the second follow up visit compared to first follow up visit (p<0.001), while second group produced no change. All the groups developed significant improvement of Mini asthma quality of life questionnaire (MiniAQLQ) scores and percentage of symptom free days (SFD) at first follow up visit and continued further significant improvement at the second follow up visit (p<0.001). Generally, between groups comparison according to extent of change of study parameters revealed that third group produced the greatest improvement over the entire study period followed by the first group, whereas the second group was associated with the least extent of improvement. This study concluded that all groups caused significant improvement in study parameters compared to baseline values and also concluded that the third group of inhaled [tiotropium/budesonide] was associated with the highest extent of improvement followed by first group, while the second group was the least.
Background: Health professionals have a crucial role in promotion, support and management of breastfeeding. To be effective in this effort, the clinician should focus on the issue from the preconception stage through pregnancy and delivery, and continue in subsequent infant care. Aim of the study: to assess the effectiveness of the UNICEF/WHO 40-hour of breast feeding training through the assess breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes of the health profession staff before and after training course.
Background: Sonographic examination is an important tool in assessment of normal and abnormal cervical lymph nodes. The aim of the study is to assess the distribution and the characteristic features of normal cervical lymph nodes in a sample of Syrian population. Materials and Methods: Fifty healthy Syrian subjects (25 men and 25 women) with an age of 20 -60years old, who had their cervical lymph nodes examined by ultrasound. Three hundred and two lymph nodes were detected. Lymph nodes were evaluated for their number, size, site, echogenic hilus, shape, as well as for the border sharpness. The subjects were categorized by age into four groups, (20 -30, 31 - 40 , 41 - 50 , 51- 60 years ). Statistical analysis of data was done using SP
... Show MoreKE Sharquie, AA Noaimi, Our Dermatology Online, 2016 - Cited by 7
The Growth Differentiation Factor -15 (GDF-15) is a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily. İt represents an example of the stress response cytokines. It's mostly found in cardiac myocytes, adipocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells, and vascular endothelial cells, whether they're generated normally or not. GDF-15 levels have increased and are associated with cardiovascular risk. Aim of the study: To investigate the correlation between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) with the level of plasma GDF-15 in a group of hypertensive patients. Materials and methods: A case-control study involved 90 individuals, 60 hypertensive patients (36 on ACE inhibitors and 24 on ARBs)
... Show MoreThis study aims to clarify areas of using information technology in accounting and its impact on the profession of auditors by reviewing the concept, types, areas and the importance of information technology and its implications on the audit profession as well as to clarify the extent of contribution of information technology in developing of procedures of the audit profession and what its requirement, also this study aims to enhance the theoretical side by identifying the views of a sample of auditors in Arab countries selected (Iraq, Syria, Jordan), for the extent of using of information technology in their work and level of their perception for the importance of that
Dermatophytes are species with slight genetic variation, and are yet several uncertainties about the differences among species. This study aims to isolate and diagnose the Trichophyton interdigitale by molecular technique and to reveal the phylogenetic distance and similarity of the Iraqi isolates to other isolates from the globe, in addition, to submit the obtained sequences to the NCBI database. This study included 86 with multiple lesions on different parts of the body. The results showed different variations within the ITS gene between the isolates. It was concluded that Trichophyton interdigitale in Iraqi isolates had two types of substitution variations (Transition and Transversion) different than global isolates. Moreover, it
... Show MoreThe resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to ciprofloxacin has complicated the problem of treating staphylococcal associated infections in which MRSA is the causative agent since ciprofloxacin was the drug of choice to treat such infections. Our study investigated the incidence of Ciprofloxacin resistant S. aureus isolates that were also methicillin resistant among Iraqi patients. The obtained bacterial isolates were tested for Ciprofloxacin resistance using agar dilution method and the sequence of gyrA and parC. The results revealed that about 8% of the isolated MRSA strains were Ciprofloxacin resistant and the resistance was due to mutation in gyrA rather than parC.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the alteration in levels of gonado trophins hormones i.e.,Leutizing (LH),Follicular(FSH) in sera of patients with thyroid disorders and molecular binding study of (LH ,FSH) with their antibodies The study was conducted at the specialized center for endocrinology and diabetes from January / 2009 to March / 2010.Two hundreds and twenty three Iraqi subjects, 109 patients with thyroid disorders at age range between (40-50) years and 114 healthy individuals as control group were included in this study.The majority of patients were female with hyperthyroidism and (49.54 % ) were at age range between(40 - 50) years. The levels of hormones(LH,FSH.tri iodothyronine(T3).thyroxine(T4), thy
... Show MoreThis research focus on studying 3 types of Bakhour in the markets of Baghdad city and assessing their impact on the quality of life for asthmatic whom used Bakhour at their houses through investigating particles physical properties, also estimating the levels of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn), Particulate Matter PM2.5, PM10, Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) and formaldehyde (HCHO). The quality of life for asthmatic patients whom use Bakhour was assessing by Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. The results indicated that shapes of Bakhour particles were irregular or spherical. Burning process generated the higher percent of PM ˂1μm. Type 2 Bakhour showed the highest percent of <1μm which was 73%.The amount of
... Show MoreIn this research paper, two techniques were used to treat the drill cuttings resulting from the oil-based drilling fluid. The drill cuttings were taken from the southern Rumaila fields which prepared for testing and fixed with 100 gm per sample and contaminated with two types of crude oil, one from Rumaila oilfields with Sp.gr of 0.882 and the other from the eastern Baghdad oilfield with Sp.gr of 0.924 besides contamination levels of 10% and 15% w/w in mass. Samples were treated first with microwave with a power applied of 540 & 180 watts as well as a time of 50 minutes. It was found that the results reached below 1% w/w in mass, except for two samples they reached below 1.5% w/w in mass. Then, the sample of 1.41% w/w in mass,
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