Background: Occupational exposure to hazardous drugs occurs in all aspects of anticancer drug handling. Proper recommendations and guidelines should be applied to control and reduce exposure. Objective: To assess pharmacists' knowledge and practice regarding the safe handling of anticancer drugs. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at seven major hospitals in Baghdad City, Iraq, from December 2023 to February 2024. A pre-designed questionnaire was given to pharmacists who handled anticancer drugs in chemotherapy units. The questionnaire comprises sociodemographic data, knowledge of the safe handling of cytotoxic drugs and thoughts about exposure and risk, practices for safely handling cytotoxic drugs, and challenges for safely handling cytotoxic drugs. Results: A total of 126 pharmacists were enrolled in the study. Less than half of the participants (46%) received training on anticancer drugs. While more than a third (42.9%) of the pharmacists were handling more than 100 cytotoxic preparations weekly, the total knowledge score was 7.14, while the total practice score was 73.36, with less than half of the pharmacists having good knowledge (44.44%) or practice (48.41%). Pharmacists who received training had significantly higher total practice scores than those who did not. Pharmacists with more than 100 weekly preparations were more knowledgeable than those with 50–99 preparations. Conclusions: The majority of participating pharmacists had fair to excellent knowledge and practice regarding the safe handling of cytotoxic medications. However, there were some gaps regarding important knowledge and practice issues. To improve knowledge and practices regarding anticancer handling, training is necessary.
Beta-irradiation effects on the microstructure of LDPE samples have been investigated
using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Technique (PALT). These effects on the orthopositronium
(o-Ps) Lifetime t3, the free positron annihilation lifetime 2 t , the free-volume
hole size (Vh) and the free volume fraction (fh) were measured as functions of Beta
irradiation - dose up to a total dose of 30.28 kGy.
The results show that the values of t3, Vh and fh increase gradually with increasing Beta
dose up to a total dose of 1.289 kGy, and reach a maximum increment of 17.4%, 32.8% and
5.86%, respectively, while t2 reachs maximum increment of 211.9% at a total dose of 1.59
kGy. Above these doses, the values show nonlinear changes u
Effect of Chlorococcum humicola alcoholic algae extract was studied on the growth of, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumonia, which were isolated from contaminated water. The extract of Ch. humicola showed a high efficiency in reducing the numbers of the two types of bacteria. . The removal rate of K. pneumonia were 0.0, 48.4 and 57.0, The removal rate of P. aeruginosa were 63.1, 79.8 and 82.9% after24,48, 72 h respectively. The results improved that the K. pneumonia is more sensitive than P. aeruginosa for algae extract concentrations used in study ,and the beast effective time is 24h for the two bacterial species The aim of the study was to eliminate microorganisms using the Alcoholic algae extract. Especially P. aeruginosa and
... Show MoreThe present research investigates joints welding of 304L austenitic stainless steel using metal inert gas (MIG) welding method. The research explores the effect of process parameters (arc voltage, wire feed rate, and electrode wire diameter) on the mechanical properties of stainless steel. The above variables are varied respectively with 18.5, 19, 19.5 V, 116, 127, 137 mm/s, and 0.8, 1, 1.2 mm, with E308L as a filler electrode. The design matrix of the experiments was determined using the design of experiment (DOE) program Minitab 17 based on the levels of input elements used. The Taguchi orthogonal matrix methodology (Taguchi) technique was used to develop some empirical analysis for the maximum tensile strength and proper surface
... Show MoreThis study aims to investigate the effect of changing skins material on the strength of sandwich plates with circular hole when subjected to mechanical loads. Theoretical, numerical and experimental analyses are done for sandwich plates with hole and with two face sheet materials. Theoretical analysis is performed by using sandwich plate theory which depends on the first order shear deformation theory for plates subjected to tension and bending separately. Finite element method was used to analyse numerically all cases by ANSYS program.
The sandwich plates were investigated experimentally under bending and buckling load separately. The relationship between stresses and the ratio of hole diameter to plate width (d/b) are built, by
... Show MoreThis study explains the effect of non-thermal (cold) plasma on wound of diabetic rats by (FE-DBD) system, 3cm probe diameter is used. The output power was ranged from (12-20) W. The effect of non-thermal plasma on wounds of a diabetic was observed with different exposure durations (20,30) sec., the plasma exposure duration decreases the sugar level in blood and the diameter of the wound. These results indicate the cold plasma can be used to enhance the insulin level (i.e., blood sugar) and wounds treatment.
The optimum cultural conditions for garamicidin production by local isolate B.brevis were studied.Best result was obtained when the isolate B.brevis was grown on media composed of 1%glucose as carbon source,1% ammonium chloride as a nitrogen source ,0.5% Dipotassium hydrogen orthophosphate as a phosphate source and after 48 hours of incubation at 30C .Garamicidin has been extracted and purified through acid precipition and then extracted by organic solvent (ether& acetone ).Using HPLC the garamicidin antibiotic showed three types A,B and C garamicidin .
Global warming and environmental damage have become major problems. The production of Portland cement releases large quantities of gas, which cause pollution to the atmosphere. This problem can be solved via the use of sustainable materials, such as glass powder. This study investigates the effect of partial replacement of cement with sustainable glass powder at various percentages (0, 15, 20, and 25%) by weight of cement on some mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, absorption, and dry density) of Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) containing a percentage of Polypropylene fibers (PRPC) of 1% by weight. Furthermore, steam curing was performed for 5 hours at 90oC after hardening the sample directly. The RPC was
... Show MoreMaterials recycling has a significant economic and environmental impact; as a result, steel, aluminium, plastic, and other recyclable materials have been pushed for use in construction materials. One of these recyclable materials is the crumb rubber, has been considered as a pavement component. The general behaviour of the composite rubber-hot mix asphalt system would be varied from that of the conventional rubber free mix. In this review, desirable characteristics of hot mix asphalt are highlighted first. Also, effect of gradation and the main types of rubber are specified. Afterward, many studies that considered the crumb rubber as a waste product and its associated mixture and modifiers are reviewed. The factors affect the crumb
... Show MoreThe effects of three different additives formulations namely Lubrizol 21001, HiTEC 8722B and HiTEC 340 on the efficiency of VII namely OCP of three base lubricating oils namely 40 stock and 60 stock and 150 stock at four temperatures 40, 60, 80 and 100oC were investigated. The efficiency of OCP is decreased when blended with 4 and 8 wt% of Lubrizol 21001 for all the three base oil types. But it is increased when adding 4 wt% and 8 wt% of H-8722B in 40 stock. While for 60 stock and 150 stock the OCP efficiency decreased by adding 4 and 8 wt% of H-8722B. In the other hand, it is decreased with a high percentage by adding 4 and 8 wt% of H-340 for 60 stock and 150 stock and for 40 stock it is increased by adding 4 wt% of H-340 and decreased
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