Background: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most commonly encountered valve lesion in modern clinical practice. Severe mitral regurgitation may cause systolic dysfunction. Left ventricular ejection fraction may not be an accurate measurement of LV function in patients with mitral insufficiency. Myocardial performance index (MPI) is a simple non invasive measure of myocardial function. Methods: The study involved 50 patients with valvular mitral regurgitation and 50 healthy subjects as a control group. Transthoracic echocardiography was carried out for all patients and control group. The echocardiographic measurements included left ventricular end diastolic and end systolic dimensions, left atrial diameter, ejection fraction (EF), and myoca

Objective: The aim of the present study is to assess the practices of nurses towards standard precautions at Azady
Teaching Hospital in the City of Kirkuk.
Methodology: A descriptive study, which uses the assessment approach and it was conducted on nurses from January
18th, 2009 to September 30th, 2009, using non-probability sampling a purposive sample of (37) subject (male and
female nurses) who worked at surgical wards in Azady Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk city was selected. Two study
instruments were utilized for proper data collection [questionnaire and observational checklist]; a questionnaire was
developed for the purpose of the study. It was comprised of two parts which included the nurses' demographic
characte

In this study, gamma-ray spectrometry with an HPGe detector was used to measure the specific activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K in soil samples collected from IT1 oil reservoirs in Kirkuk city, northeast Iraq. The “spectral line Gp” gamma analysis software package was used to analyze the spectral data. ²²⁶Ra specific activity varies from 9  0.34 Bq.kg^-1 to 17  0.47 Bq.kg^-1. ²³²Th specific activity varies from 6.2  0.08 Bq.kg^-1 to 18  0.2 Bq.kg^-1. ⁴⁰K specific activity varies from 25  0.19 Bq.kg^-1 to 118  0.41 Bq.kg^-1. The radiological hazard due to the radiation emitted from natural r

Aim: To evaluation the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus on Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serotype O157:H7 with detection of some virulence factors. Methods: Two hundred and fifty specimens (stool) from children under five years for both sexes were collected from some hospitals. All isolates were diagnosed according to morphological characteristics, biochemical tests. Monoplex pattern of PCR was used also for detection different genes in (7) Escherichia coli )O157:H7 (isolates; include 16SrRNA, eae, lifA, Stx1,Stx2 that encoded for ribosomal RNA, intimin, lymphocyte inhibitory factor, shiga toxins. Three types of probiotics strains were obtained, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus (A

Introduction: A Pap test can detect pre-cancerous and cancerous cells in the vagina and uterine cervix. Cervical cancer is the easiest gynecologic cancer to be prevented and diagnosed using regular screening tests and follow-up. This study aimed to estimate the cytological changes and the precancerous lesions using Pap smear test and visual inspection of the cervices of Iraqi women, and also to determine the possible relationship of this cancer with patients’ demographic characteristics. Methods: The study included 140 women aged (18-67) years old referred to the National Cancer Research Center (NCRC), Baghdad, Iraq, during the period 2011-2016. Both visual inspections of the uterine cervix and Papanicolaou smear screening were performed

The concentrations of natural radionuclides in sediment samples from various locations along the stream of the Tigris riverbank in the Medical city in Bab Al- Muadham, Baghdad, had been examined using NaI(Tl) detector. The mean concentrations of specific activity for ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs for sediments of the river was 13.5±4.6, 35.2±3.1, 272.2±21.4 and 1.5±0.35 Bq/kg  respectively. The findings revealed  that the concentration values of natural radionuclides and cesium were below permitted limits. The radiological hazard was compared with a global average (Radium equivalent, absorbed dose rate, radiation hazard index and annual effective dose equivalent) finding it was less

In the present work, a set of indoor Radon concentration measurements was carried out in a number of rooms and buildings of Science College in the University of Mustansiriyah for the first time in Iraq using RAD-7 detector which is an active method for short time measuring compared with the passive method in solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD's). The results show that, the Radon concentrations values vary from 9.85±1.7 Bq.m-3 to 94.21±34.7 Bq.m-3 with an average value 53.64±26 Bq.m-3 which is lower than the recommended action level 200-300 Bq/m3 [ICRP, 2009].
The values of the annual effective dose (A.E.D) vary from 0.25 mSv/y to 2.38 mSv/y, with an average value 1.46±0.67 mSv/y which is lower than the recommended the rang

The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of parathyroid hormone, Co enzyme Q and total antioxidant status in serum’s women with fibromyalgia syndrome firstly, then to demonstrate if these biochemical markers affected by age and obesity.

      This study was performed at Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Consultation Unit in Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Venous blood sample were drawn from (59) female with FMS and (30) control (without FMS). The serum was obtained after on standing in order to coagulate then centrifuged. The mean age± SD of FMS group was (42.22±15.34) years and for control was (40.7±18.22) years. Those participants were subdivided into four different groups acc

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 s