A single-blind randomized controlled clinical trial in patients with deep caries and symptoms of reversible pulpitis compared outcomes from a self-limiting excavation protocol using chemomechanical Carisolv gel/operating microscope (self-limiting) versus selective removal to leathery dentin using rotary burs (control). This was followed by pulp protection with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and restoration with glass ionomer cement and resin composite, all in a single visit. The pulp sensibility and periapical health of teeth were assessed after 12 mo, in addition to the differences in bacterial tissue concentration postexcavation. Apical radiolucencies were assessed using cone beam computed tomography/periapical radiographs (CBCT/PAs) taken at baseline 0 mo (M0) and 12 mo (M12). In total, 101 restorations in 86 patients were placed and paired subsurface, and deep (postexcavation) dentin samples were obtained. DNA was extracted and bacteria-specific 16S ribosomal RNA gene quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed. No significant difference was found in bacterial copy numbers normalized to mass of dentin (“bacterial tissue concentration”) between the self-limiting (96.3% reduction) and control protocols (97.1%, P = 0.33). The probability of 12-mo success was 4 times (odds ratio [OR] = 4.33; confidence interval [CI], 1.2–15.6; P = 0.025) higher in the self-limiting protocol compared to the control (conventional excavation technique), with pulp survival rates of 73.3% and 90%, respectively ( P = 0.049). Molars had a 4 times higher probability of success compared to premolars (OR, 4.17; CI, 1.17–14.9; P = 0.028), and symptom severity did not statistically predict outcome (OR, 0.41; CI, 0.12–13.9, P = 0.153). CBCT detected significantly more periapical (PA) lesions than PA radiographs at the baseline visit ( P < 0.001). In conclusion, the self-limiting caries excavation protocol under magnification increased pulp survival rate compared to rotary bur excavation ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03071588).
Background: since December 2019, China and in particularly Wuhan, faced an unprecedented an outbreak challenge of coronavirus disease 2019, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Clinical characteristics of Iraqi patients with COVID-19 and risk factors for mortality needed to be shared with the health care providers to improve the overall disease experience. Methods: prospective, single-center study recruited patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were admitted to Al-Shifaa Isolation Center / Baghdad Medical City between the mid of March and the end of April 2020 until had been discharged or had died. Demographic data, information on clinical signs, symptoms, at presentation, treatment, have been collected
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Prescribing drugs to patients to treat ailments or reducing their morbidity may not be enough, even if the drugs were all indicated and in the right dose. Clinical pharmacists play a pivotal role in conducting information and instruction to patients and conveying feedback to treating physician when appropriate, and the final goal is in the interest of the patient. Identification and classification of drug related problems and discussing them with the health care providers. Prospective, interventional, clinical study for 180 hemodialysis patients, and was designed as two phases, an observational phase to identify drug related problems and classifying them according to the latest Pharmaceutical
... Show MoreA superb demonstration of one of the wonders of technology providing the people with great aid is the employment of Artificial Intelligence in the medical field, and mainly the introduction of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS). Nevertheless, non-’black-box’ AI systems have a significant problem, that is, although they are visible and understandable, there is still a considerable issue of trust by healthcare professionals. Explainable AI (XAI) technology is a means to overcome all the obstacles by unveiling more and offering the explanations of the procedures that AI performs in decision making. This study was conducted by examining various widely used approaches to XAI, which illustrate how XAI verifies the trustworthiness of CDS
... Show MoreBackground: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a disorder of systemic inflammatory condition. Its important features are represented by recurrent oral, genital ulcerations and eye lesions. Aims. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and compare cytological changes using morphometric analysis of the exfoliated buccal mucosal cells in Behçet’s disease patients and healthy controls, and to evaluate the clinical characteristics of Behçet’s disease. Methods. Twenty five Behçet’s disease patients have been compared to 25 healthy volunteers as a control group. Papanicolaou stain was used for staining the smears taken from buccal epithelial cells to be analyzed cytomorphometrically. The image analysis software has been used to
... Show MoreOne hundred forty three of Klebsiellapneumoniae isolates had been collected from some hospitals in Baghdad city. The isolates were taken from different clinical specimens.Antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out towards fifteen antimicrobial agents by using Vitek2 system with Antimicrobial susceptibility test cards. The results of antibiogram showed that the local isolates were possess highly resistance towards most antimicrobial agents under study. The high resistance wastoAmpicillin while the low resistance was to Imipenem.Two methods were used for detection of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases (ESBLs) production; first methods by using of Vitek2 system,thesecondmethods by using of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to dis
... Show MoreOut of a total of fifty samples, thirty-five isolates were identified as Serratia marcescens. Thesediverse clinical samples were collected over a three-month period, from October 2023 to December 2023, fromseveral hospitals in Baghdad, including Fatima Al-Zahraa Hospital, Al-Sader Hospital, Ibn Al-Balady Hospital,and Al-Imam Ali Hospital. The clinical samples primarily included urine from patients with urinary tractinfections (UTIs). All isolates were cultured on nutrient agar, MacConkey agar, and blood agar, and theiridentities were confirmed through biochemical testing and the Vitek 2 compact system. Based on phenotypicvirulence factors, the S. marcescens isolates showed varying positive patterns: 32 out of 35 (91.42%) forprotease
... Show MoreObjective To highlight the main demographic characteristics and clinical profiles of female patients registered with breast cancer in Iraq; focusing on the impact of age.Methods This retrospective study enrolled 1172 female patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the Main Center for Early Detection of Breast Cancer/Medical City Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Data were extracted from an established information system, developed by the principal author under supervision of WHO, that was based on valid clinical records of Iraqi patients affected by breast cancer. The recorded information regarding clinical examination comprised positive palpable lumps, bloody nipple discharge, skin changes, bilateral breast involvement, tumor
... Show MoreBackground/Aims: Acinetobacter baumannii is a ubiquitous opportunistic microorganism associated with high morbidity and mortality Particularly among burn patients and immunocompromised individuals. This study aimed to assess the time-dependent antimicrobial effectiveness of indolicidin in combination with tigecycline against multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii isolates from patients with wound infections. Methods: The antimicrobial synergy between indolicidin and tigecycline was evaluated using the checkerboard broth microdilution method And anti-biofilm activity was assessed using the crystal violet assay. Ten isolates resistant to multiple antibiotics were identified and confirmed using the API 20-NE system. Results: Fractional
... Show MoreThe current work discusses the removal of brilliant dyes. These dyes were Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB) and Brilliant Green (BG) by the use of poly acrylic acid hydrogel beads (PAA). We examined the adsorption isotherms and found that the factors preferring it are temperature and salt, shaking effects, wet PAA, (BCB) and (BG) follows Freundlich equation more than other equations. Based on the results, there is a positive correlation between adsorption of dyes (BCB and BG) and temperature (Endothermic process). We calculated the thermodynamic functions (ΔG, ΔS, and ΔH). The ion strength effects on the adsorptions at (20 °C) increased adsorption if the salt concentrations is high. We treated the kinetics outcomes based on Lagergren Equation
... Show MoreThe production of biodiesel generates soap impurities that hinder biodiesel performance and complicate its purification. This study presents a novel approach for soap removal from biodiesel using NiO–doped ZnO nanoparticle (NP) adsorbent. The NPs are synthesized using a gliding arc discharge (GAD) method as a non-thermal plasma source (NTP). NiO doping reduced the bandgap energy by 74%, reduced the crystallite size, and increased the surface area by 78%, entailing lattice strain and structural modifications. Soap removal efficiency was 99.7% for NiO–doped ZnO within 16 min, compared with 95.5% for ZnO. Soap uptake as high as 2320 mg/g NiO–doped ZnO was reported, which could be equally fitted by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms su
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