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
characteristics and Information related to the setting of the sample (surgical wards). A pilot study was carried out for
the period of January 18th, 2009, to February 2nd, 2009 to determine the observaƟonal checklist reliability through
the use of (Inter–rater). A panel of (19) experts was involved in the determinaƟon of the observaƟonal checklist
content validity. Data were analyzed through the application of descriptive statistical data analysis approach
(frequency, percentage, mean of scores and standard deviation), and inferential data analysis approach (chi-square).
Results: The study findings revealed that the majority (91.9%) of the nurses did not get training sessions regarding
infecƟon control and (83.4%) of them had not parƟcipated conƟnuous learning about infecƟon control. According to
the level of practices towards standard precautions, it has revealed that poor practices of standard precautions by
surgical wards nurses had shown in surgical wards.
Recommendations: The study recommended that special education programs can be designed and presented to the
surgical ward nurses and to all the hospital staff in order to increase their awareness towards infection.
A new reversed phase- high performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method with Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometry has been optimized and validated for the simultaneous extraction and determination of organic acids present in Iraqi calyces of Hibiscus Sabdraffia Linn. The method is based on using ultrasonic bath for extracting organic acids. Limit of detection in µg/ml of Formic acid, Acetic acid, Oxalic acid, Citric acid, Succinic acid, Tartaric acid, and Malic acid 126.8498×10-6, 113.6005×10-6, 97.0513×10-6, 49.7925×10-6, 84.0753×10-6, 92.6551×10-6, and 106.1633×10-6 ,respectively. The concentration of organic acids found in dry spacemen of calyces of Iraqi Hibiscus Sabdraffia Linn. under study: Formic acid, Acetic acid,
... Show MoreThis study was done to investigate the antibacterial effect of the three types of Lawsonia inermis linn (henna) leaf extracts (water, methanol and chloroform) in different concentrations (40, 80, 120) mg/ml against four strains of bacteria (Staphyllococus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonos aerogenosa and Eschorichia coli) in vitro using ager well diffusion method. Water extract showed the highest antibacterial activity, followed by methanol extract, while the chloroform extract showed the lowest activity. The maximum inhibition zone of water extract was observed against , Pseudomonos aerogenosa (25mm) in the concentration (120) mg/ml, while the minimum zone of inhibition (9mm) was in Bacillus subtilis in the same concent
... Show MoreCytokines play a prominent role in etiology and pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and one of these cytokines is interleukin-1β (IL-1β). The association between IL1B gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP: rs16944) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a sample of Iraqi patients was investigated. Fifty-one RA patients (21 males and 30 females) were enrolled and their age range was 20 - 63 years (44.9 ± 1.5 years). In addition to patients, 45 apparently healthy control subjects were also enrolled in the study. They matched patients for ethnicity (Iraqis), gender (14 males and 31 females) and age (41.3 ± 1.3 years). Analysis of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in RA patients and controls revealed that the IL1B ge
... Show MoreBackground: Postpartum hemorrhage is an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Considerable difference of opinion exist regarding the optimal approach to the management of the 3rd stage of labour, practice varies between countries &between units.Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of intra umbilical vein injection of oxytocin and umbilical cord driange in shortening the duration of third stage of labour.Patient and Methods: In this randomized controlled study, 100 women were enrolled in this study they divided into three groups. (Group 1 ,N =30 )received 20 units of oxytocin diluted in 20 ml 0.9% saline solution injected in the umbilical vein after clamping.(Group 2, N = 34) placental cord drainage.(Group 3,
... Show MoreRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflamed chronic autoimmune disease in which genetics and environment are the most common causative factors. Peptidyl arginine deiminase type IV (PADI4) is an enzyme responsible for the posttranslational conversion of arginine residues into citrulline. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a specific technique was used to determine gene polymorphism. One hundred twenty three patients molecularly confirmed with RA and sixty healthy control subjects were recruited. By applying the logistic regression analysis, some alleles and genotypes were associated with susceptibility to RA. Under the allelic model, C allele frequency was significantly increased in RA patients compared
... Show MoreLeishmania are protozoan parasites belonging to the family Trypanosomatidae that cause high morbidity and mortality levels with a wide spectrum of clinical syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the effect of liposomal amphotericine B (AmBisome) drug on promastigote and axenic amastigote stages of Leishmania donovani isolate (MHOM/IQ/2005/MRU15)in comparison with pentostam SbV drug. Different concentrations of AmBisome and SbV drugs were investigated against Leishmania donovani promastigote and axenic amastigote. The ICR50R values of SbV and AmBisome drugs on promastigote were10.12 mg/ml and 2.21μg/ml, respectively, while they were 0.77μg/ml for axenic amastigote for both drugs. The present study concluded that axenic amastigote was
... Show MoreBackground: Improved glucose level control with insulin injections have allowed for the diabetic population to live longer and healthier lives. Unfortunately diabetes remains a worldwide epidemic disease with multiple health implications. Specifically, its effects upon fracture healing are compromised in diabetics with as high as 87% recovery delay relative to “healthy†counterparts. Current medical treatments for bone injuries have been largely focused on replacing the lost bone with allogenic or autogenous bone grafts, beta-tricalcium phosphate (β -TCP), a ceramic alloplast, has interconnected system of micropores, has been widely used as a biologically safe osteoconductive bone substitute. The aim of this study was histol
... Show MoreThe surface properties of mixtures of a nonionic surfactant Tween 80 (Tw 80) and a cationic drug, diphenhydramine HCl (DPH) have been investigated. This was done by calculating the surface excess concentration (Γmax), minimum molecular area (Amin), surface pressure at the CMC (ᴨcmc), Gibbs Free Energy of adsorption (ΔG°ads), Gibbs free energy of micellization (ΔG°m), the standard enthalpy of micellization (ΔH°m), and the standard entropy of micellization (ΔS°m). The calculation was performed using the surface tension in the temperature range of 293-323 K with the variation of surfactant concentration to determine the crit
... Show MorePortland cement concrete is the most commonly used construction material in the world for decades. However, the searches in concrete technology are remaining growing to meet particular properties related to its strength, durability, and sustainability issue. Thus, several types of concrete have been developed to enhance concrete performance. Most of the modern concrete types have to contain supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) as a partial replacement of cement. These materials are either by-products of waste such as fly ash, slag, rice husk ash, and silica fume or from a geological resource like natural pozzolans and metakaolin (MK). Ideally, the utilization of SCMs will enhance the concrete performance, minimize
... Show MoreThe current study was designed to investigate the presence of aflatoxin M1 in 25 samples of pasteurized canned milk which collected randomly from some Iraqi local markets using ELISA technique. Aflatoxin M1 was present in 21 samples, the concentration of aflatoxin M1 ranged from (0.25-50 ppb). UV radiation (365nm wave length) was used for detoxification of aflatoxin M1 (sample with highest concentration /50 ppb of aflatoxin M1 in two different volumes ((25 & 50 ml)) for two different time (15 & 30 min) and 30, 60, 90 cm distance between lamp and milk layer were used for this purpose). Results showed that distance between lamp and milk layer was the most effective parameter in reduction of aflatoxin M1, and whenever the distance increase the
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