Background: The median nerve in paraplegic patients, who must rely on increased hand activities including transfer and wheel-chair propulsion, may be subjected to increased pressure, so that the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may be higher than that in the normal population.
Objectives: To study the prevalence and the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome in Iraqi paraplegic patients and to identify the effect of duration of the injury as a possible factor related to its occurrence to avoid any chronic problems which interfere with the hand functions since these patients are greatly dependent on their hands for their daily activities.
Patients and Methods: Fifty paraplegic patients (100 hands), whose level of spinal cord injury was below D2, and fifty normal control subjects were included in this study. All patients studied in this work had complete spinal cord injury and were stabled medically and neurologically.
Clinical examination for the signs and symptoms of CTS as well as nerve conduction studies were carried out in both median and ulnar nerves for their sensory and motor components eliciting values for distal latencies for all patients and the control groups.
Results: Thirty percent of the paraplegic patients (15 patients) had signs and symptoms consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and all of them had electrodiagnostic confirmation of this injury.
Seventy percent of these paraplegic patients (35 patients) had no signs and symptoms suggestive of CTS, and only nearly about forty eight percent (17 patients) of them had only electrodiagnostic confirmation of CTS. Overall, 64% of the 50 paraplegic patients had CTS (32 patients). Nine paraplegic patients (18%) exhibiting bilateral CTS. Eight paraplegic patients (16%) had abnormal electrophysiological findings involving the ulnar nerve at the wrist and all of them had electrophysiological findings of CTS.
There was a sharp increase in incidence of occurrence of CTS from 6.3% in the group 1 to 5 years from injury to 13.7% in the group 6 to 10 years, and to 25% in the group 11 to 15 years, and again a very big increase to 50% in the group 16 years and over from injury.
Conclusion: Early testing of the median and ulnar nerve function, even in asymptomatic patients within the first 5 years of the injury, is recommended so for early detection, preventive and/or curative measures to be undertaken considering the fact that these patients are greatly dependent on their hands for their daily activities.
Objectives of the study: The study aims to assess satisfy of the coronary artery patients for the care product from
the nurse and physician and to find out the relationship between patient satisfaction with the social and the
clinical characteristics of the patients.
Methodology: A descriptive design study conducted using the evaluation approach for the duration of June 3
rd
2012 to January 31, 2013. Non-probability sample of (60) patients who were visiting or admitted (inpatient or
outpatient) to the teaching hospital in Baquba with the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. A questionnaire have
been built and develop by the researcher based on review of literature and previous research, the form included of
(3) p
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major global public health problem worldwide. The global prevalence of Mycobacterium (M tuberculosis) infection has been estimated in 32% of the world population with more than 8 million new cases diagnosed each year.
Materials and Methods: A total of 192 M tuberculosis complex isolates were collected from patients with positive sputum smear who had been treated previously with the four main anti- tuberculosis drugs for more than two months. The isolates were identified by their colonial morphology, pigmentation, shapes on Ziehl-Neelsen smears, growth on Löwenstein-Jenson medium and biochemical tests as niacin and nitrate tests. A propor
... Show MoreBackground: Breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women. In radiotherapy practice, it comprises 25% of patient caseload. This makes understanding the breast irradiation toxicities of prime importance. Early radiation toxicities occur during treatment and up to six months after treatment finished.
Objectives: assessment of the early side effects of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in breast cancer patients.
Patients and Methods: A cross sectional survey with analytic component conducted on 60 patients treated in the oncology teaching hospital of medical city from January to April 2016.
Results: The most prevalent toxicities were radiation dermatitis, fatigue, pain, sore throat, nausea, dysphagia,&
Background: Different diagnostic definition and criteria have been recommended by different expert groups for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, however, it’s prevalence in the same population could differ depending on the definition used yielding different results. In Iraq, there is a lack of research comparing these different diagnostic definitions. Objective: To find out the most suitable metabolic syndrome definition to be used for Iraqi people. Methods: 320 participants were recruited for this study, 53.4% men and 46.6% women, aged between 25-85 years, visiting Baghdad Teaching Hospital, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome according to different definitions were compared and the agreement was assessed by the Kappa st
... Show MoreAbstract: Background: Prediabetes and are increasing in prevalence all over the world, they each carry risks to the future development of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. These risks will be greatly exaggerated if they occur together in the same individual. The aim of the study was to find the prevalence and the association of prediabetes and metabolic syndrome, in addition to analyzing the correlation of the risk factors that lead to their development. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, simple random study that included 300 Iraqi individuals, aged between 30-75 years, who accepted to take part in this study were recruited. Result: Prevalence of prediabetes and metabolic syndrome was (33.66%) and (42%) r
... Show MoreThis study designed to examine association between-174G/C polymorphism of interleukin-6 gene and phosphate, calcium, vitamin D3, and parathyroid hormone levels in Iraqi patient with chronic kidney disease on maintenance hemodialysis. Seventy chronic renal failure patients (patients group) and 20 healthy subjects (control group) were genotyped for interleukin-6 polymorphism and genotyping was performed by conventional polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. No significant differences in phosphate levels were observed in patients and control with different interleukin-6 genotypes. Control had non-significant differences in calcium levels, while patients with GG and CG genotypes displayed significant e
... Show MoreBackground: wound infections are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Etiologic agents of wound infections vary with geographical location
Patients and Methods: All burn patients admitted to Specialized Burn Hospital from November 2011 to May 2012. Once fungal infection was suspected clinically, swabs were harvested for the culture of yeast. The sensitivities of the identified yeast were determined and the positive samples and cases were analyzed.Objective: This study presents Cryptococcus neoformans and their Characteristics identified from burn patients at a major Iraqi Specialized Burn Hospital.
Result: The most predominant yeast
... Show MoreBackground: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is one of the common gynaecological diseases encountered nowadays in the gynaecological clinic. Many criteria and diagnostic test had been evolved to be used with different classifications methods.Objectives: The present study aimed to measure the anti-mullerian hormone levels in serum of the women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and to test the possibility that if it can be used as a marker for diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome patients.Methods: A cross sectional study that had been conductedat Kamal AL-Samaraee Hospital, AL-Suwayrah Hospital andAl-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital during the periodfrom July, 1st, 2013 – Jan. 1st, 2014. Where forty women withPolycystic ovarian syndrome (wit
... Show MoreBackground: Pulmonary tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease which affects nutritional status of the patients. The presence of poor nutritional status in pulmonary tuberculosis patients has been one of the most important determining factor in recommending adjuvant nutrient therapy to prevent oxidative stress and further complication.
Objective: This study was designed to assess the nutritional status and body mass index of pulmonary tuberculosis patients.
Patients and methods: During the period 1st of June 2010 to 30th of May 2011, a prospective study was done on 60 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis and 60 controls.
Levels of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB.), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high dens
Background: Ankylosing spondylitis is a rare disease affecting people with hereditary factors. Its treatment includes life style modification and use of drugs such as the biologic agent infliximab or its biosimilar, CT-P13 infliximab. Despite their therapeutic usefulness, these agents are associated with a number of serious adverse effects such as immunogenicity.
Objectives: The aim of current study was to investigate if immunogenicity of the biosimilar CT-P13 infliximab or the original infliximab, in Iraqi patients with Ankylosing spondylitis, is affected by any of the patients’ demographic characteristics.
Methods: A retrospective open-label study was conducted from Dec
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