Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is an important respiratory bacterial pathogen, especially among children. It causes acute upper and lower respiratory infections.Objective: This study was aimed to measure anti- M. pneumoniae antibodies among hospitalized children who were admitted to hospital diagnosed with acute respiratory tract infections.Method: Automated ELISA technique was performed to detect anti- M. pneumoniae antibodies (IgM and IgG antibodies) in serum from 108 children less than 5 years old. The children were admitted to the Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Suleimani city/Kurdistan Region/Iraq because of acute respiratory tract infections. A questionnaire was designed to collect demographic and clinical data from those children.Results: IgM anti- M. pneumoniae antibodies were positive in 15 (13.9%) out of 108 children. The highest seroprevalence was found in the age group 25-36 months while the lowest is in the age group 1-12 months. M. pneumoniae infections were more common among males than females though results were statistically not significant, and attendance of kindergarten or nursery, residency, history of chronic diseases, history of contact with similar conditions, and family history of chronic diseases, they were all statistically not significant. The IgMseropositive children were suffering from bronchitis, croup, pneumonia, or other respiratory infections, in frequencies of 7 (46.6%), 4 (26.7%), 3 (20%), and 1 (6.7%) respectively. Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, diagnosis of croup, and diagnosis of bronchitis were more frequent in M. pneumoniae infected group and the results were statistically significant. The IgG anti- M. pneumoniae antibodies were positive in 31 (28.8%) out of the 108 children, and the greatest IgG seroprevalence was highest in age group 49-60 months.Conclusion: M. pneumoniae is an important respiratorypathogen among hospitalized children in Sulaimanigovernorate/Kurdistan/Iraq, and nearly one third of childrenhad experienced M. pneumoniae infection by the age of fiveyears
Background: Hypotonia is not a specific medical disorder, but a potential manifestation of many different diseases and disorders. The long-term effects of hypotonia on a child's development and later life depend primarily on the severity of the muscle weakness and the nature of the cause.
Patients &Methods: A prospective, cross sectional descriptive study in which 62 patients with hypotonia, age 3months to13 years, were evaluated in children welfare teaching hospital /Baghdad (a tertiary care center), over 4months Period (1st of January to 1st of May,2008 ) . Children were categorized into groups of central , peripheral& systemic hypotonia, and specific diagnosis of each of groups was made by clin
Background: Aggression is any behavior intending to harm another living being that desires to avoid such harm. Aggression is considered as a public health problem worldwide. Exposure to violence is a determinant of aggression. Al-Sadr city, which is an overcrowded residential area in Baghdad, was exposed to violence through wars, civil war, and widespread inter-personal violence). This situation was an impetus to study aggression in this city.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of aggression among secondary school students in Al-Sadr city, Baghdad.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Al-Sadr city in Baghdad. A total of 720 adolescent secondary scho
... Show MoreThe present study was performed to evaluate the level of some risk factors (biochemical and immunological) in hypothyroid Iraqi patients considering the different thyroid functional states (hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism).The study includes 82 patients clinically diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Three study groups have been investigated: (47 clinical hypothyroid patients, 12 subclinical hypothyroid patients 23 healthy individuals) of different ages. This study, show that the proportion of females (83.3 %), (87.2%) in subclinical and clinical hypothyroidisim respectively higher than the proportion of males (16.7%),(12.8%) in subclinical and clinical hypothyrodism respectively of the total patients.The majority of subclinical hyp
... Show MoreThe study included 176 patients attended to Iben AL-Haithem hospital of ophthalmology in Baghdad city , at age of (14-77) years from the period from September 2016-April 2017, there were 138(78%) patients having a positive culture of ocular bacterial infections. Men were representing 41% while women 59%, the patients with bacterial ocular infection from Baghdad were55% while the internally displaced were 45% , the patients with ocular bacterial infections were representing 20% at mean age of 21.6±0.3y, 26% at 37.5±0.21y , 24% at53.5±0.23 y and 30% at69.5±0.10 y. The results showed 37% of the patients with ocular bacterial infections were having a history of diabetes mellitus and 44% with high blood pressure at mean age of 69.5±0.10
... Show MoreBackground: The annual incidence of stroke in children after the newborn period is approximately 2.3 per 100000. Half are ischemic, and half are non-traumaticintracerebral and subarchnoidal hemorrhages.
Objectives: To study the etiologic factors, clinical presentation andoutcome of stroke among children admitted to children welfare teaching hospital/Baghdad.
Patient and methods: A prospective study was carried out in Children Welfare Teaching Hospital;Children age ranged between 1 month -13 years and was admitted to pediatric neurology ward between 1st of November 2013 and 1st of November 2014. After carful clinical history, physical and neurological examinations, the diagnosis of brain stroke was confirmed in all patients by compu
Background : Left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease represents important and serious portion of coronary artery disease(CAD).
Aim: The aim of this study is to estimate the incidence of LMCA disease among patients with CAD undergoing coronary artery angiography and to evaluate clinical characteristics of patients with LMCA disease.
Methods: The study involved review of clinical notes and coronary angiography of 1020 patients with CAD in Ibin Al Bitar hospital for cardiac surgery between April and September 2004.This review included evaluation of electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram(ECHO), ECG exercise test (EET) and coronary angiography.
Results: Among 56 patients proved to have left main corona
Background: Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood;it can become chronic or recurrent and affect dental health .Thus this research aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of dental caries among students with different grade of depression in relation to physicochemical characteristics of stimulated whole saliva. Materials and methods: The total sample involved for depression status assessment is composed of 800 students for both gender aged 15 years old that were selected randomly , This was performed using children depression inventory (CDI) index that divided the students into four groups of depression(low or average grade, high average grade, elevated grade and very elevated grade). The diagnosis and
... Show MoreBackground Birth defects are one of the causes of pediatric disability and mortality in all around the world. Data on birth defects from population-based studies originating from developing countries are lacking. Cleft lip (CL), cleft lip and palate (CLP), and isolated cleft palate (CP), collectively termed oral clefts, occur in all races, both sexes, and all socioeconomic groups and vary internationally (1). The main aim of this research is to establish the frequency of cleft lip and/or palate in the population of the Al-Ramadi City, and to characterize the demographic features of affected individuals and find possible risk factors. Materials and methods We conducted a survey of the Educational Maternal and Pediatric Hospital in Al-Ramadi
... Show MoreBackground: During Annual statistical report published by the Iraqi ministry of health the year 2004 showed that mortality rate was 0.15 per 1000 of diarrheal episodes among children under five years.Objectives: To study the occurrence of Shigellosis and Entamoeba histolytica in a sample of children from certain hospitals in Baghdad and determine its relation to some demographic factors.Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out in Baghdad city involving 400 children with bloody diarrhea under five years of age attending four hospitals, 130 cases from Central Pediatric Hospital, 110 cases from Al Mansoor Pediatric Hospital, 90 cases from Al Kadhimya Teaching Hospital and 70 cases from Mohammed Baaqir Al Hakeem Hospital for the p
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