Background: Chronic cough is often the key
symptom not only of chronic pulmonary diseases
but for other important extrapulmonary
pathologies, in particular upper airway and
gastrointestinal diseases.
Objective: This study was designed to
determine the etiology of chronic cough and the
usefulness of the available diagnostic tests in
reaching its causes.
Methods: One hundred patients presenting with
chronic cough at Baghdad Teaching Hospital
Outpatient Clinic were enrolled in this study. The
patients underwent a full clinical interview,
physical examination with indicated diagnostic
test(s) (such as chest x ray, bronchoscope, PFT,
GIT study, sinus X ray or CT).
Results: An etiology of chronic cough was
determined in 93% of the patients. Post nasal drip
is the leading cause of chronic cough reported in
31% of the patient, while asthma gastroesophageal
reflux disease, and chronic bronchitis
seen in (26, 20, and 6 % respectively).
The diagnosis of chronic cough can be reached by
comprehensive history, proper physical
examination, and chest X ray findings in 66 %
patients, further more sophisticated and invasive
tests like: PFT, upper GIT study , expectorated
sputum examination (AFB, Gram staining,
cytology), fibrooptic bronchoscope, and full ENT
evaluation including sinuses X ray or sinuses CT
scanning, are need in the rest.
Conclusion: The etiology of chronic cough can
often be diagnosed safely with a simple initial
evaluation (history, physical examination and
chest X-ray). Postnasal drip, asthma and
gastroesophageal reflux disease account for the
etiology in more than three quarter of the patients.
The members of the family of Eentrobacteriaceae harbour a gene cluster called polyketide synthase (pks) island. This cluster is responsible for the synthesis of the genotoxin colibactin that might have an important role in the induction of double-strand DNA breaks, leading to promote human colorectal cancer (CRC). Eleven out of the eighty eight isolates (12.5%) were pks+, distributed as 7 (8%) isolates of E. coli, 2 (2.25%) of K. pneumoniae and 2 (2.25%) of E. aerogenes. The cytotoxic effects of selected pks+ isolates (E. coli and E. aerogenes) on HeLa cells were represented by decreasing cell numbers and enlarged cell nuclei in comparison to the untreated cells. Cyt
... Show Moreخلفية البحث: المتلازمة الأيضية عند المرضى العراقيين المصابين بالمتلازمة التاجية الحادة قليلا ما تمت دراستها. الأهداف: دراسة الخصائص المجتمعية-السكانية للمرضى العراقيين المصابين بالمتلازمة الايضية مع المتلازمة التاجية الحادة. المرضى وطرق العمل: شملت الدراسة المقطعية 150 مصابا بالمتلازمة التاجية الحادة الذين يعالجون في وحده العناية القلبية في مستشفى اليرموك التعليمي في بغداد للفترة من منتصف كانون الث
... Show MoreBackground and Aim. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major risk factor for the progression to heart failure (HF), which is associated with an increase in left ventricular volume (LVV). This study aims to measure ventricular function and myocardial perfusion imaging markers of the left side of the heart, which can be performed with injection of a 99mTc at stress and rest by using single-photonemission-computed-tomography (SPECT). Subject and methods. The study included 121 patients with CAD, comprising 53 females and 68 males with ages between 25 to 88 years and 265 healthy subjects comprising 84 males and 181 females. All patients and healthy subjects volunteered to participate in this study. They were classified according to
... Show MoreObjective: Detection the presumptive prevalence of
silent celiac disease in patients with type 1 diabetes
mellitus with determination of which gender more
likely to be affected.
Methods: One hundred twenty asymptomatic patients
[75 male , 45 female] with type 1 diabetes mellitus
with mean age ± SD of 11.25 ± 2.85 year where
included in the study . All subjects were serologically
screened for the presence of anti-tissue transglutaminase
IgA antibodies (anti-tTG antibodies) by Enzyme-
Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) & total IgA
was also measured for all using radial
immunodiffusion plate . Anti-tissue transglutaminase
IgG was selectively done for patients who were
expressing negative anti-
Objective: Detection the presumptive prevalence of silent celiac disease in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus with determination of which gender more likely to be affected.
Methods: One hundred twenty asymptomatic patients [75 male , 45 female] with type 1 diabetes mellitus with mean age ± SD of 11.25 ± 2.85 year where included in the study . All subjects were serologically screened for the presence of anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies (anti-tTG antibodies) by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) & total IgA was also measured for all using radial immunodiffusion plate . Anti-tissue transglutaminase IgG was selectively done for patients who were expressing negative anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA with low tot
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
... Show MoreBackground: Oral mucositis is regarded as one of the major complications of radiation therapy especially in patients with head and neck cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of glutamine in preventing or minimizing the development of mucositis of the oral cavity. Subjects and methods: Forty-six participants were randomly selected amongst those who were planned to receive radiation therapy for head and neck region cancers. They were randomly divided into two groups of 23 subjects, one group received glutamine and the second group received a placebo. Results: Glutamine had a statistically significant effect in reducing the occurrence and/or severity of oral mucositis in the treated patients compared to patients in the con
... Show MoreBack ground: Spectral analyses of solutions have long been applied to various body fluids for the purpose of clinical study as well as research .Human saliva can be easily obtained by non invasive .In this study typical spectra (for UV and IR) of saliva of oral cancer Squamous cell carcinoma patients were determined under average conditions and evaluated in relation to the spectra of normal specimens. Materials and Methods: Seventeen patients of oral cancer Squamous cell carcinoma and seventeen age matched healthy subject were included in this study .Chewing - Stimulated Saliva was collected in plastic test tube and stored at -20° C. Bach of saliva samples were used for UV and IR measurements. Results: Many differences between the IR spect
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