Atrial fibrillation is associates with elevated risk of stroke. The simplest stroke risk assessment schemes are CHADS₂ and CHA₂DS₂-VASc score. Aspirin and oral anticoagulants are recommended for stroke prevention in such patients.

The aim of this study was to  assess status of CHADS₂ and CHA₂DS₂-VASc scores in Iraqi atrial fibrillation patients and to report current status of stroke prevention in these patients with either warfarin or aspirin in relation to these scores.

This prospective cross-sectional study was carried out at Tikrit, Samarra, Sharqat, Baquba, and AL-Numaan hospitals from July 2017 to October 2017. CHADS₂

AH Haider R, N Adil A, AW Makram M, AK Abdulkaleq S, 2010

Community pharmacists faced more complex challenges in meeting patients’ medication needs during the pandemic than previously reported in the literature. Objectives To explore the perception and abilities of community pharmacists in managing patients’ needs in terms of medication dispensing during the pandemic, and to examine its effect on improving the patients’ situations. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study design, validated by 30 experts, was conducted using an electronic survey (Google Form) to assess the effect of the dispensing practice of Iraqi community pharmacists on the patient’s clinical outcomes during the pandemic. The survey was distributed on professional pharmacist’s social media platforms from December

The current research aimed to identify the tasks performed by the internal auditors when developing a business continuity plan to face the COVID-19 crisis. It also aims to identify the recovery and resuming plan to the business environment. The research followed the descriptive survey to find out the views of 34 internal auditors at various functional levels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Spreadsheets (Excel) were used to analyze the data collected by a questionnaire which composed of 43 statements, covering the tasks that the internal auditors can perform to face the COVID-19 crisis. Results revealed that the tasks performed by the internal auditors when developing a business continuity plan to face the COVID-19 crisis is to en

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, dentists have had to work under stressful conditions due to the nature of their work. Personal protection equipment (PPE) has become mandatory for work in the dentistry field. This study aimed to examine dentists' practices and attitudes regarding the use of PPE and the associated drawbacks and cost implications during the pandemic.

Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was used and was divided into five sections dedicated to collect demographic variables and to examine the dentists' practices, attitudes toward PPE, drawbacks, and cost of using PPE. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare different sections of

Abstract Objective: The underlying molecular basis of ischemic heart diseases (IHDs) has not yet been studied among Iraqi people. This study determined the frequency and types of some cardiovascular genetic risk factors among Iraqi patients with IHDs. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study recruiting 56 patients with acute IHD during a 2-month period excluding patients >50 years and patients with documented hyperlipidemia. Their ages ranged between 18 and 50 years; males were 54 and females were only 2. Peripheral blood samples were aspirated from all patients for troponin I and DNA testing. Molecular analysis to detect 12 common cardiovascular genetic risk factors using CVD StripAssay® (ViennaLab Diagnostics GmbH, Austria) was performed

Background: Kidney failure is the leading cause of early death for diabetic patients and is regarded as the most dangerous consequence of the disease. This can only be reversed through early detection and intervention. The incidence of type 1 diabetes, which comprises 5-10 per cent of all diabetic diseases, is rising across the globe with a rate of 15 per 100,000 people per year. Methods: 90 samples were collected and used in this study. Thirty healthy children served as controls (aged 5-15 years), 30 patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM, aged 5-15 years) and 30 patients with type 1 diabetic nephropathy (DN), aged 5-20 years). Results: highly significant increase in Urea and Creatinine levels when compared control with DN al

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a widespread, yet often overlooked, parasitic disease caused by the Leishmania protozoan, which is prevalent in numerous countries, including Iraq. This condition is marked by the appearance of skin lesions on various exposed areas of the body. In most old-world regions, sodium stibogluconate (SSG) is the classical widely used drug to treat CL. The progression of skin ulceration is controlled by different inflammatory modulators including cytokines and enzymes. In this study, the possible role of the enzyme Matrix metalloproteinase9 (MMP-9) and its inhibitor Metallopeptidase inhibitor-1 (TIMP-1) as immunological markers was evaluated in CL patients suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis before and aft

  The research aims to reveal the role of financial analysis in rationalizing the investor decision on the Iraqi stock Exchange market, by studying the relationship and impact techniques and methods of financial analysis on the decisions of investors in the market. The most important techniques and methods discussed in this study were: analysis (financial ratios analysis, comparison of financial statements analysis, cash flow statement analysis) for companies listed in the Iraqi stock Exchange market. The researcher adopted the analytical descriptive method which depends on the collection of data on the phenomenon and its interpretation. The questionnaire wa