Background: In recent years, the prevalence of obesity has climbed sharply. Still, only a few safe and effective medications are approved as weight-loss drugs. Objective: This study aims to assess the knowledge and practice of community pharmacists in Iraq regarding the use of Liraglutide and Semaglutide as weight-loss medications. Method: A cross-sectional survey was implemented using a validated questionnaire and a convenient sample of Iraqi community pharmacists from different governorates. The questionnaire was created after conducting a literature review of the most important articles about liraglutide and semaglutide. The questionnaire consists of three sections. The first part was used to collect demographic information. The second and third parts assessed community pharmacists' knowledge and practice of the anti-diabetic weight-loss agents Liraglutide and Semaglutide, respectively. Results: A total of 225 community pharmacists participated in this survey. The mean number of successfully answered knowledge questions by all participants was 15 out of 20, indicating a good knowledge of the Iraqi community pharmacists regarding using Liraglutide and Semaglutide as weight-loss medications. The current study revealed that the mean score for the practice section is 3.97, indicating that the participating pharmacists have good practice regarding using these medications. Conclusions: Community pharmacists have demonstrated adequate knowledge about correct administration escalation, storage, adverse effects, and other aspects of using Liraglutide and Semaglutide for weight loss. There is a knowledge gap between younger and older pharmacists.
To assess the biochemical, mechanical and structural characteristics of retained dentin after applying three novel bromelain‑contained chemomechanical caries removal (CMCR) formulations in comparison to the conventional excavation methods (hand and rotary) and a commercial papain‑contained gel (Brix 3000). Seventy‑two extracted permanent molars with natural occlusal carious lesions (score > 4 following the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS‑II)) were randomly allocated into six groups (n = 12) according to the excavation methods: hand excavation, rotary excavation, Brix 3000, bromelain‑contained gel (F1), bromelain‑chloramine‑T (F2), and bromelain chlorhexidine gel (F3). The superficial and deepe
... Show MoreBackground: Tooth wear is one of the most common problems in the older dentate population which results from the interaction of three processes (attrition, abrasion and erosion) and it affects all societies, different age groups, and all cultures. This study was achieved to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of tooth wear among institutionalized residents in Baghdad city\ Iraq. Subjects and Methods: This survey was accomplished on four private and one governmental institution in Baghdad city. One-hundred twenty three (61 males, 62 females) aged 50-89 years were participated in this study. The diagnosis and recording of tooth wear were according to criteria of Smith and Knight. Results: The prevalence of tooth wear was 100% with a mean
... Show MoreBack ground: AIDS is considered a dreaded disease.
According to recent estimates, 42 million people suffer
from HIV/AIDS (90% of these being in the developing
countries), with 5 million people newly infected with HIV
and 3.1 million deaths in the year 2002 globally. At
present, there is no effective vaccine to prevent the
disease. Hence, Health education (Information, Education
and Communication) activities bringing about behavioral
changes in the community, promoting healthy sexual
behavior and preventing the risky ones is the best possible
solution to the problem of AIDS.
Objectives: To find out the knowledge, beliefs and
attitudes regarding various aspects of HIV/AIDS amongst
intermediate and sec
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption in medical education and healthcare systems worldwide. The disease can cause life-threatening conditions and it presents challenges for medical education, as instructors must deliver lectures safely, while ensuring the integrity and continuity of the medical education process. It is therefore important to assess the usability of online learning methods, and to determine their feasibility and adequacy for medical students. We aimed to provide an overview of the situation experienced by medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students regarding electronic medical education.
... Show MoreAcinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is a major opportunistic nosocomial pathogen, mostly resistant to several groups of antibiotics. Colistin is now used as a last-line treatment for isolates that are highly resistant. The purpose of this study is to identify the importance of LptD; which is involved in the translocation of LPS from the inner membrane to the outer membrane in compartment with LptA and LptC of A. baumannii and its indispensable role as a virulence factor, and the efficiency of colistin as a monotherapy. In the current research, two isolates of A.baumannii were used, the local isolate HHR1 isolated from urine sample and the global strain ATCC 17904, and three antibiot
... Show MoreThe atmospheric air cold plasma has been used to manufacture gold nanomaterials for treating parasitic leishmaniasis. This study experimentally assessed the treatment of Leishmania parasites (L. donovani and L. tropica) by gold nanoparticles. Specifically, atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma was generated using different diameters (1.0, 2.8, 3.8 and 4.3 mm) of high voltage electrode. Aqueous gold tetrachloride salts (HAuCl4·4H2O) were used as precursor to produce gold nanoparticles. UV-vis spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction were conducted for characterization of the nanoparticles. The optimum condition (a diameter of 1 mm) was chosen to prepare gold nanoparticles, where the grain size was found to be 17 nm. Accordingly, the nanoparticle
... Show MoreBackground: Very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates constitute approximately 4–7 percent of all live births and their mortality is very high.
Objective: to find out if there is a relationship between Very Low Birth Weight Neonates and increased neonatal mortality for age 0 to 7 days.
Methods: A retrospective study of VLBW neonates admitted to NICU at Ibn Al- Baladi Pediatrics and Maternity hospital over one year (2012)were studied, The study period was from April till August 2013. Exclusion criteria were: (1) neonates weighing less than 700 g and with gestational age less than 24 weeks (abortion) (2) death in the delivery room (3) neonates weighing more than 1500 g. (4) Postnatal age more than 7 days. The outcome measure was in-hos
B aa cc kk gg r oo uu nn dd : Very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates constitute approximately 4–7 percent of all live births and their mortality is very high. O bb j ee cc t i vv ee: to find out if there is a relationship between Very Low Birth Weight Neonates and increased neonatal mortality for age 0 to 7 days. M ee t hh oo dd ss A retrospective study of VLBW neonates admitted to NICU at Ibn Al- Baladi Pediatrics and Maternity hospital over one year (2012)were studied, study period was from April till August 2013. Exclusion criteria were: (1) neonates weighing less than 700 g and with gestational age less than 24 weeks (abortion) (2) death in the delivery room (3) neonates weighing more than 1500 g. (4) Postnatal age more than 7 days.
... Show MoreThe present work aims to study the efficiency of using aluminum refuse, which is available locally (after dissolving it in sodium hydroxide), with different coagulants like alum [Al2 (SO4)3.18H2O], Ferric chloride FeCl3 and polyaluminum chloride (PACl) to improve the quality of water. The results showed that using this coagulant in the flocculation process gave high results in the removal of turbidity as well as improving the quality of water by precipitating a great deal of ions causing hardness. From the experimental results of the Jar test, the optimum alum dosages are (25, 50 and 70 ppm), ferric chloride dosages are (15, 40 and 60 ppm) and polyaluminum chloride dosages were (10, 35 and 55 ppm) for initial water turbidity (100, 500 an
... Show More