Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells and cellular elements play a role. The treatment guidelines recommend theuse of a second controller drug in addition to medium doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) rather than the use of high doses ICS alone in the treatment of moderate-severe persistent asthma. This study was conducted to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of three treatment regimens in Iraqi patients with moderate-severe persistent asthma.The study included three groups; each group included 15 patients. Patients were administered beclomethasone inhaler alone 1500-2000 μg/day, beclomethasone inhaler 750-1000 μg/day plus oral controlled release aminophylline tablets 450 mg/day or beclomethasone inhaler 750-1000 μg/dayplus oral montelukast tablets 10 mg/day for 4-5 weeks. Patients were followed 2 weeks and 4-5 weeks after the baseline visit. In all of the three groups,significant improvements were noticed in pulmonary function test parameters (FEV1, FVC, FEF50%) and the asthma symptom records (day-time symptoms,night-time symptoms, number of salbutamol puffs per 24 hours), while there were no significant differences among the groups. Regarding side effects, onlythe group of inhaled steroid plus aminophylline tablets showed discontinuation of drug therapy in some patients which could be attributed to the development of serious side effects.It was concluded that the administration of a second controller agent was important to use lower doses of inhaled beclomethasone. It was concluded alsothat montelukast was associated with a lower incidence of serious side effects than aminophylline which could make aminophylline an alternative to montelukast as combination therapy with medium doses ICS in the treatment of moderate-severe persistent asthma
To create a highly efficient photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) system and maximise the energy and exergy efficiency, this study aims to propose an innovative configuration of a PV-T system comprising wavy tubes with twisted-tape inserts. Following the validation of a numerical model, a parametric study has been conducted to assess the geometrical effects of twisted tape and wavy tubes, as well as the coolant fluid type and velocity, on the overall performance of a PV-T system, located in Shiraz, Iran. It is found that employing twisted tape improves the energy and exergy efficiency by approx. 6.3%. The best configuration yields 12.4% and 16.8% increase in energy and exergy efficiency compared to conventional PV systems. This is achieved at 15% vo
... Show MoreKE Sharquie, AA Noaimi, AS Alaboudi, Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications, 2012 - Cited by 3
Patient aggression is a global health care problem. This study examined the impact of patient aggression on the quality of care that patients receive as perceived by their family members and the ethical challenges involved from the nurse’s perspective. A descriptive–analytical method was used. The participants of this study were nurses working on psychiatric units and family members of patients in Iraq. Two questionnaires were used: one on nursing care quality and one on ethical challenges in clinical situations. The results showed that the quality of care for these patients was reduced, with a
Helicobacter pylori (HP) colonizes the gastric mucosa and causes gastric and extra-gastric disorders. Several liver diseases, such as Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, seem to be caused by the gastrointestinal tract, which is primarily determined by the presence of bacteria like Helicobacter pylori. The study aims to evaluate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and liver diseases by measuring liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, and hematological parameters among patients with gastritis and without Helicobacter pylori infection. A total of 1,325 patients who had gastritis diagnosed by gastroscopy were included in our study. They were divided into the HP– group (340 women, 323 men) and the HP+ group (330 women,
... Show MoreBackground: This study aimed to determine whether there is a relationship among the bite force with facial dimensions and dental arches in a sample of Iraqi adults with Class I skeletal and dental relations. Materials and methods: Forty dental students (20 males and 20 females) were selected under certain criteria. For those individuals, dental impressions, frontal facial photographs and maximum bite force at molar and incisor regions were taken. The dental arches widths and facial dimensions were measured using the AutoCAD program 2007, while the bite force was determined using special device. Descriptive statistics for the measured variables were performed and gender difference was determined using independent sample t-test, while the rel
... Show MoreIn this research, a selection of some mineral water was selected on the basis of being the most marketed by the owners of shops in Najaf province, with six types, where daily samples of this water were taken by 50 ml for two months from (1/11/2018 -1/1/2019). The following ions concentrations were measured (Br-, Cl-, F-, NO3-, SO42-, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+), pH and the electrical conductivity were measured and the results were compared with the allowable rates according to the international organizations. It was noted that they conform to international and Iraqi standards.
The study aimed to assess the level of ANG‑2 in MM patients at diagnosis and in remission state and elaborate on its correlation with interleukin‑6 (IL‑6) and beta‑2 microglobulin (B2M) levels. Sixty MM patients; 20 newly diagnosed (ND), and 40 patients in remission were included. Twenty healthy individuals were included as a control group. Plasma levels of ANG‑2, B2M, and IL‑6 were tested by enzyme‑lin ked immunosorbent assay. There are significant statistical differences between ND patients and those in remission in hemoglobin, neutrophil count, blood urea, serum creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, B2M, IL6, and ANG‑2 (P = 0.001, 0.033, 0.005, 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, 0.004, and 0.001, respectively). ANG‑2 showed signifi
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