Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease resulted from aggravated immune response to a dysbiotic subgingival microbiota of a susceptible host. Consequences of periodontitis are not only limited to the devastating effect on the oral cavity but extends to affect general health of the individual and also exerts economic burdens on the health systems worldwide. Despite these serious outcomes of periodontitis; however, they are avoidable by early diagnosis with proper preventive measures or non-invasive interventions at earlier stages of the disease. Clinically, diagnosis of periodontitis could be overlooked due to certain limitations of the conventional diagnostic methods such as periodontal charting and radiographs. Utilization of re

Background: Cigarette smoking is an important risk factor that has a clear strong association with the prevalence and severity of chronic periodontitis (CP). Salivary biochemical parameters may be affected by both smoking and CP together. Materials and methods: Eighty systematically healthy male patients were included in this study. They were grouped based on their periodontal and smoking status. Unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) was collected from all subject. Salivary flow rate (FR) was measured during sample collection. Parameters such as salivary pH, total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), total fucose (TF), protein bound fucose (PBF) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were estimated. Results: Salivary flow rate was not altered regarding to smoking

Background: Despite the importance of vaccines in preventing COVID-19, the willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines is lower among RA patients than in the general population. Objective: To determine the extent of COVID-19 knowledge among RA patients and their attitudes and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: A qualitative study with a phenomenology approach was performed through face-to-face, individual-based, semi-structured interviews in the Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, rheumatology unit. A convenient sample of RA patients using disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs was included until the point of saturation. A thematic content analysis approach was used to analyze the obtained data. Results: Twenty-five RA pa

Background: Pressure ulcers remain a serious complication for immobile patients and a burden for healthcare professionals. Objectives: To assess health behavior prevention among critical care nurses regarding pressure ulcer prevention for hospitalized patients and to find out the relationship between critical care nurses health behavior prevention and sociodemographic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional design study was carried out in critical care units at three teaching hospitals. The study period extended from November 1, 2022, to January 28, 2023. Non-probability purposive sampling, whose target population was 100 nurses who work in critical care units in Baghdad, Iraq. The data were collected using a self-administered questio

The present study was conducted with a view to determine whether focal laser therapy result in visual recovery and regression of macular edema in patients with non proliferative diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy ,and whether combined focal and scatter laser therapy in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy results in visual recovery ,regression of macular edema and regression of the risk factors. In the present work, a frequency doubled Nd: YAG laser was used for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. The study evaluates 41 eyes of 33 diabetic patients both with Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus IDDM, (n=16) and Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus NIDDM, (n=17) with diabetic retinopathy divided into two

ABSTRACT Background: Viral hepatitis places a heavy burden on the health care. Large number of patient with bleeding disorders has chronic hepatitis C infection, while few are chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus. Aims of study: evaluate the prevalence of HBV, HCV infection among patient with Von Willebrand disease and to find factors that associated with the chance of getting the infection.

Background: Understanding the morphological characteristics between the floor of the maxillary sinus and the tips of the maxillary posterior roots is crucial in orthodontics involving diagnosis and treatment planning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distances from the maxillary posterior root apices to the inferior wall of the maxillary sinus, thickness and density of maxillary sinus floor using cone-beam computed tomography images and the relationships between roots and maxillary sinus according to gonial angle and skeletal pattern. Materials and methods: Three-dimensional images of each root were checked, and the distances were measured along the true vertical axis from the apex of the root to the sinus floor, and the thickne

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a liver disease that affects14 million people. Feasible research was conducted for identifying the genotypes and allele frequency of some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IL-28β genes and their predictive role in disease incidence in Iraqi patients. The SNPs (rs28416813, rs4803219, rs11881222, and rs8103142) of IL-28β have been associated with susceptibility to several diseases. Ninety eight (98) HCV patients were included in this research; with average age ± SE (42.28 ± 3.44) years. Also, 80 healthy people (with average age ± SE (29.40 ± 2.84) years) were included as a control group. The SNPs were detected by allele-specific PCR (polymerase chain reaction) using specific primers. The re