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 rationalization of energy consumption Require awareness in the possibility of bridging the local need severe shortage of electric power for daily requirements. The research aims to show that the engineers of various specializations and architects, including in particular can have an active role in about the importance of the role of energy in human life, and it’s best utilization without extravagance (which our religion forbids it). Here lies the problem of the research to find possible means and alternative methods to reduce (rationalization) electrical energy consumption in hot dry areas in general which need large energy for air conditioning because of the crucial climate of these regions that making access to the area o
... Show MoreEdward Albee's career extends to more than fifty years during which he has exposed different images of male and female protagonists mostly within the same frame; domestic instability. Albee's men and women are middle-class couples who find themselves entrapped in a meaningless world. Most, if not all, of Albee's men are detached from their wives due to existential problems or middle- age crises. Women, therefore find themselves obliged to sustain their husbands and marriages alone. Women in Albee's élan are cynical, frustrated, articulate as well as brave, strong and domineering.
Marriage Play is one of Albee’s works that tackled such image of these women. The play was comm
... Show MoreBackground Median sternotomy is the gold standard incision for most cardiac operations. However, with the advent of minimal invasive surgery, a new approach emerged in cardiac surgery named mini-sternotomy and has been successfully used to perform a variety of operations.
The aim of this paper is to present our experience of using mini-sternotomy to harvest the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) for off-pump revascularization of the left anterior descending artery (LAD)
Methodology Over a 2-year period (October 2012-October 2014), 100 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) via conventional median sternotomy (CMS) (n=80) and mini-sternotomy (MS) (n=20). The
... Show MoreBackground: Oral health is a mirror of general health. During pregnancy, oral health is affected by changes in saliva and oral hygiene measures which may lead to more dental caries.
Objective: Assess oral health status in relation to salivary antimicrobial peptides in pregnant women.
Subjects and Method: This cross sectional study was carried out in different primary health care centers in Rusafa sectors/ Baghdad city. The total sample included was 80 women (their age range from 21-30). The study group consisted of 40 pregnant women: half of them were in the first trimester and others were in third trimester, while the control group included 40 non-pregnant married fem
... Show MoreAdhesion (type 1 fimbriae) and host defense avoidance mechanisms (capsule or lipopolysaccharide) have been shown to be prevalent in Escherichia coli isolates associated with urinary tract infections. In this work, 50 uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) isolated from children with urinary tract infections were genotypically characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. We used two genes; fimH and kpsMTII, both of them previously identified in uropathogenic E.coli (UPEC) isolates. The PCR assay results identified fimH (90.0)% and kpsMTII (72.0)% isolates. In the present study, was also demonstrated that these genes may be included in both or one of them within a single isolate.
Visceral leishmaniasis(VL) or kala-azar is one of the world most neglected tropical diseases in mortality and fourth in morbidity, rK39 dipstick was used to diagnose the suspected infected patients as easiest and rapid technique for VL diagnostic, the disease out-coming required to the differentiation of cell mediated immunity either T-helper 1(Th-1) or (Th-2). One of main pointers that may be considered as one of immune evasion strategy in the host-parasite interplay is HLA-G level alteration. HLA-G Known as a special proteins (non-classical HLA class I) molecules which can suppress the immune system by T-cell functions impaired in the aid with target receptors as LILRB4. The development of the cell mediated immunity initiated with Interle
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