Background: Oral anticoagulation medication, warfarin and non-vitamin k antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) may require long term use which may affect patients’ satisfaction with their treatment and their quality of life (QOL). Objective: To compare the quality of life and treatment satisfaction among groups of patients using different anticoagulant therapies (warfarin and NOAC). Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was performed at Ibn Al-Bitar Hospital for cardiac surgery in Baghdad in the period between December 2022 to May 2023. The study population included a convenient sample of patients receiving either warfarin or non-vitamin k antagonist oral anticoagulants treatment. The Arabic version of the short form 12 (SF-12) questionnaire and the Anti-Coagulant Treatment Satisfaction Scale (ACTS) questionnaire were used to assess the quality of life and satisfaction with treatment respectively. Results: The study included 181 patients in total. The mean physical and mental quality of life scores for study participants were 42.3±9.92 and 52.6±10.36 respectively. There was no significant difference in the QOL between patients taking warfarin and those on non-vitamin k antagonist oral anticoagulants treatment. The mean total satisfaction score was 65.4±6.73. Patients receiving non-vitamin k antagonist oral anticoagulants had significantly higher satisfaction compared to those receiving warfarin (P=0.000). The physical score correlated significantly with gender, educational level, employment status, number of chronic medications and number of chronic diseases. The total satisfaction score correlated significantly with gender, number of chronic medications, number of side effects and duration of anticoagulation. There was a significant correlation between the QOL and treatment satisfaction (P=0.000). Conclusion: Treatment with non-vitamin k antagonist oral anticoagulants showed comparable QOL and higher treatment satisfaction than that of warfarin. Better treatment satisfaction can improve patients’ QOL which may ultimately enhance their adherence to treatment.
Background: Insulin resistance is present in 50% or more of patients with primary hypothyroidism. Metformin can decrease TSH levels in these patients by a complex matter, this can be of great help in clinical practice.
Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of metformin in reducing TSH levels in patients with primary hypothyroidism.
Methods: Hundred patients with primary hypothyroidism, 82 females, 18 males were included in this study, everyone was followed up for two months after adding metformin 850 mg twice daily in addition to thyroxin.
Results: 36 patients (36%) have a normal baseline TSH and no change after 2 months, 64 pa
... Show MoreBackground:SARS-CoV-2 infection has caused a global pandemic that continues to negatively impact human health. A large group of microbial domains including bacteria co-evolved and interacted in complex molecular pathogenesis along with SARS-CoV-2. Evidence suggests that periodontal disease bacteria are involved in COVID-19, and are associated with chronic inflammatory systemic diseases. This study was performed to investigate the association between bacterial loads of Porphyromonas gingivalis and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Fifty patients with confirmed COVID-19 by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, their age ranges between 20-76 years, and 35 healthy volunteers (matched accordingly with age and sex to th
... Show MoreBACKGROUND: Keratoconus is a progressive non inflammatory bilateral (usually asymmetric) ectatic corneal disease characterized by paraxial stromal thinning ,weakening that lead to corneal surface distortion ,vision loss primarily from irregular astigmatism and myopia and secondly from corneal scar. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate visual and refractive outcomes after intracorneal continuous ring (ICCR) implantation combined with intrapocket corneal collagen cross linking in patient with keratoconus. Setting: Eye Specialty Private Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. METHODS: This study assessed the results of implantation of Myoring ICCR combined with CXL in 40 eyes with KC. Outcome measures include UDVA,CDVA(spectacle correction),refraction, complications and s
... Show MoreStudies from our laboratory have shown that Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an ingredient found in marijuana plant Cannabis sativa, can attenuate acute lung injury induced by Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB). In the current study, we investigated the role of THC on the metabolism of SEB-activated lymphocytes. To this end, we determined metabolic potential of SEB-activated lymphocytes treated with vehicle or THC by performing the Cell Mito Stress Test. The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in THC-treated cells was decreased when compared to vehicle-treated group whereas the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) was similar in both the groups. Specifically, electron transport chain inhi
KE Sharquie, AA Noaimi, AG Al-Ghazzi, Journal of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery, 2015 - Cited by 19
Background: Otitis media with effusion is a common and important pediatric clinical problem; it is the leading cause of hearing impairment in children. Medical treatment remains controversial. Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of using topical nasal steroids in the treatment of otitis media with effusion. Patients and Methods: Between November 2019 and October 2022, a prospective controlled clinical study was carried out in the department of otolaryngology at Al-Jerrahat Teaching Hospital in Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq. This study comprised 40 patients with bilateral otitis media with effusion (23 males, 17 females). Two groups were created for the patients. Patients in group A (20 patients) were treated with mometasone furoate nasal spra
... Show MoreThis study illustrates in vitro effect of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) on the treatment of Leishmania. In addition, the study evaluated the effect of drug treatment (pentostam) and the combination treatment of pentostan and CAP at different doses and incubation time 24 h in order to assess the most effective treatment. The duration of the cold plasma doses was 1 min, 2 min and 3 min, while the pentostam doses were 2.5 µg/ml and 5 µg/ml. The combinations therapies included combining the three cold plasma doses with the pentostam doses to test 6 combinations of treated in vitro. The maximum growth inhibition was given by combination treated 46% and 44% for donovani and tropica leishamnia respectively; these results give an indi
... Show MoreReintervention after balloon angioplasty is often considered inevitable in children with coarctation of the aorta (COA). The present study aimed to evaluate predictors of re-intervention after balloon angioplasty for COA, with the goal of identifying patient and procedural characteristics that may influence long-term outcomes
This work deals with thermal cracking of three samples of extract lubricating oil produced as a by-product from furfural extraction process of lubricating oil base stock in AL-Dura refinery. The thermal cracking processes were carried out at a temperature range of 325-400 ºC and atmospheric pressure by batch laboratory reactor. The distillation of cracking liquid products was achieved by general ASTM distillation (ASTM D -86) for separation of gasoline fraction up to 220 ºC from light cycle oil fraction above 220 ºC. The comparison between the conversions at different operating conditions of thermal cracking processes indicates that a high conversion was obtained at 375°C, according to gasoline production. According to gasoline produ
... Show MoreA modified chemical method was used to prepare titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), which were diagnosed by several techniques: X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, field emission scaning electron microscopy, energy disperse X-ray, and UV-visible spectroscopy, which proved the success of the preparation process at the nanoscale level. Where the titanium oxide particles have an average particle size equal to 6.8 nm, titanium dioxide particles were used in the process of adsorption of Congo red dye from its aqueous solutions using a batch system. The titanium oxide particles gave an adsorption efficiency of Congo red dye up to more than 79 %. The experimental data of the adsorption process were analyzed with kinetic models and
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