INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH SYSTEMS AND MEDICAL SCIENCES

Outcomes Of Visual Acuity Before and After Cataract Surgery

Amena Fadhel Hassan, Firas Nazar Tawfeeq, Lina Shakir Abdulameer — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness in our country and globally. Cataract surgery has a high success rate in improving visual acuity. Objective: This study aimed to analysis and assess clinical findings of Visual acuity before and after surgery for patients who underwent Cataract surgery. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 patients who participated in visual acuity assessments conducted in different hospitals in Iraq between 4 April 2022 and 19 August 2023. The study evaluated visual acuity before and after cataract surgery in patients aged between 50 and 70 years. Results: Our study found that males had a higher rate of cases with 60% than females with 40%, 45% of the patients developed by obesity; most comorbidity prevalence in the patients were posterior subcapsular opacity, which had 45 cases, operative time, min was 15-30 minutes per eye, postoperative days until follow-up was 22. 6 ± 8.42, cylindrical reading, dioptres were - 1.13 ± 0.94, spherical reading, dioptres were - 0.12 ± 3.68, no complications were 90.67%, while the most common complication in patients after surgery was posterior capsular tear and anterior capsular tear. In terms of visual acuity after surgery, Unaided was 0.24 ± 0.21, BCVA was 0.08 ± 0.19, Pinhole was 0.12 ± 0.14, and Best was 0.09 ± 0.14, Visual acuity variations include loss 6/9 < VA < 6/24 had 4 cases, 6/24 < VA < 6/60 had 2 cases, 6/60 < VA had only one case, while gain had 68 cases. Conclusion: The study revealed that following surgery, visual acuity exhibited a notable improvement in patients with lens opacity. This observation has prompted questions regarding the efficacy of a 20/60 level for acuity enhancement.

Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Infertility Problems Among Baghdad City Populations: Associations with Food Habits and Environmental Pollution

Loqman J. Tawfiq — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed to determine the incidence of Helicobacter pylori infection among Baghdad city populations and explore associations with infertility, food habits, environmental factors, and comorbidities like type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The researcher examined 120 people in Baghdad from June 2020 to March 2022. H. pylori antibodies were detected using rapid diagnostic kits. Information on age, gender, food habits, T2DM, smoking status, and living conditions was collected. Semen analysis was done in H. pylori positive and negative males with infertility. H. pylori seroprevalence was 62.5%. Prevalence increased with age (p<0.05) and was higher among females (70%) than males (62.5%), (p<0.001). Non-spicy food consumers showed higher prevalence (67%) than spicy food eaters (33%), (p<0.001). T2DM patients demonstrated substantially higher prevalence than non-diabetics (81% vs 67%), (p=0.001). Rural inhabitants revealed greater prevalence than urban dwellers (66.6% vs 33.3% for males; 70% vs 40% for females), (p<0.01). Smokers exhibited higher seropositivity than non-smokers (41% vs 24%), (p<0.001). Infertile men showed poorer semen parameters with H. pylori infection (p<0.01). Good hygiene, healthy diets, and avoiding smoking are vital to curb H. pylori infection. Testing for this bacterium should be considered in infertility assessments.

Glaucoma Assessed by OCT and Visual Field Tests at Al-Kadhimiya Hospital, Iraq

Sundus Jasim Mohammed, Zahraa Alkenani Alkenani — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This prospective, non-randomized, cross-sectional study conducted at Al-Kadhimiya Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, from May to December 2023, assessed the effectiveness of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Visual Field (VF) testing in diagnosing and monitoring glaucoma in 261 eyes of 156 patients. The study excluded patients with other ocular diseases and utilized the OCT Topcon Maestro2 and Octopus 900 VF devices. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results showed no significant differences in age (p=0.58) and gender (p=0.08). Visual acuity results indicated significant differences among eyes (P<0.01), with 64.74% of eyes being OU, 20.51% OD, and 14.74% OS. OCT outcomes categorized eyes as borderline (25.64%), min-effect (39.74%), and max-effect (34.62%) with no significant differences. VF tests revealed 78.85% of eyes as restricted with significant outcome differences. The study concludes that combining OCT and VF testing offers complementary diagnostic information, providing a comprehensive assessment and aiding in the monitoring and management of glaucoma.

Assessment Prevalence of Thrombocytopenia in Chronic Hepatitis B and C

Ali Kareem Durib, Zainab Ahmad Hassan, Zorkin Michael Viktorovich — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Thrombocytopenia is a common complication in chronic liver disease characterized by a low platelet count, which is lower than the normal platelet count < 150 X10 9. The condition had variable incidence, regarding viral hepatitis and is more common in hepatitis C than B. Aim of the study: Assess the prevalence of thrombocytopenia (lower than normal platelet count) in patients proved to have hepatitis B and C by RNA testing. Cross sectional study included 50 viral hepatitis patients (HCV and HBV diagnosed previously), all patients were evaluated for complete blood count and liver function test. Males were forming 68% of all participant, 58% were HBV patients and 42% were HCV patients. The overall prevalence of Thrombocytopenia was 46%. The mean platelet level in HCV was177.43 ± 18.19 with higher prevalence of thrombocytopenia (60.9% vs 39.1%) in hepatitis C than B, with no association between gender and liver functions. Thrombocytopenia one of common complications in viral hepatitis, despite that both HCV and HBV had lower platelet count in comparison to normal person, the count is much more lower in HCV patients with higher prevalence of thrombocytopenia in compare to HBV that is more common in male gender.

Self-Care Behaviors Concerning Minor Discomforts Management Between Primigravida And Multigravida During Pregnancy in Karbala City

Fatima Shamkhi Atiyah, Sajidah Saadoon Oleiwi — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The ability to perform self-care requirements or needs for maintaining health and well-being is referred to as self-care Behavior . The fast rising hormones during pregnancy alter the mother's body and may result in what are known as minor disorders. Pregnant women benefit from self-care behaviors regarding minor discomforts and practices during the prenatal period; therefore, women's knowledge and practices regarding self-care behavior are essential for protecting their health.

This study aimed to evaluate primigravida and multigravida women's self-care behavior concerning minor disorder management of pregnancy discomfort. By contrasting their concerning behavior regarding self-care with management of specific minor discomforts, ascertain the relationship between the reproductive and demographic characteristics of primigravid and multigravida women and their self-care behavior for managing particular minor discomforts.

The current investigation uses quantitative methods to conduct a descriptive study. A non-probability sample of 350 was used for three trimesters (127 primigravida and 223 multigravida). The primary healthcare facilities in Holy Karbala City served as the study's sites. As explained in the methods section, the questionnaire was designed with three sections. The questionnaire consists of ninety-five items. The information was gathered via the questionnaire. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was utilized for data analysis and interpretation. The results showed that housewives, nuclear families, bachelor degree holders, and individuals in their 20s and 30s made up the majority of the study sample. The results of this study showed that self-care behaviors were moderate. The study's findings demonstrated that pregnant women also used moderate self-care behavior for minor discomforts. a statistically significant correlation between the level of education, occupation, and family type of pregnant women and their overall self-care behaviors, with p-values of.001,.002, and.004 respectively. Furthermore, there is a significant correlation (p-values =.001,.002,.008,.050, and.011, respectively) between the total self-care behaviors of pregnant women and their gravidity, number of abortions, parity, and length of marriage.

Examining Complications and Success Rates of Laser Fistula Surgery

Ali Mohammed Ali Ridha, Nada Jabbar Dawood, Mohammed Jameel Hassan — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study investigates the effectiveness of laser fistula removal surgery by analyzing its complications and success rates. Despite being a common procedure, there remains a knowledge gap regarding its comprehensive clinical outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 93 patients who underwent this surgery in various hospitals in Iraq from April 2022 to August 2023. Data on operative times, complications, recovery, and patient satisfaction were collected and analyzed. The findings revealed that the procedure had a high success rate of 90.32%, with minimal complications such as infections (6.45%) and recurrences (2.15%). These results imply that laser fistula removal surgery is a highly effective and safe treatment option that significantly enhances patients' postoperative quality of life and satisfaction, suggesting its broader application in clinical practice.

Empowering Industries with AI and BI for Continuous Data Science Advancement

Jihad Husain Al-Joumaa — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The progression of industrial advancements has steadily incorporated data and intelligence to enhance effectiveness and productivity. Industry 4.0 innovations facilitated seamless data integration and communication across industrial setups, leading to intelligent factories characterized by self-management and continuous learning. Looking ahead, Industry 5.0 aims to foster AI integration and human-robot collaboration, promoting sustainable and personalized industrial frameworks. This paper explores the strategy of complementing existing Business Intelligence (BI) processes with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance gas production in an oil field in southern Oman. Current challenges include managing an undersaturated reservoir with limited data, leading to reactive approaches and suboptimal oil recovery. Our methodology leverages AI and BI tools like Microsoft Power BI and Python to automate gas detection using machine learning algorithms based on surface readings. Results demonstrate an accuracy rate of approximately 50% in predicting gas increases, with higher precision for wells with extended breakthrough times. This approach enhances operational efficiency, reduces human error, and supports proactive decision-making. Despite its simplicity, the model's potential for further research and refinement is significant, advocating for the widespread adoption of AI-driven solutions to optimize production and minimize environmental impact across various industries.

Stress Management for Patient after Sleeve Gastroectomy: Case–Control Study

Ahmed Harbi Mohammed, Huda Baker Hassan Jawad — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In general, obesity has been increasing at an alarming rate over the past 50 years. In 2022, obesity and its comorbidities accounted for 14.3 percent of this world health care expenditure [1]. A lot of people are uneasy about having bariatric surgery, and they could worry about what might go wrong before, during, or after the procedure. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that between 266 and 360 million surgeries take place globally year. Studies show that over 75% of individuals have stress [2]. This research to determine the impact of the rehabilitation program on the stress levels of patients following sleeve gastrostomy, to find out the relationship between patient's stress status and demographic characteristics (age, sex, level of education, and marital state). The current study was carried out using a quasi-experimental design, (two groups comparison), the study was conducted in center of hepatopathy and digestive diseases in AL-Hussein Teaching Hospital at AL-Muthanna city in Iraq. Study Sample: A non-probability (purposive) sample was taken from patients who performed gastric sleeve and the sample was (50) patients. Use questionnaire in this study. After the program was implemented, it was discovered that the case group had improved compared to the control group on the post-test. The patient stress after sleeve gastrectomy was high stress. The program which implemented on patients had a benefit feedback on patients.

Implementation of the Family Care Model for Elderly Healthy

Cahya Tribagus Hidayat, Dian Ratna Elmaghfuroh — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The elderly population throughout the world continues to increase every year. This makes the aging process an important social and welfare challenge for the health of older people. The health and welfare of older people cannot be separated from the support system provided by the family. The family is very important in caring for elderly people living at home. The objective of this article is to determine the effect of implementing the family care model on the health of older people. This research used a pre-experimental with one group pretest-posttest design using a purposive sampling technique with a total sample of 158 elderly people living with families, both nuclear families and extended families. The measuring instruments used in this research were a sphygmomanometer to measure the physical health of older people and the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) for the mental health of the elderly, which was then analyzed using the paired t-test. The results of the study showed that the physical health of older people, the mean (SD) value for pre-post systolic blood pressure was 158.1 (14,461) - 144.56 (11,816), and for pre-post diastolic blood pressure was 86.77 (4,824) - 77.41 (5,884), while mental health elderly people obtained pre-post results of 20.08 (1.963) – 24.24 (1.982), with different test results obtained a p-value of 0.0001. The family care model's implementation for older people influences the health of the elderly, both physically and mentally.

Crucial Insights: Post-Op Spinal Infections in Lumbar Fusion

Sun, 05 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Postoperative spinal infections following lumbar fusion with posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) are a concerning complication, particularly in cases of degenerative spinal disease. However, factors contributing to infection risk remain unclear. This retrospective study analyzed data from 124 adults who underwent instrumented fusion for degenerative spinal conditions between 2015 and 2020. Multivariate proportional hazards regression identified risk factors associated with surgical site infections (SSI). Results revealed a 16.9% incidence of SSI, with 92.4% of cases showing positive microbiological cultures. Prolonged hospital stay, prior surgeries, advanced age, diabetes, and obesity were correlated with infection risk. Notably, 95% of infected patients were successfully treated with surgical intervention or antibiotics without hardware removal. This underscores the importance of early identification and intervention in managing postoperative spinal infections, mitigating the need for hardware removal and improving patient outcomes.

Thyroid Dysfunction Study at Murjan Hospital, Hilla City

Atta Ah Mousa Al-Sarray, Nisreen Mohee Mohammed , Jawad Kidhim Al Diwin — Wed, 08 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Thyroid dysfunction (TD) is a prevalent metabolic disorder globally, posing significant public health challenges. Despite its widespread impact, there remains a gap in understanding the diverse clinical and epidemiological characteristics of TD patients, particularly in Iraqi communities. This cross-sectional study, conducted at Murjan Hospital's diabetes and endocrinology center in Hilla City, Iraq, aimed to address this gap. A sample of 348 adult patients aged 18-76 years was surveyed using a standardized questionnaire over a five-month period. Findings revealed a predominance of females (92.8%) and urban residents (72.7%), with hypothyroidism comprising 78% of cases compared to 22% for hyperthyroidism. Common symptoms included tiredness (87%) and nervousness (91%). Statistical analysis showed no significant association between TD subtypes and socio-demographic factors. These results underscore the need for tailored interventions and heightened awareness to address the burden of TD within the Iraqi population.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Propel Adult Addiction

Muntadher Ahmed Ghanim, Ali Kareem Al-Juboori — Thu, 23 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Despite the negative consequences, individuals with addiction persist in drug use, characterized by relapses and chronic brain disorders. Research has established a link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and subsequent alcohol and drug problems. This study aimed to identify the influence of ACEs on the development of addiction in adulthood. A descriptive (retrospective) design was employed from August 1, 2023, to March 1, 2024, involving 142 male addict patients using convenience sampling. Data were collected via a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic information, the ACEs Questionnaire, and the Simple Screening Instrument for Alcohol and Other Drugs (SSI-AOD). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Results showed that 43.3% of patients had experienced some form of negative childhood experience, and 71.8% had moderate to severe alcohol and drug use. The findings suggest that ACEs significantly impact the development of addiction in adulthood, with participants exhibiting moderate levels of both substance use and adverse childhood experiences. Ethical considerations were adhered to, with approval from the University of Karbala and assurances of confidentiality for participants. This study highlights the critical role of ACEs in adult addiction, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.

Educational Program Boosts Constipation Knowledge in Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Abbas Abdulhassan Qasim, Hakima Shaker Hassan — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Constipation is a prevalent condition causing substantial morbidity and commonly presenting to healthcare providers, with associations reported between constipation and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aims to evaluate the effect of an instructional program on constipation knowledge in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Conducted at Nasiriyah Heart Center from January 2, 2023, to March 19, 2024, this quantitative, quasi-experimental study used purposive sampling to select 64 CAD patients with constipation. These were divided into a study group (n=32) and a control group (n=32). The program's content validity and the knowledge test were confirmed by a panel of 17 experts, and reliability was assessed using a test-retest approach. Statistical analysis using SPSS version 25 revealed highly significant differences in knowledge scores between pre- and post-tests and between the study and control groups (p<0.01). The study group's mean knowledge score improved from 1.56 to 2.50, while the control group's score remained virtually unchanged (1.57 to 1.62). The instructional program significantly enhanced patients' knowledge about constipation. The study recommends broad health education efforts on constipation, physical activity, dietary intake, and toileting habits through various media to elevate patients' knowledge.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Nursing Practices in Nasogastric Tube Care at Azadi Teaching Hospital

Ramal Nasrdeen Muhamed Reshid, Younus Khdhur Baeez — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Nasogastric tube (NGT) care is integral in various medical settings, including critical care units, for relieving intestinal obstruction and providing nutritional support. However, there exists a gap in evaluating nursing practices regarding NGT care, particularly in terms of proficiency levels and adherence to established procedures. This cross-sectional study conducted at Azadi Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk aimed to assess nursing practices in NGT care from November 2023 to June 2024. Forty-two nurses were sampled using a purposive technique, and data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Results indicate a mixed proficiency level among nurses, with approximately half of the evaluated aspects falling into low to moderate proficiency categories. Notably, while theoretical knowledge was relatively strong, practical application lagged behind. These findings underscore the need for specialized training, continuous education, and robust quality assurance measures to enhance patient outcomes. Improvements in NGT care practices, including tube feeding administration, medication management, and removal procedures, can be achieved through targeted interventions aimed at bolstering nurses' skills and knowledge in this critical area.