Iranian Journal of War and Public Health
Volume:13 Issue: 53, Autumn 2021

The current study was conducted to see the safety and efficacy of intralesional 5-FU in treating cutaneous warty lesions in a sample of Iraqi patients.

This experimental study was conducted in patients with various warty skin lesions from August 2020 to August 2021. Sixty patients visited the dermatology unit at Aldiwaniyah teaching hospital, Iraq, and were selected for the study. The new solution containing 4mL of 50mg/mL 5-fluorouracil was injected strictly intralesionally till blanching of the lesion occurred. After two weeks of 5-fluorouracil injection, a black ecchymosed eschar developed, which was pared, and residual warts, if present, were injected a second time. The patients were followed up to 3 months and then quarterly up to 1 year. Persistence of wart after three months of the last injection was taken as a failure of treatment. The statistical analysis was done with the SPSS 16 and Excel 2007 using the Chi-square test.

The complete response to treatment was seen in 200 (80.0%), partial response was seen in 37 (14.8%), and no response was recorded in 13 (5.2%) of cases. There was no significant association between size of warty lesion and response to intralesional 5-FU (p=0.154); however, there was a significant association between type of warty lesion and response to intralesional 5-FU (p=0.046).

Intralesional 5-FU appears to be highly effective in treating cutaneous warts; however, the response is influenced by the type of skin lesion, being maximal with palmoplantar wart and least common with the skin lesion periungual lesions.

Rate of complications such as obstructed port site hernia is low depending on size and site of the port incision, type of used trocar, patient's condition, and surgeon's experience. This study was aimed to compare closure versus non-closure of the fascial sheath opening of the sub-umbilical port site "10mm".

This prospective study was performed on 50 patients in AL-Karama Teaching Hospital from September 2017 to January 2018. They were alternatively divided to Group A: sub-umbilical port site fascial defect of 10mm in diameter was closed with Zero Nylon in addition to skin closure with Zero Silk, and Group B: sub-umbilical port site fascial defect of 10mm in diameter was left without closure, only skin was closed with Zero Silk. A sharp trocar 10mm was introduced through the linea alba into the abdominal cavity at the sub-umbilical site for laparoscopic access.

The two groups had incidence rates of port site hernia, infection, and bleeding of zero, and there was no complication (hernia, bleeding, and infection) related to sub-umbilical port sites in both groups during 4-16 weeks follow-up. 

The closure of the laparoscopic port fascial defects is time-consuming; using suture material increases the procedure's financial cost. It is not free of complications such as inadvertent omentum or bowel loop injury.

Acute kidney injury patients with COVID-19 have worse outcomes than those without such complications. This study aimed to evaluate acute kidney injury in adult Iraqi patients with COVID-19.

This prospective study was performed on 250 patients with COVID-19. Laboratory parameters and chest computed tomography scan findings were gathered from the patient’s records. Patients were followed up for one week after hospital admission. According to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria, patients were categorized with and without acute kidney injury. The mortality rate, ICU admission, need for dialysis, and discharging well were recorded.

Incidence of acute kidney injury was 23.2% and had a significant correlation with older age (p=0.006) and hypertension (p=0.034). Chest and abdominal pain were more common in patients with acute kidney injury. The mean serum concentration of inflammatory markers (D-dimer and C-reactive protein) in acute kidney injury patients was 1863.60±1599.00ng/ml and 66.65±60.81ng/ml, compared with 1387.30±1099.00ng/ml and 42.95±34.35ng/ml, respectively in patients without acute kidney injury (p<0.05). 41.38% acute kidney injury patients and 59.38% without acute kidney injury were discharged well after one week, with a significant difference. The mortality rate was significantly higher in acute kidney injury patients, 12.07% versus 4.17% (p=0.026).

Old age, hypertension, chest and abdominal pain were more common in acute kidney injury patients with COVID-19. High D-dimer and CRP at presentation may be considered as good indicators for the possibility of acute kidney injury in patients with COVID-19. Acute kidney injury patients with COVID-19 have a low rate of discharging well & a higher mortality rate, and 10% need dialysis.

COVID-19 and Helicobacter pylori are pathogens associated with the most common viral and bacterial infections globally. The coinfection of pathogenic bacteria and COVID-19 represented a true health challenge. The current study aimed to estimate the incidence of H. pylori in patients with COVID-19.

This experimental study was conducted in Karbalaa's COVID-19 Isolation Center from Feb. 2021 to July 2021, 130 COVID-19 patients were entered the study. A control group of 130 seemingly healthy people of similar ages and sexes was also enlisted in this research. COVID-19-infected patients were confirmed by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction device. The samples were processed for total WBCs, and neutrophils were automatically computed. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 software by independent T and Chi-square tests.

COVID-19 infection was more frequent in males than females, especially between 15 and 25 years. The COVID-19 patients were detected to have increased neutrophils count (p<0.0001) and decreased lymphocytes compared to the healthy persons (p<0.0001). A significant correlation between H. pylori and COVID-19 was discovered, especially in females.

H. pylori-infected patients are more susceptible to COVID-19 than other persons without H. pylori infections.

Lower extremity amputations are increasingly frequent in people with arterial insufficiency, becoming an important public health problem in Iraq and worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of revascularization of the lower limb with critical ischemia by peripheral angioplasty on improving the patient's life.

This experimental study was conducted in patients with lower limb ischemia in Al-Shaheed Ghazzi Al-Hariri Hospital for Surgical Specialties in Baghdad, Iraq, from October 2019 to October 2020. One hundred sixteen patients with arterial insufficiency were selected by the purposeful sampling method. A group of patients (55 cases) was selected for peripheral therapeutic intervention. The Chi-Square and Fisher's exact tests were used for data analysis.

There was a clear improvement in the level of amputation after treatment. High levels of amputation were needed for the control group who did not have a therapeutic intervention, and most of them had amputations above the knee (86.9%).

Peripheral intervention has an important role in improving the level of amputation in patients with critical limb ischemia of the lower extremities and should consider before primary amputation in selected patients.

Every year, approximately 1.25 million people are killed as a result of traffic accidents. About 20-50 million people are exposed to non-fatal injuries, and many become disabled. The current study aimed to assess the contributing factors of traumatic head injury and its health outcomes.

This descriptive study was conducted on 60 patients exposed to traumatic head injuries and followed for one month. The Glasgow Coma Scale and Glasgow Outcome Scale were assessed. Data were collected and analyzed using the descriptive statistical analysis approach, including frequency and percentage SPSS 17 software.

33.3% were aged 20-29 years, 88.3% were male, and 68.3% were single. They were primary schools graduated with free work. The Road Traffic Accidents (Automobile) was the most common factors that contributed to head injuries (68.3%). Most traumatic head injuries patients died (40%).

Road Traffic Accidents are the most common factor that causes head injury amongst young adults leading to death. The Ministry of Health needs to address this serious problem to develop healthcare professionals who have specific training and experience in brain injury.

Happiness is one of the characteristics of health that is necessary for empowerment as well as the active and independent life of the elderly. Also, social support plays an effective role in promoting the health of the elderly by providing emotional and psychological support. The present study was designed to determine happiness and its relationship with social support and health-promoting behaviors in the military elderly.

This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 280 militaries, older adults referred to the health centers using the available sampling method. Data collection tools were the demographic questionnaire and Oxford Happiness Test Questionnaire, Phillips Social Support Questionnaire, and Health-Promoting Behaviors Checklist. Data were analyzed by SPSS 20 software using ANOVA and linear regression tests.

Forty percent of the elderly had moderate happiness, 29.6% had good happiness, and 30.4% had perfect happiness. Age, gender, and chronic diseases were significantly associated with happiness (p<0.05). Also, marital status, education, and economic status were significantly associated with social support (p<0.05). Based on regression analysis, social support in all areas and health-promoting behaviors significantly predicted happiness in the elderly (p<0.05).

Given the accelerating growth of the elderly population and the associated decline in physical and mental fitness, it is essential to pay attention to social support and health-promoting behaviors that predict happiness. Therefore, the elderly must enjoy more social and economic support by creating, amending, and strengthening protection laws and monitoring their strict implementation.

 This study aimed to investigate the role of psychological characteristics on the sports success of Iranian veterans and disabled athletes.

 In this study, the sample size was 389 men and women with disabilities in various sports participated in official competitions. Data were collected using the Cultural Intelligence Scale, Sporting Success Questionnaire. The multivariate regression analysis method and structural equation modeling were used through SPSS 23 and AMOS 22 software to assess the research model based on the conceptual model.

 Iranian veterans and disabled athletes' sports success was affected by two psychological components of cultural intelligence and the ability to resolve conflict. The ability to resolve conflict in athletes increased with the increase of cultural intelligence, and with the increase of the ability to resolve conflict, sporting success also increased (p≤0.05).

 The ability to resolve conflict is a complete mediator of the impact of cultural intelligence on sports success. Increasing the ability to resolve conflict in athletes by increasing cultural intelligence leads to athletic success.

Coronavirus can attack the central and peripheral nervous systems in different ways and produce neurological manifestations. This study aimed to summarize the neurological manifestations and electrophysiological studies of COVID-19 patients during the recovery phase, suggesting Guillain-Barré syndrome.

This case report study was done in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine at Al-Mustansiriya University, in cooperation with Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Patients during the convalescent period (1-3 months post-infection) of COVID-19 disease with neurological manifestations were included. Neurologists and neurosurgeons referred the patients for an electromyography and nerve conduction study to identify their illnesses.

Seven patients (4 females and 3 males) presented with clinical manifestations that highly suggested Guillain-Barré syndrome. The patients were presented with a rapidly progressive ascending weakness of both lower and upper limbs and diffuse, hypo-or-areflexia of the deep tendon reflexes. The sensory symptoms were distributed in both hands and feet, pain, paresthesia, and numbness. Electrophysiology studies confirmed five patients have acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, one patient has acute motor axonal neuropathy, and one has acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy subtypes.

Clinical manifestations of Guillain-Barré syndrome confirmed by electrophysiological studies are associated with COVID-19, which show similarity with GBS due to the post-viral infections with an autoimmune background. Therefore coronavirus infection is an etiological factor of Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) as a laboratory animal is one of the most popular experimental models for research, which has a similar anatomical structure of the body organs compared to a human. This study aimed at histological and histochemical examination of mucous cells in the esophagus and stomach of Norway rats.

In this experimental study, ten healthy adult male rats (R. norvegicus) were anesthetized using an overdose of chloroform and samples were taken from the esophagus and stomach. The tissues were then excised and fixed with 10% formalin for histological and histochemical studies.

Light microscopic observations on sections of the esophagus showed walls consisting of four layers; mucosa, submucosa, muscular and adventitia layer or serosa. The surface layer of the epithelium reacted strongly to PAS staining, but the rest of the epithelium had a moderate reaction to PAS in all regions of the esophagus. The submucosa showed a weak reaction to PAS in all regions of ​​the esophagus. The muscularis layer in the cervical, thoracic, and abdominal esophagus regions reacted moderately to PAS; however, the serosa showed a weakly reaction to PAS in cervical, thoracic and abdominal regions.

Recognizing the anatomical and histochemical features of different small mammalians as the models of laboratory animals for testing drug absorbance can help understand the probable results in human patients.

Nigella sativa is recognized as a black seed. It is a grassy plant relating to the Ranunculaceae family. There are various reports regarding this plant's pharmacological and biological action, like antihypertensive effects, antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidants, antifungal, pain alleviating, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and immune-modulatory effects. This study aimed to compare the anti-microbial activity of aqueous and oil extract of Nigella sativa against selected gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Nigella sativa aqueous and oil extracts were gathered via a retail food shop (Al-Hilla) 2018. Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus; Streptococcus pneumonia; Streptococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative (Salmonella typhi; Escherichia coli; Pseudomonas aeroginosa) isolates (obtained via clinical specimens) were utilized.

Both Nigella sativa aqueous and oil extracts showed a maximum inhibition zone against E. coli and minimum inhibition against S. pyogenes.

Nigella sativa acts against gram-positive as well as gram-negative bacterial isolates.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of loose Seton in managing high anal fistula.

A prospective cohort study of sixty-eight patients was studied, their ages ranging between 17-60 years, of both genders. All of them had a history of fistula in ano. Twenty-six patients had high anal fistula managed by seton placement from February 2015 and February 2021.

Fifty-one patients were males, and 17 were females. The incidence was low in both sexes below 20 years and after 50 years. Forty-two patients (61.8%) had low fistula, 26 (38.2%) had high fistula, 23 (33.8) with a single opening, 3 (4.4%) patients had high fistula with multiple openings. All patients with low fistula (n=42) were treated by primary fistulotomy. Twenty-six patients had a high type of fistula in ano treated with Seton. Minor incontinence was noted in two patients. These patients lost control of flatus which persisted for four months. No fecal incontinence was noticed in any patient. In 21 cases with high fistula in ano were successfully eliminated (Successful rate=81%) by Seton treatment alone. While recurrence fistula in five patients (Failure rate=19%).

This method provides an alternative to the conventional operative treatment for high anal fistulae. The results from the use of loose Seton are safe and effective in treating a high type of anal fistula.