IRAQI JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE

Background: It is a childhood disease that causes weak or soft bones and may be exposed to fractures and skeletal deformities. Methodology: across – sectional descriptive study was conducted during November and December, 2018 in both Primary Health Care centers of Bab- Al Muadhum and Baghdad Al- Gadeda Awal involving 139 mothers, they were subjected to self-administrated questionnaire covering their socio-demographic, disease related characteristics and different questions related to rickets. The data were statistically analyzed by frequency, percentage, and percentage score for each question. Results: showed very high percent score 95%, 88%, for insufficient intake of calcium and no enough exposure to sun as disease etiology and for signs and symptoms the highest present score 84% for bowing of legs.The response to prevention and treatment is even more encouraging. 92%, 95% of people are fully exposed to the sun and consume enough calcium and vitamin D every day. Conclusion: Satisfactory knowledge of included mothers for disease etiology, signs and symptoms and more encouraging for prevention and treatment.

Abstract: Background: Patients presented to the emergency department with acute abdomen may harbor COVID-19 virus without respiratory symptoms. Acute abdomen may be due to COVID-19 which causes thrombosis of mesenteric and renal vessels; peritonitis and pancreatitis. Objective: To study the incidence of COVID-19 in patients with acute abdomen tested negative for COVID-19 virus. Patients and methods:A cross sectional study in Baghdad private hospitals was performed in the period from January 2020 – January 2022. The patients had negative laboratory tests for COVID-19 virus, but they developed respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 during their course of management in the hospital. The operative findings of other patients raise the suspicion of COVID-19 (mesenteric thrombosis and pancreatitis) and their repeated laboratory tests reveals the COVID-19 virus infection, and were managed according to their surgical conditions. Diagnosis of COVID-19 virus was proved by repeated laboratory tests and CT scan of the chest. Results: The total number was 575 patients; their age ranged from 13-76 years, their mean age was 36.16±76 years. Male patients were 264(45.91 %), and the females were 311 (54.08%) patients. All the patients had negative laboratory test for COVID-19 before admission to the hospital, but 52 (9.20%) patients develop positive test during the course of their management in the hospital. COVID-19 was not the cause of acute abdomen in 32 (5.66%) patients, while 17 (3.00%) patients had mesenteric ischemia and 3 (0.53%) patients of them had pancreatitis proved to be due to COVID-19. The mortality in patients with acute abdomen due to COVID-19 was 5 (0.88%) patients while there was no mortality in non - COVID19 Conclusion: Mesenteric ischemia and gangrene of the bowel may be due to COVID-19 which carries high morbidity and mortality. Key Words:COVID 19. Acute abdominal Pain, Mesenteric thrombosis, Pancreatitis; Mortality.

Background: Surgical or invasive blepharoplasty has long been the gold standard for rejuvenation of upper eyelid dermatochalasis, although patients routinely experience bleeding, bruising, edema and scarring as well as the risks of serious complications such as retro bulbar hemorrhage and dryness, causing temporary or permanent loss of vision. This lead to the search for other safer alternative non-invasive methods such as plasma exeresis and fractional Co2 laser. Objectives: Comparative study of non-surgical blepharoplasty by fractional CO2 laser versus plasma exeresis. Patients & Methods: In this study, non-surgical blepharoplasty was done to 32 patients whose ages ranged between 30-60 years in the ophthalmic clinic placed in Baquba City, Diyala province during the period from 1st of August 2020 to 1st of February 2021. The fractional CO2 laser method was performed to 9 patients, while the plasma exeresis method was performed to 23 patients and after performing the two non-surgical blepharoplasty methods, a comparison was made Result: In plasma exeresis, the results were as follow, well responded to the treatment is found in 16 patients (80%). Moderate response was found in two patients (10%). Poor response was found in two patients (10%). In fractional CO2 laser, the results were as follow, well responded to the treatment was found in eight patients (66.6%). Moderate response was found in two patients (16.6 %). Poor response was found in two patients (16.6 %). Subject satisfaction was high and the procedure was well tolerated. Conclusion: Good outcome obtained and the choice of the method for eyelid rejuvenation depends on the doctor and the patient's desire. The fractional CO2 laser is better in terms of complications during and after the procedure regarding to pain, redness, swelling and crusting formed, as well as the time of the operation.Future studies with large sample and longer follow-up period are recommended to further evaluate the longevity of clinical benefits.

Background : Specialist outpatient services are conducted for the purpose of the management of conditions which require specialist opinion above that available within primary healthcare setting, , the aim of this study is to assess the morbidity pattern in an outpatient clinic of internal medicine. Method: This is across-sectional study done in an outpatient private clinic in Kirkuk city in Iraq, diagnoses were made on private outpatient base by history, clinical examination and lab. Investigations which were collected retrospectively from patient,s profile recorded in the clinic. Results:Atotal number of 1323 patients was studied, of patients 605(45.7%) were male and 718(54.3%)were female, disease prevalence was recorded according to systems involved in order of frequency (cardiovascular, endocrine and respiratory system…..etc ) and according to disease entity in order of frequency(hypertension, diabetes mellitus and urinary tract infection…..etc). Conclusion: knowledge of most common morbidity in acommunity and the burden of these diseases on it, will promote development of best plans to put in community for better prevention and treatment of common diseases to attain better lifestyle and good health.

Background: The world's leading preventable cause of premature illness and death is smoking. Every year, tobacco use and smoking cause the untimely deaths of almost three million people worldwide, with one million of those deaths occurring in developing countries. Objectives: The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of smoking, knowledge about the harmful effects of smoking on health, and the influence of their family members’ smoking habits among female college-going students of the Kashmir division. Material and Methods: This is a type of cross-sectional study. A sample of 384 female college-going students was selected by a nonrandom and convenient sampling method from various colleges of the Kashmir division. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to determine the personal, social, and educational characteristics of the study participants. They were also asked about their smoking types, status, length of time they had been smoking, understanding of the negative consequences of smoking, how many cigarettes they smoked each day, and their motivations for quitting. Results: The prevalence of present smoking cigarettes was 8.3%, whereas 7.3% of the participants were previous smokers. The prevalence of present smoking was highest amongst the engineering students (16.1%) and lowest amongst the students of commerce (3.9%). The majority (68%) of the smokers’ parents were also smokers. Almost 55.9% of smokers started their smoking habit to cope with stress, and 5.1% of the participants did not know that smoking causes serious health problems. The most common factors for quitting smoking were health concerns (88.2%). Conclusion: The present study concludes that the prevalence of smoking among female college-going students varies in different faculties and that family and friends have a great influence on individuals starting or stopping smoking.

Background: Rapid population aging will lead to increasing demands on the care of population in developing countries. And because the elderly people are at high risk for disease and disability, this population aging will place urgent demands on these countries health care systems; hence the knowledge, attitudes and practices of doctors in primary health care centers plays key role in improving the geriatric care. Objectives of the Study: Assessment of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of doctors working in age friendly primary health care centers toward geriatrics in Baghdad-Al Rusafa health directorate, and comparing the results with the knowledge, attitudes and practices of doctors working in primary health care centers not applying Age-friendly toolkit toward geriatrics in the same health directorate .Subjects & Methods: A cross sectional study with analytic elements was conducted. The data were collected by direct interviews with the doctors of the 31 age-friendly PHCs and other PHCs not applying age-friendly tool kit and they completed a prepared questionnaire form. Questionnaire consisted from 4 parts: sociodemographic data, Knowledge, attitudes and practices of doctors. Results: 110 doctors from age friendly PHCs and 110 doctors from other PHCs not applying age friendly toolkit participated in the study. In Age friendly PHCs; the mean age was 40.9 years, while in the other PHCs: 46.7 years. The majority of doctors in the Age- friendly PHCs and the other PHCs were females 70.9% and 63.6% respectively. Almost half of the studied physicians in Age friendly PHCs had a board degree in family medicine, while in other PHCs only 8.2% were family doctors with a degree of board. In Age friendly PHCs; Knowledge of doctors had a mean score significantly higher than the other PHCs (44.2 and 41.5 respectively); good knowledge in Age friendly was in 20% of doctors, and in 4.5% of doctors in other PHCs. Regarding attitudes; No statistical difference between the two groups, and when classifying the level of attitudes, we had Acceptable attitude towards elderly in Age-friendly PHCs and other PHCs 88.2% and 81.8% respectively and Good attitude is 4.5% and 5.5% respectively. Doctors in Age friendly PHCs have better practices towards elderly than the other PHCs, 70.9% of Doctors in Age friendly and 54.5% in other PHCs have good practices. Conclusions: Most of the doctors participated in the study showed acceptable knowledge and attitudes, while practices were good in most of them. Knowledge and practices of doctors working in age friendly PHCs were significantly better than the other PHCs, Attitudes didn’t show significant difference.