kufa Journal for Nursing sciences

Background: Non-malignant thyroid disorder is a common problem in many parts of the globe and affects different organ systems of the human body even proved to cause growth and mental retardation .These disorders are differences in frequency of clinical forms in iodine deficiency and saturated areas in iodine of the world. Sulaimaniyah city, Kurdistan Region- North Iraq is a known mountainous iodine deficient region.
Aim of the study: was undertaken with an objective to assess the spectrum of clinical concern of non-malignant euthyroid disorders in correlation with thyroid serological blood tests in Sulaimaniyah city.
Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted for the clinical presentation, risk factors and different hematological investigations in patients attending surgical private clinic in Sulaimaniyah. On 115 patients (101 female & 14 males) of non-malignant thyroid disorders during the period of six months from July 1st to December 31st 2018; They were subjected to detailed clinical examination and biochemical blood tests.
Result: From 115 patients (female/male ratios: 7/1) presented with the functional classification thyroid disorder as follows: Hyperthyroidism 44.3%, hypothyroidism 35.7% and with clinical thyroid enlargement or nodule but thyroid (functionally with normal thyroid function tests) 20%. The most common age of presentation is between 20-40 years, followed by 20 years. Female marital state, number of childbearing and a different geographical region in the city has no significant role in the different thyroid disorders. Body Mass Index (BMI) in 88.7% of the patients was above normal.

BACKGROUND: asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways and is one of the increasing trends to air pollution and urbanization. The use of alternative ways of treatment that are as efficacious as the standard treatment is the need of the hour.
AIM OF STUDY: To study and determine the effect of Buteyko method on lung's functions among asthmatic
patients in Najaf al-Ashraf city.
METHODOLOGY: This descriptive analyses study used a One-Group Pre-Test and Post-Test Quazi Experimental Design used to study the effect of Buteyko Method on lungs functions among asthmatic patients, to determine the effect of Buteyko method on lung's functions through comparing the lung's functions prior and after using Buteyko method. This study conducted in the period of 15/ March 2016 to 1/ Sept. 2016. A (42) asthmatic patients selected of (54) volunteers are included in the study.
RESULTS: The study results indicate that there is a high significant difference between the pre-test and posttest scores so; the Buteyko method is effective to improve the patients’ lungs functions.
CONCLUSION: The study concludes that Buteyko method is an effective way to improve the patient's lungs
capacities and it can resolve the problems that faced during asthmatic attack.
RECOMMENDATION: The study recommends that the further studied should conduct at national level to
prove the effect of this method or to compare the effect with other methods that used to improve the lungs
functions.

Background: Human Papilloma Virus is a DNA virus, epitheliotropic, non-enveloped, with a double strand
circular genome, and about 8,000 pb, measuring 55 nm in diameter.
Objectives: Highlighting the relationship between the occurrence of premalignant laryngeal lesions and
human papillomavirus like a causal factor together with development of laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Methodology: Fifty cases of laryngeal cancer and premalignant laryngeal lesions are incorporated within this
study. Tissues were saved within formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin blocks. We used Immunohistochemical technique in order to prove the correlation between HPV infection and those laryngeal lesions.
Results: We obtained about (47,5 %) HPV positive in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and about (20%) HPV positive in premalignant laryngeal lesions
Conclusion:
1. About half of cases were HPV positive (45.5%).
2. The rate of HPV infection in Iraqi patients was low in comparison to United States. Many studies show high rate of HPV detection.
3. Immunohistochemical technique was efficient method for detection of HPV in Laryngeal cancer and its
premalignant lesion.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Detection of HPV in laryngeal cancer using PCR technique (polymerase chain reaction) and ISH technique (Insitu hybridization). And in future study, we will try to use a large number of cases in order to study the prevalence of HPV among Iraqi general population.

Background: Antibiotics Misuse is a worldwide health concern associated with an increased incidence of resistance to antibiotics. Knowledge, attitudes, expectations, and practices of physicians regarding antibiotic prescription are essential to control the irrational use of antibiotics.
Aim of the study: study the knowledge & attitude of Iraqi physicians towards the use of antibiotics.
Methodology: This study is a cross-sectional study and the design used a questionnaire survey involved 350 physicians in Al-Najaf Iraq, 2019. after expert people agreed on the final version of the questionnaire, ethical approval from the faculty of medicine's ethics committee was guaranteed, then the link of the questionnaire was sent to a group of Iraqi physicians residing in Najaf governorate through What's App group made by Najaf chapter of Iraqi medical syndicate and responses were collected automatically by Google form.
Results: 55 out of nearly 350 physicians respond to our questionnaire, 96.5 % of the participants had prescribed antibiotics for their patients; 72.7% they use only one antibiotic there is 21.8% uses two while still there is nearly 2% uses three per prescription.
Conclusion: Antibiotics highly prescribed among study population. The results highlight the need for training
the health providers on safely antibiotic prescription. There is need for development of national antibiotic
stewardship program and guidance on common infection diagnosis and treatment.
Recommendation: There is a need to set national guidelines for antibiotics prescribing.

Background: Epilepsy is a complex and common in neurological defects which effects on the health status and the quality of life, which tend to appear in different forms according to the construction the electrically activation of the brain partially or completely.
Objectives: to assess Self-Efficacy of patients with Epilepsy, To assess Self-Care of patients with Epilepsy, to find out the relationship between Self-Efficacy and self-care of patients with Epilepsy and to find out the relationship between Epileptic patients' Self-care and their demographic and clinical data.
Methodology: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Design is adopted in the current study to achieve the early stated
objectives. The study started from January 2nd, 2018 until May, 20th, 2018. A Non-Probability (Purposive Sample) of (50) epilepsy patients, those who Attended Al-Sadder Medical City / Middle Euphrates Neuroscience Center, are included in the study sample, Data collected through using of a well-designed questionnaire consist of four parts: part I: Demographic data that consists of (6) items including age, gender, level of education, occupation, marital status and residency, part II: Clinical data that consists of (8) items including Etiology of epilepsy , Duration of epilepsy, Time of occurrence of seizure, Reported seizure frequency in last 3 months , Do you visit neurologist , Do you have other chronic condition, Do you receive an education about epilepsy, If yes, from where did you get information, Do you smoker , If yes, type of smoking and gives duration and numbers of cigarettes, and part III: consists of patients‟ self-care activities comprised of (5) major domains, and part IV consists of self-Efficacy comprised of (31) items.
Results: The findings of the present study indicate that the overall assessment for patients‟ self-care are
interdependent and overall assessment of the patients' Presented that the self-efficacy domain items is fair. In
addition, that there was a significant association between the (patients' self-care) and their (self-efficacy).
Conclusions: The study concludes that there was a direct effect of the patients' self-efficacy on their self-care,
when patients' self-efficacy increases, their self-care increases as well and vice versa.
Recommendations: The study recommends epileptic patients need education guidance, such as published
materials with regard to self-care activities, and an educational program should be designed and applied to
increase patients' information about self-care activities for epilepsy to reduce or prevent complications.

Background: Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Iraq exceeding only by coronary heart disease and war related death. Ageing with overweight plays a critical role in predisposing people to stroke; weight loss behaviors can have profound effect in protecting seniors with obesity from stroke.
Aim of study: The study aims to assess the efficacy of the Health Belief Model in enhancing weight loss behaviors to prevent stroke among overweight and obese geriatrics homes residents in Baghdad city.
Methodology: This study used a randomized controlled trial approach. Sixty-three seniors from Baghdad geriatrics homes with BMI > 25 Kg/m2 participated in the study and randomly allocated into one of two groups, experimental (intervention group) and control (nonintervention group). A mixed design analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to measure the change among participant's beliefs over three times (T1, T2, and T3).
Results: There was a significant improvement among participant’s beliefs about seriousness of stroke, F (2, 60)
= 8.408, P < 0.000, their susceptibility to stroke F (2, 60) = 7.774, P < 0.001, benefit of weight loss in preventing stroke F (2, 60) = 9.698, P < 0.000 and their perceived barrier to weight loss F (2, 60) = 8.431, P < 0.001 over times. However, the post-hoc procedure by using Bonferroni correction test indicated that this change in beliefs was attributed to the experimental group participants.
Conclusion: The results of this study can be clinically important, since it highlighted that elderly people’s beliefs about stroke and prevention of this serious disorder by maintaining normal body weight can be reached through systematic process of health education. As well, the study demonstrated the efficacy of the health belief model in eliciting such desired objectives.
Recommendation: This study recommend conducting additional studies to prove the efficacy of the Health Belief Model in promoting improvement upon aged people stroke related beliefs.

Background: The family planning is obtaining a major development of subjects that affects the quality of life of families, communities and society at large. Increased use of the family planning lead to the great improvements in maternal-child health, women's status, and economic progress; But the speedy growth of the population, if current trends in fecundity keep going.
Aim of the study: To identify the knowledge of women about the family planning at primary Health Care Centers in Al- Diwaniyah Governorate.
Methodology: A descriptive study of the knowledge of women about the family planning was conducted in April 2018. A random sample (50) aged 15-29 years were selected, which included primary health care centers in Diwaniyah governorate. The demographic variables of the studied sample and the diversity of the need for the
work of three questionnaires distributed as follows: The first questionnaire to study the demographic distribution,
distributed across the province. The second question was to study women's knowledge about family planning and the utility of family planning for mothers, children, the family and society. The third question was to study the knowledge of women regarding contraceptive methods. The fourth questionnaire was to study women's knowledge about STDs, their complications and risks. Descriptive statistical analysis (frequency, percentages), arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and deductive analysis.
Results: The results were obtained through women's of knowledge survey on family planning program. Their knowledge of them lacked much information about this program.
Conclusion: There is not much information about family planning, just conventional ones such as condoms, and some injections of contraception or pills.
Recommendations: Through the study of these women, it was found that they need intensive educational programs on what is family planning and what their negative impact on their lives and the lives of their children in the future.

Background: Inhaler is an important device used to inhalant the drugs to treat some pulmonary diseases.
Objectives: Assess the knowledge and practices of nurses about nebulization therapy and determine the relationship between demographic characteristic with nurse's knowledge and practices.
Methodology: A purposive study design was conducted in the period from 1st June 2018 to 15th November 2018.the sample include (50) nurses who were working at intensive care unit, at Azadi teaching hospital and Kirkuk general hospital.
Results: The majority of nurses’ ages were (23-27) years old that were accounted for (85%), Most of them (74%) were female, (24%) for less than one years were employee in the intensive care unit, Majority of them (34%) were employee (11 and more) years were employment in nursing, (28%) of them have training session in the intensive care unit.
Conclusions: Nurses have more skills best than knowledge level and their no significant relationship between
nurse’s demographic characteristics and levels of knowledge and practices.
Recommendation: there is a need for preparing Educational program for nurses to improve knowledge and
practices about nebulization therapy.

Background: most patients with breast mass are anxious (to start with) regarding method of final diagnosis. If FNAC is done by dependable hands it proves to be the least invasive and may lead (if positive) to one stage surgery.
Aim of the study: The study aimed principally to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of breast lumps by comparing the results with the histopathological diagnosis.
Methodology: data were prospectively collected from 103 female patients within a period of 5 years (Feb.2009 to Jan.2014). All patients had palpable breast lumps for which initially aspiration cytology of the lump has been done followed by partial or total surgical lump excision for final histopathological diagnosis and to compare the results.
Results: of all FNAC specimens, 98 (95%) were adequate for cytological interpretation. Of those evaluated cytological, 62 (62.8%) were benign, 9 (9%) were suspicious for malignancy and 27 (27.5%) were malignant. Of the surgical histopathological specimens, 40 (40.8%) were malignant.
Conclusion: The FNAC procedure is a rapid method, easy to perform, of little cost and easily accepted by the patients and it provides a high specificity and quite reasonable sensitivity rates that can be used for rapid diagnosis and screening.
Recommendation: FNAC results are better interpreted in correlation with the clinical and imaging findings to allow better management for the patient and are better to be used with ultrasound guidance for better and adequate aspirates.

Background: Childbirth classes help to prepare pregnant woman during labor and delivery to reduce the complications, increase a mother's confidence, and understand how to cope with the pain during labor and delivery.
Aim of study: To measure the effectiveness of childbirth classes regarding labor's Knowledge and practices on primigravida pregnant women.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental design, of sixty primigravida women who participate in program (30 women for study group and 30 for control group) at Al-Elwiya Teaching hospital for period from on 4th July to 25th November 2018. The data were collected through the use of constructed questionnaire format, interview technique, and observational checklist. Descriptive (mean and stander deviation) statistic was used to data analysis).
Results: The finding of the study revealed that the mean and SD of study group and control group age was (23.4
∓ 5.57) and (20.2∓ 4.16) year respectively, primary school graduated (36.7%) and (33.3%) of wife, (43.3%) and (30%) of husband was intermediate school graduated respectively, housewives, (73.3%) and (86.7%) of them was no relation with their husbands respectively, and low economic status (201000-400000) ID monthly for study group while less than (200000)ID for control group. Both study and control groups had poor knowledge on childbirth and after the program intervention, the knowledge and practice improved and were statistically significant at (0.00001) level in comparison with control group.
Conclusion: The results indicate that childbirth classes have been greatly improved primigravida women knowledge and practices after being intervention the educational program.
Recommendations: All health personnel who worked in labor room need to train about childbirth classes and
Ministry of Health making policies to be with its strategies, with raising the women awareness by mass media
and providing booklet regarding childbirth classes.