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Role of Computed Tomography in Differentiation of Radio-Lucent Stones from Radio-Opaque Stones in The Renal System Depending on Attenuation Measurements (Hounsfield Unit)
Full text linkRenal calculus remains to be a common problem in the hospital. It is the third most common urological problem after urinary tract infection and prostate disease
Computed tomography (CT) has a superior sensitivity and specificity over all other modalities in
Diagnosis of renal stones in determining the size and number of kidney stones, no matter how small it is, also it helps in the identification of Hounsfield unit (HU) and thus determines the composition of gravel.
Aim:
The aim of this study is to differentiate between radio-opaque from radio lucent stones depending on attenuation measurements of the Hounsfield unit (HU) and to find the cutoff value depending on the Hounsfield unit in computed tomography (CT).
PATIENT AND METHOD:
This was a cross-sectional study of 100 patients (65 male and 35 female) aged between 18 and 80, having kidney stones of size more than or equal (l0 mm). The study was done between September 2014 and June 2015 in Al-Emammain Al-Kadhymain Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq. In all patients, an X-ray of the Kidney, ureter, and bladder (KUB) was done after preparation, and then nou contrast Computed Tomography (CT) was performed to all patients. Two parameters were studied, which are the appearance of stone on KUB and Hounsfield unit for each stone was measured in Computed Tomography (CT).
RESULTS:
We classified the stones according to their appearance on KUB to Radio-Opaque stone (71 stones) and Radio-Lucent stone (29 stones).
By statistical analysis, we found that the cut-off value of HU was 573, with a sensitivity of 97.2% and specificity of 93.1%.
CONCLUSION
Find the cut-off value of the Hounsfield unit (HU), which is a value in the classification of gravel according to their appearance
Clinical Symptoms of the Systemic Inflammatory Response in Acute Severe Poisoning by Agents Affecting the Central Nervous System
Full text linkRelevance. Currently, acute poisoning with substances affecting the central nervous system in the general structure of exogenous intoxications accounts for up to 50-60% of cases, of which up to 25% are severe and extremely severe lesions leading to the formation of critical conditions and requiring intensive care (Bonitenko E.Yu. et al., 2018; Luzhnikov E.A. et al., 2016; Bohnert A.S. et al., 2019; Muller D. et al., 2017; Taheri F. et al., 2015). The causes of widespread acute poisoning include the uncontrolled use of various medicines in everyday life, suicidal attempts, as well as the use of narcotic drugs for the purpose of drug intoxication (Rokhlina M.L., 2019; Nordstrom D. L. et al., 2017; Taheri F. et al., 2018). The severity of the condition of patients with acute severe poisoning by drugs affecting the central nervous system is due to pronounced disorders of the functions of various organs and body systems due to the specific action of xenobiotics (Luzhnikov E.A. et al., 2016), as well as developing hypoxia (Livanov G.A. et al., 2014; Hashemian M. et al., 2016), leading to the development of life-threatening complications, which often determines the outcome of chemical trauma
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spine Surgeries for Herniated Disk
Full text linkBackground: Lumbar disc herniation surgery has evolved in recent decades towards the use of less invasive techniques. These new techniques maintained the effectiveness of the procedure by reducing the morbidity of patients. Objective: Our study was assessed minimally invasive lumbar spine surgeries for Herniated disks. Patients and methods: This study collected clinical data for patients who underwent both endoscopic discectomy and laser disc decompression. One hundred twenty patients aged between 30 and 60 years were recruited, and the patient's clinical data were identified and collected before surgery. Patient data were collected for both surgeries, which were divided into arthroscopic discectomy, with 48 patients, and laser disc decompression, with 72 patients. To compare the two surgeries, this study determined intra- and postoperative outcomes, which included operative time, rate of blood loss during surgery, mortality rate, recurrence, recovery time, complications, pain rate, and postoperative quality of life assessment. Results: To compare the two surgeries, the clinical results recorded the duration of surgery for arthroscopic discectomy was 114.78 ± 7.2, and laser disc decompression was 54.65 ± 6.8. The average patient rate and length of hospital stay were 1.1 ± 0.2 days after arthroscopic discectomy and 2.01 ± 0.32 days after laser disc decompression surgery. The mortality rate included two cases in the group that underwent arthroscopic disc decompression surgery and only one case in the group that underwent laser disc decompression surgery. The recovery time for patients was 2.8 ± 1.07 for the group that underwent arthroscopic disc decompression surgery, while it was 1.6 ± 0.71. For the group that underwent laser disc decompression surgery, the complication rate for patients was post-operative endoscopic discectomy. It included seven patients and 4 cases after laser disc decompression surgery, the most prominent of which were bleeding and infection. Conclusion: The current study indicates that the superiority and effectiveness of the two surgeries, laser disc decompression over arthroscopic discectomy, because of its high success rate in terms of pain rate, faster recovery, fewer complications, and a significant and noticeable improvement in the quality of life of patients in the long term
During Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy, Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome are Given a Dexmedetomidine Infusion to Help with Pain Management and to Avoid Emerging Agitation
Full text linkAn α2-specific agonist is the medication used to control analgesia; it has been demonstrated to be beneficial in reducing the amount of opioids needed and reducing emergence agitation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative benefits of continuous intraoperative infusion of dexmedetomidine vs a single dose of fentanyl during surgery for avoiding emerging agitation and perioperative painkiller usage in children with OSA undergoing adenotonsillectomy
Foreign Body in the Respiratory Tract
Full text linkThe article presents a case of a foreign body being in the respiratory tract for 12 years. Clinical manifestations of aspirated foreign bodies are subject to certain patterns. They are determined by the size, shape, properties and localization of the foreign body, its effect on the respiratory zones of the respiratory tract and the response of the respiratory tract to such irritation, the nature of the violation of laryngotracheobronchal patency and inflammatory changes in the lower respiratory tract and lungs
Thyroid Dysfunction Study at Murjan Hospital, Hilla City
Full text linkThyroid 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
Implementation of the Family Care Model for Elderly Healthy
Full text linkThe 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
IMPROVING THE INVESTMENT ACTIVITY OF INSURANCE COMPANIES
Full text linkThe article explores the formation and use of the financial resources of insurance companies, the assessment of the profitability of Investiture operations, a model that will help optimize their investiture activities and improve their financial mechanisms. And proposals were developed to improve the efficiency of the investision portfolio of insurance companies
The Impacts of Road Transport Infrastructure and the Socio-Economic Development in the Bamenda III Municipality, Mezam Division, North West Region Cameroon
Full text linkTransport is a vital infrastructure that drives the socio-economic development around the world. This is the case with the Bamenda III sub division in Mezam Centre, North West Region of Cameroon. The development of transport infrastructure produces diverse impact on the socio-economic development. The research examines the role of transport infrastructure on the socio-economic development of that sub division. The aim of this study therefore was to assess the role of transport infrastructural development on socio-economic development in the Bamenda III municipality. The study used a survey design to collect and analyses the required data. Data collection was done using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, observations and from secondary sources like text books. Chi square was used to test the hypothesis. The results show that road infrastructural development has played significant role in the socio-economic development in the Bamenda III municipality. Household in Bamenda III have different opinion on the role of transport infrastructure on socio-economic development. From the field observation, it was seen that majority of the respondent (89%) were of the opinion that transport infrastructure play significant role in the socio-economic development while a smaller proportion (11%) of the respondents were of the opinion that transport infrastructure does not play significant role. Transport infrastructure has play significant role in the socio-economic development some of which includes; improve social wellbeing through excellent production transport infrastructural development, reduces transport cost among others. There are some challenges faced by the transport sector in the Bamenda III municipality some of which include; traffic congestion, climate and poor drainage. Participants also propose some recommendations that could be put in place to reduce the challenges faced by the transport sector. Some of these recommendations include; traffic measurement measures, systematic and non-random construction of houses
Naira Redesign and Cashless Policy: the Nigerian Experience
Full text linkThe Nigerian economy has witnessed significant transformations in recent years, including a redesign of its currency, the Naira, and the implementation of a cashless policy. This article delves into the Nigerian experience of Naira redesign and the adoption of a cashless policy, exploring their implications on the economy. Through an extensive literature review, detailed methodology, and analysis of results, the study discovered that the currency redesign policy in Nigeria has had a profound impact on the nation's economy, yielding a range of advantages and challenges. This abstract provides a concise overview of the implications of the policy.The advantages of the currency redesign include enhanced economic security through a significant reduction in counterfeit currency circulation, increased foreign investor confidence, and a reduction in the informal economy. Additionally, the policy has improved transparency, fostered economic stability, supported anti-corruption efforts, bolstered Nigeria's international reputation, and promoted greater confidence in the banking system.However, challenges exist, including initial implementation costs, potential confusion during the transition, logistical hurdles, resistance to change, and the risk of incomplete transition. The study employed secondary time series data which was quarterly in nature and spanned from 1992 to 2021. The methodologies adopted in the study are the unit root (stationarity) test for the validation of the data, the Johansen co-integration test for the level of relationship among the variables and to validate the result error correction model, and the Granger causality test. Findings reveal that point-of-sales transactions and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data Transactions contributed to Nigeria's economic growth in a positive and significant way while Website/internet transactions and Mobile payments negatively contributed to economic performance in Nigeria. As such, we conclude that the negative contribution of Mobile payment and Website/internet transactions to economic improvement may be linked to the high volume of fraudulent activities associated with this version of E-banking and excessive charges on such transactions. The study recommends that efforts should be directed toward enhancing digital infrastructure, promoting regulatory frameworks that support innovation and consumer protection, and fostering technological advancements to maximize the potential of these payment methods