The state of health in the Arab world, 1990-2010: an analysis of the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors.

Background: The Arab world has a set of historical, geopolitical, social, cultural, and economic characteristics and has been involved in several wars that have affected the burden of disease. Moreover, financial and human resources vary widely across the region. We aimed to examine the burden of diseases and injuries in the Arab world for 1990, 2005, and 2010 using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2010 (GBD 2010).

High incidence of hepatitis B infection after treatment for paediatric cancer at a teaching hospital in Baghdad.

This study estimated the incidence of viral hepatitis in children treated for cancer, to identify variables that could affect this incidence and to assess the role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination in preventing infection. Between September 2007 and June 2008, 256 children in the haemato-oncology unit at the Children's Welfare Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, were studied prospectively. Demographic and clinical data and vaccination history were recorded.

Future planning to upgrade the pediatric oncology service in the Baghdad children welfare teaching hospital.

In Iraq; the community has suffered considerably in the past 40 years that makes any attempt of repair very difficult. Our hospital operates below the standard on all levels, the pediatric oncology unit, which has a capacity of 30 single beds, is occupied by double or triples. In 2010; new patients with cancer reached 366.

Reality of pediatric cancer in Iraq.

This brief report displays comprehensive details of health services provided by Children's Welfare Teaching Hospital, medical city, Baghdad. In 2010; 366 children with newly diagnosed cancer were admitted for treatment, two thirds were leukemia and lymphoma cases followed by other solid tumors except brain tumors. With this large number of patients; there are shortcomings in provision of health services in many aspects including professional manpower, infrastructure, diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, supportive and palliative care.

Evaluation of neurogenic dysphagia in Iraqi patients with acute stroke.

Objectives: To clinically assess neurogenic dysphagia, and to correlate its presence with demographic features, different stroke risk factors, anatomical arterial territorial stroke types, and pathological stroke types.

Methods: Seventy-two stroke inpatients were studied between July 2007 and February 2008, at the Departments of Medicine and Neurology at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, and Rizgary Teaching Hospital, Erbil, Iraq. All patients were assessed using the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability score (MASA), Modified Rankin Scale, and the Stroke Risk Scorecard.

Frictional hair loss in Iraqi patients.

A total of 50 Iraqi male patients with frictional hair loss were studied. Their ages ranged from 27-55 years with a mean +/- SD of 40.60 +/- 7.

Neuro-Behcet's disease in Iraq: a study of 40 patients.

Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic, multisystemic disorder with variable prevalence in different geographical areas. Neurological manifestations (neuro-Behcet's disease, NBD) are well recognized. We studied 40 Iraqi patients with NBD from a neurological unit in a large teaching hospital, all fulfilling the International Study group criteria for the diagnosis of BD.