Background: Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive disease common in Iraq with a prevalence of 35.7 per 100000. Beta thalassemia major is a life-threatening condition with many complications which if not managed could cause death at an early age. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the awareness of parents/caregivers of children with beta-thalassemia major and intermedia, as enhancing awareness is the first and the most important step in all prevention programs Methods: We conducted this study in three thalassemia centers (two in Baghdad and one in Al-Nasiriyah) from July 20th, 2017 to September 20th, 2017. This study involved 193 parents of thalassemic children under the age of 15 who come to the centers frequently for blood transfusion. The study assessed the awareness questionnaire through interviews. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program (SPSS) version 24. Results: We found that awareness was low in many aspects. The highest knowledge was for foods that thalassemic patients shouldn't eat and for the early manifestation signs in thalassemic patients which is 94.8% and 86%, respectively. The lowest knowledge was for the consideration of human immune deficiency virus as a transfusion-transmitted disease and for the chance of having an affected child when both parents are carriers which were 37.3% and 11.9%, respectively. Conclusion: Parents have low awareness of thalassemia in many aspects. Thalassemia care centers may need to provide more education for the parents of patients with thalassemia.

Nutritional assessment is essential in the evaluation of individuals’ health status. this study seeks to develop and validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that can be used as a nutritional assessment tool in epidemiological studies. a stratified random sampling enrolled sixty-five participants from Baghdad university college of medicine. participants were asked to fill a four days food upon which the questionnaire was developed. the participants were asked to fill the questionnaire based on their food intake in the last year. the data was entered using a food application, and the data source for the food nutritional values was obtained from different food composition tables. the serving size was assessed based on the Canadian nutritional society guidelines. the validation and reliability of the questionnaire were evaluated by comparing food intake of the records and the questionnaires using paired mean difference and Pearson correlation coefficient. the energy was adjusted using the nutrient density method. the mean difference between the records and questionnaire was 151.3 kcal, 7.61, 10.45, 10.24 gram for energy, fat, carbohydrate, and protein, respectively. the correlation coefficient between the record and the questionnaire was 0.829, 0.583, 0.323, and 0.547 for energy, fat, carbohydrate, and protein, respectively. in conclusion, this is the first valid food frequency questionnaire that was shown to be valid and reliable in providing a nutritional assessment of dietary intake in Iraq. it requires more efforts to be considered as a national tool for dietary assessment.

Background: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is associated with chronically elevated left ventricular filling pressures that promote left atrial (LA) remodeling and increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Because AF is frequently asymptomatic during its early stages, identifying echocardiographic markers that facilitate early risk stratification is of considerable clinical importance. This study investigated the association between LA enlargement and AF in elderly patients with LVDD using conventional echocardiographic LA size parameters. Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled 100 consecutive patients aged ≥ 60 years with echocardiographically confirmed LVDD and no documented history of AF between December 2023 and May 2024. Comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography was performed to assess LA diameter, biplane LA volume using Simpson’s method, LA volume by the area–length method, and indexed LA volume (LAVI). The presence of AF was determined by standard 12-lead electrocardiography and rhythm assessment. Echocardiographic parameters were compared between patients with and without AF using appropriate statistical analyses. Results: The study population had a mean age of 68.37 ± 6.31 years, and 52% were male. AF was identified in 15% of participants, while mild LA enlargement was observed in 18%. Among patients with LA enlargement, 72.2% had AF compared with only 2.4% of patients with a normal LA size (p < 0.001). Patients with AF demonstrated significantly greater biplane LA volume (69.10 ± 9.61 vs. 52.21 ± 6.28 mL), LA volume measured by the area–length method (71.42 ± 9.51 vs. 54.03 ± 6.53 mL), and indexed LA volume (37.33 ± 3.81 vs. 28.87 ± 3.65 mL/m²) than those without AF (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Left atrial enlargement measured using echocardiographic assessment, particularly indexed LA volume, is strongly associated with atrial fibrillation in elderly patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

Background: Forensic medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with applying medical knowledge to establish facts in civil or criminal cases, such as investigations into the cause and time of death. In Iraq, people's knowledge about forensic doctors' profiles is unknown, so this study aims to assess the general population's knowledge regarding forensic doctors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that involved 644 participants from different provinces in Iraq using a self-administered questionnaire published via social media websites. The survey involved questions about the sociodemographic status of participants and twelve questions about forensic doctor duties, which were listed in the Iraqi constitution. These were tested for internal consistency with an alpha Cronbach value of 0.82. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social science (SPSS) version 23. Results: The mean number of questions correctly answered was 7.35 with a standard deviation of 3, 9.5% of the sample answered all the questions correctly, 30.4% answered from 9 to 11 questions, 20.5% from 7 to 8, 28% from 4 to 6, 9.4% from 1 to 3 and 2.2% answered all questions wrongly. The highest awareness was about the duty of dissecting bodies, identifying the remnants' identity, and identifying the cause of death. The lowest awareness was about public morality issues as a duty of the forensic doctor. There was a statistically significant association between the number of correctly answered questions and gender, age, marital status, and education level. Conclusion : This study shows moderate knowledge and awareness about forensic doctors among Iraq's general population.

Breast cancer is a common malignancy worldwide. It is considered top cancer in women and about 13% of women in the general population will develop breast cancer sometimes during their lives, with a gradual increase in incidence as survival increases. Primary prevention of breast cancer is directed toward promoting a healthy lifestyle and reversing modifiable risk factors; these factors include smoking cessation, physical activity, alcohol, and dietary modification. Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer, it is also considered the most valuable tool in screening breast cancer. Mammogram is the most widely used method; it is recommended by many societies and committees as a useful method for early detection of breast cancer. False-positive and over-diagnosis constitute a problem in using screening mammogram. The implementation of a screening program faces many issues that may adversely affect its success such as personal factors, social factors, and accessibility issues. These issues should be identified as the initial step in program implementation. The role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ultrasound is mainly in high-risk patients. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence in Mammogram may add beneficial effects in time and efforts improving its efforts.

Background: Transseptal puncture is routinely performed to access the left atrium during catheter ablation of left atrial tachyarrhythmias. Although iatrogenic atrial septal defects (iASDs) frequently occur after the procedure, factors influencing delayed defect closure remain incompletely understood. Myocardial injury induced by radiofrequency (RF) ablation results in the release of cardiac troponin into the circulation and may reflect the extent of procedural tissue injury. Methods: This prospective study included patients who underwent RF ablation for left atrial arrhythmias at the Iraqi Center for Heart Diseases in collaboration with the College of medicine, University of Baghdad between March 2023 and April 2024. Serum troponin concentrations, procedural duration, and echocardiographic assessment of iASD size were evaluated prospectively to determine their association with delayed atrial septal defect closure over a period of 3–6 months. Results: Forty-seven patients were enrolled (mean age, 36.28 ± 10.34 years; 48.9% male). A significant positive association was observed between iASD size and serum troponin level (p < 0.001). For each unit increase in post-procedure troponin, the likelihood of ASD presence increases by more than two-fold at 3–6 months. Larger septal defects were also associated with longer procedural duration. Conclusions: Elevated serum troponin concentration following RF ablation is associated with larger iatrogenic atrial septal defects and may serve as a useful predictor of delayed iASD closure during the first six months of follow-up.