The Libyan journal of medicine
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The present study aimed to identify the NAT2 haplotypes, linkage disequilibrium, and novel NAT2 genetic variants among Jordanian population. We isolated the genomic DNA from 68 healthy, Arab, unrelated Jordanian volunteers to amplify the protein-coding region of NAT2 gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Then, the amplified PCR products were sequenced using Applied Biosystems Model (ABI3730x1). ⋯ In addition, this study found a novel nonsynonymous NAT2 436G>A genetic variant with low frequency (0.7%). However, this novel variant was predicted to be tolerated and not harmful to the NAT2 protein, using in silico prediction tools. It is concluded that the frequency of slow encoding NAT2 haplotype was high among Jordanian volunteers, which may have effects on drug responses and susceptibility to some diseases, such as cancers.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of music therapy under general anesthesia in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.
Music therapy, an innovative approach that has proven effectiveness in many medical conditions, seems beneficial also in managing surgical patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate its effects, under general anesthesia, on perioperative patient satisfaction, stress, pain, and awareness. ⋯ Music therapy is a non-pharmacological, inexpensive, and non-invasive technique that can significantly enhance patient satisfaction and decrease patients' embarrassing experiences related to perioperative stress, pain, and awareness.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of listening to Holy Qur'an recitation and physical training on dialysis efficacy, functional capacity, and psychosocial outcomes in elderly patients undergoing haemodialysis.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether listening to Holy Qur'an recitation would augment the beneficial effects of physical exercise on physiological and psychological measures in elderly patients undergoing haemodialysis. Fifty-three male haemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group (listening to Holy Qur'an recitation in combination with endurance-resistance training, n = 28) or a control group (endurance-resistance training only, n = 25). Functional capacity was assessed using the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). ⋯ All measured parameters were significantly improved over baseline in both groups, except for Kt/V in the control group (p > 0.05). Moreover, final measurements were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group for all measured parameters, except for 6MWT performance and the physical component summary of the SF-36 (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the present study showed that listening to a recitation of the Holy Qur'an in combination with interdialytic endurance-resistance training induced an improvement in physical condition and quality of life and a large reduction in anxiety among patients undergoing haemodialysis.
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The aim of the present study was to locate the ophthalmic artery by using the edge of the internal carotid artery (ICA) as the reference depth to perform a reliable non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement via a multi-depth transcranial Doppler device and to then determine the positions and angles of an ultrasonic transducer (UT) on the closed eyelid in the case of located segments. High tension glaucoma (HTG) patients and healthy volunteers (HVs) undergoing non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement were selected for this prospective study. The depth of the edge of the ICA was identified, followed by a selection of the depths of the IOA and EOA segments. ⋯ The difference in the located depths of the segments between groups was not statistically significant. The results showed a significant difference in the measured UT angles in the case of the identified edge of the ICA and selected ophthalmic artery segments (p = 0.0002). We demonstrated that locating the IOA and EOA segments can be achieved using the edge of the ICA as a reference point.
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The aim of the present comparative study was to compare some salivary characteristics between exclusive waterpipe smokers (EWPS) and non-smokers. 72 males (36 EWPS) were recruited. The volume of stimulated saliva was determined and divided by the duration of saliva collection. The pH was measured directly using a pH meter. ⋯ Statistically significant differences in the two groups' pH were observed from 30 to 160 µL of titrated up HCl. At 50 µL of titrated up HCl, the EWPS group compared to the non-smoker group had a significantly higher pH (4.79 ± 0.72 vs. 5.32 ± 0.79). To conclude, waterpipe tobacco smoking alters the buffering capacity but does not alter either salivary flow rates or the baseline pH and consistency.