Objective: To explore the use of therapeutic plasma exchange as adjunctive therapy in COVID-19 patients with and without diabetes mellitus. Study Design: Prospective, observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Pakistan Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Jan to Feb 2021. Methodology: A total of 90 male patients with laboratory-confirmed coronavirus infection were selected based on our inclusion criteria and their management and outcomes were recorded. The data were analyzed using SPSS-22 and Microsoft Excel. Results: The mortality rate was lower in patients who received 1 or more sessions of plasma exchange compared to those who did not receive plasma exchange (7.5% vs 12%). A lower mortality rate was seen in patients without diabetes who received therapeutic plasma exchange in addition to standard therapy compared to patients who received standard therapy alone (0 vs 14.82%, p=0.112). In patients with diabetes, a higher mortality rate was found in the group that had received therapeutic plasma exchange in addition to standard therapy instead of standard therapy alone (20% vs 8.7%, p=0.365). Conclusion: Overall our study supports the use of therapeutic plasma exchange in COVID-19 patients. However, although statistically insignificant, there appears to be a higher mortality rate in patients with diabetes who received therapeutic plasma exchange in addition to standard therapy. As such, we recommend further investigation of this aspect.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel syndrome with discomfort and changed bowel habits in the absence of obvious structural abnormalities. It is more common among adolescents and young age groups. Aim: Aims of the study is to identify the prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome among medical students of AL- Kindy College of medicine, and to Exploring the effect on IBS prevalence of general demographic form to observe the association between anxiety and IBS. Data were collected on a sample of University of Baghdad, Al-Kindy College of Medicine students in Baghdad, Iraq. The study was conducted over a period for 6 months From December 2020 to June 2021. This study enrolled 250 students who were selected randomly for the purpose of the study, from different stages (1-5), of both genders, randomly collected. The results shown there was a significant correlation between IBS diagnosed patients and gender, and this led to the fact that females are more likely to have IBS since (79.04%) of ill females than males (20.9%). Also, there was a significant correlation regarding the food hypersensitivity (0.002), chronic problems (0.000), regular medication (0.009) and family history of IBS (0.000). Regarding relationship between stress levels and IBS, results showed a significant relationship between stress levels and IBS (p = 0.000), students who experience higher levels of stress and anxiety while studying are more exposed to IBS and concluding the IBS subtypes, the majority of the IBS diseased students 58(55.2%), have only abdominal pain and bloating or both. While students with constipation (IBS C) were more frequent 27 (25.7%) than students with diarrhoea (IBS D) 15 (14.2%) while only 5 (4.76%) had mixed diarrhea and constipation (IBS M). Conclusions: In conclusions the overall prevalence of IBS in this study was (42%) and prevalence of IBS was higher among females than among males. More than 60% of students had mild to moderate or high levels of anxiety.

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections including amoebiasis, blastocystosis, giardiasis, are all worldwide distribution with harmful effects, it is an important cause of morbidity and death rate in the poor countries. Objective: This study was done to collect information of the frequency of these diseases in some regions of Baghdad. Our objectives are to detect the frequency of human pathogenic parasites in some regions of Baghdad in stool samples of patients who would attend to AL-Kindy Teaching Hospital, Medical City Teaching Hospital and to determine the most common age group affected. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital and Medical City Teaching Hospital, in the lab of parasitology from June 2021 to February 2022. The present study included (200) sample, which were collected from patients at different ages of both genders, samples of the study were selected randomly. Results: The results of epidemiological study showed that the total number infected with Entamoeba histolytica parasite was (129) positive samples with total percentage of (64.5%) in both of Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital and Medical City Teaching Hospital, Percentage of infective cases with this parasite in the two hospitals, were (93%, and 36%) respectively, followed by Blastocystis hominis with total number of (59) positive samples and a percentage of (29.5%). The percentage of infective cases with this parasite in the two hospitals, were (5%, and 54%) respectively, and then Giardia lamblia with total number of (12) positive samples, and a percentage of (6%). The percentage of infective cases with this parasite in the two hospitals, were (2%, and 10%) respectively. Males showed higher number and percentage of infection with E. histolytica, (85) case with percentage of (42.5%), while females were (44) case with percentage of (22%), while number and percentage of infection with B. hominis in males were (34) case with percentage of (17%), and females were (25) case with percentage of (12.5%), finally number and percentage of infection with G. lamblia in males (6) cases with percentage of (3%), equal females were (6) case with percentage of (3%). Infection highest percentage happened among age group (20-29) years with percentage of (28%), while the lowest percentage of infection occurred among age group (1-9) years, with percentage (1%), were detected in Medical City Teaching Hospital. In conclusions: Entamoeba histolytica was the most frequent parasite in our study, followed by Blastocystis hominis, while Giardia lambilia was the least frequent one. Also males were more affected than females to parasitic infections, and the most common age group affected was (20-29) years.Health education, safety of food and water must get higher to increase the knowledge of community about diseases caused by intestinal parasites.Using permanent stains, culture, molecular methods, and serological methods for detection of parasites, also making more studies including increasing in number of samples.

Cryptosporidiosis is a parasitic disease result from parasite Cryptosporidium parvum, that effect intestinal tract of mammals. It was recorded that this parasite causes 6% of diarrhea in immunocompetent persons and 24% in AIDS persons. The primary symptoms of this disease are non- bloody and watery diarrhea, also may cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia, .Infection can affect other organs such as gall bladder, liver, and lungs. The aims of this review article to provide the important update information of Cryptosporidium parasite, which is the causative agent of cryptosporidiosis. In conclusion cryptosporidiosis is considered a serious health problem, infect human intestinal tract of different ages, and children are the most cases of this disease which have severe pathologic signs.

The spread of SARS-COVID 19 infection has resulted in accelerated efforts at development and dissemination of vaccines throughout the globe. These vaccines have different mechanisms of actions and their efficacy and side effects are being monitored. There have been rare reports in literature of thyroid dysfunction after COVID-19 vaccine administration. Sub-acute thyroiditis is one such complication which can arise as a rare side-effect of vaccination. This has also been reported as a symptom of COVID-19 infection. Clinical features include fever, neck pain, palpitations and weight loss. We report sub-acute thyroiditis in a 50-year-old male who presented with symptoms suggestive of thyroid abnormality one day after receiving the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (CoronaVac Sinovac-Biotech Ltd).