Department of Paediatrics

     

 

Forward

 

       

       The Department of Pediatrics of Basrah Medical College had stood on its own in 1977. The staff members are responsible for offering pediatric teaching and training for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

 

Mission

 

        The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Basrah is a vibrant academic department engaged in education, research, clinical services, and advocacy for children. The programs we have developed within each of these areas are of the highest quality.

        Through excellence, innovation and collaboration, the department will improve the health and well-being of all children and adolescents by educating the pediatric and physician leaders of the future, advancing research, advocating for children and providing the country best primary and specialty pediatric clinical care. In partnership with our health care and academic institutions, we will create a collegial environment where academic faculty can reach their personal and professional goals.

       The Department members are strongly committed to education at all levels (medical students, postgraduate trainees, and continuing medical education). In addition, the Department is committed to outstanding clinical care. In collaboration with our colleagues from other Departments, a full range of general and subspecialty services are available to children.

       Our Department is involved in a wide variety of clinical and basic research programs. Opportunities are provided for students and residents to become involved in focused research projects during their elective time.

 

The Head of Pediatric Department

 

 

-          Professor D.M. Al-Thamery 1977 – 1978.

-          Dr. K. Rasam 1978 – 1982.

-          Dr. N.M. Abdul-Karim 1982 – 1984.

-          Professor D.M. Al-Thamery 1984 – 1986.

-          Professor I. O. Al-Sadoon 1986-2001

-        Professor M.K. Hassan since 2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Setting of the Department

 

·     The main office of the department is located in Basrah Medical College, which consists of staff rooms and secretary room, and the staffs have the access to use facilities provided by the college like med line, provided library and photography.

·    Attached to the department three hospitals – Basrah Maternity and Children Hospital, where our undergraduate and postgraduate students attach, this hospital includes 220 pediatric beds including general pediatrics, two neonatal units, emergency unit, nutritional rehabilitation unit, oncology unit & center for Hereditary Blood Diseases in addition to the outpatient department.

·    The other hospital, Port General Hospital, this hospital has 60 pediatric beds &neonatal unit , nutritional rehabilitation unit outpatient department, only the undergraduate students are trained there.

·    The third hospital is the Basrah General Hospital which has 40 pediatric beds; neonatal unit, nutritional rehabilitation unit, outpatient department and causality, undergraduate students and postgraduates students are trained there.

 

Teaching Programs

  General Goals

 

 

-   To provide pediatric education to medical students, residents, subspecialty fellows, practicing pediatricians and other healthcare providers using the latest resources and learning methods.

 

-   To provide medical care for children.

 

-  To provide the academic environment for students and trainees to conduct clinical research in pediatrics and in medical education.

 

    The goal of the pediatric clinical experience is to provide an opportunity for each student to develop the basic skills required to provide medical care for infants, children, and adolescents, and to provide a foundation for further training in pediatrics.

                                                                                                  

Undergraduate Training Programs

 

General Goals

 

1. To acquire knowledge about pediatrics necessary for any physician regardless of his or her future area of interest.

2. To gather, organize, and record health and illness data on pediatric patients in various age groups: newborn, infant, toddler, pre-school, school-age, and adolescent. This includes:

      a. The ability to take a thorough history.

      b. The ability to carry out a  thorough physical examination and developmental assessment.
      c. The ability to record  the above in conventional or problem-oriented format.
    d. The ability to synthesize and analyze the information and to develop an approach to     differential diagnoses.
      e. The ability to formulate a plan of evaluation with critical use of the laboratory and other diagnostic studies with justification.
      f. The development  of skills in concise case presentation.
     g. The acquisition  of knowledge about general approaches to patient management (rather than fine detail).
     h. The development  of skills in performance of simple procedures.

3. To review the pathophysiology and background information about disease entities encountered and the effects of disease on the developing child.

Fifth Year Students:

 

Teaching the fifth year students consists of two parts:

    A – Theoretical Teaching

          It consists of 72 lectures; these lectures cover most of the common diseases and problems in    pediatrics.

        B – Clinical Teaching

 

       Students are located in hospital wards as small groups (12 -15 students in each group), the staff members are responsible for supervising students through the hours of clinical teaching.  Before starting the clinical training each student will receive a guide for history – taking and physical examination of the child & program for the clinical training     at the end of the clinical course, fifth year students should know the following:

 

    1 – History: General pediatrics & neonatal history.

    2 – Physical Examination: It includes:

 

    i– General Measurements: height; weight; head circumference, chest circumference, arm span,     skin fold thickness and mid arm   circumference. The general examination includes body temperature, pulse, blood pressure measurements and respiratory rate, type & rhythm.

 

       ii – Regional Physical Examination: It includes:

          a. Head and neck examination.

          b. Chest examination.

          c. Abdominal examination.

          d. Examination of the musculo-skeletal system.

          e. Examination of the central Nervous system.

          f. Examination of the neonate.

 

 

Sixth Year Students

 

   During this year, students attach to the pediatric department for 10 weeks. They will come in close contact with patients and will be looked up as members of the ward team rather than as students who attend for instructions without any professional status.

 

   Here the students acquire proficiency in history taking and physical examination by studying various diseases. This also involves reading, asking questions, participation in discussion and studying the physical and intellectual development during childhood.

 In addition to the ward teaching, there is clinical teaching in primary health center for one week   , this is to give the student experience in dealing with the common pediatric problems in the community and to master the programs of primary health care ( ARI , CDD & promotion of breast feeding ), in addition to assessment of nutritional status.

 

   Also there is 1 week training in emergency unit & 1 week in neonatal care unit.

  The staff at all levels act to give guidance and information, to demonstrate methods of clinical examination and pediatric techniques and to discuss problems.

   The students allot cases and take some responsibilities regarding history-taking, record-keeping and daily follow up. In addition to the clinical ward teaching, there are seminars (Donut Teaching), Quiz (EMQ, and Case-history).

 

  All sixth year students, by the end of their training, should know the following techniques:

           1- Examining babies and children of different ages (including the    use of different charts).              

           2- Infant feeding and general care.

           3- Temperature recording and interpretations.

           4- Taking blood pressure at all ages using different sizes of cuff.

            5- Urine specimen: methods of collection.

           6- Blood specimens: methods of collection.

           7- Giving medication to different age groups including nebulizer.

           8- Gastric lavage.

           9- Naso-gastric feeding.

           10- Emesis for accidental poisoning.

           11- Intravenous infusion: scalp veins.

           12- Lumber puncture.

 

 Included during this time period are weekly didactic sessions, consisting of:

   a)  Seminars (Problem-solving and Donut Rounds), presented on each Thursday.

   b)  Case discussions, given by students and attended by one of department members.

   c)  Quiz, prepared by the department and held 4 times during the course.

 

Assessment and Examination

 

       It consists of two parts, which are:

 

             A –Assessment  during clinical teaching and there is mark for each student after finishing the clinical course, this mark constitute the daily assessment during the period of training, Quiz mark which is held every Thursday   and the clinical examination at the end of the training course.

 

 

    The end of the clinical course, the student will get the assessment mark which is 20% of the final mark .The assessment mark is calculated as follows:

     

             OSCE examination (3 stations) = 6%

             long case examination = 4%

             Quizzes (4 during the clinical corse) = 4%

             The daily a ssessment mark = 6%

 

     B – Case Portfolio   5 marks

 

   c -Final Examination: the final examination mark forms 75% 0f the final mark, and it consists of two parts:

 

              1 – Written Examination: It forms 30% of the final mark, and it includes:

 Extended Matching Questions

Best of five questions A short assay question paper                

Case history

           2 - Clinical Examination: It forms 45% of the final mark. In this examination, each student  meets three committees of examiners; one for the long case examination, one for the short case examination, and one for the oral examination. The mark of this examination is calculated as follows:

 

        Long case examination  = 15%

        Short case examination = 15%

        Oral examination             = 15%                                    

 

 

Postgraduate Teaching

 

The Department of Pediatrics of Basrah Medical College has a long history of expertise in the training of clinical professionals.

 

   The goal is to provide specialized training in pediatrics to produce competent super specialists. These specialists will be capable of providing care of the highest order to the infants and children in the community as well as clinical tertiary care centers. They would subsequently serve as teachers, trainers, researchers and leaders in the field of pediatrics.

 

There are two programs for postgraduate training:

 

·      The Arabian Board  for Pediatric Specialization, and

·      The Iraqi Boards for Pediatric Specialization.

 

The Arab Board is under the supervision of Arab Health Ministers, while the Iraqi Board is under the supervision of Iraqi counsel for medical specializations.

Eight to ten postgraduate students enter the training program every year. The program has been designed to meet the requirements of higher specialization in pediatrics and research opportunities.

 

Department Activities

 

   Through the days of the week, scientific activities are being held, these are:

      1 - Daily report at 8:30 – 9:00 AM

      2 - Journal Club   - Sunday 12:00 PM

      3 - Clinical Meeting      - Wednesday 12:00 PM

      4 - Death conference   - Thursday   9:00 AM

      5- Seminars / lectures -Tuesday 11:00 AM

 

   Continuous medical education program :

 

     (A) - Education Programs for:

             1- Control of acute respiratory tract infections.

             2- Control of diarrhoeal diseases.

             3- Promotion of breast feeding.

             4- Prevention of malnutrition.

 

  Newly graduated doctors are included in these programs. The program includes a 6 day workshop and these workshops are held twice times a year.

     (B) – Training courses and Symposium. These include:

 

      1. A 3-day course for general practitioners & pediatric residents in nutritional rehabilitation.    

            2. A 3 day – course regarding care of newborn & common   neonatal problems.

      3. Symposium about haemaglobinopathies  &hemophilia in Basrah    

           4. Symposium about under five mortality.

 

    Other activities of staff members. All staff members are sharing in medical services and consultation services in pediatric hospital.

 

 

 

Department of Pediatrics – Research Profile

 

The research goal for the Department of pediatrics is to develop the infrastructure for research interests that include:

 

1. Screening for behavioral disorders in children.

2. Neonatal morbidity and mortality.

3. Anemia in children.

4. Spectrum of infectious diseases in children (e.g. tuberculosis).

5. Nutritional disorders in children.

6. Growth of children in Basra.

7. Cancer in children

 

   Researches 

 

Anemia in children:

 

1. Pulmonary hypertension in thalassemic patients.

2. Pulmonary hypertension in sickler patients.

3. Health-related quality of life in patients with beta-thalassemia major

4. Health-related quality of life in patients with sickle cell anemia

5. Iron status in children with breath holding attacks

6. Atherogenic risk among patients with hemoglobinopathies

7. Renal function in thalassemic patients

8. Correlation between clinical findings and hemoglobin F level in patients with homozygous hemoglobinS.

9. Hydroxyurea in sickler children.

10. Lactate dehydrogenase  level as a biomarker for vaso0occlusive crises in sickler children.

11. Acute chest syndrome in sickler children.

 12

Nutritional disorders in children:

 

  1. Antioxidants in malnourished children

  2. Trace elements in malnourished children

  3. Iron status in children with breath holding attacks

  4. Re-feeding syndrome in malnourished children

  5. Effects of hospitalization on nutritional status of children

  6. Infant Feeding Pattern and Hospitalization due to Infection.

   7.Feeding pattern in malnourished children admitted to NRC at Basra general hospital

 

 

 

 Growth of children in Basra 

 

  1. Standardized growth parameters and blood pressure charts for children up to 18 years of age in Basra

 

Screening for behavioral disorders in children:

 

  1. Screening for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 

  2. Stuttering in primary school children.

 

Cancer research

 

  1. Infantile leukemia

  2. Solid tumors in children  

  3. Survival rate in children with leukemia

  4. Nutritional status of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

 

Neonatal morbidity and mortality:

 

  1. Lipid profile in infants of diabetic mothers  

  2. Respiratory distress in full term neonates.

 

 

            Others

 

1. Spectrum of congenital heart diseases among children in Basra

2-prevalence of hypertension in primary school children in Basra

3 -Frequency of enuresis in first grade primary school children in Basra its impact on their growth.

Frequency of enuresis in first grade primary school children in Basra.

 

 

 

 

 

Published Researches: (Articles published after 2003 )  

 

1-   Widad N, Al-Naama L, Hassan MK .Trace elements in patients with thalassemia major. Haema 2003; 6(3): 376-383.

 

2-   Al-Sadoon I , Al-Naama L, Hassan JG.serum lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) activity in children with malignant diseases. bahrin medical bulletin 2003;25(2):71-72.

 

 

3-   Aida Abdul Kareem & Sofik  vartan. Application of switch therapy in children with  severe infections  MJBU 2003; 21(1).

 

4-Aida Abdul Kareem & Guphran sabah. Yersinia Enterocolitica  infection    among   thalassemic children . MJBU 2003; 21  (2 ) .

 

5-Sawsan Issa Haabeeb  , Aida Abdul Kareem ,  Ghalib Noori. Frequency of toxoplsmosis in children with glucose 6 –phoshatase dehydrogenase  deficiency MJBU   2007.

 

6-Aida Abdul Kareem , Haifa Al-shaheen. Outcomes of singletone term breech delivaries in Basrah,,E MHJ Sep. 2007.

 

7- Mohammed R, Mehdi NK, Hassan MK, Intestinal parasitic infections including cryptospordiosis & immunological aspects among malnourished children. J Bahrain Med Society 2005;17(1):43-48.

 

8- Hassan MK, Al-Naama L, Al-Sadoon I. Pyruvate kinase,G6PD and glutathione reductase deficiencies  neonatal jaundice in Basrah, Iraq. Qatar Med J 2003; 12(2):89-92.

 

9- Mohammed HF, Hassan MK .Campylobacter Jejuni gastroenteritis in children in Basrah-Iraq. MJBU 2004;22(1&2):1-5.

 

10- Hassan MK, Al-shaheen HM, Al-Muk JM. Bacterial vaginosis and preterm delivery. MJBU  2005;23(1):42-46.

 

11- Widad NM, Al Naama LM, Hassan MK. Lipid peroxidation in B- thalassemia. HAEMA 2006;9.

 

12-  Jumma DS, Hassan MK. Predictors of mortality outcome in neonatal sepsis. MJBU 2007;25(1):11-18.

 

13- Attiya Jk, Hassan MK, Al-naama LM. Microalbuminuria in children   and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus . MJBU 2007; 25(2):5-11.

 

14 Al-Naama, Hassan MK, Abdul-hassan JK. Hyponatremia in children with acute CNS diseases . Bahrain Med Bull 2008;30(1):23-275.

 

15- Hassan MK. hypophosphatemia in children with infectious diseases. MJBU 2004;22(1&2):30-33.

 

16- Hassan MK, Al Shaheen H, Al –Muk JM. Bacterial Vaginosis &preterm labor. MJBU 2005;23(1):42-46.

 

17- Al-Naama L, Hassan JG. Serum lactate dehydrogenase activity in children with malignant diseases. Bahrain Med Bulletin 2003;25(2):71-73.

 

18- Al-Sadoon I ,Hassan JG, Issa S. Peri natal morbidity in off springs of diabetic mothers. J Basic Med Sciences.2003

19-Saleem MB. Robinow syndrome, case report & literature review.MJBU2003.

 

20- Saleem MB .Diarrheal diseases among hospitalized children <2 years. MJBU 2005;23(1):1-7.

 

21- Saleem MB .Immunoglobin assay among malnourished children. Tikret Med J, 2005.

 

22- Habbeb SI .Rhino-orbital mucor-mycosis in severe malnutrition. Infectious Diseases Journal of Pakistan..2003 

 

23-Al-Sadoon I ,Hassan JG,Hammdani T Jaffer. Ocular involvement in children with newly diagnosed leukemia. Iraqi JComm Med.2007; 20(4).

 

24-Abd Hanadi, Habib Omran, Hasan GK. Leukemia &lymphoma in basra and thi-qar MJBU.2007;7.

 

25-Mahdi NK, Alsadoon Maysaloon, Hassan JG. Cryptosporidosis and immunological status in children with malignant diseases. MJBU, 2007;25(1).

 

26- Abd Al-Hameed S, Hassan MK ,Al-Naama. Abnormal glucose tolerance in transfusion dependent B-thalassemic patients. HAEMA 2007; 10(1):61-67.

 

27- Alchalabi AK, Abd-Anaby K. Isolation of Ureaplasma urealyticum in neonates with respiratory distress   MJBU 2007 ; 25 (1).

 

28- Attiya J K , Habeeb S I. Spectrum of congenital heart diseases in Basra : an echocardiography study. MJBU 2010.

 

29- Gani ZH , Hassan MK ,Jassim Abd M H.  Outcome of hospitalized children with visceral leishmaniasis. MJBU 2008;26(2):121-126.

 

30-Gani ZH , Hassan MK ,Jassim Abd M H.  Sero-epidemiological Study of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Basrah, Southern Iraq. J Pakistan Med Assoc. 2010; 60(6):464-469.

 

31-Ibraheem NK, Ahmed JK ,Hassan MK. The effect of fixed oil and water extracts of Nigella sativa on sickle cells: an in vitro study. Singapore Med J 2010;51(3):230-234.

 

32-Amy Hagophan MHA ,Riyadh lafta, Jenan  Hassan. Trends in child hood leukemia in Basra, Iraq. American J pub. Heal 2010; 100(6):1081-1087.

 

Discussions of postgraduate thesis(2010 )

 

  These discussions were carried on 14-16/3/2010

1. LDH and painful crises in children with sickle cells anemia.

2. Helicobacter among children with malignancies.

3. Risk factors of neonatal jaundice in Basra maternity and children hospital.

4. Frequency of nocturnal enuresis in 1st grade primary school children in Basra city centre and its impact on their growth.

5. Risk factors of 1st attack febrile convulsion in children age 6month -6 years.

6. Acute chest syndrome in children with sickle cell anemia.

7. Leukemia in children less than 2years in oncology unit in Basra maternity and children hospital.

 

 

Students graduated in 2010

 

1. Bassim Abd-Al-Kareem Abd Al-Hasan- Iraqi Board-Pediatrics

2- Ghada Mansour - Iraqi Board-Pediatrics

3- Nasser Salih - Iraqi Board-Pediatrics

 

 

Scientific  activities(2010)

 

*Symposium about Nutrition in pediatrics on 29/4/2010.   

*Fourth Pediatric Scientific Day on 27/5/2010.