Analytical Study of Survey Results of Chemical Safety and Security Curriculum in Iraqi Academic Institutions

The survey presents a general view of the reality of chemical safety and security in educational institutions in Iraq, in which about 301 university staff from 14 Iraqi universities includes a doctorate, master's and bachelor's degree with a postgraduate student presented their opinions regarding the survey sections. This included basic information related to security and safety curricula and their teaching to students of primary and higher studies in Iraqi universities and ways of communication between universities to improve the reality of teaching and training. These institutions possess a culture of safety and optimal training methods for trainers and students. The opinions of the residents varied, which indicates the disparity of university institutions in terms of performance and infrastructure to improve the reality of security and safety in their institutions. Among the observations, the survey adopted the terms “yes” and “no” to describe the situation, and this assessment is considered relative and inaccurate. For example, if we take the question, does your institution implement security standards and safety measures? The answer will be 90% yes, with a large discrepancy between these institutions in the fact that they possess these standards. However, it requires more accurate details in describing the required cases in the survey. We suggest that the Ministry of Higher Education’s decision-makers take the results of the survey into account to develop future plans and improve the reality of security and safety. Furthermore, it is required to address the negatives and enable universities to communicate with each other to exchange experiences. It is important to take into account the adoption of the principle of transparency in the dissemination of data that would enhance aspects of education and knowledge in educational institutions

Skin Test Reactivity to Indoor Allergens Correlates with Asthma Severity in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is increased emphasis on the role of indoor allergens in asthma.</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To examine the spectrum of skin test reactivity (sensitization) to indoor allergens and its correlation with asthma severity in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Asthmatic patients referred to the allergy clinic at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah were studied. Measures of clinical severity were adopted from national and international asthma guidelines. The degree of sensitization was assessed by the wheal size (positive ≥ 3 mm) from standard skin-prick tests for the following common indoor inhalant allergens: house dust mites <it>(Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus [Dp] and Dermatophagoides farinae [Df])</it>, cat, and cockroach.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Skin test results from 113 of 151 (74.8%) asthmatic patients were positive for one or more allergens. The patients' ages ranged between 9 and 63 years (mean, 30 ± 13 years), and females constituted 65.5%. The predominant asthma severity level was moderate persistent (55.8%), followed by mild persistent (33.6%). The prevalences of sensitization to indoor allergens were as follows: <it>Dp</it>, 87% (3-25 mm [mean, 7 mm]); <it>Df</it>, 84% (3-20 mm [mean, 7 mm]); cat, 44% (3-15 mm [mean, 6 mm]); and cockroach, 33% (3-12 mm [mean, 4 mm]). Higher asthma severity levels were significantly correlated with the number of allergens with positive sensitization (<it>R </it>= 0.3, <it>p </it>< .001) and with the degree of sensitization to house dust mites (<it>Dp </it>[degrees of freedom {<it>df</it>} = 16, <it>p </it>< .001] and <it>Df </it>[<it>df </it>= 17, <it>p </it>< .01]) but not to cat (<it>df </it>= 10, <it>p </it>< .24) or cockroach (<it>df </it>= 8, <it>p </it>< .36).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Immunoglobulin E-mediated skin test reactivity to indoor allergens, particularly to house dust mites, was common in asthmatic patients from Jeddah at KAUH. Increased sensitization was associated with higher levels of asthma severity, which is compatible with the literature. This emphasizes the importance of identifying sensitization to relevant indoor allergens in the clinical evaluation of asthmatic persons.</p