This study aimed to identify areas of deficient knowledge among hospital nurses regarding diabetes management; the ultimate goal was to improve the quality of care for people with diabetes who are admitted to hospital for other medical reasons. Diabetes-related knowledge was assessed in 116 nurses using a 66-item questionnaire; the mean total score was 48.5±15.1. Knowledge was highest for nurses working in paediatrics (62.0±5.5; P
Hawa Juma El-Shareif(7-2013)

Objectives: The objective of this study is to study the demographic, clinicopathological features, and geographical distribution of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) among Libyan patients referred from all parts of the country to the nuclear medicine department, for radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy.Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of medical records of 265 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) referred to RAI therapy in the Nuclear Medicine Branch‑Tripoli Medical Center, in the period from May 2005 to October 2010. The data analyzed included sex, age at the time of diagnosis, the city of residence, pathological diagnosis, the extent of disease, and types of treatment.Results: There were 225 (84.9%) females and 40 (15.1%) males giving a sex ratio of 5.6:1. The mean age of males at diagnosis was 51.2 ± 14.8 (range 24–78) years and  the  mean age  of  the  females was  44.6 ± 15.6 (range 10–95) years. Two  hundred and  twenty‑three (84.2%) had  papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 31 (11.7%) had  follicular thyroid cancer, 3 (1.1%) had  Hurthle cell  thyroid cancer, and  2 (0.8%) had follicular‑insular thyroid cancer. About 43 (16.2%) had  a  history of  multinodular goiter, and  3 (1.1%) Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. From data  collected, cervical lymph node metastases were found in 45 (17.0%), and distal metastases in 27 (10.2%).Conclusions: PTC was the most common type of DTC. DTC was more common among females. The current study showed that the disease tends to occur at an older age, and with less cervical lymph node metastases than previously reported.
Hawa Juma El-Shareif(3-2018)

In Libya, little is known about HIV-related hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality. This was a retrospective analysis of HIV-related hospitalizations at Tripoli Medical Centre in 2013. Of 227 cases analysed, 82.4% were males who were significantly older (40.0 versus 36.5 years), reported injection drug use (58.3% versus 0%) and were hepatitis C virus co-infected (65.8% versus 0%) compared with females. Severe immunosuppression was prevalent (median CD4 count = 42 cell/μL). Candidiasis was the most common diagnosis (26.0%); Pneumocystis pneumonia was the most common respiratory disease (8.8%), while cerebral toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in 8.4% of patients. Current HAART use was independently associated with low risk of in-hospital mortality (OR 0.33), while central nervous system symptoms (OR 4.12), sepsis (OR 6.98) and low total lymphocyte counts (OR 3.60) were associated with increased risk. In this study, late presentation with severe immunosuppression was common, and was associated with significant in-hospital mortality. 24
Nader S Shalaka(10-2015)