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Papers by Hani Naseef

The Open Public Health Journal

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, off-label medication prescribing and utilizing herbal pr... more Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, off-label medication prescribing and utilizing herbal products and multiple vitamins in the treatment, prevention, and symptom management of COVID-19 was an urgently needed practice to halt the SARS-Cov2 infection crisis and progression. Objectives This study aimed to determine the correlation between medications used during the pandemic and SARS-CoV-2 infection post-recovery symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted on recovered COVID-19 patients. There were 20 multiple-choice questions, including patient demographics, treatment, and post-recovery symptoms. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to investigate significant relationships. In addition, Binary logistic regression was performed to determine confounders. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results Medications and supplements varied in their therapeutic effects on SARS-CoV-2 post-recovery symptoms. Patients who took vitamin D and calci...

International Journal of General Medicine

Background: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a global health concern. This study aimed to determine ... more Background: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a global health concern. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated comorbidities in Palestine, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study retrieved medical data from the Nat Health insurance processor database from 2014 to 2020. Patient information included age, sex, vitamin D laboratory order, symptoms, and comorbidities. This study included patients prescribed vitamin D at a dose of 50000IU for vitamin D deficiency confirmed by a serum vitamin D laboratory test. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS. In addition, a chi-square test was conducted to assess the association between vitamin D deficiency, symptoms, and comorbidities. Results: Data of 3011 patients were collected; 639 patients were diagnosed with osteoporosis, and 39 patients prescribed vitamin D without a laboratory test were excluded. Approximately, 1837 (78%) participants had vitamin D deficiency. A total of 1330 women (81.3%) were significantly more likely to have vitamin D deficiency than males, 507 (72.7%; P < 0.001). Joint pain, back pain, and cervicalgia were significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency (P < 0.001). Asymptomatic participants (2.1%) were significantly less likely to have vitamin D deficiency than symptomatic participants (9.5%, p < 0.001). Hypothyroidism is significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency (p = 0.048). Conclusion: In this retrospective study, the prevalence of vitamin D was high and alarming. There was a significant association between VDD, patients who presented with back pain, arthritis, and cervicalgia symptoms, and patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Therefore, health initiative programs are warranted to increase awareness regarding screening, prevention, and treatment. Further studies are needed to confirm the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and the reduced risk of comorbid diseases.

Clinical Interventions in Aging

Background: Elderly patients suffer from chronic diseases and are prone to polypharmacy and poten... more Background: Elderly patients suffer from chronic diseases and are prone to polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP). This study aimed to identify potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) among elderly patients in a tertiary care hospital setting and to estimate the prevalence of polypharmacy. Methods: This multicenter retrospective observational study reviewed patient data from two major Palestinian hospitals. The collected data included patient demographics, comorbidities, and medications administered during hospitalization and discharge. The study included 247 patients aged ≥ 65 years hospitalized between January 2019 and December 2019. The STOPP/START criteria version 2 was used to identify the prevalence of PIMs and PPOs. Clinical pharmacists verified the data, and SPSS was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, one-tailed bivariate correlations, and Pearson's test were applied to the variables of interest to examine their association with the STOPP/START criteria. Results: A total of 247 patients were included in the study, and 50.2% were females. As a result, 165 (66.8%) participants were identified with PIPs, including 30 patients with PPOs, 91 with PIMs, and 44 with both. Furthermore, the prevalence of PIP during hospitalization and discharge was 56.29% and 64.39%, respectively. Polypharmacy (5-9 medications) was 44.5% and 52.1% during hospitalization and discharge, respectively, and excessive polypharmacy (ten medications or more) was 33.6% and 16.4% during hospitalization and discharge, respectively. Moreover, 47.3% of the patients had a comorbidity index of ≥ 5. Conclusion: This study identified a high prevalence of PIPs among elderly patients during hospital admission and discharge. In addition, more than half of the geriatric patients in this study had PIP and a high prevalence of polypharmacy. Therefore, this study emphasizes the importance of adapting evidence-based tools, such as the STOPP/START criteria, to optimize patient medication therapy and guide prescribers in identifying and resolving PIMs and PPOs.

Clinical Interventions in Aging

Background and Aims: Many symptoms have been reported by individuals infected with the SARS-Cov2 ... more Background and Aims: Many symptoms have been reported by individuals infected with the SARS-Cov2 virus. This study assessed the prevalence of selected COVID-19 symptoms among infected individuals in Palestine and its association with patient health status and comorbidities. Methods: A cross-sectional observation questionnaire-based study was conducted to collect data from confirmed SARS Cov-2 infection patients. The questionnaire was distributed face-to-face or online. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to find significant relationships among data variables. Results: 680 participants completed the questionnaire; the mean age was 28.1 ± 11·8. A total of 572 (84.1%) developed at least one symptom during infection. The most common reported symptoms during the infection were fatigue (93.1%), headache (90.7%), loss of smell (89.0%), and joint pain. In patients older than 50, loss of sense of smell was the least encounte...

Pharmaceutics, Aug 5, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Vascular Health and Risk Management

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the most preventable complication in hospitalized patients. The m... more Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the most preventable complication in hospitalized patients. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the adherence of current clinical practice to the established guidelines at a Palestinian teaching hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional, retrospective, observational study was conducted at a Palestinian Teaching Hospital. The medical records of patients admitted to the medical floor over 18 years of age and hospitalized for longer than 24 hours between January 1 and May 31, 2019, were included. Patients taking anticoagulants with incomplete or duplicated medical records were excluded from the study. A data collection sheet was developed, and clotting and bleeding risks were assessed using the Padua and IMPROVE risk assessment models (scores). The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS (version 25). Results: In total, 408 patients were included in the study, 222 of whom received thromboprophylaxis (54.4%). Of the hospitalized patients, 112 (27.5%) had a high risk of developing VTE (Padua score ≥ 4), and 73 patients were eligible for VTE pharmacological prophylaxis; however, only 44 (60.3%) received the appropriate prophylaxis. In addition, 296 patients had low Padua scores, indicating that pharmacological prophylaxis was not indicated. However, 144 (48.6%) patients received prophylaxis. The mean Padua and IMPROVE risk scores were 2.25 ± 2.08 and 4.44 ± 2.72, respectively. Among the patients, 17.6% had a high risk of bleeding (IMPROVE score ≥ 7). Conclusion: VTE prophylaxis among hospitalized medically ill patients was mostly inappropriate; 80.18% of the patients received inappropriate prophylaxis, and only 60.3% of eligible patients received appropriate prophylaxis. Adapting assessment models or checklists in clinical practice based on clinical guidelines for VTE risk stratification is a practical and effective method to improve VTE prophylaxis management and select the appropriate therapy to prevent toxicity or complication.

Patient Preference and Adherence

Background: Diabetes mellitus (D.M.) is a chronic metabolic disease caused by decreased insulin s... more Background: Diabetes mellitus (D.M.) is a chronic metabolic disease caused by decreased insulin secretion, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Evidence has shown that statins reduce cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes; moreover, most clinical guidelines recommend statins. Objective: This study aimed to assess the level and status of adherence to guidelines on statin prescription in patients with diabetes mellitus in a primary care setting in Palestine. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at an ambulatory center in Palestine. Data were collected by auditing prescription records and reviewing medical charts of patients with diabetes who visited the clinic from February 15 to March 17, 2021. The collected data included patient characteristics, comorbidities, lipid profiles, and statin prescription. A chi-square test was used to evaluate the appropriateness of the prescribed statins with different demographic and clinical variables. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was used to analyze the data. Results: Out Of 262 diabetic patients included in the analysis, 74% were prescribed appropriate statin therapy according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines, and 24% of patients had inappropriate statin therapy or needed statins. Furthermore, 82.8% were on high-intensity statins, while 11% were not taking any statins. More than 60% of patients had uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension. Conclusion: Most guidelines recommend statin therapy in diabetic patients owing to its benefits in preventing cardiovascular complications. In this study, most patients were on appropriate STATIN therapy; however, 50% of diabetic patients had LDL of more than 100 mg/dl, and 25% were not prescribed statins, increasing their risk of ASCVD. Therefore, we recommend strict adherence to the established guidelines on statins prescribed to patients with diabetes to prevent cardiovascular complications, save lives, and reduce healthcare costs.

Arabian Journal of Chemistry

Journal of Biomaterials Applications, 2001

The effect of powder packing and porosity of specimens on the swelling properties of polymeric ma... more The effect of powder packing and porosity of specimens on the swelling properties of polymeric materials was studied, in various swelling liquids, such as distilled water and 0.1 N hydrochloric acid solution. Capsules, tablets and films of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, poly(ethylene oxide) and sodium alginate were prepared, and their weight uptake after immersion into the above solutions was recorded as a function of time, in order to assess the swelling process. Measurements of some characteristics of the as-received powders were also performed in an attempt to classify the specimens prepared according to their porosity. Within the experimental conditions of this work, it was shown that the porosity of polymeric specimens is a dominant factor that controls their swelling behaviour. Increased porosity leads to fast initial rates of weight uptake and high extent of equilibrium swelling. On the other hand, dissolution and possible degradation of polymers susceptible to acid hydrolysi...

The attached data is related to a study with proposes to investigate the burden of bacterial and ... more The attached data is related to a study with proposes to investigate the burden of bacterial and fungal co-infections outcomes on COVID-19 patients. It is a single-center cross-sectional study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients at Beit-Jala hospital in Palestine. The study included 321 hospitalized patients admitted to the ICU between June 2020 and March 2021 aged ≥20 years, Background: Diagnosis of co-infections with multiple pathogens among hospitalized COVID-19 patients can be jointly challenging and very essential for appropriate treatment, shortening hospital stay and preventing antimicrobial resistance. This study proposes to investigate the burden of bacterial and fungal co-infections outcomes on COVID-19 patients. It is a single center cross-sectional study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients at Beit-Jala hospital in Palestine. Methods: The study included 321 hospitalized patients admitted to the ICU between June 2020 and March 2021 aged ≥20 years, with a confirmed diagnosis of...

Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2022

Background and Aims. COVID-19 emerged at the end of 2019 and was classified as a global pandemic ... more Background and Aims. COVID-19 emerged at the end of 2019 and was classified as a global pandemic in March 2020. Infected cases of SARS-CoV-2 experience symptoms during initial infection 2–14 days after virus exposure, and some symptoms and complications may persist after recovery. This study evaluated the onset/recovery time, postrecovery symptoms, complications, and factors affecting the health situation of recovered cases of COVID-19 in West Bank, Palestine. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire based on related scientific articles and expert recommendations. It was distributed to recovered COVID-19 patients either face-to-face or online. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to investigate the significant relationships. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Findings. A total of 686 participants completed the questionnaire; the mean age was 28·1 ± 11·8. SARS-CoV-2 infection recovery time was 1–2 weeks in most participants. A total ...

Journal of Young Pharmacists, Sep 15, 2021

Self-medication (SM) is commonly defined as "the taking of drugs, herbs or home remedies on one's... more Self-medication (SM) is commonly defined as "the taking of drugs, herbs or home remedies on one's own initiative, or on the advice of another person, without consulting a doctor. ", 1,2 It is a widely prevalent practice, with continuously increasing rates, especially when related to simple and common problems such as mild pain management. 3,4 Various reasons trigger such behavior, among which are the high cost of medical consultation, the lack of time or effort to pursue professional medical care, underestimation of the medical condition, and previous experiences of dealing with the condition. Self-medication is significantly influenced by numerous factors such as education, family, economic status, society, law, availability of drugs and exposure to advertisements. 5-7 Regardless of the potential benefits of self-medication as a common practice, it can lead to numerous side effects due to malpractice, hence, increase the burden on the healthcare system. 3 Undergraduate students of health related professions are not excluded from this widespread behavior, as they are aware of the available drugs and are more familiar with their uses, hence feel entitled to treat themselves based on their knowledge. However, it is expected that students in health professions are more aware of the rational use of drugs compared to other groups of society. A number of studies have reported that health profession students are affected by this practice. 7-9 Similarly in Palestine, it is observed that self-medication is still a common practice among different segments of society, despite the presence of regulations that control the dispensing of over the counter medications although to date there are no published studies on the use of self-medication among different segments of the population. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern, knowledge and determinants of analgesic self-medication among undergraduate medical students in the Faculty of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Professions at Birzeit University. The results of the study would provide important information for both care providers and policymakers in this regard. Furthermore, we will be able to answer questions concerning the common health-related problems leading to self-medication with analgesics. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Design After obtaining the approval from the Ethical Committee at Birzeit University, an observational descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted amongst students enrolled at the faculty of health-careprofessions from Birzeit University in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The study was carried out over a three month period between March and May 2018. The sample size was calculated online 10 The number of students at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health professions was 600, which was entered as the total population, the confidence level was set at 95%, and the margin of error was set at 5%. The minimal sample

Published in : World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2017.5, Vol 6, Issue 1, pp. 31-43

Aim: COVID-19 the novel corona virus that has been characterized as a pandemic; as it spreads all... more Aim: COVID-19 the novel corona virus that has been characterized as a pandemic; as it spreads all over the world and has so far infected more than 20 million worldwide. In Palestine, the first seven cases were documented on March 5th, 2020 followed by the declaration of the state of emergency. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices toward COVID-19 among Birzeit University students.Subject and methods: A cross sectional study was carried out, a questionnaire was developed based on the WHO, CDC, ECDC recommendations. The questionnaire was distributed online and filled by Birzeit University students. Chi-square testing was performed to check for significant association between KAP and different sociodemographic variables. Binary logistic regression performed to identify and control the confounding factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22).Results: A total of 665 students have completed the online questionnaire. The mean age was (20.55±3.069) years. Mult...

Journal of analytical methods in chemistry, 2017

The combination of the powerful antimicrobial agent florfenicol and the nonsteroidal anti-inflamm... more The combination of the powerful antimicrobial agent florfenicol and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory flunixin meglumine is used for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and control of BRD-associated pyrexia, in beef and nonlactating dairy cattle. This study describes the development and validation of an HPLC-UV method for the simultaneous determination of florfenicol and flunixin, in an injectable preparation with a mixture of excipients. The proposed RP-HPLC method was developed by a reversed phase- (RP-) C18e (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column at room temperature, with an isocratic mobile phase of acetonitrile and water mixture, and pH was adjusted to 2.8 using diluted phosphoric acid, a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and ultraviolet detection at 268 nm. The stability-indicating method was developed by exposing the drugs to stress conditions of acid and base hydrolysis, oxidation, photodegradation, and thermal degradation; the obtained degraded products were successfully sepa...

Polymers for Advanced Technologies, 2004

Studies of the fronts which are created by the process of swelling, their movement and the effect... more Studies of the fronts which are created by the process of swelling, their movement and the effect of drug solubility on release mechanisms, are presented. Tablets comprising solely of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) (Metolose 90 SH 100 000 SR), HPMC with sodium diclofenac (relatively soluble in the buffer solution used) and HPMC with furosemide (insoluble in the buffer solution used) were prepared. The tablets were made by direct compression in a manual hydraulic press and the matrix swelling was studied by an optical analysis technique. During the experimental procedure measurements were taken of the gel layer dimensions, the movement of the swelling, and the erosion and diffusion fronts at different time points. These measurements allowed the investigation of the possible mechanisms involved in the swelling/release process. The results showed that the rate and mechanism of drug release from swellable matrices depends on the following factors: the dissolution, the diffusion of the drug, the translocation of undissolved drug particles in the gel layer, and the solubility of the drugs used. This is supported by the following: (a) the diffusion layer thickness, which is observed as a result of the presence of undissolved drug in the gel layer, increases in the case of the water insoluble drug furosemide and as a result the diffusion front converges on the erosion front; (b) from the analysis of the dissolution data it appears that sodium diclofenac is released as a result of diffusion via the gel layer as well as due to polymer relaxation and/or matrix erosion. Conversely, the release of furosemide is only dependent on the polymer relaxation and/or matrix erosion.

Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 2010

Background: Multilayer tablets are gaining importance in oral sustained drug delivery. They consi... more Background: Multilayer tablets are gaining importance in oral sustained drug delivery. They consist of an active matrix core and one or more layers applied during tableting which may act as barriers and regulate drug release. Objective: To examine the release performance of two model drugs, diclofenac sodium and furosemide, from two-and three-layer drug delivery systems using as carriers hydrophilic swellable polymers, namely, Metolose, Polyox, Xantham gum, and an erodible material Gantrez. Results and discussion: All prepared formulations demonstrated sustained release profiles. They also indicated that the carrier characteristics (particularly swelling-expansion, erosion-dissolution) and drug solubility in combination with tablet structure considerably influenced the performance of examined formulations as well as their mode and mechanisms of release. In general our findings show that the differences in drug release between the two-and three-layer tablets are small as it appears that two-layer tablets exhibit a slightly higher release. Because of its greater erosion Gantrez formulations displayed faster release relative to Xantham gum, as did Metolose formulations compared to Polyox formulations. A faster release rate was also noted with diclofenac formulations compared to those of furosemide because of diclofenac's higher solubility mainly seen at early time period. Conclusions: All three-layer Gantrez tablets containing either diclofenac or furosemide and the two-layer furosemide formulation demonstrated a biphasic release. The above indicate that both structures may be used successfully for sustained release drug delivery. In addition the use of multilayer tablets, consisting of materials with suitable properties, may result in modulation of drug release.

Current Drug Delivery, 2010

The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate different sustained release preparations... more The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate different sustained release preparations, using swellable polymers as carriers in the form of matrices and three-layer tablets. These preparations may offer a number of therapeutic advantages over immediate release dosage forms in drug delivery. The materials used for the fabrication of these systems were hydrophilic swellable polymers namely Metolose, Polyox, Xanthan gum and an erodible material Gantrez, acting as drug(diclofenac sodium) carriers. he powder characteristics determined for these polymers suggest good flowability with the exception of Gantrez. The addition of 1% of magnesium stearate resulted in improved flow properties for all polymers including Gantrez. Tablets were prepared by direct compression whereas three-layer tablets were prepared by compressing polymer barrier layers on both sides of the core containing the drug. Our findings show that both preparations exhibit sustained release characteristics; also the structure of the device considerably affects the drug release and the release rate. Furthermore erosion and swelling greatly influence the overall behavior, function and performance of the systems. Finally kinetic analysis studies indicated that the drug release mechanisms were also affected by these effects.

The Open Public Health Journal

International Journal of General Medicine

Clinical Interventions in Aging

Pharmaceutics, Aug 5, 2022

Vascular Health and Risk Management

Patient Preference and Adherence

Arabian Journal of Chemistry

Journal of Biomaterials Applications, 2001

Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2022

Journal of Young Pharmacists, Sep 15, 2021

Published in : World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2017.5, Vol 6, Issue 1, pp. 31-43

Journal of analytical methods in chemistry, 2017

Polymers for Advanced Technologies, 2004

Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 2010

Current Drug Delivery, 2010