Annals of Saudi medicine最新文献

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne disease prevalent in Algeria since 2000. The disease has significant impacts on affected communities, including morbidity and social stigma.

Objective: Investigate the association between environmental factors and the incidence of CL in the province of Ghardaïa and assess the predictive capacity of these factors for disease occurrence.

Design: Retrospective SETTING: The study area included both urban and rural communities.

Methods: We analyzed a dataset on CL in the province of Ghardaïa, Algeria, spanning from 2000 to 2020. The dataset included climatic variables such as temperature, average humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Using generalized additive models, we examined the relationships and interactions between these variables to predict the emergence of CL in the study area.

Main outcome measures: The identification of the most significant environmental factors associated with the incidence and the predicted incidence rates of CL in the province of Ghardaïa, Algeria.

Sample size and characteristics: 252 monthly observations of both climatic and epidemiological variables.

Results: Relative humidity and wind speed were the primary climatic factors influencing the occurrence of CL epidemics in Ghardaïa, Algeria. Additionally, NDVI was a significant environmental factor associated with CL incidence. Surprisingly, temperature did not show a strong effect on CL occurrence, while rainfall was not statistically significant. The final fitted model predictions were highly correlated with real cases.

Conclusion: This study provides a better understanding of the long-term trend in how environmental and climatic factors contribute to the emergence of CL. Our results can inform the development of effective early warning systems for preventing the transmission and emergence of vector-borne diseases.

Limitations: Incorporating additional reservoir statistics such as rodent density and a human development index in the region could improve our understanding of disease transmission.

Background: The most common and lethal consequence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The persistent inflammation present in CKD increases hepcidin levels. Iron accumulates in the arterial wall in atherosclerosis. Hepcidin-25 was thought to accelerate the development of atherosclerotic plaques by blocking iron release from macrophages. Therefore, we sought to determine the relationship between hepcidin-25 and asymptomatic atherosclerosis in non-dialysis CKD patients.

Objectives: Investigate the relationship between hepcidin-25 and subclinical atherosclerosis in non-dialysis CKD patients.

Design: Cross-sectional SETTINGS: Outpatient clinic for urology and nephrology at a university hospital SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Participants above the age of 18 years included a group of healthy controls and a group of CKD patients who were not routinely maintained on hemodialysis. The latter group was further divided according to eGFR into CKD-3, CKD-4 and CKD-5 subgroups. We excluded patients with comorbidities, patients with chronic liver disease, and other conditions or habits. CBC, kidney function tests, and serum levels of hepcidin-25 (SH-25), TNF-α, IL-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C were assessed. To measure carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and determine presence of plaques, carotid ultrasonography was performed. The near or far walls of common carotid artery, bulb, and internal carotid artery were used to measure CIMT.

Main outcome measures: SH-25 association and indicators of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Sample size: 128 participants, the control group (n=25) and the non-hemodialysis CKD patients (n=103) RESULTS: The CKD patients had significantly higher serum levels of markers of inflammation including IL-6, TNF-α, and hs-CRP (P<.001 for each) compared to the controls. There was a significantly higher level of TC, TG and LDL-C (P<.001 for each) and a lower level of HDL-C (P<.001) in the CDK patients compared to controls. SH-25 was considerably higher in all CKD subgroups, especially with progression of CKD. CIMT was increased in CKD patients especially CKD-4 and CKD-5 subgroups when compared to healthy participants (P<.001 for each). In the patient group, CIMT showed a positive correlation with SH-25, (r=.65 and P<.001), IL-6 (r=.65, P<.001), TNF-α (r=.71, P<.001), and hs-CRP (r=.52, P<.001). The ROC curve study showed that SH-25 (AUC=.86, P<.001), IL-6 (AUC=.83, P<.001), hs-CRP (AUC=.72, P<.001), TNF-α (AUC=.82, P<.001) were strong predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis in the CKD patients.

Conclusions: SH-25 and CIMT had a positive relationship in CKD patients. The ROC curve showed that SH-25 is a reliable predictor of carotid atherosclerosis. Theref

Background: Abdominal pain is a common and non-specific symptom in children. It is important to be able to distinguish the source of abdominal pain before surgery.

Objectives: Assess importance of the systemic immune inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and other systemic inflammatory response blood cell indices in predicting the diagnosis and prognosis of acute appendicitis in children.

Design: Retrospective cohort SETTING: Single center in Turkey PATIENTS AND METHODS: The files of patients with abdominal pain aged 0-18 years who underwent surgery for appendicitis in our clinic between January 2011 and January 2022 were reviewed. According to the pathology results, patients were divided into two groups, those with pathologic findings of appendicitis (positive for appendicitis) and those without appendicitis. Systemic inflammation markers were statistically compared between the groups.

Main outcome measures: Systemic inflammation markers.

Sample size: 1265 patients RESULTS: Of the 1265 patients, 784 (62%) were male and 481 were female (38%). According to the pathologic examinations, 256 (20.2%) patients did not have appendicitis, and 1009 (79.8%) patients had acute appendicitis. The SIRI level was significantly higher in patients with acute appendicitis compared with patients without acute appendicitis (P<.001). Levels of SII were significantly higher in patients with acute appendicitis (P<.001).

Conclusion: In children presenting with abdominal pain, high SIRI and SII values alone support the diagnosis of acute appendicitis at a rate of 95%. When physical examination findings, duration of pain, and imaging test results are added, the diagnosis becomes clear at a rate of 98%.

Limitations: Single-center study and retrospective.

Background: In adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) has been associated with higher mortality rates. Therefore, its use in children with ARDS is still controversial.

Objectives: Evaluate the overall mortality of HFOV in children with ARDS and explore mortality-related risk factors; compare the outcome of using HFOV post-endotracheal intubation early (≤24 hours) versus late (≤24 hours).

Design: Retrospective (medical record review) SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit in a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: Data were collected from medical records of all pediatric patients with ARDS aged one week to 14 years, who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) from January 2016-June 2019 and who required HFOV.

Main outcome measures: PICU mortality.

Sample size and characteristics: 135 ARDS patients including 74 females (54.8%), and 61 males (45.2%), with a median age (interquar-tile range) of 35 (72) months.

Results: The overall mortality rate was 60.0% (81/135), and most died in the first 28 days in the PICU (91.3%, 74/8). Of non-survivors, 75.3% (61/81) were immunocompromised, and 24.7% (20/81) were immuno-competent patients, 52 (64.2%) received inotropic support, 40 (49.4%) had a bone-marrow transplant (BMT) before HFOV initiation. Although the prone position was used in 20.7% (28/135) to improve the survival rate post-HFOV ventilation, only 28.6% (8/28) survived. In addition, altered code status or chemotherapy reported a significant association with mortality (P<.05). Interestingly, early HFOV initiation (≤24 hours) did not seem to have a high impact on survival compared to late initiation (>24 hours); (57.4% vs. 42.6%, P=.721).

Conclusion: Immunocompromised and oncology patients, including post-BMT, reported poorer outcomes, and neither the prone position nor early use of HFOV improved outcomes. However, it is recommended to replicate the study in a larger cohort to generalize the results.

Limitations: Retrospective single-center study.

Background: Red blood cell transfusion is common in critically ill children after cardiac surgery. Since the threshold for hemoglobin (Hb) transfusion need is not well defined, the threshold Hb level at which dependent critical oxygen uptake-to-delivery (VO2-DO2) status compensation is uncertain.

Objectives: To assess the effects of blood transfusion on the oxygen extraction ratio (O2ER) and central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) to identify a critical O2ER value that could help us determine the critical need for blood transfusion.

Design: Prospective, observational cohort study.

Setting: Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: Between January 2013 and December 2015, we included all children with cardiac disease who underwent surgery and needed a blood transfusion. Demographic and laboratory data with physiological parameters before and 1 and 6 hours after transfusion were recorded and O2ER before and 6 hours after transfusion was computed. Cases were divided into two groups based on O2ER: Patients with increased O2ER (O2ER > 40%) and normal patients without increased O2ER (O2ER < =40%) before transfusion.

Main outcome measure(s): Changes in O2ER and ScvO2 following blood transfusion.

Results: Of 103 patients who had blood transfusion, 75 cases had normal O2ER before transfusion while 28 cases had increased O2ER before transfusion. Following blood transfusion, O2ER and ScvO2 improved in the group that had increased O2ER before transfusion, but not in the group that had normal O2ER before transfusion.

Conclusions: The clinical and hemodynamic indicators O2ER and ScvO2 may be considered as markers that can indicate a need for blood transfusion.

Limitations: The limitation of this study is the small number of patients that had increased O2ER before transfusion. There were few available variables to assess oxygen consumption.

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is rare non-Langerhans histiocytosis with distinctive radiologic and pathologic entities. We report a rare case of which ECD was involving the breast with only eight similar cases reported in the English literature. Our patient was a 52-year-old female patient with ECD involving the breast, mesentery, left kidney, retroperitoneum and the skeleton. The diagnosis was based on distinctive imaging and histopathological findings. The patient received a new novel treatment as part of a clinical trial in the United States and showed clinical and radiological improvement. SIMILAR CASES PUBLISHED: 8

Background: The roots of advanced practice nursing (APN) can be traced back to the 1890s, but the nurse practitioner (NP) emerged in Western countries during the 1960s in response to the unmet healthcare needs of populations in rural areas. These early NPs utilized the medical model of care to assess, diagnose and treat. Nursing has since grown as a profession, with its own unique and distinguishable, holistic, science-based knowledge, which is complementary within the multidisciplinary team. Today, APNs demonstrate nursing expertise in clinical practice, education, research and leadership, and are no longer perceived as "physician replacements" or assistants. Saudi Arabia has yet to define, legislate or regulate APN.

Aims: This article aims to disseminate information from a Saudi APN thought leadership meeting, to chron.icle the history of APN within Saudi Arabia, while identifying strategies for moving forward.

Conclusion: It is important to build an APN model based on Saudi healthcare culture and patient popu.lation needs, while recognizing global historical underpinnings. Ensuring that nursing continues to distinguish itself from other healthcare professions, while securing a seat at the multidisciplinary healthcare table will be instrumental in advancing the practice of nursing.

Background: Exposure to nicotine via tobacco smoking may influence leptin release and decrease food intake among smokers. However, the effect of nicotine exposure on leptin and food intake among different nicotine dependent groups is unclear.

Objective: We aimed to measure leptin and calorie intake among different nicotine dependent groups.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Research department in school of medical sciences.

Patients and methods: Subjects were selected by purposive (non-probability) sampling and categorized as having low, moderate and high nicotine dependency based on the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) score. Diet was recorded by interview. Anthropometry, blood pressure, body composition, lipid profile, and physical activity level were measured accordingly. Fasting serum leptin was measured using a commercial ELISA kit.

Main outcome measure(s): Nicotine dependency, 24-hour diet, clinical anthropometric and clinical measurements.

Results: In 107 Malay male smokers leptin concentration was inversely correlated with nicotine dependence. However, body weight, smoking period, blood pressure, body composition, lipid profile and physical activity level were not significantly different among low, moderately and highly dependent smoking groups. Leptin concentration and total calorie intake were also not significantly different among these groups.

Conclusion: Leptin concentration was inversely correlated with nicotine dependence, but leptin concentration and total calorie intake status were not significantly different among our different nicotine dependency subjects.

Limitations: Purposive sampling for subject recruitment and inaccurate information in the self-administered questionnaire.

Background: Dates are consumed worldwide, and are an important fruit for many individuals in Saudi Arabia. Currently, limited information is available on the glycemic indices of different date varieties.

Objectives: To determine the glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL) and glycemic response for 17 common date varieties in Saudi Arabia.

Design: Prospective clinical trial on healthy subjects.

Setting: College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: The available carbohydrate content of Tamer stage dates was determined using standard laboratory methods. Healthy subjects (ten males and nine females) received 50 g of glucose (on three separate occasions) and 50 g equivalent of available carbohydrates from the seventeen varieties of date (each once). The GI and GL were then calculated.

Main outcome measure(s): GI, GL, and glycemic response.

Results: The mean (SEM) GI of the date samples was 55.2 (7.7) (range, 42.8-74.6). Sellaj and Maktoomi exhibited the highest GI (74.6 [10.1] and 71.0 [11.1]), respectively, whereas Shaqra, Sukkary, and Sag'ai had the lowest GI (42.8 [5.5], 43.4 [4.7] and 44.6 [6]), respectively. The GL of the date samples ranged from 8.5 to 24. Sellaj had a high GL (24), whereas Ajwah and Shaqra had a low GL (8.5 and 9.2). The analyses suggested no significant difference in GI between the date varieties. However, the GL values differed significantly between the 17 date varieties (P < .001).

Conclusion: The results provide reliable GI and GL values for 17 common date varieties in Saudi Arabia. The identification of date varieties with lower glycemic responses may help lower the GI of the diet of both healthy and diabetic Saudi individuals.

Limitations: We used dates at the Tamer stage, which may not be translatable to all types of dates.

Background: Data on pituitary adenoma (PA) prevalence in Saudi Arabia are scarce.

Objective: To estimate the epidemiology of PA in a well-defined population.

Design: Retrospective analysis.

Setting: Departments of Endocrinology and Radiology at King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods: Radiological and hormonal data of patients with pituitary adenoma by MRI were reviewed for the period January 2008 to December 2015.

Main outcome measures: Prevalence of PA and hormonal abnormalities.

Results: Of 537 patients; 249 subjects (46.4%), 70 (28.1%) males and 179 (71.9%) females, were diagnosed to have PA with mean age 36.3 (14.1) years. Microadenoma and macroadenoma were seen in 171 (69%) and 78 (31%) subjects, respectively. Microadenomas were more prevalent than macroadenomas (68.7% vs. 31.3%). Microadenomas were significantly more prevalent in females, 131 (73.2 %) vs. 40 (57.1%) whereas macroadenomas were significantly more prevalent in males, 30 (42.9%) vs. 48 (26.8%) (P < .001 for both comparisons). Patients with microadenomas were significantly younger than patients with macroadenomas (P < .0001). Advanced age was significantly associated with a larger PA size (r=0.39, P < .0002). Three types of hyperfunctioning PA were seen: prolactinoma, somatotroph adenoma, and corticotroph adenoma. Five types of hypofunctioning PA were seen: panhypopituitarism, secondary hypogonadism, growth hormone deficiency, central hypothroidism and central adrenal insufficiency. Non-functioning PA were within normal laboratory hormonal values in 2% of cases.

Conclusion: Our study showed that the prevalence of PA was greater than previously reported. This increased prevalence may have important implications when prioritizing funding for research and treatment of PA.

Limitations: Clustering of cases within the study region might have affected estimates and limited study sample size.