Hepatitis C — Overview and Update in Treatment

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease worldwide, making it a major public health issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a worldwide prevalence of 3%. Each year, three to four million people are newly diagnosed with HCV, and it remains endemic in many countries of the world. According to the WHO, there are at least 21.3 million HCV carriers in Eastern Mediterranean countries, a figure close to the combined number of estimated carriers in the Americas and Europe. The purpose of this chapter is to give an overview and update in treatment of HCV patients by a broad search of published literature on aspect of epidemiology, natural history, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of HCV, graded on the best available evidence. All that to improve HCV patient care, and to promote and improve the multidisciplinary care required in the treatment of these patients

Towards globalization in the 21st century (trend analysis for civil aviation)

Advances the case for regional bodies which will better serve the interests of nation states and enhance the process of decision-making at the global level

The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Relationship Between Employee Resilience, Perceived Organizational Support, and Work Engagement: A Multi-Sector Study in Saudi Arabia

Employee engagement plays a crucial role in organizational success, influencing productivity, retention, and overall workplace performance. This study examines the impact of employee resilience and perceived organizational support (POS) on work engagement, with emotional intelligence (EI) as a moderating factor, across multiple sectors in Saudi Arabia. Grounded in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, the study hypothesizes that resilience and POS positively influence engagement, while EI moderates these relationships by enhancing employees’ ability to leverage resilience and support effectively. A quantitative research approach was employed, using a structured survey distributed to 450 full-time employees across industries such as healthcare, education, finance, manufacturing, and IT. Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the relationships among the variables. The findings confirm that employee resilience and POS significantly enhance work engagement, supporting the direct effects. Additionally, EI moderates these relationships, indicating that employees with higher emotional intelligence are better equipped to utilize resilience and organizational support to sustain engagement. These findings contribute to Saudi Vision 2030, emphasizing workforce development and employee well-being. The study provides practical insights for HR professionals on fostering engagement through resilience training, supportive workplace policies, and emotional intelligence development programs

Bayesian Estimation for Parameters of Power Function Distribution under Various Priors

Although the idea of Bayesian inference dates back to the late 18th century, its use by statisticians has been rare until recently. But due to advancement in the simulation techniques Bayesian inference and estimation is gaining currency. This paper seeks to focus on the Bayesian estimates of the Power Function distribution using Weibull and Generalized Gamma distributions as priors for the unknown parameters. Furthermore, the statistical performance of the obtained estimators is compared with the Maximum likelihood of Power Function distribution and the Bayesian estimator of Gamma distribution as prior of the unknown parameter. The comparison has been done using Monte Carlo simulation using MSE as yardstick of the comparison. Keywords: Squared error loss function, Bayesian estimator, Prior distribution, Monte Carlo simulation

Synergistic Effects Of Multidisciplinary Healthcare Approaches On Patient Care Quality In Hospital: A Meta-Analysis

The research conducts a meta-analysis to explore the effects of multidisciplinary healthcare approaches on patient care quality in hospitals. It includes a comprehensive review of literature on public health initiatives, nursing care, medical devices, and more, emphasizing their impact on patient outcomes. The methodology involves analyzing peer-reviewed articles to assess the impact of these approaches. Results show significant improvements in patient care quality, emphasizing the benefits of team-based, coordinated, comprehensive, and patient-centered care. The discussion highlights the synergy between different care components and the need for strategic planning to address resource allocation and information overload. Recommendations are provided for healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and future research, focusing on enhancing collaboration, continuous education, supportive policies, and resource allocation. The conclusion underscores the importance of multidisciplinary strategies in improving patient care quality and outcomes, advocating for a shift towards integrated team-based care

Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns: a three-year surveillance study in a rehabilitation setting

Introduction: To analyze the susceptibility patterns in a rehabilitation center. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted between January 2011 and to January 2013 at Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City (SBAHC), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Number of the patients, specimen type, pathogen detected and antibiogram were entered in database for analysis using Inter System Track care software. Results: A total of 4525 isolates were available from 5148 patients. Most (74%) of the isolates were from urine samples and were due to Eschericia coli (49.8%), Enterococcus faecalis (15%) and (Proteous mirabilis(9.49%). Of all the isolates, Eschericia coli was the commonest (49.8%) Gram negative organism, while(Stahylococcus aureus was the commonest (51%) among Gram positive organisms. The most effective antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeroginosa were ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. Meropenem shows excellent activity against Gram negative bacteria. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was susceptible to Vancomycin and Rifampicin in 97% and 85% cases. Conclusion: A high incidence of urinary tract infections caused by Eschericia coli, Enterococcus faecalisandProteous mirabilis was reported. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest pathogen isolated from infected bed sores.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Capacity for the management of kidney failure in the International Society of Nephrology Middle East region:Report from the 2023 ISN Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA)

The highest financial and symptom burdens and the lowest health-related quality of life scores are seen in people with kidney failure. A total of 11 countries in the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) Middle East region responded to the ISN-Global Kidney Health Atlas. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the region ranged from 4.9% in Yemen to 12.2% in Lebanon, whereas prevalence of kidney failure treated with dialysis or transplantation ranged from 152 per million population (pmp) in the United Ara Emirates to 869 pmp in Kuwait. Overall, the incidence of kidney transplantation was highest in Saudi Arabia (20.2 pmp) and lowest in Oman (2.2 pmp). Chronic hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) services were available in all countries while kidney transplantation was available in most countries of the region. Public government funding that makes acute dialysis, chronic HD, chronic PD, and kidney transplantation medications free at the point of delivery was available in 54.5%, 72.7%, 54.5%, and 54.5% of countries, respectively. Conservative kidney management was available in 45% of countries. Only Oman had a CKD registry while 7 (64 %) countries had dialysis registries and 8 (73%) had kidney transplantation registries. The ISN Middle East region has a high burden of kidney disease and multiple challenges to overcome. Prevention and detection of kidney disease can be improved by the design of tailored guidelines, allocating additional resources, improving early detection at all levels of care, and implementing sustainable health information systems

Knowledge and Attitude of Saudi Arabian School Teachers with Regards to Emergency Management of Dental Trauma

Injury to both the primary and the permanent dentitions and their supporting structures is one of the most common dental problems seen in children.  School is one of the locations with greatest prevalence of occurrence of traumatic dental injuries.  School teachers play important role in prevention of dental trauma and improving its prognosis. The present study was undertaken to assess knowledge and attitudes regarding emergency management of dental trauma, first aid for avulsed tooth and influence of dental education among school teachers in Abha city. METHODS: The participants were 100 school teachers from Abha city and were interviewed using a questionnaire regarding management of dental trauma.  The completed proformas was collected and the result was statistically analyzed to know the knowledge and attitudes regarding emergency management of dental trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of school staff had little knowledge related to handling of traumatic dental injuries and emergency management of avulsed permanent teeth in school children. Majority of school teachers were eager to have knowledge regarding dental trauma through continues dental education programs and workshops.  First aid training increases knowledge about dental trauma and should be included in the course curriculum of teachers training program

Insomnia in chronic renal patients on dialysis in Saudi Arabia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Studies have shown that insomnia is a common sleep disorder among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of insomnia in Saudi patients with ESRD who are on maintenance dialysis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was an observational cross-sectional study carried out over a period of five months in two hemodialysis centers in Saudi Arabia. To assess the prevalence of insomnia, we used the ICSD-2 definition. We also examined the association between insomnia and other sleep disorders, the underlying causes of renal failure, dialysis duration, dialysis shift, and other demographic data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Out of 227 enrolled patients, insomnia was reported by 60.8%. The mean patient age was 55.7 ± 17.2 years; 53.7% were male and 46.3% were female. Insomnia was significantly associated with female gender, afternoon hemodialysis, Restless Legs Syndrome, high risk for obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome and excessive daytime sleepiness (<it><b>P-values: </b></it>0.05, 0.01, < 0.0001, < 0.0001, and < 0.0001, respectively). No significant association was found between insomnia and other variables, including BMI, smoking habits, underlying etiology of renal failure, dialysis duration, association with hemoglobin, ferritin, and phosphorus or dialysis adequacy as measured by the Kt/V index.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Insomnia is common in dialysis patients and was significantly associated with other sleep disorders. Greater attention needs to be given to the care of dialysis patients with regard to the diagnosis and management of insomnia and associated sleep disorders.</p