Demographic, Clinical, and Biomedical Profile of Diabetic Patients Receiving Home Healthcare in Saudi Arabia

Background: Identifying characteristics of diabetic patients receiving home healthcare will help in designing services that respond to their conditions and improve their health status and quality of life. The aim of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical, and biomedical characteristics of diabetic patients receiving HHC. Methods and Results: We used a descriptive cross-sectional design, and data were collected from 251 medical records of diabetic patients in two home healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia. The collected data included demographic, clinical, and biomedical profile variables. The average age was 74.7±11.6 years, with most patients (93.2%) aged 60 or older. The most common treatment modality was multiple daily insulin injections with or without oral medication (38.6%), followed by oral medication with sulfonylurea (19.9%). Pressure injury was the most reported complication/comorbidity, affecting 33.1% of patients. Cerebrovascular disease came next, affecting 20.7% of patients, followed by cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and nephropathy, affecting 12.3%, 10%, and 6.4% of patients, respectively. Only 4.2% of patients experienced hypoglycemia, and only 5.6% of patients were hospitalized due to DM complications. The mean HbA1c was 7.6±1.7%, with approximately 71.7% of the diabetic patients having HbA1c8% (P<0.0001). The median (range) LDL was 2.93 (1-317) mmol/L. The median (range) eGFR was 76.6 (9-389) mL/min/1.73m2. Around 48% of the population had an eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73m2. Conclusion: Our findings show satisfactory glycemic control, acceptable LDL levels, low incidence of hypoglycemia, and minimal hospital admissions

Prevalence and Causes of Intrahepatic and Extrahepatic Bile Duct Obstruction among the Jaundiced Patients at Riyadh Hospitals Diagnosed by Ultrasound

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and causes of bile duct obstruction among patients with jaundice at the ultrasound departments in Riyadh hospitals. Methods and Results: The study included 525 records of jaundiced patients above 18 years old that were referred to the ultrasound department. Data were collected from PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) at three different hospitals in Riyadh. Of 525 adult jaundiced patients, 69 had biliary obstruction, a 13% prevalence. In our study, 38(55.1%) cases of obstruction were caused by stones, 14(20.3%) by tumors, 9(13.0%) by inflammation, 5(7.2%) by a nonfunctioning stent, and 3(4.3%) by pnemobilia. Obstructive jaundice occurred significantly more frequently with increasing age. The study revealed no significant difference between gender and the presence of obstruction. More studies with a larger sample size of obstructive jaundice patients are suggested

Association between Renal Stones Sonographic Findings and Demographic Data among Patients at Riyadh Hospitals, Saudi Arabia

Background: Ultrasound is the primary imaging modality to identify renal stones (RS) in patients with acute flank pain. This study aimed to evaluate the presence, location, and size of RS diagnosed by ultrasound in association with age, gender, and BMI among patients at Riyadh hospitals. Methods and Results: In this case-control study, a total of 250 records (130/52% for males and 120/48% for females) from 2018 to 2019 were reviewed from January to March 2020 at different hospitals in Riyadh. In this study, 150(60%) records of patients with RS and 100(40%) records of patients without RS were collected to evaluate the risk factor for RS formation in the central area of Saudi Arabia. A designed data collection sheet containing all variables (demographic and sonographic) of the study was used. Demographic data included gender, age, and body mass index (BMI). Sonographic data included RS presence (yes, no), RS location (right kidney [RK], left kidney [LK], both kidneys), and RS size (small [1cm]). The study found that RS were more common among males than females (P0.05) Conclusion: Among patients at Riyadh hospitals, females are less affected by RS than males. Gender is a significant risk factor for the development of RS. The effect of BMI is obvious on renal stone location and size