Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Urinary Tract Infections: A Cross-Sectional Study from Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a prevalent form of urinary tract diseases affecting individuals of all ages and genders. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), UTIs are a significant burden on the healthcare system, comprising 10% of all infections and ranking as the second leading cause of emergency department admissions. Despite this, limited research has been conducted in Saudi Arabia, particularly in Jazan Province, located in the southwestern region. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study encompassed individuals with positive urine cultures who sought care at a tertiary hospital in Jazan between January 2022 and March 2023. A standardized data collection form was utilized to retrieve relevant information from microbiology lab test results and patients’ electronic medical records. Variables such as sex, urine sample collection date, bacterial isolates, antibiotic sensitivity, and resistance were collected using the data collection form. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: A total of 1082 urinary bacterial samples were isolated and identified. Females accounted for more bacterial infections (62.66%) than males (37.34%). Gram-negative bacteria represented 94% of all isolated strains. The most prevalent pathogens associated with UTIs were Escherichia coli (47.97%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (24.58%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.55%). Antimicrobial resistance patterns indicated the presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) (30.13%), carbapenemase-resistant Enterobacter (CRE) (1.94%), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (0.74%), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) (0.18%). UTI incidence demonstrated a higher prevalence in September (13%) compared to other months in 2022. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the predominant Gram-negative multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO), accounting for 34.42%, 13.95%, and 1.63% of the population. Conclusions: The prevalence of UTIs caused by antibiotic-resistant microbes is notable in Jazan. Consistent with findings from other regions, Escherichia coli remains the most common causative pathogen of UTIs, displaying a seasonal pattern that warrants attention. Approximately 35% of reported cases involve MDRO, with ESBLs accounting for 30%. These results should raise concerns among healthcare officials, highlighting the necessity for further investigations into factors contributing to the circulation of MDRO in Jazan

Ocular Complications after COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic affects various populations worldwide. The discovery of vaccinations was necessary for the prevention and elimination of the disease. Despite the high importance of these vaccinations, they may cause some complications, such as ocular complications. This study aims to draw attention to the possible complications of the vaccination and highlight its importance. Materials and Methods: Systematic review of the literature from January 2021 to January 2023. A total of 20 published articles were included and reported cases of ocular complications in patients who received COVID-19 vaccines. Results: A total of 243 patients with verified ocular complications following the COVID-19 vaccination were included, ranging in age from 18 to 84 years. The most common ocular complications reported in the current study were ocular inflammatory complications, which represented 47.3%, followed by optic neuritis (24.3%). Retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, acute macular neuroretinopathy, and paracentral acute middle maculopathy represented 10.7%. Herpetic ocular infections and herpetic eye disease (14%). Nearly half (42%) of the patients with ocular problems received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination. Conclusions: Despite the high importance of the COVID-19 vaccination, it was found that it is associated with the occurrence of some ocular complications. Future projects should come with more extensive prospective studies to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms and risk factors associated with ocular complications following COVID-19 vaccination, thereby enhancing our understanding and guiding appropriate management strategies

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices regarding Contraceptive Pill and Its Side Effects among Women in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia

Contraception is one of the common methods of family planning. The oral contraceptive pill (OCP) is among the most effective methods of contraception. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of oral contraception use and its side effects among women in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was carried out among adult women 18 years and older in the Jazan region. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to assess their demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, previous experience, and pattern of OCP usage. Descriptive analysis and a logistic regression model were used to analyse data. About 570 questionnaires were distributed and achieved a 98.3% response rate. The majority of women participants were between 18 and 25 years old, and 51.4% of the respondents reported that they had previously used or were using OCP. We found that women had good knowledge and a positive attitude towards OCP, with more than half of the users preferring them over other contraceptive methods. This study indicates that attitude, knowledge, and prior experience of OCP have no significant effect on the usage pattern of OCP among women with relatively high socioeconomic status in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with paediatric cancer in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, observational cohort study

OBJECTIVES: Paediatric cancer is a leading cause of death for children. Children in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) were four times more likely to die than children in high-income countries (HICs). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the delivery of healthcare services worldwide, and exacerbated the disparity in paediatric cancer outcomes between LMICs and HICs. DESIGN: A multicentre, international, collaborative cohort study. SETTING: 91 hospitals and cancer centres in 39 countries providing cancer treatment to paediatric patients between March and December 2020. PARTICIPANTS: Patients were included if they were under the age of 18 years, and newly diagnosed with or undergoing active cancer treatment for Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, Wilms' tumour, sarcoma, retinoblastoma, gliomas, medulloblastomas or neuroblastomas, in keeping with the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: All-cause mortality at 30 days and 90 days. RESULTS: 1660 patients were recruited. 219 children had changes to their treatment due to the pandemic. Patients in LMICs were primarily affected (n=182/219, 83.1%). Relative to patients with paediatric cancer in HICs, patients with paediatric cancer in LMICs had 12.1 (95% CI 2.93 to 50.3) and 7.9 (95% CI 3.2 to 19.7) times the odds of death at 30 days and 90 days, respectively, after presentation during the COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, patients with paediatric cancer in LMICs had 15.6 (95% CI 3.7 to 65.8) times the odds of death at 30 days (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected paediatric oncology service provision. It has disproportionately affected patients in LMICs, highlighting and compounding existing disparities in healthcare systems globally that need addressing urgently. However, many patients with paediatric cancer continued to receive their normal standard of care. This speaks to the adaptability and resilience of healthcare systems and healthcare workers globally

Effects of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery: an international prospective cohort study

We aimed to determine the impact of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We performed an international prospective cohort study including patients undergoing elective surgery in October 2020. Isolation was defined as the period before surgery during which patients did not leave their house or receive visitors from outside their household. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complications, adjusted in multivariable models for measured confounders. Pre-defined sub-group analyses were performed for the primary outcome. A total of 96,454 patients from 114 countries were included and overall, 26,948 (27.9%) patients isolated before surgery. Postoperative pulmonary complications were recorded in 1947 (2.0%) patients of which 227 (11.7%) were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients who isolated pre-operatively were older, had more respiratory comorbidities and were more commonly from areas of high SARS-CoV-2 incidence and high-income countries. Although the overall rates of postoperative pulmonary complications were similar in those that isolated and those that did not (2.1% vs 2.0%, respectively), isolation was associated with higher rates of postoperative pulmonary complications after adjustment (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05-1.36, p = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses revealed no further differences when patients were categorised by: pre-operative testing; use of COVID-19-free pathways; or community SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications increased with periods of isolation longer than 3 days, with an OR (95%CI) at 4-7 days or &gt;= 8 days of 1.25 (1.04-1.48), p = 0.015 and 1.31 (1.11-1.55), p = 0.001, respectively. Isolation before elective surgery might be associated with a small but clinically important increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Longer periods of isolation showed no reduction in the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. These findings have significant implications for global provision of elective surgical care