The psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Satisfaction with Daily Occupations

Introduction: There is a shortage of tools designed for use by occupational therapy practice in Arabic-speaking countries. The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the original Satisfaction with Daily Occupations tool to Arabic and assess the psychometric properties of the adapted tool. Method: A cross-cultural adaptation process was performed. Face, content, and criterion validity were examined, as well as internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The study included 147 healthy adults and 73 patients with cerebrovascular accident. They were purposefully selected from two countries (Kuwait and Jordan). Results: The adapted tool comprised six domains and a total of 14 items. Face and content validity were established through prolonged content analysis. Criterion validity was indicated by significant differences between the healthy and the cerebrovascular accident group in all areas of the Satisfaction Daily Occupations scale (p<0.001). Satisfactory overall internal consistency (=0.77) and good test-retest reliability for the total satisfaction score for the healthy (inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC)=0.984) and the cerebrovascular accident group (inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC)=0.933) were found. Conclusions: The Satisfaction with Daily Occupations-Arabic version is a valid and reliable tool for use with Arabic-speaking occupational therapy clients. This study has several implications for occupational therapy education, practice, and research in the Arab world

Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Diseases in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in the Middle East: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aims. The prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus in the Middle East region is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to understand the pooled prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus in the Middle East region. Methods. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant studies up to October 2020. The search strategy was conducted using both keywords and MeSH terms. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that included patients from all age groups and any study design that reported on the prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus were included. The pooled estimate for the prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes was calculated using random-effect models with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results. A total of 489 citations were identified, of which only nine studies matched our inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. All of the studies used an observational study design covering a total of 59,395 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The pooled estimate of the prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus was 28.96% (95% CI: 19.80–38.11). Conclusions. A high prevalence of CKD in patients with diabetes mellitus in the Middle East region was found. Further epidemiological studies are warranted in this area to have a better estimate of the prevalence of CKD among DM in the Middle East region

Surgical Management of Lumbar Spine Fractures and Dislocations

Background: Lumbar spine fractures and dislocations, which are part of the thoracolumbar region, are critical injuries with significant morbidity. The epidemiological shift in the median age of injury and the high prevalence of these injuries, particularly in the T10-L2 region, highlight the necessity for effective therapeutic interventions. With advancements in spine biomechanics, imaging technologies, and surgical techniques, there has been a paradigm shift from conservative to surgical management, though high-quality comparative studies remain limited. Objective: To synthesize recent data on the epidemiology, evaluation, and management of lumbar spine fractures and dislocations, and to elucidate the comparative efficacy of surgical interventions and conservative approaches in optimizing patient outcomes. Method: This paper conducts a comprehensive review of epidemiological data on thoracolumbar traumatic injuries, diagnostic techniques, and management strategies, especially focusing on surgical interventions. The review also details specific surgical techniques utilized for lumbar spine fractures and their underlying rationale. Findings and Conclusion: Thoracolumbar injuries primarily affect the transitional zone (T11-L2) and show a higher incidence in males aged between 20 and 40. Imaging, especially CT scans, offers a definitive diagnostic approach, with MRI providing insights on soft tissue interactions. While historically, conservative methods dominated therapeutic interventions, surgical techniques, including Posterior Instrumentation, Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF), Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF), and Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF), are increasingly being utilized. Some specific fractures even warrant a combined posterior-anterior surgical approach. Notably, certain case studies highlight the potential for superior outcomes with surgical intervention, even in the absence of neurological deficits. Selecting the appropriate management strategy should be tailored to individual patient factors, nature of the injury, and available expertise and resources

In-hospital mortality rates in SARS-CoV-2 patients treated with enoxaparin and heparin

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate in-hospital mortality rates in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) according to enoxaparin and heparin use. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 962 patients admitted to two hospitals in Kuwait with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Cumulative all-cause mortality rate was the primary outcome. Results: A total of 302 patients (males, 196 [64.9%]; mean age, 57.2 ± 14.6 years; mean body mass index, 29.8 ± 6.5 kg/m2) received anticoagulation therapy. Patients receiving anticoagulation treatment tended to have pneumonia (n = 275 [91.1%]) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (n = 106 [35.1%]), and high D-dimer levels (median [interquartile range]: 608 [523;707] ng/mL). The mortality rate in this group was high (n = 63 [20.9%]). Multivariable logistic regression, the Cox proportional hazards, and Kaplan-Meier models revealed that the use of therapeutic anticoagulation agents affected the risk of all-cause cumulative mortality. Conclusion: Age, hypertension, pneumonia, therapeutic anticoagulation, and methylprednisolone use were found to be strong predictors of in-hospital mortality. In elderly hypertensive COVID-19 patients on therapeutic anticoagulation were found to have 2.3 times higher risk of in-hospital mortality. All cause in-hospital mortality rate in the therapeutic anticoagulation group was up to 21%

In-hospital mortality in SARS-CoV-2 stratified by gamma-glutamyl transferase levels

Background: This study investigates in-hospital mortality amongst patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its relation to serum levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT). Methods: Patients were stratified according to serum levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (GGT<50 IU/L or GGT≥50 IU/L). Results: A total of 802 participants were considered, amongst whom 486 had GGT<50 IU/L and a mean age of 48.1 (16.5) years, whilst 316 had GGT≥50 IU/L and a mean age of 53.8 (14.7) years. The chief sources of SARS-CoV-2 transmission were contact (366, 45.7%) and community (320, 40%). Most patients with GGT≥50 IU/L had either pneumonia (247, 78.2%) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (85, 26.9%), whilst those with GGT<50 IU/L had hypertension (141, 29%) or diabetes mellitus (DM) (147, 30.2%). Mortality was higher amongst patients with GGT≥50 IU/L (54, 17.1%) than amongst those with GGT<50 IU/L (29, 5.9%). More patients with GGT≥50 required high (83, 27.6%) or low (104, 34.6%) levels of oxygen, whereas most of those with GGT<50 had no requirement of oxygen (306, 71.2%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that GGT≥50 IU/L (odds ratio [OR]: 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–3.45, p=0.009), age (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03–1.07, p<0.001), hypertension (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.19–3.63, p=0.011), methylprednisolone (OR: 2.96, 95% CI: 1.74–5.01, p<0.001) and fever (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.15–3.68, p=0.016) were significant predictors of all-cause cumulative mortality. A Cox proportional hazards regression model (B = −0.68, SE =0.24, HR =0.51, p = 0.004) showed that patients with GGT<50 IU/L had a 0.51-times lower risk of all-cause cumulative mortality than patients with GGT≥50 IU/L. Conclusion: Higher levels of serum GGT were found to be an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality

Ferritin level : a predictor of severity and mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Introduction: This study aims to investigate in-hоsрitаl mоrtаlity in severe асute resрirаtоry syndrоme соrоnаvirus 2 раtients strаtified by serum ferritin levels. Methods: Patients were stratified based on ferritin levels (ferritin levels ≤ 1000 or >1000). Results: Approximately 89% (118) of the patients with ferritin levels > 1000 had pneumonia, and 51% (67) had hypertension. Fever (97, 73.5%) and shortness of breath (80, 61%) were two major symptoms among the patients in this group. Logistic regression analysis indicated that ferritin level (odds ratio [OR] = 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.21–0.62; p 1000. Conclusion: In this study, higher levels of serum ferritin were found to be an independent predictor of in-hоsрitаl mоrtаlity

In-hospital mortality in SARS-CoV-2 stratified by hemoglobin levels : a retrospective study

This study is to estimate in-hospital mortality in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patients stratified by hemoglobin (Hb) level. Patients were stratified according to hemoglobin level into two groups, that is, Hb 100 g/L. A total of 6931 patients were included. Of these, 6377 (92%) patients had hemoglobin levels >100 g/L. The mean age was 44 ± 17 years, and 66% of the patients were males. The median length of overall hospital stay was 13 days [2; 31]. The remaining 554 (8%) patients had a hemoglobin level 100 g/L (52, 0.82%). Risk factors associated with increased mortality were determined by multi- variate analysis. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed hemoglobin as a predictor of mortality. Cox proportional hazards regression coefficients for hemoglobin for the HB ≤ 100 category of hemoglobin were significant, B = 2.79, SE = 0.17, and HR = 16.34, p < 0.001. Multivariate logistic regression showed Hb < 100 g/L had a higher cumu- lative all-cause in-hospital mortality (22.4% vs. 0.8%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.33; 95% [CI]: [0.20–0.55]; p < 0.001). In this study, hemoglobin levels <100 g/L were found to be an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality

A case of fatal acute bacterial meningoencephalitis with extremely high cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count

Abstract Acute bacterial meningoencephalitis is still prevalent despite the widespread vaccination and still fatal despite the advances in antimicrobial therapy. Identifying patients at risk, lowering the threshold of clinical diagnosis and early treatment of such a curable disease will save patients' lives

The Effect of Using the Reinforcement Board on Increasing Attention among Students with Intellectual Disabilities during Performing Writing Tasks

The current study aimed to examine the effect of using the reinforcement board on increasing attention among students with intellectual disabilities while performing writing tasks in the class. A related purpose was to explore students’ ability to maintain and generalize the behavior of attention. The withdrawal design (ABAB), one of the Single Subject Designs, was used. The study sample consisted of 4 students with intellectual disabilities in grade 5 who attend Dhul-Noreen elementary school for boys in Jizan. Results showed that the reinforcement board strategy was effective in improving and developing the attention of students of intellectual disabilities during the performance of written assignments within the classroom with a success rate (100%). In addition, students maintained the behavior that they learned with a rate ranging between (96-100%), and also improved their ability to generalize this behavior in different environments with a success rate ranging between (96-100%). Finally, the results showed functional relationship between the use of reinforcement board strategy and the improvement of the level of attention of students with intellectual disabilities

CuMo Mine Feasibility Study

A mining company named CuMo, formally named Mosquito, is planning to open an estimated 3,850 acre, open-pit. mine in Boise County, Idaho. CuMo plans to extract copper, molybdenum, silver, and gold. Under the Bus Engineering was tasked with creating a feasibility study report for mining operations. Our goal is to determine the mine’s feasibility for CuMo and the surrounding area. We have considered mining operations and developed estimates for each phase of the mine. We have designed a complete mine site layout and mine-tailings dam. All designs closely followed regulations from several state and federal agencies, including: Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and Environmental Protection Agency. A cost analysis was performed, along with a reclamation plan