Weight bias among health care providers for children in UAE

Background: This research looks at weight bias among healthcare providers for children in UAE.Methods: This study was done through self-administered questionnaire. Our targets were health care providers for children working in both governmental and private hospitals in UAE. 198 participants were enrolled in the study after exclusion of invalid questionnaires.Results: While 15.4% of healthcare professions in our study acknowledged practice of weight bias during care of obese children, 52.5% denied and 32.1% are not sure about it. 149 participants (76%) believed that failure of obesity management in children is attributed to their weak willpower and poor commitment. Compared with normal children, overweight/obese children are considered less complaint by 59% of our participants, less active by 78.2%, less willpower by 59.5%, less confident by 73.2% and less intelligent by 17.7%. Finally, 10% of our participants consider treatment of overweight/obesity is a waste of time.Conclusions: This study shows significant weight bias among healthcare profession which can occur unintentionally. Weight bias among health care providers affects the quality of medical care of obese children. Education, training and increasing awareness of weight bias among health care providers in UAE is an initial and essential step to decrease the risk of weight bias which is a significant barrier in management of childhood obesity

Microarray detection of fungal infection in pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Fungal pulmonary infection can be acquired in tuberculosis, immunodeficiency patients, and other chronic diseases. Many physicians missed fungal pulmonary infection because it does not show specific clinical manifestations. The aim was to identify the presence of overlapping fungal infections in tuberculosis patients, using high multiplexing capacity of DNA microarray. Methods: The present study was conducted on 50 tuberculosis patients who were subdivided into: Group I consisted of 30 cases of multidrug resistance tuberculosis, Group II consisted of 10 fresh cases and Group III consisted of 10 relapse cases. Morning sputum samples were examined by DNA microarray. Results: Aspergillus spp., was the only fungus detected in 24% of cases, Group I showed the highest percentage (26.6%) with statistically significant difference compared to Group II and III (20%) for each. Aspergillus fumigatus was the predominant spp. identified followed by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. Mixed infection was identified in 4 cases in Group I. A statistical significant association between fungal detection and MDR-TB, diabetic patients, smoker, being male, presence of haemoptysis and toxic manifestations, presence of cavitary lesion or abscess and severity of X-ray finding. Conclusion: Microarray detection of mycotic infection represents a rapid diagnostic tool helping early diagnosis of fungal co-infection and pulmonary TB. MDR-TB patients carry the risk of higher percentage of fungal infections and more liable for acquiring mixed fungal pathogens. Presence of male sex, smoking, DM and far extent of lesion must attract physicians’ attention for fungal co-infection with pulmonary TB

Resazurin Microtiter Assay Plate method for detection of susceptibility of multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis to second-line anti-tuberculous drugs

Background: Many developed countries need a diagnostic test that is accurate, rapid, and economical in detecting multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. This study aims to evaluate Resazurin Microtiter Assay Plate in detecting susceptibilities of multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis to second line anti tuberculous drugs. Methods: Susceptibility of multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis was evaluated against 5 second line anti tuberculous drugs by the colorimetric method using the Resazurin Microtiter Assay Plate Testing (REMA). Results: Drug susceptibility testing for the second-line drugs was performed for 34 MDR M. tuberculosis isolates isolated from 40 sputum samples. Results of REMA were available after 8 days of incubation. The agreement between the two tests for para-aminosalicylic acid, ethionamide, ofloxacin, kanamycin monosulfate and cycloserine was found to be 97.05%, 94.11%, 97.05%, 97.05% and 100%, respectively. The efficacy of REMA plate assay for PAS, ETH, OFX, KAN and CYL was 97.05%, 94.11%, 97.05%, 97.05% and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: Resazurin test was found to be reliable, simple to perform for the rapid detection of anti-tuberculous drug resistance and economically inexpensive