Prevalence and predictors of seizure in patients with Alzheimer’s disease at a tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To assess the prevalence and predictors of seizures in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at a Saudi tertiary hospital.Methods: A retrospective, matched case-control study was conducted using the electronic medical records of patients with AD who had an unprovoked seizure, from October 2015 to May 2018.Results: Nineteen cases and 195 controls were identified. Statistically significant risk factors for an unprovoked seizure in patients diagnosed with AD were hypertension (p = 0.001), autoimmune disease, stroke and TIA (p = 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified hypertension (OR = 2.89; p = 0.009) and autoimmune disease (OR = 19.6; p = 0.045) as predictors of unprovoked seizure in AD patients.Conclusion: The occurrence of unprovoked seizures is more likely in severe cases of AD. In addition, the risk of seizure in patients with AD increases with two co-morbid conditions, hypertension, and autoimmune disease. However, further studies are required to determine the underlying mechanism of the association between the two risk factors and AD

Smart information desk system with voice assistant for universities

This article aims to develop a smart information desk system through a smart mirror for universities. It is a mirror with extra capabilities of displaying answers for academic inquiries such as asking about the lecturers’ office numbers and hours, exams dates and times on the mirror surface. In addition, the voice recognition feature was used to answer spoken inquiries in audio responds to serve all types of users including disabled ones. Furthermore, the system showed general information such as date, weather, time and the university map. The smart mirror was connected to an outdoor camera to monitor the traffics at the university entrance gate. The system was implemented on a Raspberry Pi 4 model B connected to a two-way mirror and an infrared (IR) touch frame. The results of this study helped to overcome the problem of the information desk absence in the university. Therefore, it helped users to save their time and effort in making requests for important academic information

Ibuprofen and NSAID use in COVID-19 infected patients is not associated with worse outcomes: a prospective cohort sudy

Introduction Ibuprofen disappeared from the pharmacy shelves during the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, a while later, information circulated that ibuprofen should be avoided as it could worsen COVID-19 symptoms. The aim of our study was to assess the association of acute and chronic use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with worse COVID-19 outcomes. Methods We did a prospective cohort study between April 12 and June 1, 2020. Adults consecutively diagnosed with COVID-19 were included. Information on NSAID use was collected through a telephone questionnaire, and patients were followed up for COVID-19 infection outcomes, including death, admission, severity, time to clinical improvement, oxygen requirement and length of stay. Results Acute use of ibuprofen was not associated with a greater risk of mortality relative to non-use (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.632 [95% CI 0.073–5.441; P = 0.6758]). Chronic NSAID use was also not associated with a greater risk of mortality (adjusted HR 0.492 [95% CI 0.178–1.362; P = 0.1721]). Acute ibuprofen use was not associated with a higher risk of admission compared to non-NSAID users (adjusted odds ratio OR 1.271; 95% CI 0.548–2.953). NSAID users did not have a significantly longer time to clinical improvement or length of stay. Conclusion Acute or chronic use of ibuprofen and other NSAIDs was not associated with worse COVID-19 disease outcomes

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Program’s Residents in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) focuses on stimulating the body’s ability to heal itself through energy alignment, herbal supplementation, and other balancing techniques. AIM: The objective of the study was to investigate and compare the Knowledge Attitude Practice (KAP) of CAM among program’s residents in Tabuk region. METHODS: A cross-sectional CAP study was conducted among program’s residents in Tabuk region. All program’s residents of all specialties in Tabuk region were included in the study. Data were collected by predesigned electronic questionnaire covering the needed items. Collected data were coded and analyzed using SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Chi-square test was used as a test of significance and p = 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Most (95.8%) of the participants have heard about CAM, 25% have used CAM in treatment before, and 72.3% of them reported beneficial outcome, 25.7% strongly agree and 48.6% agree that CAM is a useful complement to pharmacological medicine, 38.2% believed that the results of CAM are usually due to the placebo effect, and 52.1% recommended using CAM. On the other hand, 79.9% have knowledge about acupuncture, 54.9% spiritual healing and herbal medicine, 43.1% massage, 41% yoga, 70.8% bloodletting cupping, and 56.3% about cauterization. More than third (38.2%) of the participants agreed that the use of herbal products is a valid form of drugs which can be used for the treatment of variety of diseases, 48.6% agreed that CAM is a useful complement to pharmacological medicine, while 36.1% strongly agreed that CAM treatments are not tested in a scientifically recognized manner. CONCLUSION: In our study, the majority of program’s residents in Tabuk region agree that CAM is a useful complement to pharmacological medicine and recommended using CAM while reasonable percentage of them believed that the results of CAM are usually due to the placebo effect

The prevalence of Factor V Leiden (Arg506Gln) mutation in King Khalid University Hospital patients, 2017–2019

Arg506Gln mutation is responsible for one of the procoagulant factors and most common inherited thrombophilia in the Factor V Leiden (FVL) family. The replacement of the missense mutation for Arg506Gln / R506Q is at 1691st position from Guanine to Adenine with the modification of the amino acid from arginine to glutamine. The aim of this study was to investigate the current prevalence of the G1691A mutation in the FVL gene in the capital city’s King Khalid University Hospitals (KKUH). Since 2017–2019 we have recruited 482 patients in these cross-sectional studies to test the G1691A mutation in KKUH’s FVL gene. DNA was extracted using 2mL of the EDTA blood and genotyping was performed with polymerase chain reaction and the data was analyzed using Sanger sequencing. In this study, 4.4% of the G1691A mutation was found to be positive (combined heterozygous-GA and homozygous-AA variants) and 95.6% of them with negative, i.e., homozygous normal-GG genotypes. Our study concludes that with the advances in genetic testing and their recent availability, early mutation detection could approve the genotype risks for many patients and this mutation is not as rare as previously believed in the Saudi region as our study has established with a 4.4 percent prevalence.departmental bulletin pape

Systematic review and meta-analysis of intratympanic steroid injection in sudden sensory neural hearing loss as initial, combined, or salvage treatment compared to systemic steroids alone

Background Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a rapid condition of hearing impairment, typically occurring over 72 hours and affecting the inner ear or auditory nerve pathways. The etiology of SSNHL remains largely idiopathic, with potential causes including viral infections, vascular occlusions, and autoimmune disorders. Traditional treatment primarily involves systemic corticosteroids, but their efficacy is inconsistent, leading to exploring alternative and adjunctive therapies such as intratympanic steroid (ITS) injections. Objective This Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis intends to determine the effectiveness of ITS injections as an initial treatment, combined therapy, or salvage treatment for SSNHL compared to systemic steroids alone. Methods An inclusive study was performed through the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases, encompassing publications published from 2015 to 2024. Case-control studies, cohort studies, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and systematic reviews were included. Two separate reviewers read the studies and extracted data on steroid administration methods, study outcomes, and risk of bias (ROB) using the Cochrane Collaboration Tool and RevMan 5.4. Results The review included 12 studies with varied designs, including prospective RCTs, systematic reviews, and retrospective analyses. Combined ITS and systemic steroid therapy showed superior hearing recovery compared to systemic steroids alone in several studies. ITS alone demonstrated variable efficacy, with some studies indicating benefits, particularly as a salvage therapy. ROB assessment revealed variability in methodological rigor, with studies like those of Li & Ding et al. (2020) and Devantier et al. (2022) showing low risk, while others exhibited higher risks, particularly in random sequence generation and allocation concealment. Conclusion The findings suggest that ITS injections, particularly when combined with systemic steroids, can enhance hearing recovery in SSNHL patients. However, variability in study outcomes and methodological quality underscores the need for standardized protocols and further high-quality RCTs. This analysis underscores the prospective advantages of ITS therapy while stressing the need for stringent study designs to enhance SSNHL treatment methodologies

Prehospital ECG Interpretation Methods for ST-Elevation MI Detection and Catheterization Laboratory Activation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: The diagnostic accuracies of different electrocardiography (ECG) interpretation methods remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of prehospital 12-lead ECG interpretation methods for identifying ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and activating cardiac catheterization laboratories (CCLs). Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in Medline, Scopus, and CINAHL databases up to August 2024. Two reviewers independently selected studies that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of prehospital 12-lead ECG in real-time STEMI identification and CCL activation. Pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated using bivariate generalized mixed-effects regression models or random-effects meta-analysis as appropriate. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. Results: Thirty-six studies involving 67,168 patients were included. Overall, for STEMI identification, the pooled AUC of ECG was 0.96 (95%CI:0.94–0.98), sensitivity was 80% (95% CI, 69–88%), specificity was 97% (95%CI: 94–98%), and DOR was 114 (95%CI: 59–222). Ambulance clinicians achieved the highest DOR (264; 95%CI: 33–2125), followed by transmission method (136; 95%CI, 59–312) and computer-assisted analysis (78; 95%CI: 33–186). Transmission method demonstrated superior specificity (‎0.98; 95%CI: 0.94-0.99‎) and the lowest rates of inappropriate (13.2%; 95% CI: ‎8.6%–19.2%), and false-positive (11.0%; 95%CI: 6.9%–15.0%) CCL activations. Conclusion: All prehospital ECG interpretation methods yielded acceptable diagnostic accuracy for STEMI identification; however, transmission offered the greatest specificity and fewer unnecessary CCL activations. Adopting transmission-based strategies, where feasible, and enhancing training and decision support for ambulance clinicians may improve prehospital STEMI detection and resource utilization

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice toward first aid among female school educators in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesSchool-age children are constantly at risk of unintentional injuries. School educational staff are the primary group responsible for maintaining student welfare and responding to emergency situations. The present study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes, practice level, and contextual factors related to first aid among female educational staff in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sampling of 1,060 female school staff at all educational levels in Riyadh. Participants completed a self-administered online questionnaire that contained items assessing sociodemographic data, knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding first aid.ResultsMost of the 1,060 participants reported above average knowledge level, with a mean score of 21 (max 35). On the other hand, positive attitude toward first aid was high (μ = 22.9; max 25). Approximately 33.4% of staff had previous first aid training, and 79.2% were willing to participate in future trainings. First aid knowledge was highest for choking and lowest for seizures.ConclusionThe attitudes toward first aid were generally positive, and the knowledge of first aid was above average among most participants but still unsatisfactory. Mandatory first aid courses are necessary to support children’s health during their education

Impact Of Bariatric Surgery on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To assess the occurrence of GERD after bariatric surgery and surgery impact on GERD. Methods: This research employs a cross-sectional study design to investigate the impact of bariatric surgery on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) among individuals who have undergone various types of bariatric surgeries. Results: The study included 302 participants. The most frequent weight among them was more than 96 kg (n= 130, 43%) followed by 76-85 kg (n= 51, 16.9%). The most frequent height among study participants was 1.61-1.70 m (n= 100, 33.1%) followed by 1.51-1.60 m (n= 99, 32.8%). The most frequent body mass index (BMI) value among study participants was more than 35 kg/m2 (n= 126, 41.7%) followed by 25-29.9 kg/m2 (n= 67, 22.2%). The most frequent age among study participants was 26-36 years (n= 104, 34.4%) followed by 15-25 years (n= 83, 27.5%). The most frequent gender among study participants was Female (n= 162, 53.6%) followed by Male (n= 140, 46.4%). Participants were asked about the type of obesity surgery. The most frequent was Gastric sleeve (n=222, 73.5%), followed by Gastric bypass (n=33, 10.9%).   Conclusion: Study results showed that most of the study participants are extremely obese according to their BMI. The most common obesity surgery type was a Gastric sleeve followed by a Gastric bypass. The most of participants were a non-smoker. Most of them had weight loss. In addition, most of the study participants had good social connection

Critical Analysis of the Saudi Commercial Arbitration Law Position on the Appointment of Women As Arbitrators: Obstacles and Solutions

This thesis explores the evolution of the Saudi Commercial Arbitration law and the legal challenges related to recognising and enforcing commercial arbitral awards. Moreover, it sheds light on international treaties concerning commercial arbitration law and the role of women, especially the ones to which Saudi Arabia is a signatory. The role of women in the Saudi judicial system has become more visible and effective. Currently, they are licensed lawyers and legal academics. Nonetheless, one of the issues the thesis examines regarding Saudi arbitration law is that it remains unclear whether women are legally allowed to become arbitrators. The law remains silent, which makes it subject to interpretation. Some interpretations limit arbitration to men, while others open it up to women. The thesis suggests that the involvement of women as arbitrators has to be legally clarified to avoid unnecessary confusion and put forth the requirements for arbitration licenses for women. That way, the Saudi commercial arbitration law clarifies that the parties to arbitrate on in the Kingdom can choose an arbitrator regardless of gender. It concludes by offering a prescription which spans from repealing and replacing the current commercial arbitration law to amending article fourteen of the law to clarify the issue, to triggering the international treaties on arbitration to which Saudi is a signatory by clarifying that the gender of an arbitrator is not restricted in Islamic law. Therefore, the Saudi commercial arbitration law recognises the role of women in arbitration. Any of the three proposals can serve the purpose and assist the Saudi commercial arbitration law to become more inclusive as it aspires to achieve the objectives of the Kingdom’s 2030 vision