Stroke in Saudi Arabia: a review of the recent literature

Stroke is a major cerebrovascular disease resulting in high mortality and persistent disability in adults across the world. Besides coronary heart disease and cancer, stroke is the commonest cause of death in most industrialized countries. Survivors of stroke are often left with severe mental and physical disabilities, which create a major social and economic burden, ranking as the second most common cause of death worldwide and a major source of morbidity. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is the largest country in the Middle East occupying approximately four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula supporting a population of more than 28 million. Stroke is becoming a rapidly increasing problem and an important cause of illness and deaths in Saudi Arabia. However, compared with the developed countries, research regarding the incidence, prevalence and their sociodemographic properties of stroke is still insufficient due to lack of appropriate studies being conducted in these specified areas. This review aims to discuss the range of the aspect of stroke in Saudi Arabia from the literature published.Key words: Stroke, Saudi Arabia, disability

Adult male with non-resolving opacity in the right hemithorax

Pulmonary agenesis is a well-known but rare congenital anomaly of the respiratory system. It represents failure of development of the primitive lung bud. We are reporting bilobar agenesis of the right lung associated with multisystem involvement in an adult patient

Antithyroid drug induced a granulocytosis: what still we need to learn ?

Antithyroid drugs (ATDs) induced agranulocytosis is a rare but life threatening condition. We report a 29 years Filipino female diagnosed as having hyperthyroidism with normal base line blood counts, liver and renal profile. She was started on maximum 60mg (20mg TID) oral dose of carbimazole since one month by her treating physician. Exactly after one month of treatment she presented to emergency room (ER) with fever, sore throat and generalized weakness for several days.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: a call to the clinicians for keeping this rare condition on clinical radar

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is a rare disease of central nervous system, which can present with a variety of clinical manifestations. That is why first attack of ADEM, in particular remains a diagnostic puzzle. Early anticipation and diagnosis is important for better outcomes. We present a case of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis which initially had atypical clinical features with cough, expectoration, fever and later manifested strange neurological features, diagnosed to be a case of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis based on radio-imaging

Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns: a three-year surveillance study in a rehabilitation setting

Introduction: To analyze the susceptibility patterns in a rehabilitation center. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted between January 2011 and to January 2013 at Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City (SBAHC), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Number of the patients, specimen type, pathogen detected and antibiogram were entered in database for analysis using Inter System Track care software. Results: A total of 4525 isolates were available from 5148 patients. Most (74%) of the isolates were from urine samples and were due to Eschericia coli (49.8%), Enterococcus faecalis (15%) and (Proteous mirabilis(9.49%). Of all the isolates, Eschericia coli was the commonest (49.8%) Gram negative organism, while(Stahylococcus aureus was the commonest (51%) among Gram positive organisms. The most effective antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeroginosa were ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. Meropenem shows excellent activity against Gram negative bacteria. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was susceptible to Vancomycin and Rifampicin in 97% and 85% cases. Conclusion: A high incidence of urinary tract infections caused by Eschericia coli, Enterococcus faecalisandProteous mirabilis was reported. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest pathogen isolated from infected bed sores.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

COVID-19 Community Transmission among Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Care Cardiac Center

Aim: To determine the frequency, mode of transmission, and outcome of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary care cardiac center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: This is a retrospective study of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected HCWs and was conducted from 2 March to 31 December 2020. Data related to the presence of COVID-19 symptoms, mode of transmission, hospitalization, and mortality were collected from the patients’ medical records. Results: Of the 4462 patients tested for COVID-19 by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), 203 (4.5%) HCWs were positive; of these, 125 (61.6%) were males, and the most common age group was <40 years. The most commonly encountered health professionals were nurses (74, 36.4%), followed by therapists/technicians (48, 23.6%), housekeepers (25, 12.3%), and physicians (21, 10.4%). The majority (184, 90.6%) of the HCWs contracted COVID-19 in the community, and only 19 (9.4%) were healthcare-associated infections. Of the infected HCWs, 169 (83.3%) had mild symptoms and were managed in home isolation. The most common symptoms were fever (128, 63.1%), body ache (124, 61.8%), headache (113, 55.7%), dry cough (123, 60.6%), sore throat (97, 47.8%), body weakness (97, 47.8%), and fatigue (94, 46.3%). Comparing males and females, there was a significantly higher number of female nurses; in contrast, there was a higher number of male physicians, housekeepers, therapists/technicians, and other specialty HCWs. A significantly lower number of nurses, therapists/technicians were infected in the ≥40 years age group compared to <40 years. Furthermore, a significantly higher difference was observed among non-Saudi nurses compared to Saudi nurses. No mortality was documented among the included HCWs. Conclusions: In the largest tertiary cardiac center in KSA, most HCWs who contracted COVID-19 developed mild symptoms; nurses and those aged <40 years were most commonly infected, and most infections were acquired in the community. HCWs’ adherence to mitigation measures outside of the workplace is vital to curb the current pandemic and decrease nosocomial transmission risk

Traumatic spinal cord injury in Saudi Arabia: a review of the literature Review Open Access

Abstract Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (TSCI) is a condition where the neural elements suffer acute trauma, resulting in short-term or permanent sensory and motor problems. An understanding the underlying structural and functional biological repairs of the TSCI mechanisms has intensely increased over the last two decades. However, compared with the other fields in medicine, the present degree of treatment and care for TSCI are quite unsatisfactory. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the largest country in the Middle East, occupies nearly four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula with a population of over 28 million. It also has the distinction of having one of the highest rates of spinal cord injuries in the world. However, research on TSCI has been very limited. Therefore, studies on the long-term incidence of TSCI in Saudi Arabia are vital and most essential to identify the high-risk groups, create awareness, establish trends, predict the needs, and thus contribute to effective health care planning of this condition. In this review, we discuss various aspects of TSCI in Saudi Arabia from the available literature

Stroke in Saudi Arabia: a review of the recent literature

Abstract Stroke is a major cerebrovascular disease resulting in high mortality and persistent disability in adults across the world. Besides coronary heart disease and cancer, stroke is the commonest cause of death in most industrialized countries. Survivors of stroke are often left with severe mental and physical disabilities, which create a major social and economic burden, ranking as the second most common cause of death worldwide and a major source of morbidity. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is the largest country in the Middle East occupying approximately four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula supporting a population of more than 28 million. Stroke is becoming a rapidly increasing problem and an important cause of illness and deaths in Saudi Arabia. However, compared with the developed countries, research regarding the incidence, prevalence and their sociodemographic properties of stroke is still insufficient due to lack of appropriate studies being conducted in these specified areas. This review aims to discuss the range of the aspect of stroke in Saudi Arabia from the literature published

Delirium followed by neuroleptic malignant syndrome in rehabilitation setting. Is it anger reaction before discharge? Case report Open Access

Abstract Delirium and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) are two uncommon syndromes that are often unrecognized or misdiagnosed by the primary physicians as functional psychiatric disorders. The infrequency and the heterogeneity of clinical manifestation, progression and outcome with which those diagnoses are encountered (particularly in chronic rehabilitation settings) make them formidable diagnostic challenge. In this report, we present a case in which there was a misdiagnosis of delirium and NMS as functional psychiatric disorders. This report demonstrates the fact that early recognition and intervention in such cases are essential to prevent the grave outcome and potential fatality. The authors believe that there is a key role for the consulting psychiatrist in this area in providing diagnostic clarity and advice regarding management and ongoing staff education

Patient Centered Model of Care: A Positive Impact on Treatment Outcome in a Rehabilitation Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Patient-centered model of care (PCMC) is a philosophy and mindset that requires a high level of commitment and significant adjustments in organizational structures. The patient-centered care (PCC) concept is based upon communication and involvement of both patients and their families in the treatment options and the potential outcome, thus empowering the patient and family. The PCC is a quality benchmark that is multidimensional and entails all aspect of how services are delivered to patients. The objective of this study was to study the effectiveness of PCC on the treatment outcome of a Rehabilitation Hospital in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The survey was conducted during the January 2009 to July 2010 at Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City (SBAHC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total number of 1125 patients participated in the questionnaire and surveys. This paper provides an in-depth discussion of the concepts and evidence regarding PCC, a comprehensive review of approaches, action plan and an examination of activities at SBAHC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia