Ossama Abdul Rahman - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ossama Abdul Rahman

Biomedical Research, 2018

Background: Brain tumors are associated with marked disability and mortality. Understanding the p... more Background: Brain tumors are associated with marked disability and mortality. Understanding the patterns and epidemiological characteristics associated with brain tumors can be crucial to their treatment. Objective: To explore the magnitude and epidemiological features of primary brain tumors among patients admitted to Aseer Central Hospital (ACH), Abha City, Saudi Arabia, and to identify different decisions for their management. Methodology: All hospital records of brain tumor patients admitted to ACH from 2015-2017 were reviewed. Collected data included patients' demographic characteristics, clinical findings, histopathological diagnosis, and management. Results: During the aforementioned period, a total of 100 patients with primary brain tumors were admitted to ACH. The most commonly presenting symptoms were headache (72%), vomiting, dizziness, and focal motor deficits (25% for all). Tumor location was mostly at the frontal or parietal lobes. Among those who underwent surgery, meningioma grade I was the most frequently diagnosed (41.7%). The mean surgical time was 4.2 ± 1.6 h. Most patients who underwent surgery at ACH stayed in the intensive care unit anywhere from 1 d or 2-4 d (34% and 40%, respectively). The Glasgow outcome scale scores of most patients (91.7%) indicated that the patients had a good recovery. However, one patient died (1.7%), one was in a persistent vegetative state (1.7%), and three sustained moderate disability (5%). Conclusion: Most patients with brain tumors admitted to ACH undergo surgery. Meningioma grade I is the most commonly encountered brain tumor, and this finding may reflect different epidemiological findings from the internationally accepted concept that glioblastoma multiforme is the most common brain tumor. The most common locations for brain tumors are the frontal and parietal lobes.

The Journal of medical research, 2014

To explore the pattern and determinants of traditional cautery practices for management of ailmen... more To explore the pattern and determinants of traditional cautery practices for management of ailments among infants visiting the outpatient clinics of governmental hospitals in Aseer District. Methods: This study was conducted at the Pediatrics’ Outpatient Clinics of governmental hospitals within Aseer Region. The data collection sheet included personal characteristics and variables related to cautery practices. The study group comprised 150 infants and an age-and gendermatched control group (134 infants) who did not have any cautery marks in their bodies. Results: Parents sought cautery for their infants mainly because of abdominal distension (28%), prolonged cough (27.3%), persistent vomiting (22%) and excessive crying (14%). The main sites for cautery were the infant’s chest (50.7%) and the abdomen (38.7%). The person who performed cautery to the infants was mainly a professional traditional healer (89.3%). Inflammation of skin at the cautery site occurred in 26.7% of infants. Woun...

Aim of Study: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice regarding geriatric depression among pri... more Aim of Study: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice regarding geriatric depression among primary care physicians (PCPs) in Aseer Region. Methodology: Following a cross-sectional design, this study included 330 PCPs in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was constructed by the researchers to assess participants’ knowledge, attitudes and practices about geriatric depression. Results: Regarding geriatric depression, 30% of PCPs had poor knowledge, 94.2% had a positive attitude toward management of geriatric depression, while 27% had poor practices regarding management of geriatric depression. More than one third of participants (35.8%) do not use any standard test to screen for late life depression. Only 64.2% use clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of late life depression, while 10.6% of PCPs do not request any laboratory test to identify the cause for geriatric depression. The most frequently prescribed medications for depression among e...

World Family Medicine Journal /Middle East Journal of Family Medicine

Aim of Study: to assess the prevalence of genetic and infectious diseases that could be identifie... more Aim of Study: to assess the prevalence of genetic and infectious diseases that could be identified through premarital screening in Aseer Region during 2021. Methods: Following a retrospective research design, this study included data of all prospective couples who underwent premarital examination in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia, during 2021 (N=25,023). The researchers retrieved data of all prospective couples registered during 2021 through the Health Services Platform “Seha” for Aseer. Retrieved data included number of marriage proposals, lab results for inherited hemoglobinopathies, and chronic diseases, i.e., hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus, (HIV/AIDS). A total of 128 patients with hepatitis B were identified (100, 78.1% were males), while 13 hepatitis C patients were identified (11, 84.6% were males), in addition to 9 HIV/AIDS patients, all of whom were males. Conclusions: Sickle cell disease and hepatitis B are commonly identified by premarital examinati...

World Family Medicine Journal /Middle East Journal of Family Medicine

Objective: To evaluate non-psychiatric physicians’ knowledge, attitude and practices regarding ma... more Objective: To evaluate non-psychiatric physicians’ knowledge, attitude and practices regarding management of cases with addiction. Subjects and Methods: Following a cross-sectional study, 126 non-psychiatric physicians in Aseer Region were interviewed. A study questionnaire was used for data collection. It included socio-demographic data; general attitudes and interest toward addictions, addiction psychiatry; knowledge about addictions, addictive disorders, including treatment, and practice about addictions, addictive disorders, and treatment. The survey was anonymously self-administered and participant physicians were asked to provide their written informed consent to participate in this study. Data were collected through direct interviews with physicians. Results: Age of participants ranged from 26 to 66 years (Mean±SD: 37.1±9.1 years). Most participants (81%) were males. Only 9.5% attended a training course or a conference on management of addiction, while 12.7% attended training...

Acta Paediatrica, 2006

To assess the exocrine pancreatic function among cystic fibrosis patients with cystic fibrosis tr... more To assess the exocrine pancreatic function among cystic fibrosis patients with cystic fibrosis trans-membrane conductance regulator (CFTR) I1234V mutation. Cross-sectional study of 40 cystic fibrosis patients with homozygous CFTR I1234V mutation belonging to a large Arab kindred family and 25 healthy subjects as a control group over a period of 12 mo. Assessment of their exocrine pancreatic function was performed by measuring faecal elastase-1 (FE1) concentration with a commercial ELISA kit using polyclonal antibodies (BioServ Diagnostics) in CF patients compared to healthy subjects. The results were compared with those obtained from a second laboratory using another commercial ELISA (ScheBo; Biotech, Germany) that uses two monoclonal antibodies against different specific epitopes of human pancreatic elastase. All CF patients with CFTR I1234V mutation had normal levels of faecal elastase 1. No significant difference was found between the two methods for the CF groups or between the CF patients with and without pancreatic enzyme replacement. Cystic fibrosis with homozygous CFTR I1234V mutation is associated with pancreatic sufficiency. Assessment of exocrine function using polyclonal antibodies does not significantly differ from that using two monoclonal antibodies against different specific epitopes of human pancreatic elastase.

Middle East journal of nursing, May 1, 2022

This is the first issue this year of the journal which include papers from various countries deal... more This is the first issue this year of the journal which include papers from various countries dealing with important issues. Asiri., et al., did a quantitative crosssectional study to evaluate nurses' perceived organizational support during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia.The study included 288 nurses working in 13 governmental hospitals. A self-administered questionnaire was designed by the researchers (in both English and Arabic versions), which included sociodemographic characteristics and the COVID Organizational Support Scale. Most participant were Saudi (79.5%), females (91.3%), aged 23-35 years (93.1%). About one two-thirds of nurses (61.8%) had 1-2 years of work experience in Saudi Arabia. Most nurses (87.2%) had a Bachelor degree. Most participants dealt with COVID-19 patients and had previous experience with previous outbreaks (77.8% for both). The majority of nurses agreed regarding having access to appropriate personal protective equipment (75.3%), and they can get tested for COVID-19 once they need to (70.8%). However, 90.3% of participants agreed that

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, Jun 30, 2009

To determine the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among secondary school ... more To determine the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among secondary school girls. A cross- sectional study was carried out on secondary school girls in Abha city, Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia, using the Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42). Of 545 female students recruited in this study, 73.4% had the symptoms of at least one of the three studied disorders; 50.1% had at least two disorders. The prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress was 41.5 %, 66.2% and 52.5% respectively. The majority of symptoms were mild to moderate in severity. The scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were positively and significantly correlated. No significant association was found between the girls' sociodemographic characteristics and the scores of the three studied disorders. One of the most important aspects of a primary care physician's care of females is to screen for and treat common mental disorders.

West African Journal of Medicine

To standardize the growth parameters for Saudi children aged 3-18 years living at high altitude a... more To standardize the growth parameters for Saudi children aged 3-18 years living at high altitude and to investigate the appropriateness of using the National Center for Ilealth Statistics (NC(IIS) growth standards for the assessment of children's growth at this high attitude area. The present study follows a cross-sectional study design. A total of 13,580 native Saudi children (7,193 boys and 6,387 girls) aged 3-18 years living in Abha City (Elevation: 3,100 meters above sea level) constituted the study's sample. All chronically and acutely ill children were excluded. The data regarding the children were obtained from the well-baby clinics at primary health care centers and nurseries, as well as primary, intermediate and secondary schools. The percentiles for the weight and height and the body mass index (BMI) were calculated separately for the boys and the girls using one-year intervals. BMI values above the 95th and below the 5th percentiles were considered as diagnostic fo...

Neurology, 2018

Objective: To assess quality of sleep among caregivers of Alzheimer patients Background: Patients... more Objective: To assess quality of sleep among caregivers of Alzheimer patients Background: Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) often need assistance and supervision by caregiver due to cognitive frequently report sleep disturbances and little is known about Caregivers decline and progression of disease. prevalence and causes of their sleep disturbances Design/Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 110 caregivers participated in this study. Patient’s data were obtained from patients’ records at Asser central Hospital. Caregivers’ quality of sleep was assessed by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A global PSQI cut off value of 5 or higher was considered as indicative of poor sleep quality. Results: The age of caregivers ranged from 17 to 85 years (Mean: 41.1+14.0 years). Caregivers were mainly sons/daughters (69.1%) or spouses (11.8%). The majority of caregivers (94.6%) had poor quality of sleep. The global PSQI score positively correlated with duration of caregivers’ da...

Journal of Nursing and Health, 2020

Background: Primary healthcare (PHC) physicians’ attitudes and decision-making contribute signifi... more Background: Primary healthcare (PHC) physicians’ attitudes and decision-making contribute significantly to stereotypes and thus to several disparities in provided health care. This study aimed to explore implicit stereotyping among PHC physicians and to identify determinants of physicians’ stereotyping of patients based on the patients’ characteristics and appearance. Methods: This study followed an analytical cross-sectional design. It was conducted during the period from October 2019 till December 2019, and included 250 PHC physicians in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which included items concerning physicians’ sociodemographic characteristics and their attitudes toward patient characteristics and patient appearance. Results: Prevalence of stereotyping among PHC physicians was 63.6% with respect to patient characteristics and 57.6% with respect to patient appearance. Stereotyping based on patient characteristics was higher ...

Aim of Study: To investigate the impact of camel’s milk intake on control of diabetes. Patients a... more Aim of Study: To investigate the impact of camel’s milk intake on control of diabetes. Patients and Methods: A total of 250 diabetics were randomized into either a treatment group (who received of 250mL camel milk twice weekly in addition to their regular treatment for diabetes, n=150) or a control group (who received their regular treatment only, n=100). Fasting, postprandial blood glucose and HbA 1c levels were measured at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Results: There were significant improvements in the blood glucose levels and HbA 1c levels in the treatment group only. Repeated measures of blood glucose levels and HbA1c levels revealed no significant changes in the control group, compared with significant improvements in the treatment group (p<0.001 for both blood glucose and HbA1c levels). Side effects attributed to camel’s milk intake were minimal and self-limited. The total cost of camel’s milk intake/patient/month is less than 11 US$. Conclusions: Camel’s milk intake by diabet...

Objective : To assess the relationship between self care practices among diabetic patients and th... more Objective : To assess the relationship between self care practices among diabetic patients and their diabetes control. Subjects and Method : A total of 400 diabetic patients who were registered at two primary health care centers in Abha City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were interviewed within the period from 1/8/20011 to 31/8/2011. Self-care practices of diabetic patients were assessed using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA). Biochemical laboratory investigations were assessed, including plasma levels of fasting blood glucose. Results : Most patients were type 2 diabetics (93.8%). Almost half of patients had poor fasting blood glucose control (47.8%), while 27.8% were managed by insulin. The mean scores for all components of practiced diabetes self-care activities were considerably low. The highest mean scores for diabetes self-care activities were foot care and specific diet (3.4±2.1 and 2.4± 1.3, respectively). Younger diabetic patients tend to have significantly ...

Aim of Study: To explore the magnitude, patterns, determinants and outcome of using Complementary... more Aim of Study: To explore the magnitude, patterns, determinants and outcome of using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in Abha City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Subjects and Methods: A total of 1500 participants (823 males and 677 females) were interviewed. A study questionnaire was designed to collect data from the study settings during July-August 2016. Results: Almost one fourth of participants (24%) used some forms of CAM within the past 12 months. Herbs constituted the main received CAM product (41.4%), followed by cautery (27.6%) and Quranic recitations (25.6%). Most users of CAM products repeated using them more than once (53.8%). The main indications for use of CAM were chronic pain (34.9%), neuropsychiatric symptoms (29.9%), chronic diseases (26.8%), sexual (21.7%) or supernatural (17.2%). The main reasons for using CAM were being dissatisfied with the approach of health care providers (28.5%), long waiting times at health facilities (27.9%) or with prescribed ...

Background: Fatty liver may progress to steatohepatitis, which can lead to liver cirrhosis and he... more Background: Fatty liver may progress to steatohepatitis, which can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Objective: To assess the distribution of hepatic steatosis among adults in the Southwestern Saudi Arabia using unenhanced CT scan. Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in the Southwestern Saudi Arabia during the period from May to September 2012. Unenhanced CT scans of one hundred consecutive adult patients (76 men and 24 women) with no previously known liver disease were evaluated. Their age ranged from 19 to 77 years. They presented for the first time with suspected renal colic symptoms to the Outpatient Clinic or to the Emergency Department and, therefore, unenhanced CT scans were performed to detect urinary stones. Several CT attenuation criteria to diagnose fatty liver disease were applied. Results: The study included 100 adults with mean liver attenuation of 51.6± 14.5 Hounsfield units. The proportion of patients with fatty liver ran...

Objective: To explore the impact of some risk factors on delayed healing of foot ulcers among dia... more Objective: To explore the impact of some risk factors on delayed healing of foot ulcers among diabetics, especially suboptimal glycemic control. Patients and Methods: All records of diabetic patients with foot ulcers registered at the "Diabetes Center" of "King Abdul-Aziz" University Hospital in Riyadh City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within 2009-2011 (n=145) were analyzed. The ulcer size (area in cm) was calculated by multiplying its length by its width. Wounds were graded and staged using the University of Texas Diabetic Wound Classification System. Results: Neuropathic wounds are the most frequent type of wounds (71.7%). Diabetic ulcer affected 40% of patients while 16.6% of patients had undergone amputation. Callus and footwear affected about one third of wounds (35.9% and 32.4%, respectively). Heat was the cause for ulcers in 15.2% of cases. Dorsal infections were more frequent than planter infections (54.5% vs. 45.5%, respectively). Almost threefourths of woun...

Aim of Study: To assess the prevalence of color visual defects (CVD) among male Saudi secondary s... more Aim of Study: To assess the prevalence of color visual defects (CVD) among male Saudi secondary school children in Jizan City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods: This study included 717 male Saudi secondary school students in Jizan City. Study tools included the Ishihara charts and a data collection questionnaire designed by the researcher. Parents' consanguinity was classified into first degree, second degree or far relatives. Results: Almost one third of parents were first degree relatives (30.4%) the rest of parents were either second degree relatives (2%) or far relatives (19.7%). More than one third of students did not know if they have normal vision or CVD (39.6%). Prevalence of CVD among male Saudi secondary school students amounted to 21.3%. More than one third of students whose parents were 1st degree cousins were CVD (35.8%), compared with about one fifth of students whose parents were second degree cousins or far relatives (21.4% and 21.3%, respectively). ...

Objectives : To explore the rate, causes and contributing factors for maternal mortality in selec... more Objectives : To explore the rate, causes and contributing factors for maternal mortality in selected rural areas of Bangladesh. Methodology : A community-based study on maternal mortality was carried out in rural Bangladesh, using the “verbal autopsy” method for mothers who died during pregnancy and delivered between January 2007 to December 2008 in Valuka Subdistrict of Mymensingh District. Results : Twenty three women died over the stated period. Maternal deaths were clustered around labor, delivery and the immediate postpartum period. The main causes of maternal mortality in the study areas were postpartum hemorrhage followed by eclampsia. Most mothers had normal vaginal delivery at home and deliveries were assisted by traditional birth attendants, relatives or neighbors. Among the 14 mothers who delivered at home, 10 (71.4%) died at home while 4 (28.6%) died at the health care facility. Conclusions : MMR is a problem in Bangladesh, especially in rural areas. Post-partum deaths c...

Aim of Study: To assess final year medical students' knowledge related to Basic Life Support ... more Aim of Study: To assess final year medical students' knowledge related to Basic Life Support (BLS). Subjects and Methods: This study comprised 125 final year medical students at King Khalid University during the academic year 1436-1437H (2015-2016 G). A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: About one fourth of participants (28%) attended a training course on BLS. Knowledge of more than half of medical students (51%) about BLS was poor, the knowledge level of 44% of students was fair, while the level of knowledge of only 5% of students was good. Most medical students (80.8%) expressed their self-confidence to save a case of cardiac arrest. Almost one fourth of participants (23.2%) practiced CPR. About one third of participants (36.8%) saved a choked victim. Medical students who attended a training course on BLS had significantly better knowledge grades about BLS than those who did not (p=0.009). Medical students' knowledge grades about BLS was...

Deficits in social communication and social interaction and restricted repetitive patterns of beh... more Deficits in social communication and social interaction and restricted repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities [1] . In 2010, the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) estimated that the prevalence of ASD among eight-year-old children increased to 14.7 per 1000 (1 in 68) children (approximately 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) [2] . ASD is approximately four times more common in males than females [3-8] .

Biomedical Research, 2018

Background: Brain tumors are associated with marked disability and mortality. Understanding the p... more Background: Brain tumors are associated with marked disability and mortality. Understanding the patterns and epidemiological characteristics associated with brain tumors can be crucial to their treatment. Objective: To explore the magnitude and epidemiological features of primary brain tumors among patients admitted to Aseer Central Hospital (ACH), Abha City, Saudi Arabia, and to identify different decisions for their management. Methodology: All hospital records of brain tumor patients admitted to ACH from 2015-2017 were reviewed. Collected data included patients' demographic characteristics, clinical findings, histopathological diagnosis, and management. Results: During the aforementioned period, a total of 100 patients with primary brain tumors were admitted to ACH. The most commonly presenting symptoms were headache (72%), vomiting, dizziness, and focal motor deficits (25% for all). Tumor location was mostly at the frontal or parietal lobes. Among those who underwent surgery, meningioma grade I was the most frequently diagnosed (41.7%). The mean surgical time was 4.2 ± 1.6 h. Most patients who underwent surgery at ACH stayed in the intensive care unit anywhere from 1 d or 2-4 d (34% and 40%, respectively). The Glasgow outcome scale scores of most patients (91.7%) indicated that the patients had a good recovery. However, one patient died (1.7%), one was in a persistent vegetative state (1.7%), and three sustained moderate disability (5%). Conclusion: Most patients with brain tumors admitted to ACH undergo surgery. Meningioma grade I is the most commonly encountered brain tumor, and this finding may reflect different epidemiological findings from the internationally accepted concept that glioblastoma multiforme is the most common brain tumor. The most common locations for brain tumors are the frontal and parietal lobes.

The Journal of medical research, 2014

To explore the pattern and determinants of traditional cautery practices for management of ailmen... more To explore the pattern and determinants of traditional cautery practices for management of ailments among infants visiting the outpatient clinics of governmental hospitals in Aseer District. Methods: This study was conducted at the Pediatrics’ Outpatient Clinics of governmental hospitals within Aseer Region. The data collection sheet included personal characteristics and variables related to cautery practices. The study group comprised 150 infants and an age-and gendermatched control group (134 infants) who did not have any cautery marks in their bodies. Results: Parents sought cautery for their infants mainly because of abdominal distension (28%), prolonged cough (27.3%), persistent vomiting (22%) and excessive crying (14%). The main sites for cautery were the infant’s chest (50.7%) and the abdomen (38.7%). The person who performed cautery to the infants was mainly a professional traditional healer (89.3%). Inflammation of skin at the cautery site occurred in 26.7% of infants. Woun...

Aim of Study: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice regarding geriatric depression among pri... more Aim of Study: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice regarding geriatric depression among primary care physicians (PCPs) in Aseer Region. Methodology: Following a cross-sectional design, this study included 330 PCPs in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was constructed by the researchers to assess participants’ knowledge, attitudes and practices about geriatric depression. Results: Regarding geriatric depression, 30% of PCPs had poor knowledge, 94.2% had a positive attitude toward management of geriatric depression, while 27% had poor practices regarding management of geriatric depression. More than one third of participants (35.8%) do not use any standard test to screen for late life depression. Only 64.2% use clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of late life depression, while 10.6% of PCPs do not request any laboratory test to identify the cause for geriatric depression. The most frequently prescribed medications for depression among e...

World Family Medicine Journal /Middle East Journal of Family Medicine

Aim of Study: to assess the prevalence of genetic and infectious diseases that could be identifie... more Aim of Study: to assess the prevalence of genetic and infectious diseases that could be identified through premarital screening in Aseer Region during 2021. Methods: Following a retrospective research design, this study included data of all prospective couples who underwent premarital examination in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia, during 2021 (N=25,023). The researchers retrieved data of all prospective couples registered during 2021 through the Health Services Platform “Seha” for Aseer. Retrieved data included number of marriage proposals, lab results for inherited hemoglobinopathies, and chronic diseases, i.e., hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus, (HIV/AIDS). A total of 128 patients with hepatitis B were identified (100, 78.1% were males), while 13 hepatitis C patients were identified (11, 84.6% were males), in addition to 9 HIV/AIDS patients, all of whom were males. Conclusions: Sickle cell disease and hepatitis B are commonly identified by premarital examinati...

World Family Medicine Journal /Middle East Journal of Family Medicine

Objective: To evaluate non-psychiatric physicians’ knowledge, attitude and practices regarding ma... more Objective: To evaluate non-psychiatric physicians’ knowledge, attitude and practices regarding management of cases with addiction. Subjects and Methods: Following a cross-sectional study, 126 non-psychiatric physicians in Aseer Region were interviewed. A study questionnaire was used for data collection. It included socio-demographic data; general attitudes and interest toward addictions, addiction psychiatry; knowledge about addictions, addictive disorders, including treatment, and practice about addictions, addictive disorders, and treatment. The survey was anonymously self-administered and participant physicians were asked to provide their written informed consent to participate in this study. Data were collected through direct interviews with physicians. Results: Age of participants ranged from 26 to 66 years (Mean±SD: 37.1±9.1 years). Most participants (81%) were males. Only 9.5% attended a training course or a conference on management of addiction, while 12.7% attended training...

Acta Paediatrica, 2006

To assess the exocrine pancreatic function among cystic fibrosis patients with cystic fibrosis tr... more To assess the exocrine pancreatic function among cystic fibrosis patients with cystic fibrosis trans-membrane conductance regulator (CFTR) I1234V mutation. Cross-sectional study of 40 cystic fibrosis patients with homozygous CFTR I1234V mutation belonging to a large Arab kindred family and 25 healthy subjects as a control group over a period of 12 mo. Assessment of their exocrine pancreatic function was performed by measuring faecal elastase-1 (FE1) concentration with a commercial ELISA kit using polyclonal antibodies (BioServ Diagnostics) in CF patients compared to healthy subjects. The results were compared with those obtained from a second laboratory using another commercial ELISA (ScheBo; Biotech, Germany) that uses two monoclonal antibodies against different specific epitopes of human pancreatic elastase. All CF patients with CFTR I1234V mutation had normal levels of faecal elastase 1. No significant difference was found between the two methods for the CF groups or between the CF patients with and without pancreatic enzyme replacement. Cystic fibrosis with homozygous CFTR I1234V mutation is associated with pancreatic sufficiency. Assessment of exocrine function using polyclonal antibodies does not significantly differ from that using two monoclonal antibodies against different specific epitopes of human pancreatic elastase.

Middle East journal of nursing, May 1, 2022

This is the first issue this year of the journal which include papers from various countries deal... more This is the first issue this year of the journal which include papers from various countries dealing with important issues. Asiri., et al., did a quantitative crosssectional study to evaluate nurses' perceived organizational support during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia.The study included 288 nurses working in 13 governmental hospitals. A self-administered questionnaire was designed by the researchers (in both English and Arabic versions), which included sociodemographic characteristics and the COVID Organizational Support Scale. Most participant were Saudi (79.5%), females (91.3%), aged 23-35 years (93.1%). About one two-thirds of nurses (61.8%) had 1-2 years of work experience in Saudi Arabia. Most nurses (87.2%) had a Bachelor degree. Most participants dealt with COVID-19 patients and had previous experience with previous outbreaks (77.8% for both). The majority of nurses agreed regarding having access to appropriate personal protective equipment (75.3%), and they can get tested for COVID-19 once they need to (70.8%). However, 90.3% of participants agreed that

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, Jun 30, 2009

To determine the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among secondary school ... more To determine the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among secondary school girls. A cross- sectional study was carried out on secondary school girls in Abha city, Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia, using the Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42). Of 545 female students recruited in this study, 73.4% had the symptoms of at least one of the three studied disorders; 50.1% had at least two disorders. The prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress was 41.5 %, 66.2% and 52.5% respectively. The majority of symptoms were mild to moderate in severity. The scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were positively and significantly correlated. No significant association was found between the girls' sociodemographic characteristics and the scores of the three studied disorders. One of the most important aspects of a primary care physician's care of females is to screen for and treat common mental disorders.

West African Journal of Medicine

To standardize the growth parameters for Saudi children aged 3-18 years living at high altitude a... more To standardize the growth parameters for Saudi children aged 3-18 years living at high altitude and to investigate the appropriateness of using the National Center for Ilealth Statistics (NC(IIS) growth standards for the assessment of children's growth at this high attitude area. The present study follows a cross-sectional study design. A total of 13,580 native Saudi children (7,193 boys and 6,387 girls) aged 3-18 years living in Abha City (Elevation: 3,100 meters above sea level) constituted the study's sample. All chronically and acutely ill children were excluded. The data regarding the children were obtained from the well-baby clinics at primary health care centers and nurseries, as well as primary, intermediate and secondary schools. The percentiles for the weight and height and the body mass index (BMI) were calculated separately for the boys and the girls using one-year intervals. BMI values above the 95th and below the 5th percentiles were considered as diagnostic fo...

Neurology, 2018

Objective: To assess quality of sleep among caregivers of Alzheimer patients Background: Patients... more Objective: To assess quality of sleep among caregivers of Alzheimer patients Background: Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) often need assistance and supervision by caregiver due to cognitive frequently report sleep disturbances and little is known about Caregivers decline and progression of disease. prevalence and causes of their sleep disturbances Design/Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 110 caregivers participated in this study. Patient’s data were obtained from patients’ records at Asser central Hospital. Caregivers’ quality of sleep was assessed by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A global PSQI cut off value of 5 or higher was considered as indicative of poor sleep quality. Results: The age of caregivers ranged from 17 to 85 years (Mean: 41.1+14.0 years). Caregivers were mainly sons/daughters (69.1%) or spouses (11.8%). The majority of caregivers (94.6%) had poor quality of sleep. The global PSQI score positively correlated with duration of caregivers’ da...

Journal of Nursing and Health, 2020

Background: Primary healthcare (PHC) physicians’ attitudes and decision-making contribute signifi... more Background: Primary healthcare (PHC) physicians’ attitudes and decision-making contribute significantly to stereotypes and thus to several disparities in provided health care. This study aimed to explore implicit stereotyping among PHC physicians and to identify determinants of physicians’ stereotyping of patients based on the patients’ characteristics and appearance. Methods: This study followed an analytical cross-sectional design. It was conducted during the period from October 2019 till December 2019, and included 250 PHC physicians in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which included items concerning physicians’ sociodemographic characteristics and their attitudes toward patient characteristics and patient appearance. Results: Prevalence of stereotyping among PHC physicians was 63.6% with respect to patient characteristics and 57.6% with respect to patient appearance. Stereotyping based on patient characteristics was higher ...

Aim of Study: To investigate the impact of camel’s milk intake on control of diabetes. Patients a... more Aim of Study: To investigate the impact of camel’s milk intake on control of diabetes. Patients and Methods: A total of 250 diabetics were randomized into either a treatment group (who received of 250mL camel milk twice weekly in addition to their regular treatment for diabetes, n=150) or a control group (who received their regular treatment only, n=100). Fasting, postprandial blood glucose and HbA 1c levels were measured at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Results: There were significant improvements in the blood glucose levels and HbA 1c levels in the treatment group only. Repeated measures of blood glucose levels and HbA1c levels revealed no significant changes in the control group, compared with significant improvements in the treatment group (p<0.001 for both blood glucose and HbA1c levels). Side effects attributed to camel’s milk intake were minimal and self-limited. The total cost of camel’s milk intake/patient/month is less than 11 US$. Conclusions: Camel’s milk intake by diabet...

Objective : To assess the relationship between self care practices among diabetic patients and th... more Objective : To assess the relationship between self care practices among diabetic patients and their diabetes control. Subjects and Method : A total of 400 diabetic patients who were registered at two primary health care centers in Abha City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were interviewed within the period from 1/8/20011 to 31/8/2011. Self-care practices of diabetic patients were assessed using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA). Biochemical laboratory investigations were assessed, including plasma levels of fasting blood glucose. Results : Most patients were type 2 diabetics (93.8%). Almost half of patients had poor fasting blood glucose control (47.8%), while 27.8% were managed by insulin. The mean scores for all components of practiced diabetes self-care activities were considerably low. The highest mean scores for diabetes self-care activities were foot care and specific diet (3.4±2.1 and 2.4± 1.3, respectively). Younger diabetic patients tend to have significantly ...

Aim of Study: To explore the magnitude, patterns, determinants and outcome of using Complementary... more Aim of Study: To explore the magnitude, patterns, determinants and outcome of using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in Abha City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Subjects and Methods: A total of 1500 participants (823 males and 677 females) were interviewed. A study questionnaire was designed to collect data from the study settings during July-August 2016. Results: Almost one fourth of participants (24%) used some forms of CAM within the past 12 months. Herbs constituted the main received CAM product (41.4%), followed by cautery (27.6%) and Quranic recitations (25.6%). Most users of CAM products repeated using them more than once (53.8%). The main indications for use of CAM were chronic pain (34.9%), neuropsychiatric symptoms (29.9%), chronic diseases (26.8%), sexual (21.7%) or supernatural (17.2%). The main reasons for using CAM were being dissatisfied with the approach of health care providers (28.5%), long waiting times at health facilities (27.9%) or with prescribed ...

Background: Fatty liver may progress to steatohepatitis, which can lead to liver cirrhosis and he... more Background: Fatty liver may progress to steatohepatitis, which can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Objective: To assess the distribution of hepatic steatosis among adults in the Southwestern Saudi Arabia using unenhanced CT scan. Methods: This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in the Southwestern Saudi Arabia during the period from May to September 2012. Unenhanced CT scans of one hundred consecutive adult patients (76 men and 24 women) with no previously known liver disease were evaluated. Their age ranged from 19 to 77 years. They presented for the first time with suspected renal colic symptoms to the Outpatient Clinic or to the Emergency Department and, therefore, unenhanced CT scans were performed to detect urinary stones. Several CT attenuation criteria to diagnose fatty liver disease were applied. Results: The study included 100 adults with mean liver attenuation of 51.6± 14.5 Hounsfield units. The proportion of patients with fatty liver ran...

Objective: To explore the impact of some risk factors on delayed healing of foot ulcers among dia... more Objective: To explore the impact of some risk factors on delayed healing of foot ulcers among diabetics, especially suboptimal glycemic control. Patients and Methods: All records of diabetic patients with foot ulcers registered at the "Diabetes Center" of "King Abdul-Aziz" University Hospital in Riyadh City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within 2009-2011 (n=145) were analyzed. The ulcer size (area in cm) was calculated by multiplying its length by its width. Wounds were graded and staged using the University of Texas Diabetic Wound Classification System. Results: Neuropathic wounds are the most frequent type of wounds (71.7%). Diabetic ulcer affected 40% of patients while 16.6% of patients had undergone amputation. Callus and footwear affected about one third of wounds (35.9% and 32.4%, respectively). Heat was the cause for ulcers in 15.2% of cases. Dorsal infections were more frequent than planter infections (54.5% vs. 45.5%, respectively). Almost threefourths of woun...

Aim of Study: To assess the prevalence of color visual defects (CVD) among male Saudi secondary s... more Aim of Study: To assess the prevalence of color visual defects (CVD) among male Saudi secondary school children in Jizan City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Subjects and Methods: This study included 717 male Saudi secondary school students in Jizan City. Study tools included the Ishihara charts and a data collection questionnaire designed by the researcher. Parents' consanguinity was classified into first degree, second degree or far relatives. Results: Almost one third of parents were first degree relatives (30.4%) the rest of parents were either second degree relatives (2%) or far relatives (19.7%). More than one third of students did not know if they have normal vision or CVD (39.6%). Prevalence of CVD among male Saudi secondary school students amounted to 21.3%. More than one third of students whose parents were 1st degree cousins were CVD (35.8%), compared with about one fifth of students whose parents were second degree cousins or far relatives (21.4% and 21.3%, respectively). ...

Objectives : To explore the rate, causes and contributing factors for maternal mortality in selec... more Objectives : To explore the rate, causes and contributing factors for maternal mortality in selected rural areas of Bangladesh. Methodology : A community-based study on maternal mortality was carried out in rural Bangladesh, using the “verbal autopsy” method for mothers who died during pregnancy and delivered between January 2007 to December 2008 in Valuka Subdistrict of Mymensingh District. Results : Twenty three women died over the stated period. Maternal deaths were clustered around labor, delivery and the immediate postpartum period. The main causes of maternal mortality in the study areas were postpartum hemorrhage followed by eclampsia. Most mothers had normal vaginal delivery at home and deliveries were assisted by traditional birth attendants, relatives or neighbors. Among the 14 mothers who delivered at home, 10 (71.4%) died at home while 4 (28.6%) died at the health care facility. Conclusions : MMR is a problem in Bangladesh, especially in rural areas. Post-partum deaths c...

Aim of Study: To assess final year medical students' knowledge related to Basic Life Support ... more Aim of Study: To assess final year medical students' knowledge related to Basic Life Support (BLS). Subjects and Methods: This study comprised 125 final year medical students at King Khalid University during the academic year 1436-1437H (2015-2016 G). A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: About one fourth of participants (28%) attended a training course on BLS. Knowledge of more than half of medical students (51%) about BLS was poor, the knowledge level of 44% of students was fair, while the level of knowledge of only 5% of students was good. Most medical students (80.8%) expressed their self-confidence to save a case of cardiac arrest. Almost one fourth of participants (23.2%) practiced CPR. About one third of participants (36.8%) saved a choked victim. Medical students who attended a training course on BLS had significantly better knowledge grades about BLS than those who did not (p=0.009). Medical students' knowledge grades about BLS was...

Deficits in social communication and social interaction and restricted repetitive patterns of beh... more Deficits in social communication and social interaction and restricted repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities [1] . In 2010, the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) estimated that the prevalence of ASD among eight-year-old children increased to 14.7 per 1000 (1 in 68) children (approximately 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) [2] . ASD is approximately four times more common in males than females [3-8] .