Prevalence of latent tuberculosis among health care workers at al-thawrah modern general hospital, Sana'a-Yemen 2009

To determine the prevalence of latent tuberculosis among health care workers [HCWs] in Al-Thawrah Hospital. Two-step tuberculin skin test [TST] was performed in Al-Thawrah Modern General Hospital [TMGH] in Sana'a, Yemen during the year 2009. Four hundred twenty six [426] health care workers out of 466 fulfilled the criteria of inclusion. Information related to the demographics, profession, work duration, department, and an individual history or family history of tuberculosis [TB] was obtained. Structured questionnaire was designed for that purpose. The sample size was 466 with 254 males [54.5%] and 212 females [45.5%], with a ratio of 1.2:1. Forty health care workers were excluded, and 426 were actually tested, 296 were positive [70%], and 117 were negative [30%]. There is an increase in TST reactivity with an older age, and there is a positive correlation between work duration and TST reaction. The positive result was highest among radiology assistants [91%], then the laboratory workers [80%], and lower among the doctors [76%]. We found higher latent tuberculosis infection [LTBI] rates among health care workers at Al-Thawra Modern General Hospital in Sanaa using TST with male predominance and higher positive rate among high risk working places like radiology departments and laboratories and risky occupations like surgical doctors and laboratory workers, with significant correlation between age, work duration and latent tuberculosis infection.

Effect of chewing khat in changing circadian rhythm for acute myocardial infarction patients in Sana'a city and it's role as a risk factor for acute myocardiac infarction in Yemen

Although the risk factors for acute MI were studied thoroughly in different countries worldwide, few studies in our country had been done, and cover only limited aspects of acute myocardial infarction [MI], for this reason we start this study to determine the general characters and risk factors of Yemeni patients presented with acute [MI]; and to highlight on the possible role of Khat chewing as potential risk factor for [MI] in our country in addition to its possible effect in changing its circadian rhythm. The study was prospective; hospital based descriptive study including all patients admitted with the diagnosis of acute MI to the 3 main general hospitals in Sana 'a city in the period from 1 October 2005 to 30 September 2006. Name, age, gender, residence, habits, time of onset of chest pain and previous history or family history of ischemic heart disease [IHD] was taken. Body mass index [BMI] and blood pressure were recorded, fasting lipid profile and blood sugar were measured. The data was collected and then analyzed using SPSS system. During the study period, 264 patients were admitted with a mean age of 50 years, all of them were married with predominant male gender 84%. Risk factors observed in our study were Khat chewing in 90.15%, smoking in 72%, hypertension in 21%, obesity in 15.96%, hyperlipidemia in 27%, diabetes mellitus [DM] in 24% and past history of ischemic heart disease was found in 13%. We notice that the onset of chest pain in most of our patients was in the afternoon 34% and early night hours 24%, which is opposite to the usual circadian rhythm of acute Ml in other parts of the world which is predominant in the early morning. Yemeni patients sustained acute MI are younger than western people or even other Arab countries. Common risk factors as hypertension, DM and hyperlipidemia were noticed only in minority of our patients. Smoking is a common risk factor after Khat chewing habit which was proposed as new risk factor. Circadian rhythm of acute MI in Yemen is differing from other part of the world