A Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Usage for Surgical Site Infections- A Pilot Perspective from Holy Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Introduction:This study aimed to assess the incidence, microbiological features and management of surgical site infections (SSIs). Methodology:All patients in the surgical ward were followed from admissions until discharge during the study period. Only hospitalized patients with certain SSIs within 30 days of surgeries were included in the study. Results:A total of 457 patients were followed during the study period. Interestingly, only 9 (1.9 %) of the patients developed SSIs. Most of the patients were males 6 (66.7%) and Saudi nationals 7 (77.8 %). The most common surgical procedures were laparoscopic and orthopedic surgeries with a similar rate of 3 (3.3 %).Conclusion:This study revealed that the incidence of SSIswas quite lower atthe hospital where the study was conducted and different types of antibiotics were used and recommended for prophylaxis

Quality Use of Medicines among Makkah Residents, Saudi Arabia

Introduction:Quality Use of Medicines (QUoM) is of utmost importance regarding the safetyand overall healthcare of the consumers/patients. This study aimed to explore the general usage pattern and attitude of the Makkah community about the safe use of medicines i.e. QUoM Methods:Face to face interviewswere done to administer questionnaires among patients from two hospitals and four primary care centers dealing with patients from rural and urban areas in the Holly Makkah region.Results:A total of 554 patients were enrolled while the majority of them were lived in urban areas (n=457,82%). Around 419 (76%) responder were females and 531(96%) were living with their family and had up to college education(n=174,31%).We found that most of the respondents were diabetic(185,33%) and hypertensive (n=172,31%).Most of the patients (207,37%) stated that they preferred to get drug information from healthcare professionals.Conclusion:This periodic mapping of appropriate medication usage among patients/consumers is indeed an important effort to explore issues on QUoM

Management, Medication Use and Economic Burden of Asthma among Hajj and Umrah Pilgrims

Introduction:During Hajj and Umrah season, asthma-related acute admissions produce the enormous burden on healthcare facilities and causes delay in admissions for more severe cases, e.g. myocardial infarction,cardiac failureand severe trauma cases. Therefore, the snapshot of asthma-related admissions during the Hajj and Umrah season was determined by asthma-related admissions and medication use and economic burden during Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage season. Methodology:All asthma-related admissions during the month of Ramadan (fasting month) and Hajj pilgrimage were assessed from patients’data retrospectively. The convenience sampling strategy was used to retrievestudy variables. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 22.0 was used to analyze the data.Results:A total of 271 patients were selected as per inclusion criteria, the majority of them were males 153 (56.5%), while most of them were Saudi 70 (35.8%) and Egyptians 86 (31.7%). During hospitalization, the common treatment for acute exacerbations was inhaled corticosteroids 224 (86.3%), IV corticosteroids 129 (47.6%), Inhaled short-acting beta-agonists 244 (90%) and inhaled bronchodilators (ipratropium bromide) 237(87.5 5%). Conclusion:This periodic mapping of asthma-related admissions and its management during these massive gathering events is indeed a significant effort to explore issues of acute asthma exacerbations management and to provide information to plan for future interventions and policies.

Sexual dimorphism of foramen magnum: a NCCT based study

Background:Radiological determination of gender relies predominantly on the skeletal radiology and assumes importance in mass natural disasters, bomb explosions, exhumations and warfare where skeletal fragmentation is common. Varied literature is present regarding the role of foramen magnum in establishing gender identification.The objective of the study wasto establish normative values of cross-sectional area of foramen magnum in both genders using NCCT and try to ascertain any significant difference in cross-sectional area in the two genders which may help in gender identification.Methods:NCCT head images of 378 subjects were analysed in individuals beyond the age of skeletal immaturity. Free ROI technique using electronic calliper tool was used. The cross-sectional area of foramen magnum was automatically obtained after tracing its whole inner circumference.Results:Mean cross-sectional area of foramen magnum in females was 806.79±106.58 mm2and was 878.33±98.42 mm2in males. Although the cross-sectional area in males was greater than females no statistically significant difference was found. The correlation coefficient was found to be weaker (R=0.0413). Conclusions: No statistically significant difference was found between the two genders. The correlation coefficient was also weak to draw any inference about the gender of the skull on CT imaging. Further studies are needed to include other parameters like the sagittal and transverse diameters of foramen magnum in a larger sample to show importance of foramen magnum, if any, in helping gender identification of skeletal remains

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ and their association with plasma levels of resistin and the metabolic syndrome in a South Indian population.

Studies on the association of the Pro12Ala and C1431T polymorphisms of PPARγ with diabetes and obesity have revealed extensive population-dependent variations. However, association of these polymorphisms with the metabolic syndrome and its individual components has not been well investigated in the Indian population. The Indian population harbours the maximum number of diabetics in the world who are thus more susceptible to metabolic disorders. We screened a South Indian population (N = 699) for a possible association of these polymorphisms with the metabolic syndrome (MS) and type 2 diabetes. We also investigated the correlation of these two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with plasma resistin levels. The C1431T SNP was associated with higher levels of plasma resistin (P = 0.017). Furthermore, C1431T was associated with resistin in different tertiles. Prevalence of the ‘Pro-C’ haplotype decreased with increasing tertiles of resistin (84.1% to 75.4%, P = 0.037). Plasma resistin levels were not found to be associated with MS and type 2 diabetes. These results point to a likely association of plasma resistin levels with PPARγ polymorphisms in the Indian population.