Completion of microbiology laboratory request from by doctors and nurses in Abha General Hospital, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Determine the adequacy of information provided on Microbiology laboratory request forms by doctors and nurses in Abha General Hospital. One thousand completed Microbiology request forms sent to the laboratory in January and February 2004 were analyzed for adequacy of information supplied. The data was compiled and subjected to statistical analysis. A hospital seminar was held in March 2004 to discuss the findings. One year later, [January and February 2005], a similar survey was carried out and the results compared. As a result of enhanced interaction and communication between clinicians and Microbiology laboratory staff in Abha General Hospital, there was improvement in the completion of request forms in 2005 over 2004. The observed improvement occurred in patient data and clinician data, but not in specimen data. [Tablel]. The problems associated with incomplete filling of request forms, are clinicians and patients -related. The solutions suggested included: continuous education and training of staff, frequent reminders by the laboratory and the design of simpler forms. The hospital administration and the laboratory have commenced the implementation of these suggestions. The results show that enhanced communications such as occur at hospital seminars and other forums and regular interactions between the laboratory and clinicians, could bring about desired attitudinal changes in doctors and nurses that could influence positively on patient care

Shigella flexneri bacteremia in a child

We report an unusual and lethal case of Shigella flexneri septicemia in an 8-year-old Saudi handicapped child from a social home presenting with severe toxic megacolon and acute abdomen secondary to fulminant necrotizing enterocolitis