Gulf implantable cardioverter-defibrillator registry: rationale, methodology, and implementation

Background: The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator [ICD] is effective in the prevention of sudden cardiac death in high-risk patients. Little is known about ICD use in the Arabian Gulf. We designed a study to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving ICDs in the Arab Gulf region

Methods: Gulf ICD is a prospective, multi-center, multinational, and observational study. All adult patients 18 years or older, receiving a de novo ICD implant and willing to sign a consent form will be eligible. Data on baseline characteristics, ICD indication, procedure and programing, in-hospital, and 1-year outcomes will be collected. Target enrollment is 1500 patients, which will provide adequate precision across a wide range of expected event rates

Results: Fifteen centers in six countries are enrolling patients [Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar]. Two-thirds of the centers have dedicated electrophysiology laboratories, and in almost all centers ICDs are implanted exclusively by electrophysiologists. Nearly three-quarters of the centers reported annual ICD implant volumes of

Conclusions: Gulf ICD is the first prospective, observational, multi-center, and multinational study of the characteristics and, the outcomes of patients receiving ICDs in the Arab Gulf region. The study will provide valuable insights into the utilization of and outcomes related to ICD therapy in the Gulf region

Inhibitory effect of gundelia extract on urinary alpha-amylase activity of type-I diabetes mellitus

alpha-amylase is an enzyme that degrades starch into maltose and glucose by hydrolyzing alpha-1,4-glucan bonds. It is known that the enzyme is found to be elevated in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus. A potent extracts of locally distributed wild plant, the Gundelia was found to inhibit elevated activity of alpha-amylase with dose responses. Samples of 50 diabetes mellitus type-I has been investigated for urinary alpha- amylase activity. An inhibitory dose of Gundelia extract were used for the inhibition of the elevated enzyme activity. The data obtained were compared with that of healthy controlled samples [30].The adopted protocol was a colorimetric determination[Anonymous,1980]. alpha-amylase activity was found to be elevated[281.70 +/- 10.03 IU/24hr] in patient's serum compared with that of controlled sample [43.38 +/- 3.33 IU/24hr]. The activity of the enzyme was found to be inhibited [160.11 +/- 250.4 IU/hr] in patients serum using dose response of 15mg/ml of Gundelia extract. The study were comprehensive to determined the physical parameters of the enzyme activity and a values of Vmax and Km were obtained. It was known that Gundelia is used in prevention and treatment of liver diseases. The plant has a role in the body as an antioxidant factor. It has a hypolipemic effect, therefore, a use of such plant extract could have a hypoglycemic activities on patients with DM-I

Self-reported adolescents' health and gender: an Egyptian study

To identify self-reported health problems among adolescents, a multistage, stratified random sample of 1002 adolescents from preparatory and secondary schools in Cairo [67.6% of the total sample] and the rural district of Qaliubia [32.4%] was surveyed. Of 863 completed questionnaires analysed, 54% were from males and 46% from females [age range: 12-18 years]. The study showed that more boys than girls perceived their health as very healthy whereas more girls considered their health to be average. Significantly, more adolescent females reported weekly occurrence of abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, backache, morning tiredness, sleep disturbance and nervousness. Awareness-raising of parents and adolescents is necessary to allow determination of the relationship between gender and health

Neisseria meningitidis carriage among household contacts to children with bacterial meningitis

A convenient sample of 70 children with signs and symptoms of meningitis admitted to Abbassia Fever Hospital [AFH] are included in the study. Their ages ranged from one month to 16 years with a mean age of 10.5 years. A diagnostic lumbar puncture was performed upon admission and the cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] was collected and examined bacteriologically, cytologically, chemically and for serogrouping of microorganism. Pharyngeal swab for culture and serogrouping was also done for patients, 104 of their household contacts and 200 apparently healthy persons from general population served as controls. The results of this study showed that, Neisseria meningitidis [N. meningitidis] was predominant in the CSF of children less than 6 years [preschool age] and the positive meningococcal pharyngeal swab culture was predominant in school age children. Serogrouping of microorganism showed that meningococci group B was the predominant group in the patients CSF and in pharyngeal swab of both the patients and their contacts. N. meningitidis carriers was higher among household contacts [7.7%] than in general population [4%] with the predominance of meningococci group B in both the contacts and in the general population. These findings showed that N. meningitidis group B carriage was predominant in school age children and proved that host immunity and over crowding specially in schools plays an important role