Etiology of respiratory viral infections using rapid virus isolation methods at a tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Mixed cell line cultures were used for the first time in Saudi Arabia to accelerate virus isolation. This method was used for detection of respiratory viral infections in order to provide timely information to the physician for effective patient management. In this retrospective study we describe etiology and 'time to detection' of respiratory viral infections between November 2006 and October 2007 at King Abdulaziz Medical City [KAMC], a 1,000 bed tertiary care facility in Riyadh. Rapid testing algorithms allowed all Respiratory Syncytial Virus [RSV] isolates to be detected in one day, influenza isolates to be detected in two days, Parainfluenza isolates within 3 days, adenovirus in 2-5 days. Ninety two percent of RSV infections occurred in children one year and under. RSV infections were found to occur between November and February with a peak in January, Influenza and adenovirus outbreaks were found to occur in November and December. Parainfluenza occurred in two waves firstly in November and December followed by another peak in April. Rapid diagnosis of viral diseases can now be performed by most laboratories to determine which viruses are circulating in their communities and provide information on disease trends to aid control and prevention

Serodiagnosis of adenovirus infections at a tertiary care centre in Saudi Arabia

To determine the seroprevalence of adenovirus infection in tertiary care patients. Retrospective analysis of adenovirus infections by serology. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 565 patients treated at a referral centre during January 1987 to January 1992.Results: 13 patients had titres > 1 : 16 in the absence of other pathogens; 11 patients were immunocompromised with five deaths; seven patients experienced pulmonary distress and two had persistent diarrhoea. Adenovirus infection should be considered in the aetiology of severe illness in immunocompromised children

Diabetic ketoacidosis in a hospital based population in Pakistan

Sixty-two consecutive episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis [DKA] were studied at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Forty-four [71%] were type I and 18 [29%] type II diabetics. Mean age was 28.1 years and mean duration of diabetes 4.1 years. Infections were the most common precipitating factor accounting for 28 episodes [45.2%]. Twenty-two patients [35.5%] had hyperosmolality [serum osmolality > 320 mosmol/L]. Mean serum Na[+] was 131.7 mmol/L and K[+] 4.6 mmol/L. Twenty-three [37.1%] were hyperkalemic at presentation with seven patients [11.3%] being comatosed and 35 [56.5%] alert. Mean random blood glucose [RBG] was 624 mg/dl, mean pH 7.09, osmolality 316 mosmol/L and the neurological status correlated statistically significantly with mean RBG, pH and osmolality. A leukemoid response was seen in 83.9% episodes. Mortality rate was 8.0% in patients with DKA managed in this hospital

Incidence of Chlamydia infections in a large metropolitan hospital in Saudi Arabia

In order to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in patients at a metropolitan referral centre in Riyadh we examined various clinical specimens from 19 234 patients during the period from January 1986 to August 1991; 61% of the subjects were females and 39% males. Of the 19 234 patients tested 2210 [11%] yielded positive results for Chlamydia antigen. Positive reactions from ocular sites accounted for 1361 [61.6%] patients and the antigen was detected from genital sites in 849 [38.4%] patients. Chlamydial infection rate in women was 10.8% compared with 12.5% for men; the highest number of positives occurred in the 26-45 year age group

Risk factors and outcome of ischemic heart disease in young Pakistani adults

Risk factors for ischemic heart disease [IHD] were compared between a group of 42 patients under forty years [mean 34 years] with IHD and an age an d sex matched control group of 45 patients. Six risk factors were analyzed; family history, hyperlipidemia, smoking, hypertension, obesity and diabetes mellitus. Patients with IHD had higher incidence of positive family history 57% vs 35.5% [p=0.02], a higher incidence of hyper-tension 47.6% vs 4.4% [p<0.001] as well as hyperlipidemia 63.2% vs 33.2% [p=0.01]. Also patients with IHD had higher smoking history 42.8% vs 24.4% [p=0.03] and diabetes mellitus 35.7% vs 0% [p<0.001]. The difference in incidence of obesity was not significant between both groups. One year follow up of patients under 40 years who sustained myocardial infarctions showed that only 39% remained asymptomatic. Mortality rate was 4.5% and the rest had complications during this period

Systemic lupus erythematosus in Pakistan

Twenty-six patients of systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] were studied over a three year period. Mean age at presentation was 30 years and female to male ratio was 7.6:1. Fever was the most common presenting feature [88.4%], followed by arthritis [69.2%] and anaemia [54%]. Double-stranded DNA [DsDNA] titres were normal in one-third patients. Renal involvement was present in 39% patients. Six patients died [20.9%] during the three year period, predominant cause of death was infections