Geriatric and adult liaison psychiatric consultations in Saudi general hospital: a comparative randomized study

One of the key questions in the diagnostic field is whether there is a linear relationship between symptom expression and age or if there is a qualitative shift in clinical presentation at some advanced age threshold. The aim of this study was to characterize clinically significant issues in a psychiatric consultation for geriatric inpatients in a general hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This was a randomized comparative study during a 5-year period, 83 geriatric [age >/= 65 years] inpatients. Another 82 adult inpatients, also referred for consultation-liaison to the psychiatric service, but aged 20-60 years. Age, gender, psychiatric, medical or surgical diagnoses, and referring department were determined. The gero-psychiatric consultation rate was 47% of all psychiatric referrals. Common reasons for referral of geriatric inpatients were depression [25.3%], dementia [25.3%], delirium [15.7%], anxiety and depression [24.1%]. The most common psychiatric disorder among geriatric patients was an organic mental disorder [41%], followed by a depressive disorder [25.3%]. More geriatric patients suffered from cancers and neurological diseases than non-geriatric patients. The geriatric group was more likely to have multiple physical illnesses. Organic mental disorders and depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric diagnoses in the gero-psychiatric consultation service of the hospital

Gonadotoxicity induced by exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in engine repair workshops

This study has documented the gonadotoxic effect of exposure to hydrocarbons in workers of diesel and petrol engine repair workshops as measured by urinary 1-hydroxypyrene [1-OHP], semen analysis study and annexine-V bioassay. Twenty workers exposed to hydrocarbons in diesel and petrol engine repair workshops were included in this study. They showed nearly six-fold increase in 1-OHP excretion [the most reliable indicator for PAHs exposure] as compared with the control group [20 males of the workers' relatives of matched age and socioeconomic standard]. The study revealed a significant correlation between the relative number of sperm cells that expressed PS [annexine-V positive cells] and duration of exposure to hydrocarbons, low sperm count, diminished motility and the urinary 1-OHP levels of the exposed workers. This study recommended biomonitoring of urinary excretion of 1-OHP in workers exposed to hydrocarbons as a screening test and to use the annexine-V binding assay as an early measure of gonadotoxicity induced by toxic exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons