ABSTRACT
Introductions: The median nerve's occasional or persistent compression or entrapment in the carpal tunnel from the wrist to the hand causes carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The main symptoms are pain, tingling, swelling, and loss of grip strength and function in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and thumb of thumb. This study examined Saudi adults' awareness and understanding of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and its link with demographics and chronic conditions. Material(s) and Method(s): This cross-sectional study examined adults' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding carpal tunnel syndrome from 2021 to 2022 in different Saudi Arabian regions. This study used a researcher-created questionnaire. In the awareness category, general public questions included CTS clinical aspects, etiology, and effects on daily life. Practice questions covered CTS preventive and chronic diseases. Volunteers were selected following informed consent. Result(s): 420 participants aged 34.8 +/- 13.49 years. 280 (66.6%) were male, 140 (33.3%) females. 38 (9.04%) were non-Saudi workers, while 384 were Saudis. 235 (55.9%) individuals knew about wrist CTS and 161 (38.3%) about pain. 157 (37.3%) individuals experienced thumb tingling or numbness, while 117 and 142 agreed that CTS may produce thumb weakness (27.8%) and hand grip (35.2%). The older age group reported more thumb numbness or tingling than the other groups, although there was no statistical difference (p= 0.09). CTS was not associated with chronic disease;however, diabetes was the main comorbidity in all age groups (44;45.3%), especially in the middle age group (21;60%). 5.4% had CTS. CTS was rare during pregnancy (0.7%), however all age groups agreed that it could influence their employment and social life (p= 0.014 and < 0.00001). The average knowledge score was 43.3 +/- 40.5, whereas the awareness score was 50.1 +/- 44.2. These findings indicate that Saudis were aware of CTS clinical symptoms. Conclusion(s): The study examined Saudi adults' awareness and understanding of CTS and estimated the association between CTS and demographics and chronic conditions. The study found that adult CTS awareness and knowledge were sufficient and associated with age and quality of life. CTS awareness campaigns may lower risk and raise knowledge of prevention and treatment. People who work with discomfort or use computers for long periods of time without breaks are more prone to develop CTS. Larger research is needed to understand how physical exercise causes CTS.Copyright © 2023, Ibn Sina Trust. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background In this study, we aimed to compare the imaging findings between coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients with well-controlled, poorly-controlled, and non-diabetic patients and subsequently find any relation between haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and high-resolution chest computed tomography (HRCT) chest score. Methodology A total of 200 individuals with coexisting COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in this retrospective cohort study. Based on their HbA1c levels, patients were divided into three groups. The imaging data and laboratory values were obtained from the online medical records of the patients. In addition, the chest computed tomography (CT) score was evaluated as the sum of individual scores from five lung lobes: scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were assigned to each lobe. Any peripheral opacification pattern was noted. Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and HRCT scores were then analysed by multiple linear regression models using R software. Results The prevalence of diabetes in the study population was 71.5%. Of this, 56 patients had well-controlled diabetes (28%) and 87 patients had poorly controlled diabetes (43.5%); 126 (63%) patients were male and the median age was 54.45 years (95% CI: 54.45 ± 15.53). We found that diabetes status, co-presence of ground-glass appearance with mixed consolidation, and consolidation and reverse halo sign in the HRCT findings were significant predictors of the HRCT scores in patients with COVID-19. Conclusions The presence of any co-morbidities should be viewed as a high-risk case of COVID-19. Diabetes status is significantly associated with the severity of HRCT findings in lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection. Therefore, it is important to prioritise the patients who have COVID-19 along with diabetes.
ABSTRACT
The vaccination campaign and the new SARS-CoV-2 variants may have changed the clinical profile and outcomes of patients admitted to sub-intensive unit care. We conducted a retrospective study aimed to compare the clinical and radiological features of unvaccinated critical COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the last pandemic wave (December 2021-February 2022, No-Vax group) and before starting the vaccination campaign (March-December 2020, Pre-Vax group). The No-Vax group was also compared with vaccinated patients of the same pandemic wave (Vax group). With respect to the Pre-Vax group, the No-Vax group contained a higher percentage of smokers (p = 0.0007) and a lower prevalence of males (p = 0.0003). At admission, the No-Vax patients showed both a higher CT score of pneumonia and a worse severe respiratory failure (p < 0.0001). In the No-Vax group, a higher percentage of deaths occurred, though this was not significant. In comparison with the No-Vax group, the Vax patients were older (p = 0.0097), with a higher Charlson comorbidity index (p < 0.0001) and a significantly lower HRCT score (p = 0.0015). The percentage of deaths was not different between the two groups. The No-Vax patients showed a more severe disease in comparison with the Pre-Vax patients, and were younger and had fewer comorbidities than the Vax patients.
ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has toppled the world since first case noted in 2019, and the cases have been increasing there after. This grave effect is caused by the cytokine storm induced inflammation produced by the noxious virus. As it is an inflammatory state, various acute phase reactants are expected to raise; thus serum ferritin is contemplated to increase. Here we aim to anchor serum ferritin as a way marker for diagnosis and management of COVID-19 patients and study its role as a prognostic marker. Another aspect is the association of COVID-19 with the N: L ratio; observation has stated that higher N: L ratio results in more severe outcome. The study aimed to establish a correlation of COVID-19 severity with serum ferritin in the form of HRCT Score, N: L Ratio and Clinical Outcome in the patients admitted in Intensive Care Unit. Result: Out of 200 patients who were admitted in the intensive care unit with COVID-19, the association of serum ferritin with N: L Ratio and HRCT Score was significant, and the association of serum ferritin with clinical outcome in terms of discharged and expired was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Serum ferritin was found to be a potent marker for clinical outcome in intensive care unit patients in terms of death versus treated. HRCT Score and N:L ratio were found to be correlated with serum ferritin. Therefore, we conclude that serum ferritin may determine the severity of COVID-19 infection and it can be used as a marker for Clinical Outcome thereby making it an often neglected biomarker for predicting prognosis in COVID-19 with most of the physicians focusing mostly on interleukin 6, C Reactive protein and d dimer as a marker of severe COVID infection.