Hospital Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Patients with COVID-19: A Retrospective Analysis from the UAE.

BACKGROUND: Although we are four years into the pandemic, there is still conflicting evidence regarding the clinical outcomes of diabetic patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the in-hospital mortality and morbidity of diabetic versus nondiabetic patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Northern UAE Emirates. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical data from patients with or without diabetes mellitus (DM) who were admitted to the isolation hospital with COVID-19 during the first and second waves of the disease (March 2020 to April 2021). The assessed endpoints were all-cause in-hospital mortality, length of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: A total of 427 patients were included in the analysis, of whom 335 (78.5%) had DM. Compared to nondiabetics, diabetic COVID-19 patients had a significantly longer in-hospital stay (odds ratio (OR) = 2.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19-4.62; p = 0.014), and a significantly higher frequency of ICU admission (OR = 4.50; 95% CI = 1.66-7.34; p = 0.002). The need for mechanical ventilation was not significantly different between the two groups (OR: distorted estimates; p = 0.996). Importantly, the overall in-hospital mortality was significantly higher among diabetic patients compared to their nondiabetic counterparts (OR = 2.26; 95% CI = 1.08-4.73; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: DM was associated with a more arduous course of COVID-19, including a higher mortality rate, a longer overall hospital stay, and a higher frequency of ICU admission. Our results highlight the importance of DM control in COVID-19 patients to minimize the risk of detrimental clinical outcomes.

Telephone versus face-to-face consultation on smoking cessation at primary health care centers in Qatar during COVID-19 pandemic.

Smoking cessation leads to a reduction in risks of smoking-related morbidity and mortality. During the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, smoking cessation services were interrupted. Providing smoking cessation counseling by telephone could be a convenient and safe alternative to traditional face-to-face service. However, the effectiveness of telephone smoking cessation counseling has not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study evaluated telephone smoking cessation counseling compared to face-to-face consultations during the COVID-19 era. In addition, it investigated the association between sociodemographic and health-related factors and cessation rates. A retrospective cohort design was used. Participants were randomly selected from two lists: (1) telephone counseling and (2) face-to-face counseling in smoking cessation clinics in five primary health care centers in Qatar between March 2020 and March 2021. Cessation rates were compared between the two groups at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the significant associations with smoking cessation. Smokers who underwent telephone consultations had significantly lower quit rates at all follow-ups compared to those who attended face-to-face visits. At the 12-week follow-up, the adjusted odd ratio for quitting through face-to-face consultations was 1.96 (95% CI [1.15-3.35]) times higher than that achieved through telephone consultations. In addition to receiving face-to-face counseling, higher self-efficacy to cease smoking was an independent predictor of successful cessation. Providing smoking cessation counseling by telephone could be a safer but less effective mode of delivery versus traditional face-to-face encounters during the pandemic.

Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis Complicated with Right Atrial Thrombus and Pericardial Effusion in an Infant.

Infantile systemic hyalinosis (ISH) is a rare multisystem fatal autosomal recessive disorder that involves widespread deposition of hyaline on connective tissues and certain internal organs. The major manifestations include painful articular contractures, hyperpigmentation, subcutaneous nodules, gingival hypertrophy, failure to thrive secondary to protein-losing enteropathy, and osteolytic bone lesions. In this paper, we report a 12-month-old girl with ISH presenting with recurrent diarrhea, failure to thrive, and refractory infections. A molecular study identified a homozygous missense mutation, c.134T > C; p.L45P, in exon 1 of the anthrax toxin receptor 2 (ANTRX2) gene. Our patient passed through an eventful course that included septic shock, central line infections, right atrial thrombosis, and pericardial effusion. She incurred acute bronchiolitis due to respiratory syncytial virus infection, which led to her death. In conclusion, this case report highlights that severe and life-threatening morbidities and complications can be encountered in ISH, to which some management options can be applied.

Ocular malignant tumors. Review of the Tumor Registry at a tertiary eye hospital in central Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: To present the epidemiologic profile and magnitude of ocular malignant tumors (MT) representative of the Saudi population from the Tumor Registry (TR) at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH). METHODS: This study evaluated the demographic information, clinical features including tumor laterality, ocular tissue of origin, and diagnosis of patients from the TR registry between 1983 and 2012 at KKESH, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The incidence of MT among Saudi adults (>/= 15 years old), and children (<15 years old) was estimated. RESULTS: The TR recorded 4,146 neoplasms (2,509 [60.5%] benign tumors, and 1,637 [39.5%] MT). The incidence of MT in children was 3.6 per million/year (M/Y), and 2.4/M/Y for adults. Retinoblastoma (Rb) (n=763, 91%) was the most common ocular malignancy in children. In adults, the most common MT was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (n=363, 45.8%), basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (n=186, 23%), uvealmelanoma (n=94, 11.9%), sebaceous gland carcinoma (n=54, 6.8%), lymphomas (orbital, adnexal) (n=46, 5.8%), and others (n=53, 6.8%). The Rb (7.7/M/Y in <5 years old Saudi children) was less frequent than that reported in some Gulf countries, but higher than that reported from the West. The SCC was less frequent in countries with comparable sun exposure than in other continents, but the incidence remained unchanged over 3 decades. There was a significant increase in BCC between 1983-1992 and 2003-2012. CONCLUSION: The rates of all cancers remained stable over 3 decades except BCC, which showed a significant rise.