''Myth Busting in Infectious Diseases'': A Comprehensive Review.

Antibiotics have played a pivotal role in modern medicine, drastically reducing mortality rates associated with bacterial infections. Despite their significant contributions, the emergence of antibiotic resistance has become a formidable challenge, necessitating a re-evaluation of antibiotic use practices. The widespread belief in clinical practice that bactericidal antibiotics are inherently superior to bacteriostatic ones lacks consistent support from evidence in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). With the latest evidence, certain infections have demonstrated equal or even superior efficacy with bacteriostatic agents. Furthermore, within clinical practice, there is a tendency to indiscriminately order urine cultures for febrile patients, even in cases where alternative etiologies might be present. Consequently, upon obtaining a positive urine culture result, patients often receive antimicrobial prescriptions despite the absence of clinical indications warranting such treatment. Furthermore, it is a prevailing notion among physicians that extended durations of antibiotic therapy confer potential benefits and mitigate the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Contrary to this belief, empirical evidence refutes such assertions. This article aims to address common myths and misconceptions within the field of infectious diseases.

The successful treatment of mpox with brincidofovir in renal transplant recipients-a report of 2 cases.

An mpox outbreak was declared in July 2022 by the world health organization (WHO). It causes a mild self-limiting disease however; in immunosuppressed hosts, it tends to cause severe disseminated infection. Most cases of mpox in sold organ transplant (SOT) recipients reported in the literature were treated with tecovirimat. Here we report two cases of severe disseminated mpox infection in renal transplant recipients that were successfully treated with brincidofovir. Both patients were discharged from the hospital with no immediate significant side effects from brincidofovir reported until the submission of this report.

The first retinoblastoma local experience in Kuwait: A retrospective case series.

Background: To report the first series of retinoblastoma (RB) cases that were managed locally in Kuwait by the retinoblastoma team that was established during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Six cases with RB were included in this study. The ages ranged from 3 months to 2 years with a male to female ratio of 2:1. All cases presented with an abnormal pupillary reflex with or without strabismus. Examination findings mostly showed leukocoria and an intra-retinal mass with calcification with or without vitreous seeding. Most cases were unilateral except for one case, which had bilateral RB. International classification of RB staging ranged from group B to E. Multidisciplinary approach was followed to manage these cases by applying a well-set protocol created by the RB team. Each case was treated according to grade at presentation. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic revolutionized the standard of care for RB in Kuwait and mandated the establishment of a multidisciplinary team to follow a standardized protocol to manage RB cases successfully.

Survival and characteristics of retinopathy of prematurity in micro-premature infants.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the risk and nature of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in micro-premature infants (≤26 weeks' gestational age [GA]). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from infants born at 22-26 weeks' GA over a 5-year period. RESULTS: A total of 502 infants were identified, of whom 414 survived to discharge (82.5%). The Vermont Oxford Network database documented clinical follow-up data and ROP outcomes for all 414 patients; complete ROP clinical records were available for 294 of the infants who survived (70.8%). Forty infants were born between 22 and 23 weeks' GA (group A, 13.6%), and 254 were born between 24 and 26 weeks' GA (group B, 86.4%). Survival for group A infants was worse than that of group B infants (66.2% vs 85.4%; p < 0.01). Survival of group A infants improved during the study period (R2 = 0.625). Overall, 59.9% of infants developed any ROP and 8.5% developed type 1 ROP. Group A infants were more likely to develop ROP (90.0% vs 48.6%; p < 0.01) and type 1 ROP (30.0% vs 5.1%; p < 0.01) than group B infants. Group A infants developed ROP at an earlier age (32 + 6 weeks vs 33 + 3 weeks; p = 0.02) and were more likely to have zone I disease on presentation (65.0% vs 20.5%; p < 0.01), but there was no difference in the corrected gestational age of peak severity of ROP (35 + 2 weeks vs 34 + 5 weeks; p = 0.36). CONCLUSION: The most premature infants, born at 22-23 weeks' GA, develop ROP at an earlier age, are more likely to present with posterior disease, and have a high risk of disease requiring treatment.

Transmission and Cleaning Misconception During the COVID-19 Pandemic Time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES:  This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and attitude of the public in Saudi Arabia toward the concept of surface decontamination during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS:  A cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted over six months, from February 2021 to July 2021. We included adult Saudi and non-Saudi males and females living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  Results: Six hundred and twenty-six responses from Saudi (92.7%) and non-Saudi (7.3%) participants with a median age of 24 years and interquartile range (IQR) of 21-29 years were received. Regarding knowledge level, 32.10% of the participants had good knowledge of respiratory virus transmission, and only 3.4% had good knowledge of decontamination products. Overall, 58.1% of the participants had a positive attitude toward decontamination products, and 28% had a negative attitude. Older participants, females, and participants who received their information from the Ministry of Health had higher odds of having a positive attitude toward disinfectant (OR = 1.022, 95% CI: 1.004 to 1.039, p = 0.013), (OR = 3.05, 95% CI: 2.08 to 4.47, p < 0.001), and (OR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.44 to 6.05, p = 0.003), respectively.  Conclusion: The current evidence suggests that the knowledge in the general population of Saudi Arabia is low regarding the transmission of COVID-19 infection and disinfectant products. The prevalence of using decontamination products and attitude toward it is average. Continuous awareness campaigns are required to increase the public's awareness toward such products to change the population's attitude and practice, improve the prevention, and reduce the spread of the infection and its related misconception.

Inferior Oblique Anterior Transposition versus Myectomy for Inferior Oblique Overaction: Systematic Review and Meta Analysis.

The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of inferior oblique anterior transposition (IOAT) versus inferior oblique myectomy (IOM) in patients with primary inferior oblique overaction (IOOA) or secondary IOOA to superior nerve palsy. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines and an electronic search was conducted to identify studies comparing IOAT versus IOM for IOOA. Residual inferior oblique function, reduction in hypertropia and post-operative complications were identified as primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included superior oblique function, head tilt improvement, effect on the contralateral eye, operation time and macular changes. The analysis was based on fixed or random-effects modelling. Eleven studies enrolling 729 patients were identified. Inferior oblique function was not significantly different between both interventions, namely the elimination of IOOA (Odds Ratio[OR] = 0.97, P = 0.97), reduction in IOOA (Mean Difference[MD] = -0.06, P = 0.68), post-operative inferior oblique under-action (OR = 1.06, P = 0.83) and residual overaction (OR = 0.71, P = 0.15). Similarly, no significant difference was noted between both groups in reducing hypertropia. Regarding post-operative complications, no significant difference was observed, including the incidence of anti-elevation syndrome (P = 0.10). No significant difference was noted regarding superior oblique function, improvement in head tilt, effect on the contralateral eye and macular changes, although surgical time was shorter in the IOM group. In conclusion, IOAT and IOM are both effective surgical procedures in the management of IOOA as they produced comparable outcomes in the improvement in hypertropia, post-operative inferior oblique function and incidence of complications.

Modeling the Potential Impact of Remdesivir Treatment for Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia on Healthcare Resource Use and Direct Hospital Costs: A Hypothetical Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly worldwide. Saudi Arabia was significantly impacted by COVID-19. In March 2021, 381,000 cases were reported with 6539 deaths. This study attempts to quantify the impact of remdesivir on healthcare costs in Saudi Arabia, in terms of intensive care unit admissions, mechanical ventilation, and death prevention. METHODS: A forecasting model was designed to estimate the impact of remdesivir on the capacity of intensive care units and healthcare costs with patients requiring low flow oxygen therapy. The forecasting model was applied in the Saudi context with a 20-week projection between 1 February and 14 June, 2021. Model inputs were collected from published global and Saudi literature, available forecasting resources, and expert opinions. Three scenarios were assumed: the effective pandemic infection rate (Rt) remains at 1, the Rt increases up to 1.2, and the Rt declines from 1 to 0.8 over the study period. RESULTS: The model estimated that the use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients, in the optimistic and pessimistic scenarios, could prevent between 1520 and 3549 patient transfers to intensive care units and mechanical ventilation, prevent between 815 and 1582 deaths, and make potential cost savings between $US154 million and $US377 million owing to the reduction in intensive care unit capacity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment with remdesivir may improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden on healthcare resources during this pandemic.

Topical Steroid Damaged Face: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia.

Corticosteroids are one of the anti-inflammatory drugs that are used widely by dermatologists. Significant local adverse effects can happen if topical corticosteroids (TCs) are used incorrectly. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of facial TCs misuse and its adverse effects. This was cross-sectional research: a self-reported questionnaire was distributed among a population of Saudi Arabians aged 16 years and above who were using TCs consecutively. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26. A total of 611 participants were enrolled in the survey: 401 (65.6%) were university graduates, while 187 (30.6%) were below high school level of education. The number of participants using TCs was 279 (45.7%), while 332 (54.3%) did not use steroids topically. The most used TCs were Mometasone furoate 0.1% cream (18.2%), followed by Fusidic acid/Betamethasone cream (16.7%). A total of 46 reported facial TCs' side effects. Peeling (52.2%) was the most reported side effect, followed by redness (41.3%). In conclusion, the use of facial TCs among the Saudi population is not uncommon (16.5%). A large population are not aware of the side effects of the unsupervised use of TCs. An effort should be made to increase awareness of the adverse effects of TCs.

A Stepwise Approach to the Surgical Management of Hemorrhagic Choroidal Detachments.

Purpose: This work describes a stepwise surgical approach to draining choroidal detachments and 2 cases for which this approach was used. Methods: The first step involves insertion of an anterior chamber maintainer and a nonvalved 23- or 25-gauge trocar cannula at the highest peak of hemorrhagic choroidal detachment (as determined using B-scan ultrasonography), 6 to 8 mm from and angled 20° to 30° toward the limbus. The second step involves removal of the trocar to expose the sclerotomy. Alternatively, the second step can be insertion of a second trocar. The third step involves the creation of a small focal peritomy around the preexisting sclerotomy and enlargement of the preexisting sclerotomy into a radial sclerotomy. Progression between steps only occurs if prior steps did not provide adequate drainage. Results: Two cases of appositional hemorrhagic choroidal detachments in hypotonic eyes were successfully resolved by this stepwise approach. In case 1, a choroidal detachment developed after a corneal ulcer perforation. The hemorrhagic choroidal detachment in case 1 was resolved with steps 1 and 2, and an unnecessary scleral cutdown was avoided. In case 2, a choroidal detachment developed after a trabeculectomy. The detachment in case 2 required progression to step 3, extension of the trocar insertion site into a radial sclerotomy. Conclusions: This stepwise approach should be considered to reduce excessive manipulation of the globe and conjunctiva in hemorrhagic and serous choroidal detachments that warrant surgical intervention.

Effectiveness and safety of favipiravir compared to supportive care in moderately to critically ill COVID-19 patients: a retrospective study with propensity score matching sensitivity analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Favipiravir is a repurposed drug to treat coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Due to a lack of available real-world data, we assessed its effectiveness and safety in moderately to critically ill COVID-19 patients. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in two public/specialty hospitals in Saudi Arabia. We included patients ≥18 years) admitted April-August 2020 with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 diagnosed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from nasopharyngeal swab. Patients received either favipiravir (1800 mg or 1600 mg twice daily loading dose, followed by 800 mg or 600 mg twice daily) or supportive-care treatment. Patients were excluded if they were outside the study period, classified as having a mild form of the disease per WHO criteria, or had an incomplete patient file. Kaplan-Meier (KM) models were used to estimate median time to discharge. Discharge ratios, progression to mechanical ventilation, and mortality outcomes were estimated across the severity spectrum using Cox proportional-hazards models. As a sensitivity analysis, we performed propensity score-matching (PSM) analysis. RESULTS: Overall, median time to discharge was 10 days (95%CI = 9-10) in the favipiravir arm versus 15 days (95%CI = 14-16) in the supportive-care arm. The accelerated discharge benefit was seen across the COVID-19 spectrum of severity. The adjusted discharge ratio was 1.96 (95%CI = 1.56-2.46). Progression to mechanical ventilation was slower with favipiravir (HRadj = 0.10, 95%CI = 0.04-0.29). There was no significant effect on mortality (HRadj = 1.56, 95%CI = 0.73-3.36). There was a statistically non-significant trend toward worse outcomes in the critical category (HRadj = 2.80, 95%CI = 0.99-7.89). Age was an independent risk factor for mortality in mechanically ventilated patients. PSM analyses confirmed these findings. CONCLUSION: Favipiravir was associated with clinical benefits, including accelerated discharge rate and less progression to mechanical ventilation; however, no overall mortality benefits were seen across the severity spectrum.

Pre-operative optical coherence tomography findings in macula-off retinal detachments and visual outcome.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between foveal changes in the detached retina in macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRD) and visual acuity outcome following repair. DESIGN: Retrospective, consecutive, observational case series. METHODS: Consecutive patients presenting with macula-off RRD between July 15 and September 15, 2017, underwent SD-OCT imaging and their medical records were reviewed. Specific OCT exam parameters were used to evaluate the fovea of the detached retina. RESULTS: In total, 47 patients with macula-off RRD were treated from July 15 to September 15, 2017. Forty-four eyes of 44 patients could be imaged by SD-OCT and were included in the analysis. Univariate analysis demonstrated a correlation between the height of the detachment, the duration of symptoms, the presence of macular hole and epiretinal membrane to the final VA. Correlation was also found between the presence of MH and the height of the detachment. However, multiple regression analysis demonstrated only a statistically significant correlation between the presence of a macular hole or an epiretinal membrane to the final VA. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to demonstrate the significance of foveal changes in the pathogenesis of lost vision in macula-off retinal detachments. The high rate of macular holes and the correlation between the MH and the height of the detachment suggest that elevated tension in the fovea in high detachments might play a significant role in the visual outcome of macula-off RRD following repair.

Myocardial injuries among patients with COVID-19: a systematic review.

This is a systematic review of the literature specifically aimed to explore myocardial injury in coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients who were hospitalized with severe complicated infections. The medical literature was examined through the large medical databases, including Medline, Ovid, PubMed, and Embase, over the last year between January 2020 and May 2021. The search terms used were a combination of "myocardial injury" AND "COVID-19" AND "Hospitalization". Then we applied a step to filter the results to select original research articles only evaluating the myocardial injuries in severe COVID-19 hospitalized patients. Selected trials mentioned the type of myocardial injury detected with the infection. A total of 245 articles were extracted. Considering the exclusion of ineligible articles, 42 articles appeared. A total of 42 articles were eligible and were included in the review. These studies included a total of 4326 COVID-19 patients. The 30-day mortality was found to be associated with increased cardiac troponin and myocardial infarction could be a systemic reaction rather than the direct action of COVID-19. Patients with myocardial injury were significantly older and with co-morbid conditions. Studies also found a correlation of higher concentrations of cardiac enzymes with disease severity and increased in-hospital mortality. Myocardial injury was a significant predictor for severe COVID-19 infection and in-hospital mortality. Cardiac enzymes should be monitored in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 infections.

SEQUENTIAL PNEUMATIC RETINOPEXIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PRIMARY INFERIOR RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENTS WITH INFERIOR BREAKS: The Double-Bubble Approach.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a new approach of sequential pneumatic retinopexies for the management of inferior rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RD) with inferior breaks. METHODS: Multicenter retrospective consecutive case series of inferior RDs caused by retinal breaks located within the inferior 4 clock hours treated with sequential pneumatic retinopexies, 24 to 48 hours apart. A total of 26 patients with inferior RDs secondary to one or more breaks between the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock meridians were included from September 2007 to February 2012. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 35.3 weeks. Anatomical success at 8 weeks was achieved in 65.4% of all patients (including those with giant retinal tear and patients with previous RD in the study eye). When excluding patients with giant retinal tear and previous RD in the study eye, the anatomical success rate increased to 70%. Overall, the mean visual acuity improved from 1.00 logMAR (Snellen equivalent 20/200) at baseline to 0.38 logMAR (Snellen equivalent 20/50) at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Sequential pneumatic retinopexy offers a new viable surgical option for the treatment of RDs secondary to inferior breaks.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants treated with intravitreal bevacizumab versus laser.

OBJECTIVE: To compare neurodevelopmental and visual outcomes in preterm infants treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) to laser ablation at 18-24 months corrected age. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was performed. The primary outcome was neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). Secondary neurodevelopmental outcomes were significant NDI (sNDI), cerebral palsy, hearing loss, and composite scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third edition. Visual outcomes included structural and refractive outcomes. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated controlling for GA, sex, and ROP severity and confounding baseline characteristics using a cutoff of p < 0.20. RESULTS: Thirty-four (60 eyes) infants receiving IVB and 30 (51 eyes) laser were included. No significant differences were identified in NDI (AOR 1.77, 95% CI 0.46, 6.73) or sNDI (AOR 2.31, 95% CI 0.75, 7.14). There were no other differences in outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Larger randomized trials are required to establish long-term efficacy and safety of IVB in preterm neonates.

Diagnostic occlusion test for acquired esotropia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of the 45-minute diagnostic occlusion test (DOT) on the measured esodeviation in patients with acquired esotropia. METHODS: After the routine ophthalmic examination, 67 patients with acquired esotropia were randomly assigned to either the patch group (37 subjects) or the control group (30 subjects). For both groups the mean distance and near deviations before and after 45 minutes were compared. RESULTS: The mean pre- and post-DOT measurement at distant target for the patch group was an esodeviation of 6.7 ±â€…7.5 prism diopters (PD) and 13.2 ±â€…11.7 PD, respectively. The 45-minute DOT induced an average increase of the esotropia of 6.4 ±â€…5.9 PD in the patch group (p = 0.0001). For the control group, the first and second mean measurement were similar, 9.2 ±â€…7.6 PD and 9.1 ±â€…6.5 PD, respectively (p = 0.103). The mean pre- and post-DOT esodeviation at near distance for the patch group were 10.1 ±â€…10.1 PD and 18.7 ±â€…13.7 PD (p = 0.001). Following the DOT, >5 PD change was noted in 26 (70.1%) from a near distance target (p = 0.001). For the control group, the mean near first and second measurements were 13.9 PD and 15.0 PD, respectively. CONCLUSION: Performing DOT in acquired esodeviations may help to reveal the full deviation and ultimately decrease the risk of surgical undercorrection by eliminating tonic fusional divergence. The DOT can be applied clinically for acquired esotopia to accurately measure the angle of deviation.

Retinoblastoma for Pediatric Ophthalmologists.

Retinoblastoma can present in 1 or both eyes and is the most common intraocular malignancy in childhood. It is typically initiated by biallelic mutation of the RB1 tumor suppressor gene, leading to malignant transformation of primitive retinal cells. The most common presentation is leukocoria, followed by strabismus. Heritable retinoblastoma accounts for 45% of all cases, with 80% being bilateral. Treatment and prognosis of retinoblastoma is dictated by the disease stage at initial presentation. The 8th Edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNMH (tumor, node, metastasis, heritable trait) staging system defines evidence-based clinical and pathological staging for overall prognosis for eye(s) and child. Multiple treatment options are available in 2018 for retinoblastoma management with a multidisciplinary team, including pediatric ocular oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, genetics, nursing, and social work. Survival exceeds 95% when disease is diagnosed early and treated in centers specializing in retinoblastoma. However, survival rates are less than 50% with extraocular tumor dissemination. We summarize the epidemiology, genetics, prenatal screening, diagnosis, classification, investigations, and current therapeutic options in the management of retinoblastoma.

Transient lens vacuoles in premature infants.

We report 6 cases of bilateral vacuolar lens opacities in premature infants. These uncommon opacities were multiple, located peripherally in the lens, and unrelated to the severity of retinopathy. The vacuoles were transient in nature, did not interfere with ROP examination, and were not adversely affected by antivascular endothelial growth factor treatment. On long-term follow-up, the cataracts had no effect on vision.

EXUDATIVE RETINAL DETACHMENT CAUSED BY A CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULAR MEMBRANE IN HALLERMANN-STREIFF SYNDROME.

PURPOSE: To report a case of exudative retinal detachment caused by a choroidal neovascular membrane in Hallermann-Streiff syndrome. METHODS: The authors report a 7-year-old white male with Hallermann-Streiff syndrome who developed exudative retinal detachments secondary to choroidal neovascular membrane that resolved after off-label use of intravitreal injections of bevacizumab 1.25 mg. CONCLUSION: Patients with Hallermann-Streiff syndrome and exudative retinal detachment present with choroidal neovascular membrane can respond well with intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor.

PIMASERTIB AND SEROUS RETINAL DETACHMENTS.

PURPOSE: To report a case of multifocal serous retinal detachments associated with pimasertib. METHODS: The authors report a 26-year-old patient who developed bilateral multifocal serous retinal detachments appearing 2 days after starting pimasertib (as part of a clinical trial investigating its use in low-grade metastatic ovarian cancer) and rapidly resolving 3 days after stopping it. CONCLUSION: The mechanism of MEK inhibitor induced visual toxicity remains unclear. The pathophysiology of multifocal serous retinal detachments as a complication of pimasertib is still poorly understood.