Perception and attitude of type 2 diabetic patients toward insulin therapy in the primary care of National Guard for Health Affairs (NGHA) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Purpose/Background: Our study explores and determines the perception toward insulin among patients with diabetes in the National Guard for Health Affairs (NGHA), Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and aims to gain insight into the causes of refusal. Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are likely to need the use of insulin to keep blood glucose levels within normal range and delay the onset of diabetes-related problems. Individuals with diabetes may be hesitant to begin insulin therapy if they have a negative attitude toward it, which might add to the delay in beginning treatment. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the primary healthcare centers of the NGHA in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through a validated self-administered questionnaire that was divided into three sections, with a total of 32 questions. The first section concerned demographic data, the second part was directed toward insulin users, and the last section was directed toward non-insulin patients. Results and Conclusion: Our study collected 314 responses. Males constituted 54.8% of participants and insulin users resembled 45.7%. According to our study, important deterrents to starting insulin therapy among non-insulin users included the following: the cost of insulin, the pain associated with injections, the difficulty in maintaining food control while on insulin treatment, scarring at the injection site, and the weight gain impact. Factors that were found to influence compliance to insulin therapy among insulin users included fear of weight gain and self-administration of insulin.

Complications of White-coat Hypertension Compared to a Normotensive and Hypertensive Population.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence demonstrates that white-coat hypertension (WCH) are associated with several risks and complications. In this study, we aimed to investigate the adverse effects of WCH compared with hypertensive and normotensive patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted over five years. Blood pressure (BP) data was collected from both clinic visits and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) reports. Epidemiological data and complications, cardiac and noncardiac, were also recorded. RESULTS: In total, 286 participants who were followed up for at least three years were included. The sample was divided into 99 normotensive patients (as a control group), 94 patients with clinically diagnosed hypertension (HTN), and 93 patients with WCH. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) was the most noted complication in the WCH group with a relative risk of 9.58 (1.23-74.16) (P = 0.008). Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) was significantly correlated with a relative risk of 2.06 (0.52-13.38). No significant correlation was noted with noncardiac complications. Both HTN and WCH groups showed a significant association with blood pressure variability (BPV). WCH was associated with an increased BPV in ambulatory daytime systolic measurements (P = 0.031) and a unique increase in diastolic measurement variability in office BP measurements (P = 0.020). CONCLUSION: WCH should be managed as HTN. WCH is associated with cardiac complications, particularly IHD, specifically in patients 55 years and older. WCH was significantly associated with a higher BPV in both ABPM and office-based measurements.

A Case of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia With Retinal Hemorrhages Beneath Internal Limiting Membrane During Clinical Remission.

Leukemia is a systematic cancer of the blood and blood-forming tissues that affects multiple organs. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of leukemia that affects adults. Ophthalmic manifestations of leukemia could be observed in both acute and chronic leukemias. Around 35.4% of leukemia patients present with leukemic retinopathy. In this report, we discuss the case of a patient who was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and went on to develop leukemic retinopathy during chemotherapy. A 35-year-old male was diagnosed with APL and received induction therapy with daunorubicin, and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in a seven + three regimen. During the remission phase, he presented with a complaint of decreased vision of the right eye for about three weeks after the initiation of the therapy. On examination, the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was found to be 6/60 in the right eye and 6/6 in the left eye. Fundus examination showed intraretinal hemorrhages in the posterior pole of both eyes. Fundus photography of the right eye showed resolved macular bleeding, temporal retinal bleeding, fresh inferonasal, and supraoptic retinal hemorrhage. For the left eye, however, it showed a small hemorrhagic spot temporal to the macula. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed on both eyes, which showed sub-inner limiting membrane (sub-ILM) hemorrhage in the right macula with normal OCT of the left eye. There are multiple reported ocular manifestations of leukemic retinopathy including flame-shaped hemorrhage, cotton wool spots, and Roth spots. In patients with APL, thrombocytopenia and intracranial hemorrhage are the proposed underlying mechanism of retinal hemorrhage. Terson's syndrome, which is an intracranial hemorrhage with associated retinal hemorrhage, has been reported to occur during ATRA induction therapy. Sub-ILM hemorrhage is relatively uncommon, and it has been associated with multiple primary pathologies such as Valsalva retinopathy, Terson's syndrome, and bleeding dyscrasias. Retinal hemorrhage is a serious complication in leukemic patients; it could be the presenting complaint or even manifest after the initiation of therapy. Early detection and frequent follow-ups are crucial for its management.

Dengue-Induced Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an uncommon fatal disease of otherwise normal but hyperactive lymphocytes and histocytes. HLH could be primary (hereditary) or secondary (acquired). Fever, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, and neurologic dysfunction are among the common symptoms of HLH. The diagnosis of HLH is based on clinical and biochemical findings. We report here a case of a patient infected with the dengue virus who developed HLH during hospitalization. A 63-year-old female known case of asthma on inhalers, chronic hepatitis B virus, gastritis on proton pump inhibitors, and hemoglobin H disease presented to the emergency department (ED) with a history of high-grade fever (highest recorded temperature 40° C/ 104° F), which was relieved partially by antipyretics, generalized fatigability, body aches, headache and mosquito bites for four days. The physical examination was significant for hepatomegaly of 4 cm below the right costal margin. Investigations revealed pancytopenia with elevated ferritin levels (> 40000 µg/L). Viral serology was positive for dengue NS1 antigen. After hematology consultation, a bone marrow biopsy was done, which showed trilineage hematopoiesis with increased histiocytes and occasional hemophagocytosis. Given that the patient was clinically stable and there was a clear triggering condition, we opted for supportive measures rather than HLH-specific therapy. The patient was given 2 units packed red blood cells for anemia. On the following days, the patient has no recurrence of fever, with marked improvement in the biochemical profile including ferritin level (1165 µg/L). HLH is a deleterious disease with a high fatality rate, which requires the clinician to have a low threshold for suspicion in the differentials of children and adults with symptoms of persistent fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and cytopenia. Dengue-associated HLH diagnosis is challenging, but it is very important to be recognized, as early recognition is associated with better outcomes. Physicians must work in collaboration with pathologists and microbiologists for the proper diagnosis.

The Perception of Coronary Artery Disease and Cardiac Catheterization in Saudi Arabia: "What the Public Know".

Objective Coronary artery disease (CAD) constitutes a significant health hazard in middle-aged individuals in Saudi Arabia. We sought to assess the level of knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and describe the perception of coronary intervention among the general population in the city of Jeddah in the western part of Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Jeddah during the period from April 2019 to September 1, 2019, by using a structured online questionnaire to assess the participants' awareness of risk factors for CAD and coronary intervention. The survey included questions about socio-demographic data, risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, symptoms of heart attack, knowledge of coronary catheterizations, as well as resources of knowledge about coronary heart disease. Results The study included 984 participants. The majority of the participants had university diplomas (78.1%). Only 38.5 % were healthcare workers. Dyslipidemia and smoking were identified by 70.5% and 66.7%, respectively, as a recognized risk factor for CAD. Diabetes was mentioned by 32.1%. Participants without CAD risk factors had a significantly lower level of knowledge regarding the strong association between diabetes mellitus (DM) II and CAD (p-value=0.02). Healthcare professionals had a significantly lower level of knowledge regarding cardiac catheterization as compared to non-healthcare professionals. A higher percentage of healthcare professionals would agree to have cardiac catheterization if indicated (p-value=0.003). Awareness campaigns were the most common source of information for the public. Conclusion The current level of knowledge of CAD in the western part of Saudi Arabia is fair. National awareness campaigns are required to improve the level of healthcare education.

Correction: The Perception of Coronary Artery Disease and Cardiac Catheterization in Saudi Arabia: "What the Public Know".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.6570.].

The effect of blood pressure variability on the prognosis of hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to compare the effects of blood pressure variability (BPV) during ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) and visit-to-visit measurements to predict future cardiovascular complications among hypertensive patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective case-control study of patients with hypertension over 10 years. All adult patients with at least one recorded ABPM, and at least three recorded visit measurements were included. Patients with incomplete ABPM readings, a history of a tested outcome, or the occurrence of any of the tested outcomes within the measurement period were excluded. The outcome was the development of any of the following: acute coronary syndrome (ACS), chronic ischemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure (HF), or stroke. RESULTS: Of the 305 cases reviewed, 152 were included. The mean follow-up was 6.6±2.3 years. The mean age was 53.5±14.3 years. Eighty-two (53.9%) patients were male, while 70 (46.1%) were female. Risk factors included diabetes mellitus (53.9%), dyslipidemia (39.5%), obesity (16.4%), and smoking (8.6%). Comorbidities included stroke (2%), ACS (8.6%), IHD (20.4%), HF (2.6%), and renal failure (1.3%). One or more complications were seen in 22.4 % of the included patients. The variation of the daytime systolic ABP had been found to predict the future risk of developing IHD (OR=1.94; 95% CI=1.09-3.45; p=0.025). Moreover, IHD was associated with night-time systolic standard deviation (SD) in ABPM (OR=1.23; 95% CI=1.00-1.51; p=0.048). On the other side, ACS was found to be associated with systolic SD in visit-to-visit measurement (OR=1.10; 95% CI=1.01-1.21; p=0.04). CONCLUSION: Hypertensive patients with high variability of daytime and night-time SD in ABPM are more likely to have IHD. Whereas, having high variability in systolic SD in visit-to-visit measurements is associated with developing ACS.

Late complete heart block post-tetralogy of Fallot repair: a possible new predicting, precipitating factor and review of related cases.

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common form of cyanotic congenital heart disease beyond the age of 3 months. Complete heart block (CHB) is rare but a serious sequalae post-repair of TOF. We present a case of an 18-month-old child who developed late CHB after around 1 year of the corrective surgery of the congenital anomaly. On the regular follow-up visit, the patient assessment was unremarkable. However, there was bradycardia, 55 beats/min. The ECG showed complete atrioventricular dissociation. Echocardiogram was done and demonstrated severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). The patient required a permanent pacemaker and he is currently well. We are presenting this case as a late unexpected CHB, with a possibility of progressive right-side dilatation as a contributing factor to CHB due to severe TR.