Anemia and Cost-Effectiveness of Complete Blood Count Testing Among Pregnant Women at King Abdulaziz University Hospital: A Single Tertiary Center Experience.

Background Iron deficiency is the most common etiology of anemia among pregnant women. Many studies showed that anemia during pregnancy had been associated with adverse outcomes such as intrauterine growth retardation, preterm delivery, and maternal mortality. However, screening for those pregnant remains controversial.  Objectives To find the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women and pregnancy outcomes. Also, to find the cost-effectiveness of running complete blood count (CBC) tests among them. Methods This is a retrospective record review done on pregnant women who delivered at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018. They were screened for eligibility, with the exclusion of those with hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. Data were collected from their electronic medical records. Results A total of 5,120 pregnant women had delivered from January 1, 2017, to August 31, 2018, and 2,845 (55.6%) developed anemia during pregnancy. Out of 2,822, 2,301 were mild, 471 moderate, 50 severe, and 2,185 were normal. A total of 3,656 (71.4%) women were Saudis, and 1,464 (28.6%) were non-Saudis. The mean age was 29.85±6 years, and their first hemoglobin reading mean was 10.6±1.3g/dl. Out of 2,822, 546 developed undesired pregnancy outcomes. History of anemia, blood transfusion, intrauterine fetal demise, and stillbirth was significantly associated with abnormal hemoglobin levels (p<0.05). Complete blood count (CBC) testing for these pregnant women cost 422,990.92 US dollars. Conclusion Although the cut-off point of diagnosing anemia level during pregnancy isn't fully understood, pregnant women with mild to moderate levels appeared to have lesser adverse pregnancy outcomes in comparison to women with severe level. Therefore, screening during prenatal visits or antenatal for anemia should be tailored to each pregnant based on her condition and the overall clinical judgment.

The prevalence of hypocalcemia following total thyroidectomy. A retrospective study based at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES:  To estimate the prevalence of hypocalcemia following total thyroidectomy (TT) at a tertiary center. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted between 2014 and 2019 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study was based at the Department of General Surgery and was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of KAUH. Medical records of 154 patients who had undergone TT were reviewed. Data such as age, gender, level of postoperative calcium at 24 and 48 hours after surgery, parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, central neck dissection (CCND), histological diagnosis were entered into Microsoft Excel sheets. RESULTS:  Hypocalcemia occurred more on the second day after surgery in 67.4% of patients. Among them, 83.9% were female and 16.1% were male. The majority of patients were asymptomatic and benign thyroid disease was the most common. There was a significant association between hypocalcemia and the PTH level (p less than 0.001). CONCLUSION:  There was a high prevalence of hypocalcemia on the second day after surgery. Presence of hypocalcemia association with the PTH level. Meticulous surgical technique and preservation of parathyroid vascularity are important in preventing postoperative hypocalcemia.

Knowledge of diabetic foot care management among medical students at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate medical students' knowledge of diabetic foot care management and its related factors. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study of 303 students studying at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia conducted from June to July 2019. Data were collected using a two-part questionnaire. The first one captured student information; the second assessed student knowledge. It consists of 68 true and false questions divided into 4 subscales (risk factors, foot examination, foot complications and footwear selection). The higher the total score is, the higher the students' knowledge. RESULTS: The total average knowledge score was 55.5±5.5 out of 68. While the mean score was 14.11/16 for risk factors, 9.24/10 for foot examination, 24.21/32 for foot complications, and 7.88/10 for footwear selection subscales. Only 56.4% of students educated diabetic patients about diabetic foot risks;concurrently, only 63% performed foot examinations in diabetes patients. Students who educated diabetic patients, preformed foot exam, or attended extra elective clinical rotation in a diabetic foot team, had a significantly higher knowledge level. Conclusion: Students were found to have high level of knowledge regarding diabetic foot management. Students who educated patients about diabetic foot risk, performed foot examination on patients and students who took elective rotations in a diabetic foot care team had a higher knowledge level.

Risk Factors of Gangrenous Cholecystitis in General Surgery Patient Admitted for Cholecystectomy in King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAUH), Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Gangrenous cholecystitis (GC) is known as perforation and necrosis of the gallbladder wall caused by ischemia ensuing to vascular insufficiency. Gangrenous cholecystitis is associated with a high risk of morbidity. AIM: With a percentage of patients needing emergent help, our objective is to determine the risk factor of GC in KAUH. METHODS: Retrospective review of 334 patients who underwent cholecystectomy during 2016 to 2018 In king Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAUH). The data was gained from the medical record of KAUH. The variables are defined as follows: age, gender, AST, ALT, WBC, DM, bilirubin and stone. In order to determine the risk factors that influence (GC). the data entry done by using Google forms while the analysis was done by using SPSS version 21. RESULTS: Of 334 patients who underwent cholecystectomy, 57 patient (17.1%) had histologically confirmed gangrenous cholecystitis. Most of them female, 13 variables were identified that were associated with GC by univariate analysis: age 46.8 years, stone (82.5%), bilirubin is normal 9.9, mean white blood cell count 7.8, diabetes, fever, nausea, vomiting, CT finding, asparate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. CONCLUSION: Patient age was a clear factor for developing GC, male gender was a factor but no correlation was found, normal range of WBC, total bilirubin was in a normal level, vomiting and fever and nausea was less compared to other researchers, at last computed Tomography was not supportive and do not give any importance in detecting GC.