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BACKGROUND: Emergency departments (EDs) are vital to the timely and necessary care that a significant percentage of patients get. Emergency medicine places a high priority on quality, and to deliver patient-centered care, it is crucial to first investigate patient expectations from ER visits. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional study of all visits to the King Abdulaziz University Hospital Emergency Department in Jeddah. The study included adult patients who visited the emergency department and were willing to complete a survey and participate in an interview. Data was collected through face-to-face questionnaires. Patient's expectations during their visit to the emergency department were correlated to different parameters using univariate and bivariate analysis. RESULTS: The study included 291 patients. The majority of patients believed that their medical condition required admission to the hospital and agreed that it would be easier to receive treatment if admitted to the hospital. Results showed that 65.6% (n=191) of patients reported that the most serious patients should be seen first, and 65.3% (n=190) reported that a doctor should determine the seriousness of their health problem upon arrival. There was no significant difference found between age groups in relation to other items of expectations. CONCLUSION: It is clear that a sizable percentage of patients place a high value on seeing the most urgent cases first and having a doctor assess each patient's condition when they arrive. Our results show that, in order to guarantee the best patient happiness and care, healthcare practitioners must meet patients' expectations and modify their strategies accordingly.
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BACKGROUND: Thyroid hormones have substantial effects on blood pressure (BP) and renal function as they influence the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Maintaining healthy BP and preventing premature development of nephropathy necessitates taking steps. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the association between BP, GFR, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in hypothyroid patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A retrospective record review study of all hypothyroid patients from June 1, 2010 to June 6, 2020. The medical records of 1,181 adult patients were reviewed, and 157 met the criteria. All patients aged >18 years who were diagnosed with hypothyroidism and were on levothyroxine therapy, were included in this study. RESULTS: More than half of the participants were female (83.4%). There was no significant correlation between TSH and systolic BP (P= 0.6), or TSH and diastolic BP (P=0.8), while there was a positive correlation between TSH and creatinine (r=0.4, P=0.001) and a negative correlation between TSH and GFR (r=-0.2, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We found no association between BP and TSH, while creatinine correlated directly and GFR inversely with TSH. Follow-up renal function should be a target for physicians in hypothyroid patients to prevent premature complications.
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BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of blindness worldwide, threatening the vision of approximately 10% of patients with diabetes. Many studies have demonstrated that intensive control of the risk factors for DR is essential to reduce the onset and progression of DR. Currently, the relationship between lipid profile and DR is still unclear, especially in Saudi Arabia. We aimed to assess the correlation between both the development and severity of DR with lipid profile and blood pressure among the diabetic patients at the King Abdul-Aziz University hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This was a retrospective record review study of 298 diabetic patients diagnosed with DR. Retinal findings were correlated to serum lipids levels using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: This study included 298 participants with DR. Triglyceride levels, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and presence of macular edema were significantly associated with DR progression (P = 0.012, P = 0.001, P = 0.002). Other parameters, including total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HbA1C, body mass index, age, were not significantly associated with DR. CONCLUSION: Elevation in serum triglyceride levels and systolic blood pressure showed a statically significant association with diabetic retinopathy. Controlling these factors may help preventing progression and occurrence of diabetic retinopathy among diabetic patients.
