Prevalence, Types, and Outcomes of Cerebral Palsy at a Tertiary Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: In developed countries, cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common neurological disorder in children. It is defined as a non-progressive disturbance to the developing brain leading to motor impairment that affects the child's activity. CP is classified into three main subtypes: ataxic, spastic, and mixed.  Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of CP and its subtypes in a single tertiary center located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHOD: This retrospective record review study included 98 patients diagnosed with CP from 2004 to 2019. Data were extracted from the hospital medical record and assessed using various tools.  Result: The total number of patients was 98, with an estimated CP prevalence of 1.6 per 1000 lives. Most of the patients (74.8%) had spastic CP subtype, and 54.8% had quadriplegia. The mean age of the live children was 7.45 ± 3.76 years. Moreover, gastrostomy was the most favorable feeding method.  Conclusion: The prevalence of CP is almost equivalent to the national and worldwide figures. Spastic CP has the highest rates. Furthermore, the male gender has been identified as a significant risk factor for CP in the local community.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affect the rejection rates and repeat reasoning of digital radiography?

OBJECTIVES: To compare the digital radiology rejection rates and reasoning pre-COVID-19 (PC) and during COVID-19 (DC) from September 2019 to August 2020. METHODS: This record-base retrospective study where data were extracted from the radiography equipment (Carestream Health, Rochester, New York, USA) at the Department of Radiology, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia over 12 months. The data were equally divided into PC and DC. RESULTS: The DC rejection rate decreased from PC by 2.6% with a significant p=0.00001. During COVID-19 there were 15,376 images of different body parts, versus 23,861 images during PC. Position errors were the main reasons for rejection for both PC (39.8%) and DC (42.7%), followed by technique errors (PC: 19.2%) (DC: 17.2%). CONCLUSION: Different sectors in hospitals were affected by COVID-19, including diagnostic radiology, in the positive direction. Thus, the DC rejection rate was markedly reduced compared with PC. This may be due to radiology technicians becoming more cautious in dealing with patients.

Effect of Peer-Assisted Learning on Enhancing Clinical Research Skills Among Medical Students: Students' and Tutors' Perceptions.

PURPOSE: Research methodology is an essential part of evidence-based medicine. Many educational programs include clinical research methodology within their curriculum. Moreover, students' preferences for learning methods are different than before, as they now prefer alternative methods, such as peer teaching. Peer-assisted learning enhances students' tutoring skills. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate the effect of peer teaching on enhancing clinical research skills. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Peer-assisted learning was evaluated during a four-week online research methodology course designed for medical students at King Abdulaziz University. A total of 121 students' and 38 tutors' attitudes and perceptions of peer teaching were evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire. The effectiveness of peer teaching was assessed using pre- and post-course knowledge tests. Chi-square was used to assess the association of qualitative data, and Mann-Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon rank test were used as nonparametric tests for the variables that were not normally distributed. RESULTS: The post-course knowledge score was significantly higher than the pre-test score. Students had a positive perception of peer-assisted learning. Over 90% of the students preferred peer-assisted learning to traditional teaching. Similarly, the tutors had significantly positive perceptions of peer-assisted teaching. Younger students who had higher post-test mean knowledge scores had a good perception of peer teaching. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates students' and tutors' positive perceptions of peer-assisted learning as well as the effectiveness of peer learning. Medical schools should pay more attention to students and prepare them for peer-teacher roles.

Prevalence of Diabetes and Hypertension Among King Abdulaziz University Employees: Data From First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training Program.

Objectives Saudi Arabia has a very high rate of chronic illnesses, especially hypertension (HTN) and diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and control of diabetes and hypertension among employees at a university in Saudi Arabia, including the associated risk factors, and to evaluate the need for early screening among these individuals. Methods This retrospective study used data from the first aid training program. In total, there were 3964 employees who completed the program, and only 1000 employees were enrolled. The program was conducted at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Blood pressure (BP), random blood sugar, and body mass index (BMI) were measured in all employees. Descriptive data, including mean, standard deviation (SD), crosstab, chi-square, and linear regression, were analyzed. Categorical variables were described using frequencies and percentages. Results The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was 31% and 5%. There were 365 males and 635 females. Employees with risk factors such as gender, age, and body mass index had significant effects on having high blood pressure and random blood glucose measurements. Of the employees who reported being free from chronic diseases, 2.9% had abnormal random blood glucose readings (prediabetic and diabetic ranges), while 37.4% had abnormal blood pressure readings (prehypertensive and hypertensive ranges). Conclusion The high prevalence of hypertension and diabetes reflects the crucial role of early screening in diabetes and hypertension protocols and raising awareness regarding protocol implementation in Saudi Arabia to improve quality of life (QoL) at the individual and community levels.

The Association Between Abnormal Vital Signs and Mortality in the Emergency Department.

Background The emergency department (ED) receives patients from all over the world every day. Hence, using various triage scales to detect sick patients and the need for early admission are essential. Triage is a process used in the ED to prioritize patients requiring the most urgent care over those with minor injuries based on medical urgency and medical needs. These decisions may be based on patients' chief complaints at the time of their ED visit and their vital signs. Vital signs, including blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), and body temperature, are necessary tools that are traditionally used in the ED during procedures such as triage and recognizing high-risk hospital inpatients. This study aimed to determine the relationship between abnormal vital signs and mortality in the ED. Method and Material This retrospective record review study was performed at the ED of King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH). Altogether, 641 patients fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Data including patients' demographics, vital signs, in-hospital mortality, triage level, and precipitating factors were collected. Results The mean age of the patients was 45.66 ± 18.43 years (69.3% females), and the majority of them had Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) level 3 (71.1%). The total number of in-hospital mortalities was 32 (5%). Lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), high respiratory rates, and low oxygen saturation (O2SAT) were significantly associated with high mortality rates. Conclusion Abnormal vital signs play a major role in determining patient prognosis and outcomes. Triage score systems should be adjusted and carefully studied in each center according to its population.