The Effect of COVID-19 Vaccines on Hospital Admission and Severity of Symptoms Among COVID-19 Patients in Saudi Arabia, 2021.

Introduction Following the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic, Saudi Arabia took unpreceded precautions to prevent and control the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS­CoV­2) infection. It is one of the first countries in the world to grant the authorization to use the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. This study aimed to assess the effect of one dose of COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Manhattan, New York City, and Oxford-AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom) among the Saudi population regarding symptom severity, hospital admission rate, and death. Methods An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from COVID-19 surveillance records at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Saudi Arabia, from January to May 2021. All confirmed COVID-19 patients who had positive tests by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay of a nasopharyngeal swab were included in the study. Patients diagnosed outside KAMC and cases below 18 years old were excluded from the study. The research was approved by King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (NRJ21J/303/12). Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to estimate the odds of hospitalization among vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Results A total of 1058 cases were included in the analysis. Two hundred sixty-five (265; 25%) patients were vaccinated with one dose of either Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford Astra-Zeneca, and 793 (75%) were unvaccinated. The median age was 34 (IQR 25-51), primarily Saudi (94.6%) and male (59.5%). The odds of being vaccinated (CI: 1.284-2.882, P 0.002) were 1.924 times greater for males than females. Young patients below 40 had 1.997 times higher odds (CI: 1.238-3.222, P 0.004) of being vaccinated than patients above 60. The hospital admission rate was low among both groups (12.9%); however, it was significantly lower among the vaccinated group (2.3%) as compared to the unvaccinated (16.5%). The results showed significant differences in symptom severity among the groups. For vaccinated, only one patient (0.4%) died, one patient was admitted to the ICU, and one patient (0.4%) was admitted to the hospital isolation ward. On the contrary, among the unvaccinated group, 19 patients (2.4%) died, 17 patients (2.1%) were admitted to the ICU, and 114 patients (14.4%) were admitted to the hospital isolation ward. Conclusion This study demonstrates that one dose of COVID-19 vaccines, either Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca, reduced the probability of death by 2% and hospital admission by 15% before the spread of the Delta variant (B.1.617). For generalizable results, nationwide studies using national surveillance data are recommended to assess multiple doses efficacy on different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Association With Other Knee Injuries in King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to study the association of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury with meniscal, collateral ligament, and bone injuries using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for clinical correlation during ACL repair. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study conducted on 136 patients diagnosed with ACL injury by MRI at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) between September 2010 and September 2018. Results The medial meniscus was injured in approximately half (49.3%) of patients, while the lateral meniscus was injured in 16.2%. Regarding collateral ligament injuries, the medial collateral ligament was injured in six patients (4.4%), the lateral collateral ligament in four patients (2.9%), and both collateral ligaments in three patients (2.2%). There was a significant relationship between the age group and the side of ACL injury (P<0.05) but not between the age group and the presence of an associated injury. Conclusion There was no significant relationship between ACL injury and menisci, collateral ligament, or bone injury.

Patients' concerns and perceptions of anesthesia-associated risks at University Hospital: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The expectation of undergoing general anesthesia triggers fear in many individuals, and such anxiety can even exceed anxiety about surgery. The only opportunity patients usually have to express their concerns and ask questions is during a preoperative visits to their anesthesiologist. Therefore, a good anesthesiologist-patient relationship is important to reduce patients' anxiety. Achieving this end requires information on patients' attitudes and concerns regarding anesthesia. This study aimed to assess patients' knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about preoperative assessment and fear associated with anesthesia at University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used a self-administered questionnaire distributed to 399 outpatients. Data were collected on patient's characteristics, perceptions about anesthesiologists, preferences for anesthetic management, and preoperative concerns regarding anesthesia. RESULTS: Most patients thought that anesthesiologists spent only 3 years in medical school and 2 years in a residency program. Survey participants had several misconceptions about anesthesiologists' role, but it did not affect ratings of their importance. Although, the confidence of patients in anesthesiologists was high, it was significantly lower than their confidence in surgeons. The most common concern expressed by the patients was based on whether anesthesiologists had sufficient experience and qualifications. CONCLUSIONS: Discussing anesthetic forms preoperatively can help decrease patients' anxiety. More efforts should be made preoperatively to address patients' high level of fear about rare side effects and discuss common side effects they tend to ignore. Preoperative preparation must allow the anesthesiologists enough time to reassure patients about their concerns, as they obtain patients' informed consent.