Background: Mental health concerns among university faculty are on the rise, with reports of anxiety, depression, and occupational stress, impacting the higher education community. In Qatar, an assessment of faculty mental health has not been previously realized. The objectives of the current study were twofold: Firstly, to evaluate the extent of perceived occupational stress, depression, anxiety, and stress, and secondly, to assess the association among these mental health parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vaccines were developed and deployed to combat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This study aimed to characterize patterns in the protection provided by the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 mRNA vaccines against a spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection symptoms and severities.
Methods: A national, matched, test-negative, case-control study was conducted in Qatar between January 1 and December 18, 2021, utilizing a sample of 238,896 PCR-positive tests and 6,533,739 PCR-negative tests.
Objective: Paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opiates/opioids, administered parenterally via intravenous or intramuscular route, are widely used to provide analgesia for patients with moderate to severe pain. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the level of analgesia provided by intravenous paracetamol (IVP) alone compared with NSAIDs (intravenous or intramuscular), or opioids (intravenous) alone in adults attending the ED with acute pain.
Methods: Two authors independently searched PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science, Embase (OVID), Cochrane Library, SCOPUS and Google Scholar (3 March 2021-20 May 2022) for randomised trials without any language or date restriction.
Background: Medically unjustifiable caesarean section (CS) deliveries have been rising rapidly in many developed countries over the last three decades. While many developing countries show rates beyond optimal levels, few poorer countries appear to have sub-optimal obstetric care in relation to essential surgeries. The objective of this study is to document the rates of CS delivery, its time trend, and geographic and sociodemographic variability in Sudan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is a heterodimeric tetramer consisting of two Ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase large subunits (RRM1) and two Ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase small subunits (RRM2). RRM2 is the building subunit of RNR that is important for synthesis of Deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) during S phase of cell cycle during DNA replication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssessing left ventricular systolic function (LVSF) by echocardiography assists in the diagnosis and management of a diverse range of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). We evaluated the agreement between ED-based clinician sonographers and apriori-defined expert sonographers. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) on the hospitalization outcomes in patients ≥ 60 years of age with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) is not well studied. We queried the National Inpatient Sample database for all patients aged ≥ 60 who had a history of ICD placement, and were admitted with a primary diagnosis of heart failure (HF) during the years 2016-2017. Patients were stratified into 2 groups based on their history of AF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFScreening for the metabolomic signature of coronary heart disease (CHD) before disease onset could help in early diagnosis and potentially disease prevention. In this study, the levels of 17 CHD metabolic biomarkers in apparently healthy overweight females were compared to lean counterparts, and their associations with conventional clinical risk factors were determined. Clinical and metabolic data from 200 apparently healthy non-obese Qatari females were collected from Qatar Biobank (discovery cohort).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We aimed to study the impact of frailty on the outcome of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures.
Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was queried for all patients aged ≥65 years who underwent a TAVR procedure during the years 2016-2017. Frailty was measured using a previously validated Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) scoring system.
Background: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) remains a significant cause of diarrhea that affects children worldwide. It is usually caused by viral agents, including rotavirus (RV), norovirus (NoV), adenovirus (AdV), astrovirus (AstV), and sapovirus (SaV), and the disease severity varies accordingly. Here, we report the association of clinical severity among AGE-infected pediatrics caused by a single viral pathogen, coinfection (viral-viral), mixed infection (viral-bacterial), and AGE-negative samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at higher risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) particularly at a younger age. We sought to determine the effect of risk factors on the prevalence of CAD in age stratified hospitalized patients with SLE.
Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried for hospitalized patients with SLE during the years 2010-2015, and a control group without SLE.
Background And Objective: Hypertension, a global burden, is associated with several risk factors and can be treated by lifestyle modifications and medications. Prediction and early diagnosis is important to prevent related health complications. The objective is to construct and compare predictive models to identify individuals at high risk of developing hypertension without the need of invasive clinical procedures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between Parkinson's disease (PD) and vascular disease and risk factors using a nationally representative sample. The National Inpatient Sample was queried for all patients aged ≥65 who were diagnosed with PD during the year 2016. Patients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases-Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis code: "G20.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Millions of lives around the world are being saved annually through blood transfusion. However, blood transfusion is among the essential vehicles for transmitting infections. The overall prevalence of Transfusion Transmissible Infections among blood donors differs around the world, reflecting the variation in the prevalence of these infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Malnutrition is a major determinant of health outcomes among the older adult population. Our goal was to evaluate the impact of malnutrition on hospitalization outcomes for older adults who were admitted with a diagnosis of sepsis.
Methods: The National Inpatient Sample was queried for all patients who were admitted with a primary diagnosis of sepsis from January to December 2016.
Background: To evaluate the trends in complication rates following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures according to the type of vascular approach (endovascular vs. transapical) in a large US population sample.
Methods: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried for all patients diagnosed with aortic stenosis who underwent a TAVR procedure in the United States during the years 2012-2016.
Background: In efforts to reduce neonatal mortality, the World Health Organization (WHO) has included breastfeeding among its recommended packages of interventions. Early initiation of breastfeeding and avoidance of prelacteal feeding are key contributors to optimal feeding practices. This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated factors of early breastfeeding practices in Sudan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study was undertaken to investigate whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) produces a survival advantage in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and to evaluate the mechanism of any benefit, including the impact of age and other risk factors. The National Inpatient Sample was queried for all patients who were admitted for ACS during the years 2013 to 2014. The primary outcomes were all-cause in-hospital mortality and cardiogenic shock (CS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious public health problem and a global concern. The inappropriate use of antibiotics has been identified by the World Health Organization as a major risk factor for AMR.
Methods: The purpose of this research study is to assess the prevalence of inappropriate antibiotic use among Qatar University students and their family members, detect sociodemographic factors associated with inappropriate use, evaluate the knowledge and attitude towards antibiotic use, and assess respondents' opinions on healthcare providers' antibiotic prescription practices.
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol
February 2019
Objectives: To study the pregnancy outcomes in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to relate these to maternal risk factors.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 419 women with T2DM (index group)- who attended our diabetes in pregnancy clinic at the Hamad Women's Hospital, Doha, between March 2015 and December 2016 -and 1419 normoglycaemic women (control group).
Results: Compared with the controls, T2DM women were older (mean age 34.
Prevalence of asthma in Australian children is amongst the highest in the world. Although breastfeeding positively influences infant immunity, early introduction of Milk Other than Breast Milk (MOTBM) may also play an important role in the development of Asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the introduction of MOTBM in the first six months after birth and the development of reported persistent asthma in 3-year olds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are known to play an important role in maintenance and modulation of neuronal functions. There is evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may have anticonvulsant effects. The effect of DHA and EPA on seizure rate in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) was investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate the effects of the patient-dentist relationship on dental anxiety among young adult Sudanese patients.
Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 864 patients attending outpatient dental clinics of the governmental dental hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan were recruited; 51.2% were males and 48.
Introduction: Echocardiographic (echo) screening has unmasked a high prevalence of subclinical rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in many countries, and it can be used as a surveillance tool to control the disease.
Methods: School children of 10 to 15 years of age were selected in two areas of Sudan, Khartoum, the capital, and Niyala in western Sudan. Echo screening using a hand-held echo (HHE) was conducted in Khartoum using a three-view protocol, and in Niyala, a one-view protocol, both modified from the World Heart Federation protocol.