A Saudi multicenter experience on therapeutic plasma exchange for patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: A call for national registry.

Background: The improvement in the clinical care for patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is evolving, and many efforts are being put to standardize it. Here, we aimed to assess the provided care at a national level and identify deficiencies.

Methods: A national Saudi retrospective descriptive study was carried out at six tertiary referral centers and included all patients who underwent therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for the diagnosis of TTP between May 2005, and July 2022.

Safety and Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma for Severe COVID-19: Interim Report of a Multicenter Phase II Study from Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To present the interim findings from a national study investigating the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma (CP) containing detectable IgG antibodies as a treatment strategy for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Trial Design And Participants: An open label, two-arm, phase-II clinical trial conducted across 22 hospitals from Saudi Arabia. The intervention group included 40 adults (aged ≥18 years) with confirmed severe COVID-19 and the control group included 124 patients matched using propensity score for age, gender, intubation status, and history of diabetes and/or hypertension.

Unusual presentations, management and outcomes of gastric stromal tumors: a single-center case series.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are uncommon mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. This study explores the safety of laparoscopy and the long-term oncological outcome in gastroesophageal GIST treatment.

Methods: A prospectively maintained single-institution database was examined.

Safety and Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma to Treat Severe COVID-19: Protocol for the Saudi Collaborative Multicenter Phase II Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to cause significant morbidity and mortality. The development of an effective vaccine will take several months to become available, and its affordability is unpredictable. Transfusion of convalescent plasma (CP) may provide passive immunity.

Gut barrier dysfunction in critically ill surgical patients with abdominal compartment syndrome.

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) on gut barrier function in critically ill surgical patients.

Methods: A prospective observational cohort study on patients with severe acute pancreatitis or abdominal sepsis admitted to an intensive care or high-dependency unit. Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and plasma levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antiendotoxin core antibodies (EndoCAb) and procalcitonin (ProCT) were measured serially.

Clinical relevance of intra-abdominal hypertension in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

Objectives: Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) contributes to organ failure in patients with abdominal trauma and sepsis and leads to the development of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). This study aims to investigate the clinical significance of IAH in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods: Patients admitted to intensive care with SAP underwent daily measurement of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), recording of the clinical data, and calculation of 4 organ dysfunction scores.

Factors predictive of frank intrabiliary rupture in patients with hepatic hydatid cysts.

Background/aims: Frank intrabiliary rupture (IBR) is a serious complication that occurs in 3-17% of patients. The aim of this study was to identify independent predictors of frank IBR of hepatic hydatid cysts (HHC).

Methodology: Some 741 patients with HHC underwent surgery for HHC between 1965 and 2000.

Closed blunt-trocar 5 mm-port for primary cannulation in laparoscopic surgery: A safe technique.

Primary cannulation of the peritoneal cavity is a critical part of laparoscopic surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and applicability of a direct blunt-port primary cannulation. The peritoneal cavity was accessed by direct trocar-port insertion at sites other than the umbilicus and avoiding abdominal scars.

Laparoscopic gastric and biliary bypass: a single-center cohort prospective study.

Purpose: Relief of gastric outlet and distal biliary obstruction may be accomplished by open surgery or by minimally invasive techniques including endoscopic and laparoscopic approaches. We examined the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic gastric and biliary bypass in all patients with malignant and benign disease requiring surgical relief of obstructive symptoms.

Materials And Methods: Patients with benign duodenal stricture or inoperable malignancy underwent therapeutic laparoscopic bypass surgery.

Clinical laboratory assessment of acute pancreatitis.

Background: Several biochemical markers in blood and urine have been investigated to establish their clinical application in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). The relevant studies are reviewed and critically appraised.

Methods: Medline and the World Wide Web were searched and the relevant literature was classified under the following categories: (1) diagnosis of AP and (2) prediction of: a) disease severity, b) pancreatic necrosis and its secondary infection, c) organ failure and death, and d) disease etiology.

Epidemiology of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen screening among blood donors in Eastern Saudi Arabia. Need to replace the test by HBV DNA testing.

Objective: Prevention of the residual risk of transfusion transmitted hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is mostly relied on serological screening of blood donors for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (HBc), to detect donors in window period of HBV infection. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of anti-HBc antibody among blood donors and its impact on rejection of collected blood units.

Methods: Blood bank records of all the blood donors who donated blood at blood bank of King Fahad Hospital, Al-Hofuf, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the period of 2000 to 2003 were reviewed.

Comparison of specimen adequacy in fine-needle aspiration biopsies performed by surgeons and pathologists.

Background: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) may yield different results depending on its operator. We compared the proportions of unsatisfactory aspirates obtained by pathologists vs. surgeons.

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy diagnosis of intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis presenting as a posterior mediastinal tumor in a patient with sickle-cell disease: Case report.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is a rare cause of an intrathoracic mass. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has been only occasionally documented as a useful tool in diagnosing EMH tumor. We report a case of posterior mediastinal extramedullary hematopoietic mass in an 80-yr-old man with sickle-cell anemia.