The Role of Telemedicine in Emergency Department Triage and Patient Care: A Systematic Review.

Overcrowding in emergency departments (EDs) is a global challenge, leading to prolonged waiting times and adverse patient outcomes. Telemedicine has emerged as a promising solution, enabling remote consultation, triage, and real-time specialist input. Despite its growing application, limited systematic research exists on its specific role in ED triage and care.

The increasing importance of Dengue virus infection in Saudi Arabia: A review.

Exacerbated by the rise of global warming due to climate change, as well as ease of international travel and mass migration, the dengue virus infection remains of particular economic and global concern. Of note, the emergence of the first case of dengue viral infection occurred in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s, and since then there has been a steady rise in the number of cases. Moreover, the arrival of imported dengue virus variants poses a significant challenge to dengue fever surveillance and control efforts within the region, especially as Saudi Arabia attracts millions of religious pilgrims throughout the year.

Electronic Sepsis Screening Among Patients Admitted to Hospital Wards: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial.

Importance: Sepsis screening is recommended among hospitalized patients but is supported by limited evidence of effectiveness.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of electronic sepsis screening, compared with no screening, on mortality among hospitalized ward patients.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In a stepped-wedge, cluster randomized trial at 5 hospitals in Saudi Arabia, 45 wards (clusters) were randomized into 9 sequences, 5 wards each, to have sepsis screening implemented at 2-month periods.

Antimicrobial Peptides: The Game-Changer in the Epic Battle Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

The rapid progress of antibiotic resistance among bacteria has prompted serious medical concerns regarding how to manage multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. One emerging strategy to combat antibiotic resistance is the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are amino acid chains that act as broad-spectrum antimicrobial molecules and are essential parts of the innate immune system in mammals, fungi, and plants. AMPs have unique antibacterial mechanisms that offer benefits over conventional antibiotics in combating drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Unlocking the potential of dried blood spot sampling for SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection: A pathway to efficient pandemic surveillance.

Unlabelled: The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has exerted unprecedented pressure on global healthcare systems, with an urgent demand for widespread testing to monitor virus spread and contribute to disease control.

Aim: This study aimed to validate the use of Dried Blood Spot (DBS) sampling for analyzing the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, employing an accessible enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting IgG antibodies.

Methodology: Traditional venous blood sampling presents several challenges, including discomfort to patients, risk of healthcare provider exposure, and the need for specialized equipment, which can limit mass testing capabilities.

Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Exhibit Anti-Acanthamoeba castellanii Properties by Inducing Necrotic Cell Death.

Purpose: The treatment of amoebic infections is often problematic, largely due to delayed diagnosis, amoebae transformation into resistant cyst form, and lack of availability of effective chemotherapeutic agents. Herein, we determined anti-Acanthamoeba castellanii properties of three metal oxide nanoparticles (TiO, ZrO, and AlO).

Methods: Amoebicidal assays were performed to determine whether metal oxide nanoparticles inhibit amoebae viability.

Quorum Sensing Inhibitors: An Alternative Strategy to Win the Battle against Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Bacteria.

Antibiotic resistance is a major problem and a major global health concern. In total, there are 16 million deaths yearly from infectious diseases, and at least 65% of infectious diseases are caused by microbial communities that proliferate through the formation of biofilms. Antibiotic overuse has resulted in the evolution of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microbial strains.

Musculoskeletal Health Risks Associated With Smartphone Use: A Retrospective Study from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Smartphone usage has become ubiquitous in Saudi Arabia with concerns growing over its impact on musculoskeletal health. Globally, various musculoskeletal symptoms have been linked to smartphone use such as neck pain, headaches, and shoulder discomfort, often exacerbated by poor posture and prolonged screen time.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to investigate the impact of smartphone use on musculoskeletal health among adults aged 18 years and older.

Next generation imidazothiazole and imidazooxazole derivatives as potential drugs against brain-eating amoebae.

Managing primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, induced by Naegleria fowleri poses a complex medical challenge. There is currently no specific anti-amoebic drug that has proven effectiveness against N. fowleri infection.

Estimating the cost due to resistance against antiretroviral therapies in individuals with HIV: Perspective of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: The emergence of resistance to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has an impact on the cost of HIV care. This study aimed to estimate the direct and indirect costs associated with the first episode of drug resistance in individuals with HIV receiving first-line ART.

Methods: We developed a cost calculator to estimate the cost of drug resistance over a period of 12 months in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Telangiectasia Macularis Eruptiva Perstans in a 55-Year-Old Female With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The authors would like to report a rare case of telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans (TMEP), a form of cutaneous mastocytosis, in a 55-year-old female patient with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus on empagliflozin. The patient presented with a two-month history of rash and itching on her lower extremities, unresponsive to topical treatment. A dermoscopic evaluation and a skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of TMEP.

Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacterial meningitis among hospitalized patients at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia: a six-year retrospective study.

Introduction: Bacterial meningitis poses significant medical challenges due to its acute inflammatory nature and potential for severe neurological complications, emphasizing the need for prompt diagnosis and treatment. Limited data exists on its epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance trends among hospitalized patients in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate these factors at a tertiary care hospital over six years.

Applications of photodynamic therapy in keratitis.

Keratitis is corneal inflammatory disease which may be caused by several reason such as an injury, allergy, as well as a microbial infection. Besides these, overexposure to ultraviolet light and unhygienic practice of contact lenses are also associated with keratitis. Based on the cause of keratitis, different lines of treatments are recommended.

Effects of virtual reality versus motor imagery versus routine physical therapy in patients with parkinson's disease: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder, mostly affecting balance and motor function caused mainly by a lack of dopamine in the brain. The use of virtual reality (VR) and motor imagery (MI) is emerging as an effective method of rehabilitation for people with Parkinson's disease. Motor imagery and virtual reality have not been compared in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Role of telerehabilitation in the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy during COVID-19: A review.

Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) have limited mobility and are unable to actively participate in tasks that are part of their daily living. Thus, continuous therapeutic sessions are required to keep such individuals active and engaged in the environment. Due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns, rehabilitation for children with CP was inhibited which consequently put them at risk of losing their functional gains which were obtained through previous in-person therapies.

Lactase can target cellular differentiation of Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype.

The free living Acanthamoeba spp. are ubiquitous amoebae associated with potentially blinding disease known as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) and a fatal central nervous system infection granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). With the inherent ability of cellular differentiation, it can phenotypically transform to a dormant cyst form from an active trophozoite form.

Unprovoked Spontaneous Kidney Rupture (Wunderlich's Syndrome) Managed by Renal Artery Embolization.

Wunderlich's syndrome is a rare, unfamiliar disease that can present with flank pain, flank mass, and hypovolemic shock without any history of trauma. In this article, we present a sudden, unprovoked kidney rupture managed by renal artery embolization. This report emphasizes the importance of early referral and prompt management, which can be lifesaving.

The Use of Pain Severity and Its Impact as a Predictor for MRI Findings: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia.

Background Low back pain (LBP) is common and considerably impacts daily lives across all age groups. MRI is not frequently used as a first-line investigation for patients presenting with LBP, except in the presence of red-flag symptoms. This study aimed to use pain severity and its impact as a predictor for MRI findings to help physicians decide whether a patient needs an MRI.

Characteristics of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Their Utilization of Services in Saudi Arabia.

The recent emergence of research on cerebral palsy (CP) in developing countries aims to improve knowledge on affected children and the utilization of the available services. This study seeks to describe children with CP in Saudi Arabia and service utilization as per Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels and geographic regions. A cross-sectional survey of 227 children with CP (Mean age 6.

Antibacterial effects of quercetagetin are significantly enhanced upon conjugation with chitosan engineered copper oxide nanoparticles.

The development of antibiotic alternatives that entail distinctive chemistry and modes of action is necessary due to the threat posed by drug resistance. Nanotechnology has gained increasing attention in recent years, as a vehicle to enhance the efficacy of existing antimicrobials. In this study, Chitosan copper oxide nanoparticles (CHI-CuO) were synthesized and were further loaded with Quercetagetin (QTG) to achieve the desired (CHI-CuO-QTG).

Gut microbiome of Crocodylus porosus and cellular stress: inhibition of nitric oxide, interleukin 1-beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and prostaglandin E2 in cerebrovascular endothelial cells.

Crocodiles are renowned for their resilience and capacity to withstand environmental stressors, likely influenced by their unique gut microbiome. In this study, we determined whether selected gut bacteria of Crocodylus porosus exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in response to stress, by measuring nitric oxide release, interleukin 1-beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and prostaglandin E2 in cerebrovascular endothelial cells. Using the Griess assay, the findings revealed that among several C.

Arabic version of the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric testing.

Background: The Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ-E) had never been adapted into Arabic. We culturally adapted the NMQ-E to Arabic in five stages and investigated its psychometric properties.

Methods: After translating and cross-culturally adapting the NMQ-E into Arabic, through forward translation, translation synthesis, backward translation, expert committee review, and pilot testing, the psychometric properties were investigated.