Efficacy and Safety of Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir Plus Dasabuvir in Treating HCV Genotypes 1 and 4 in Patients with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease.

This study assessed the efficacy and safety of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r) combined with dasabuvir (DSV) for treating hepatitis C genotype 4 (GT4) and genotype 1 (GT1) in patients with stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Among 88 patients, including treatment-naïve and Peginterferon/Ribavirin (RBV)-experienced, treated with OBV/PTV/r±RBV (dosed between 200 mg per week to daily) and additional DSV for GT1, 94.3% achieved sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR12), demonstrating high efficacy.

Natural Therapeutics in Aid of Treating Alzheimer's Disease: A Green Gateway Toward Ending Quest for Treating Neurological Disorders.

The current scientific community is facing a daunting challenge to unravel reliable natural compounds with realistic potential to treat neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The reported compounds/drugs mostly synthetic deemed the reliability and therapeutic potential largely due to their complexity and off-target issues. The natural products from nutraceutical compounds emerge as viable preventive therapeutics to fill the huge gap in treating neurological disorders.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in lean and obese patients in Saudi patients from a single center.

Background: Fatty liver is a disease caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver. It is one of the major risk factors for developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Saudi Arabia is one of the most prevalent countries in diabetes and obesity; the overall prevalence of diabetes is 23.

Factors Associated with Missed and Cancelled Appointments in the Endoscopy Unit: Descriptive Study.

Background and aim Canceled and missed appointments at the endoscopy unit affect the quality of the provided services and can negatively impact patient outcomes. Assessing the association between the various factors relating to nonattendance will show whether the defective aspects are organizational or personal, which is essential to improve the quality of the healthcare system. Moreover, this study will be of value in our region due to the current scarcity of studies in the Middle East.

Prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux in diabetic patients at a tertiary hospital in Central Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) among diabetic patients and to investigate GERD's potential association with diabetic complications, and patients' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used the GERD questionnaire (GerdQ) in 403 diabetic patients attending the outpatient clinics at King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University; a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January and February 2019. On the basis of a cuto GerdQ score of 8, we distinguished GERD and non-GERD groups.

Premarital hepatitis screening. Attitude towards screening and the risk factors for transmission.

To explore all research articles investigating hepatitis premarital screening programs (PSPs) worldwide, considering all different outcomes of such programs, including efficacy, possible limitations to screening, and participants' knowledge and satisfaction regarding the program. Methods: The present systematic review used the databases of PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar to search for articles related to both PSPs and the hepatitis viruses. Research articles were identified between October and December 2017, and articles were selected and extracted based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria from the year 1957 up to 2017.

Problem based learning (PBL) vs. Case based curriculum in clinical clerkship, Internal Medicine innovated Curriculum, Student prospective.

Background: The vast majority of PBL experience is in basic science courses. Application of classic Problem based learning in clerkship phase is challenging. Although the clinical case is considered a problem, yet solving this problem following the burrow's law has faced hurdles.

Magnetic resonance imaging of a small vessel hepatic hemangioma in a cirrhotic patient with histopathologic correlation.

The authors report and discuss a rare case of a small vessel hepatic hemangioma in a 59-year-old patient with liver cirrhosis, which was pre-procedurally characterized as indeterminate due to atypical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. This manuscript reviews the MRI features with pathologic correlation, emphasizes the importance of accurate characterization of liver lesions, and discusses the role of biopsy. We believe this is the first reported case of a small vessel hemangioma in liver cirrhosis with imaging and histopathologic correlation.

The Canadian Home Total Parenteral Nutrition (HTPN) Registry: vitamin K supplementation and bone mineral density.

Background: Vitamin K supplementation improves bone health, and its absence might be associated with low bone mineral density (BMD). The authors aim to assess vitamin K supplementation practices in Canadian home parenteral nutrition (HPN) programs and their relationship with BMD.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 189 patients from the Canadian HPN registry.

Prevalence of α-1-antitrypsin gene mutations in Saudi Arabia.

Background/aim: α-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency results from mutations of the protease inhibitor (PI). The AAT gene is mapped on chromosome 14 and has been associated with chronic liver disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objective: To determine the frequency of AAT mutations on S and Z carrier alleles in healthy Saudi individuals from Qassim Province in Saudi Arabia.

Colonoscopy completion rates and reasons for incompletion.

Objectives: Colonoscopy is one of the major procedures in gastroenterology. Since the procedure is operator dependant, Quality of each procedure is the main element of reliable outcome. One of the elements is the completion rate.

Management of diabetic gastroparesis.

Symptoms suggestive of gastroparesis occur in 5% to 12% of patients with diabetes. Such a complication can affect both prognosis and management of the diabetes; therefore, practicing clinicians are challenged by the complex management of such cases. Gastroparesis is a disorder characterized by a delay in gastric emptying after a meal in the absence of a mechanical gastric outlet obstruction.

Evaluation of Modified Essay Questions (MEQ) and Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) as a tool for Assessing the Cognitive Skills of Undergraduate Medical Students.

Objectives: Developing and testing the cognitive skills and abstract thinking of undergraduate medical students are the main objectives of problem based learning. Modified Essay Questions (MEQ) and Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) may both be designed to test these skills. The objectives of this study were to assess the effectiveness of both forms of questions in testing the different levels of the cognitive skills of undergraduate medical students and to detect any item writing flaws in the questions.

Prevalence and Outcome of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Post-coronary Artery Bypass Graft.

Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), a potentially fatal occurrence, can sometimes follow coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, little has been published about its prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the rate, etiologies, predisposing factors, and outcomes of UGIB following CABG.

Hepatitis B genotypes: relation to clinical outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis B in Saudi Arabia.

Aim: To identify the most common hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype in Saudi Arabia, and correlate the prevailing genotypes with the clinical outcome of patients.

Methods: Patients were consecutively recruited from the hepatology clinics of two tertiary care referral centers. Patients were categorized into 4 different groups: group 1, patients with hepatitis B and normal liver enzymes; group 2, patients with hepatitis B and abnormal liver enzymes but without cirrhosis; group 3, patients with hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis; group 4, patients with hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatitis B genotyping and its clinical implications.

Hepatitis B is a crucial medical problem in Saudi Arabia. Different hepatitis B virus genotypes have been discovered and have been shown to cluster in different areas of the world. Hepatitis B virus genotyping has received a lot of attention recently, and its clinical implications are being investigated extensively throughout the world.