Predictive factors for acute kidney injury and amputation in crush injuries from the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

Background: Crush syndrome (CS) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality due to severe electrolyte disorders, circulatory dysfunction, and multiple organ failure, secondary to severe rhabdomyolysis and reperfusion injuries. Acute kidney injury (AKI) related to crush syndrome is one of the life-threatening complications and is the most frequent cause of death following earthquakes, other than trauma. We conducted a retrospective study to identify predictive parameters from clinical and laboratory data that aid in recognizing CS, assessing its severity, and evaluating acute kidney injury and amputation indications in patients.

Family medicine academy trainers' satisfaction in King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background: The influence of family physicians on the health care system is indisputable. Medical doctors' satisfaction is a critical measure of their wellness which has been negatively associated with physicians' burnout. The satisfaction of physicians is also linked with different health care outcomes.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in bicuspid valves: The synergistic effects of eccentric and incomplete stent deployment.

Bicuspid aortic valve is a congenital cardiac anomaly and common etiology of aortic stenosis. Given the positive outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in low-risk patients, TAVR will become more prevalent in the future in the treatment of severe bicuspid valve stenosis. However, asymmetrical bicuspid valve anatomy and calcification can prevent the circular and complete expansion of transcatheter aortic valves (TAVs).

Effects of khat use on response to antipsychotic medications in patients with newly diagnosed schizophrenia: a retrospective study.

Background: Khat contains the amphetamine-like cathinone, and can trigger onset of schizophrenia and exacerbate pre-existing psychosis. However, it remains unknown whether the use of khat complicates the outcome of schizophrenia treatment.

Aims: We tested the hypothesis that patients with schizophrenia who are using khat will fail to respond to standard antipsychotic treatment.

Urinary hyaluronic acid: a versatile marker of bladder cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of urinary hyaluronic acid (HA) as a diagnostic marker in urothelial carcinoma (UCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and adenocarcinoma (ADC) of urinary bladder and compare it with urine cytology.

Methods: HA was estimated in 170 subjects divided into three groups. Group I: UCC 88 patients, 28 with SCC and 12 with ADC; group II: 34 patients with benign bladder tumors; and group III: 10 healthy bladders.

Incomplete expansion of transcatheter aortic valves is associated with propensity for valve thrombosis.

Objectives: Clinical and subclinical leaflet thromboses are increasingly recognized complications following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Identification of the risk factors is important to mitigate the occurrence of leaflet thrombosis in transcatheter aortic valves (TAVs) and ensure their long-term function. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of incomplete expansion of TAVs on the likelihood of leaflet thrombosis following transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Over-the-scope-clips as primary and rescue therapy for non-variceal gastrointestinal bleeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Endoscopic hemostasis in patients with non-variceal bleeding (NVGIB) with standard therapy has improved outcomes. However, persistent bleeding and re-bleeding continues to drive morbidity and mortality. Use of over-the-scope clips (OTSC) is an emerging treatment modality for managing gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.

A Non-Invasive Material Characterization Framework for Bioprosthetic Heart Valves.

Computational modeling and simulation has become more common in design and development of bioprosthetic heart valves. To have a reliable computational model, considering accurate mechanical properties of biological soft tissue is one of the most important steps. The goal of this study was to present a non-invasive material characterization framework to determine mechanical propertied of soft tissue employed in bioprosthetic heart valves.

Fluid Dynamic Characterization of Transcatheter Aortic Valves Using Particle Image Velocimetry.

Transcatheter aortic valves provide superior systolic hemodynamic performance in terms of valvular pressure gradient and effective orifice area compared with equivalent size surgical bioprostheses. However, in depth investigation of the flow field structures is of interest to examine the flow field characteristics and provide experimental evidence necessary for validation of computational models. The goal of this study was to compare flow field characteristics of the three most commonly used transcatheter and surgical valves using phase-locked particle image velocimetry (PIV).

Effect of reduced cardiac output on blood stasis on transcatheter aortic valve leaflets: implications for valve thrombosis.

Aims: There is an increasing awareness of leaflet thrombosis following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and valve-in-valve (ViV) procedures. Nevertheless, the predisposing factors affecting transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) thrombosis have remained unclear. This study aimed to quantify the effects of reduced cardiac output (CO) on blood stasis on the TAV leaflets as a permissive factor for valve thrombosis.

Valve thrombosis following transcatheter aortic valve replacement: significance of blood stasis on the leaflets.

Objectives: Leaflet thrombosis following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and valve-in-valve (ViV) procedures has been increasingly recognized. However, the factors affecting the post-TAVR/ViV thrombosis are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the geometric confinement of transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) on blood residence time (BRT) on the TAV leaflets and in turn on the post-TAVR valve thrombosis.

Characterization of three-dimensional anisotropic heart valve tissue mechanical properties using inverse finite element analysis.

Computational modeling has an important role in design and assessment of medical devices. In computational simulations, considering accurate constitutive models is of the utmost importance to capture mechanical response of soft tissue and biomedical materials under physiological loading conditions. Lack of comprehensive three-dimensional constitutive models for soft tissue limits the effectiveness of computational modeling in research and development of medical devices.

HbA1c Levels among Primary Healthcare Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Oman.

Objectives: To investigate whether younger patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have higher glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels compared to older patients, and to determine the factors associated with higher HbA1c levels.

Methods: Data from 1,266 patients from all over Oman were used to obtain the mean HbA1c level, odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from multiple logistic regression models with age groups, sex, duration of diabetes, diabetes treatment, body mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), tobacco use, and healthcare index as predictors of good (HbA1c <7%) vs. poor (≥7%) glycemic control.

Cardiovascular risk assessment in diabetes mellitus: comparison of the general Framingham risk profile versus the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension risk prediction charts in Arabs--clinical implications.

We estimated the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and its clinical implications among 1 110 Omani patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) using 2 different CVD risk tools: the general Framingham risk profile (GFRP) and the joint World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension (WHO/ISH) risk prediction charts. The GFRP tool identified higher proportion of patients compared with joint WHO/ISH tool at 10-year CVD risk 10% to <20% and at 20% to <30%. At CVD risk ≥30%, both assessment tools identified similar proportions of patients (22% vs 24%; P=.

Pregnancy outcomes of diabetic women: charting Oman's progress towards the goals of the Saint Vincent Declaration.

Background And Objectives: Oman provides comprehensive care for the detection and management of diabetes during pregnancy with the goal of reducing or eliminating adverse outcomes for mothers and newborns. We assessed the outcome of pregnancies complicated with diabetes as compared to healthy controls.

Subjects And Methods: A 1-year retrospective review of registry records was conducted on pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM).

Fasting cut-points in determining prevalence of diabetes in an Arab population of the Middle East.

We used two cross-sectional surveys involving 6356 Omanis aged >or= 20 years to estimate the effect of the 1997 American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria on the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Oman and develop a validated optimal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) cut-point which best predicts diabetes diagnosed 2-h post oral glucose tolerance test. Applying the 1997 ADA criteria to Oman would underestimate diabetes by 18%. The sensitivity of the ADA criteria was 68.