Factors influencing choice of residency program among medical intern doctors and medical students: a cross-sectional survey.

Introduction: The global shortage of healthcare professionals is a critical concern, with an estimated deficit of 18 million workers by 2030, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Oman faces challenges with its doctor-to-population ratio falling below the global average. This study examines the factors influencing residency program choices among Omani medical students and interns, with a specific focus on internal medicine.

Unacceptable Behaviors Towards Health Professional Clinical Students: Protocol For a Mixed-Methods Study.

Background And Aims: Previous studies describe the occurrence of unacceptable behaviors reported by students pursuing health professional education in Aotearoa, New Zealand and across the globe. These include, but are not limited to, experiences of verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination based on race/ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, and sexual orientation. University of Otago teaching staff across the various health professional programs often receive anecdotal reports of these phenomena from their clinical students.

Awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers for the initial wave of COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Aims: The TMGH-Global COVID-19 Collaborative was a multinational, multicentre, cross-sectional survey assessing the awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWs) during the first wave of the pandemic across 57 countries. Here, we report the results from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted at Christchurch Hospital between February and May 2020.

Radicular Pain Management Using Ultrasound-Guided Versus Fluoroscopy-Guided Epidural Steroid Injections: A Systematic Scoping Review of Comparative Studies.

Back pain is the leading cause of disability globally and results in a substantial medical and economic burden. Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) have been widely used as a treatment for back pain with radiculopathy of various etiologies. Ultrasound guidance (UG) for delivering ESIs can reduce costs and facilitate the procedure in resource-limited settings compared to the current standard technique of using fluoroscopic guidance (FG).

Microbiological and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Pregnant Women Attending SQUH.

Objectives: Our research aimed to study the microbiology and antimicrobial resistance in asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) among Omani pregnant women.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study that included data from 196 Omani pregnant women with ASB who received care at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital from 2010-2019. Data were obtained from the patients' electronic medical records including demographics, clinical details, isolated organisms, antimicrobial susceptibility results, and prescribed antibiotics.

Clinical and Laboratory Features of Sickle Cell Disease S/D Punjab: Impact of HbF and Hydroxyurea.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a major public health issue worldwide with high morbidity and mortality. SCD SD Punjab is the third most common genotype of SCD in Oman and is associated with several serious complications. The aim of the study is to establish the clinical and laboratory features of SCD patients with SD double heterozygotes and study the impact of haemoglobin F, hydroxyurea, and other modulators on the disease severity.

Level of and factors associated with foot self-care among people with diabetes in Idlib Province of Northwest Syria: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Aims: Diabetic foot and lower limb problems are among the most neglected complications during the Syrian armed conflict due to the absence of a functioning health infrastructure, including early detection and timely management of limb-threatening wounds. This study aimed to determine self-reported diabetes-related foot disease (DRFD), adherence to recommended foot self-care (FSC) practices, and associated factors among people with diabetes in war-torn Northwest Syria (NWS).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at six primary care clinics in Idlib, NWS, between March 27 and April 17, 2022, utilizing the validated interviewer-administered Diabetes Foot Disease and Foot Care Questionnaire.

How far has diabetes-related foot disease research progressed in Australia? A bibliometric review (1970-2023).

Background: Diabetes-related foot disease (DFD) is a leading cause of the Australian and global disease burdens and requires proportionate volumes of research to address. Bibliometric analyses are rigorous methods for exploring total research publications in a field to help identify volume trends, gaps and emerging areas of need. This bibliometric review aimed to explore the volume, authors, institutions, journals, collaborating countries, research types and funding sources of Australian publications investigating DFD over 50 years.

Patient perceptions of barriers to attending annual diabetes review and foot assessment in general practice: a qualitative study.

Introduction Regular diabetic foot checks, at least annually, are important for early identification of risk factors and prevention of ulceration and amputation. To ensure this, most general practices in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) offer free annual diabetes reviews (ADRs) which include a comprehensive foot evaluation. However, attendance rates at these ADRs are low.

Syphilis-Related Nephropathy: A Rare Manifestation of a Re-emerging Disease.

Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete . Its clinical manifestations are variable as it has a remarkable aptitude to imitate a spectrum of clinical pictures. This phenomenon has bestowed upon it the epithet "the great imitator" within the medical literature.

Overcoming the Odds: Successful Treatment of Disseminated Mucormycosis with Gastrointestinal and Jaw Involvement in a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Disseminated mucormycosis is a rare life-threatening fungal infection that is uniquely seen in severely immunocompromised patients including those with hematological malignancies. We report a case of disseminated mucormycosis with a biopsy-proven gastrointestinal and oral cavity involvement in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia during induction chemotherapy. The patient had a successful outcome with limited resection of the involvement bowel segment, multiple maxillary dental extractions, debridement of the alveolus and hard palate, and combined antifungal therapy.

Acute Q fever in an Omani presenting with a febrile movement disorder - A Case Report.

Q fever is a zoonotic infection caused by the organism . It is transmitted by contracting the organism from it is most known reservoirs which include cattle, sheep, and goats. It is an endemic disease with very few cases reported in the Arabian Peninsula.

Exploring Synergistic Combinations in Extended and Pan-Drug Resistant (XDR and PDR) Whole Genome Sequenced .

Unlabelled: The diminishing antimicrobial options for the treatment of XDR and PDR is an increasing concern. In this study, we assessed the in vitro synergy of the fosfomycin (FOS) with meropenem (MEM), amikacin (AK), tigecycline (TGC), and colistin (CL) in whole genome sequenced isolates. Non-replicate whole genome sequenced (illumina next-generation sequencing platform, Clevergene, India), (7 XDR, 1PDR) were subjected to in vitro synergy testing by checkerboard (CB) and time kill assay (TKA) after MIC determination, with glucose-6-phosphate being incorporated in all runs.

Implementation of an integrated emergency department acute atrial fibrillation pathway safely reduces cardioversions and hospitalisations: A comparative pre-post study.

Objective: Atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF/AFL) accounts for high rates of ED presentations and hospital admissions. There is increasing evidence to suggest that delaying cardioversion for acute uncomplicated AF is safe, and that many patients will spontaneously revert to sinus rhythm (SR). We conducted a before-and-after evaluation of AF/AFL management after a change in ED pathway using a conservative 'rate-and-wait' approach, incorporating next working day outpatient clinic follow-up and delayed cardioversion if required.

Longitudinal trends in community antibiotic consumption in the Waitaha Canterbury Region of Aotearoa New Zealand over 10 years (2012-2021): an observational study.

Aims: To investigate community antibiotic consumption in the Waitaha Canterbury Region of Aotearoa New Zealand across 2012-2021.

Methods: This observational study was based on antibiotic dispensing data from Waitaha Canterbury. Outcome measures included number of dispensings/1,000 inhabitants per year and defined daily doses/1,000 inhabitants per day (DIDs), expressed as average annual change (AAC).

Caecal Ameboma, colorectal malignancy mimicker in young male with ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Ameboma refers to the rare development of an inflammatory, ulcerated, exophytic mass in the gastrointestinal tract that can resemble carcinoma. Typically it presents as a right lower quadrant abdominal mass, Patients may also present with diarrhea or constipation and associated systemic symptoms, including weight loss and fever. In this article we present a young man with a background of ANCA associated vasculitis, who presented with fresh lower gastrointestinal bleeding during hospital admission for severe covid-19 pneumonia which turned out to be caecal aemboma.

Health outcomes after acute ischemic stroke:retrospective and survival analysis from Oman.

Background: Stroke mortality and related functional disability have been declining over the last two decades, but stroke continues to represent the second leading cause of cardiovascular death worldwide and the number one cause for acquired long-term disability.

Objectives: Assess short- and long-term health outcomes after acute ischemic stroke and analyze factors associated with poor survival and functional outcomes.

Design: Retrospective and survival analysis SETTING: Inpatient unit at a tertiary care referral hospital.

Short and long-term immune changes in different severity groups of COVID-19 disease.

Background: There are limited data on short- versus long-term changes in adaptive immune response across different COVID-19 disease severity groups.

Methods: A multicenter prospective study of 140 adult patients with COVID-19 (a total of 325 samples) were analyzed for inflammatory markers and lymphocyte subsets at presentation, week 2, and week 24.

Results: Inflammatory markers at presentation were higher in the critical/severe than in moderate and mild groups.

First case report of Mycobacterium canariasense native mitral valve endocarditis.

Mycobacterium canariasense is a relatively newly discovered, rapidly growing nontuberculous Mycobacterium first described in 17 patients with fever in the Canary Islands, Spain, in 2004. To date, there have been very few case reports in literature, and to our knowledge, infective endocarditis due to M. canariasense has not been reported.

Diabetes-related foot disease research in Aotearoa New Zealand: a bibliometric analysis (1970-2020).

Background: The aim of this bibliometric study was to examine trends in the quality and quantity of published diabetes-related foot disease (DRFD) research in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ) over the past five decades.

Method: In July 2021, the Scopus® database was searched for DRFD-related publications (1970-2020) using predetermined search and inclusion criteria. Bibliometric data were extracted from Scopus® and Journal Citation Reports.

Assessment of In-Vitro Synergy of Fosfomycin with Meropenem, Amikacin and Tigecycline in Whole Genome Sequenced Extended and Pan Drug Resistant : Exploring A Colistin Sparing Protocol.

Unlabelled: Fosfomycin has emerged as a very useful antimicrobial in management of extremely drug resistant (XDR) and pan drug resistant (PDR) . In this study, we assessed in-vitro synergy of colistin sparing combinations of fosfomycin (FOS) with meropenem (MEM), tigecycline (TGC) and amikacin (AK) against XDR and PDR .

Method: Non-replicate fully characterised 18 clinical isolates of (15 XDR and 3 PDR strains) were subjected to in-vitro synergy testing by checkerboard and time kill assay.

Living-Donor Liver Transplant in Oman: A Quantitative Cross-Sectional Study of Donors' Experiences and Challenges.

Background: In Oman, the first liver transplant was performed at the Royal Hospital (RH) in September 2017. Since then, thirteen cases have been operated on at the RH. All of these cases were living-donor liver transplants (LDLT), and the remaining cases were treated in India with a total of approximately 193 recipients.

Heterometal Grafted Metalla-ynes and Poly(metalla-ynes): A Review on Structure-Property Relationships and Applications.

Metalla-ynes and poly(metalla-ynes) have emerged as unique molecular scaffolds with fascinating structural features and intriguing photo-luminescence (PL) properties. Their conducting backbone with tunable photo-physical properties has generated immense research interests for the design and development of application-oriented functional materials. Introducing a second - or -block metal fragment in the main-chain or side-chain of a metalla-yne and poly(metalla-yne) was found to further modulate the underlying features/properties.