Outcome of complicated osteoarticular brucellosis in a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To evaluate the outcome of complicated osteoarticular brucellosis.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All patients aged more than 14 who have been diagnosed with complicated brucellosis with osteoarticular disease between July 2016 and December 2022 were included.

Comparing Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis Mortality Between Liposomal Amphotericin B and Voriconazole in Patients With Hematological Malignancy or Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Objectives We evaluated liposomal amphotericin B versus voriconazole for the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in patients with hematological malignancy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Methods This retrospective cohort, single-center study included patients with compatible radiological diagnosis of IPA between 2016 and 2021. Results Forty-six patients with hematological malignancy or HSCT were diagnosed with IPA.

Evaluation of ceftazidime/avibactam for treatment of carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales with OXA-48 and/or NDM genes with or without combination therapy.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) is an urgent public health threat of significant global concern. Few observational studies have evaluated the clinical outcomes for treatment of CRE harbouring OXA-48 or NDM genes with ceftazidime/avibactam. Previous findings showed lower 30 day mortality with ceftazidime/avibactam ranges between 8.

Penile Kaposi Sarcoma as an initial manifestation of HIV infection: A case report and literature review.

Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is most commonly associated with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus is thought to play a huge role in the pathogenesis of KS. The diagnosis and management of KS can be quite challenging, and Physicians need high index of suspicion to diagnose KS as it can be mistaken for other skin pathologies.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Candidemia: Experience from a Tertiary Referral Center in Saudi Arabia.

Background: bloodstream infections cause significant excess morbidity and mortality in the health-care setting. There is limited evidence regarding species causing invasive infections in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To identify species causing bloodstream infection and determine the clinical outcome and factors associated with mortality in a tertiary center in Saudi Arabia.

Efficacy of favipiravir in adults with mild COVID-19: a randomized, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Objective: To evaluate whether favipiravir reduces the time to viral clearance as documented by negative RT-PCR results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in mild cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to placebo.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blinded, multicentre, and placebo-controlled trial, adults with PCR-confirmed mild COVID-19 were recruited in an outpatient setting at seven medical facilities across Saudi Arabia. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either favipiravir 1800 mg by mouth twice daily on day 1 followed by 800 mg twice daily (n = 112) or a matching placebo (n = 119) for a total of 5 to 7 days.

Non-SARS Non-MERS Human Coronaviruses: Clinical Characteristics and Outcome.

Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have become evident sources of human respiratory infections with new emerging HCoVs as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The common four coronaviruses (229E, HKU1, NL63, and OC43) are known to cause respiratory illness in humans, but their clinical impact is poorly described in the literature. We analyzed the data of all patients who tested positive for at least one of the four HCoVs from October 2015 to January 2020 in a tertiary care center.

Outcomes associated with tocilizumab with or without corticosteroid versus dexamethasone for treatment of patients with severe to critical COVID-19 pneumonia.

Introduction: Immunomodulators, including dexamethasone (DEX), have been recommended by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) to treat moderate, severe, and critical COVID-19. Tocilizumab (TCZ) was added to the treatment recommendations based on recent data from two large randomized controlled trials and its potential synergistic effect with DEX.

Method: We included adult patients admitted from June until October 2020 with a PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The Rise of IGFBP4 in People with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Multilevel Sleep Surgery Recovers Its Basal Levels.

IGFBP4 is the smallest member of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein family (IGFBP). It is a hepatic protein that plays a role in modulating the activity and bioavailability of IGF-I. The expression of IGFBP4 was found to increase under conditions of hypoxia.

A Novel Splice Site Variant in the LDLRAP1 Gene Causes Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Background: familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a hereditary disorder, is caused by pathogenic variants in the LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9 genes. This study has assessed genetic variants in a family, clinically diagnosed with FH.

Methods: A family was recruited from MASHAD study in Iran with possible FH based on the Simon Broom criteria.

Early Prediction of COVID-19 Ventilation Requirement and Mortality from Routinely Collected Baseline Chest Radiographs, Laboratory, and Clinical Data with Machine Learning.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and created a global pandemic that overwhelmed healthcare systems. COVID-19, as of July 3, 2021, yielded 182 million confirmed cases and 3.9 million deaths globally according to the World Health Organization.

Favipiravir and Hydroxychloroquine Combination Therapy in Patients with Moderate to Severe COVID-19 (FACCT Trial): An Open-Label, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Antiviral drugs have shown limited effectiveness in treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to assess the effects of a favipiravir and hydroxychloroquine combination on treating moderate-to-severe COVID-19 patients.

Methods: An investigator-initiated, multicenter, open-label, randomized trial at nine hospitals.

Infections and patterns of antibiotic utilization in support and comfort care patients: A tertiary care center experience.

Purpose: Little is known regarding the burden of infections and clinical practice towards hospitalized patients with limits on life-sustaining measures. We aim to describe the infectious syndromes, clinical care, the emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms and outcomes in this population.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective cohort of patients labeled as support or comfort care in a tertiary care center between 2016-2019.

Rare loss-of-function variants in type I IFN immunity genes are not associated with severe COVID-19.

A recent report found that rare predicted loss-of-function (pLOF) variants across 13 candidate genes in TLR3- and IRF7-dependent type I IFN pathways explain up to 3.5% of severe COVID-19 cases. We performed whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing of 1,864 COVID-19 cases (713 with severe and 1,151 with mild disease) and 15,033 ancestry-matched population controls across 4 independent COVID-19 biobanks.

Multicentre randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of favipiravir in adults with mild COVID-19.

Introduction: A novel coronavirus, designated SARS-CoV-2, caused an international outbreak of a respiratory illness, termed COVID-19 in December 2019. There is a lack of specific therapeutic agents based on evidence for this novel coronavirus infection; however, several medications have been evaluated as a potential therapy. Therapy is required to treat symptomatic patients and decrease the virus carriage duration to limit the communitytransmission.

Developing Machine-Learning Prediction Algorithm for Bacteremia in Admitted Patients.

Purpose: Bloodstream infection among hospitalized patients is associated with serious adverse outcomes. Blood culture is routinely ordered in patients with suspected infections, although 90% of blood cultures do not show any growth of organisms. The evidence regarding the prediction of bacteremia is scarce.

Failure to replicate the association of rare loss-of-function variants in type I IFN immunity genes with severe COVID-19.

A recent report found that rare predicted loss-of-function (pLOF) variants across 13 candidate genes in TLR3- and IRF7-dependent type I IFN pathways explain up to 3.5% of severe COVID-19 cases. We performed whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing of 1,934 COVID-19 cases (713 with severe and 1,221 with mild disease) and 15,251 ancestry-matched population controls across four independent COVID-19 biobanks.

A Trial of Favipiravir and Hydroxychloroquine combination in Adults Hospitalized with moderate and severe Covid-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: The selected combination was based on limited evidence clinically and in vitro on the efficacy of the Favipiravir and Hydroxychloroquine in SARS-CoV-2. The two medications were listed in many guidelines as treatment options and ongoing trials assessing their efficacy and safety. Thus, we want to prove the clinical effectiveness of the combination as therapy.

Targeted Metabolomics Analysis on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients after Multilevel Sleep Surgery.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by partial or complete obstruction of the upper airways. Corrective surgeries aim at removing obstructions in the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx. OSA is associated with an increased risk of various metabolic diseases.

Ceftobiprole for Treatment of MRSA Blood Stream Infection: A Case Series.

While methicillin-resistant (MRSA) bacteremia has poor outcomes, we describe our experience with Ceftobiprole mainly as a combination therapy for the treatment of MRSA bacteremia. All the cases of MRSA bacteremia in our center at the King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh, that had undergone Ceftobiprole treatment were included. We had six cases of MRSA bacteremia between 2018 and 2019, secondary to different infectious syndromes including endocarditis.

A Comparative Study Utilizing the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) in Teachers and the General Population of Kuwait.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of voice handicap perception of teachers in Kuwait and compare them within the general population by using the validated Arabic version of the voice handicap index-10 (VHI-10). Moreover, we explored variations within the teaching profession itself with regards to specific characteristics.

Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey design, in which participants from all governates of Kuwait (1820 teachers and 755 controls) completed the validated Arabic VHI-10, health-related, and demographic questions.

Successful treatment of relapsed enterococcal endocarditis with amoxicillin/clavulanate: A case report.

Enterococcus is considered to be a common cause of endocarditis with unfavorable outcomes. We report a case of successful treatment of relapsed prosthetic valve endocarditis with oral amoxicillin/clavulanate. Enterococcal endocarditis is associated with a high relapse rate, even with the recommended treatment duration by the guidelines.

An atypical presentation of a Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma, a case report.

Introduction: Respiratory Epithelial Adenomatoid Hamartoma (REAH) is a benign disease that can resemble other malignant entities. Thus, it is essential to diagnose it accurately as the treatment approach differs, from radical surgeries in malignant cases, to a simple excision in hamartoma. We present an unusual case of bilateral REAH that was misdiagnosed, and hence it was treated aggressively.

Can identification badges be vectors of infection: Experience from a tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Wearing identification badges is mandatory in many hospitals. Identification badges worn by healthcare workers may be contaminated with pathogens.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the levels and types of contamination on identification badges of healthcare workers at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.