Publications by authors named "Ibrahim Al Zakwani"

Background: To stay abreast of the best international practices, the Arab Gulf countries have ratified the United Nations which includes clauses on safeguarding the well-being of children against child abuse and neglect. The enactment of laws, policies, and facilities designed to protect the rights of the child has not yet been studied to determine whether it leads to appropriate legal dispositions against perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) in Oman.

Aims: This study has been launched to address two interrelated objectives; (i) describe the characteristics of CSA victims and perpetrators and (ii) examine factors associated with medicolegal findings and judicial results for CSA complainants in Oman.

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Background: Medication nonadherence is a major risk factor for suboptimal or failed hypertension pharmacologic therapy.

Objective: To determine the nonadherence rate to antihypertensive medications using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and the self-reported Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS).

Methods: This study used a prospective cross-sectional cohort design.

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Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic value (total mortality + repeated hospitalization for heart failure (HF)) of ultrasound diagnostic methods in patients with acute decompensated HF (ADHF).

Methods: The subjects were patients with chronic HF, who were hospitalized for ADHF. Using ultrasound methods-lung ultrasound, ultrasound assessment of hepatic venous congestion as per the venous excess ultrasound (VExUS) protocol, and indirect elastometry-we assessed the number of B-lines, hepatic venous congestion, and liver density of the patients.

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Heart failure (HF) is a global epidemic with a prevalence of over 64.3 million cases worldwide. Several factors account for the increase in the prevalence of HF.

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This study explored parents' attitudes towards vaccinating their children against COVID-19 and the rate of vaccine hesitancy in Oman. A cross-sectional, online, self-administered questionnaire, previously validated and administered between June 2021 and May 2022, was used. The questionnaire consisted of nine items.

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Objectives: This study aimed to report any suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) experienced by all vaccinated staff and students in a tertiary teaching hospital following COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign at Sultan Qaboos University and Hospital in Muscat, Oman, from August to September 2021. An online survey was generated and sent to all staff and students via email and text messages.

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Background: The dimensionless Rajan's heart failure (R-hf) risk score was proposed to predict all-cause mortality in patients hospitalized with chronic heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (EF) (HFrEF).

Purpose: To examine the association between the modified R-hf risk score and all-cause mortality in patients with HFrEF.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study included adults hospitalized with HFrEF, as defined by clinical symptoms of HF with biplane EF less than 40% on transthoracic echocardiography, at a tertiary centre in Dalian, China, between 1 November 2015, and 31 October 2019.

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Objectives: Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is known to cause lymphopenia when used to treat patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, research on DMF therapy in the Arab world, especially in Oman, is scarce. This study aimed to analyse the prevalence of lymphopenia among Omani patients with MS and their reasons for discontinuing DMF therapy.

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Objectives: Patient-centered clinical pharmacists' activities play a major role in improving clinical outcomes by optimizing the efficacy of drug therapies and minimizing associated toxicities during hospitalization, at the transition of care, and upon discharge. We aimed to compare the impact of comprehensive versus partial clinical pharmacists-driven bundled of care services on the rate of 90-day hospital readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits.

Methods: This retrospective study included all admitted patients who received a comprehensive or partial bundle of clinical pharmacy services (medication history, interventions, counseling, and discharge prescription review) from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a serious global public health challenge, may have accelerated development during the COVID-19 pandemic because antibiotics were prescribed for COVID-19. This study aimed to assess antibiotics use before and during the pandemic and correlate the results with the rate of resistant microorganisms detected in hospitalized patients during the study period. This single-center study looked retrospectively at four years of data (2018-2021) from Royal Hospital, Muscat, which is the biggest hospital in Oman with approximately 60,000 hospital admissions yearly.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study evaluated clinical outcomes of patients with acute heart failure (AHF) in the Arabian Gulf, specifically looking at those with mitral regurgitation (MR) across 47 hospitals.
  • Of the 5005 patients analyzed, 29.8% had MR, with an average age of about 59 years, and showed significant comorbidities including lower hemoglobin levels and higher rates of left atrial enlargement and cardiogenic shock.
  • Results indicated that MR was linked to a higher risk of all-cause mortality after one year and a greater chance of hospitalization for heart failure within three months.
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Study Objective: Atomized intranasal (IN) drug administration offers an alternative to the intravenous (IV) route. We aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of IN versus IV ketorolac in emergency department patients with acute renal colic.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized controlled trial on adult patients (aged 18 to 64 years) with severe renal colic and numerical rating scale pain ratings ≥7.

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This study aimed to determine the stability of refrigerated analytes of iMg concentration at different time intervals and to establish iMg reference range in a cohort of healthy Omani volunteers (≥18 years). The concentrations of iMg were measured using the direct ion-selective electrode technique. Pearson's and Lin's concordance correlation coefficients along with the Bland-Altman plot were used to assess the levels of agreement between iMg concentrations of fresh and refrigerated blood samples at different time intervals.

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: Studies on the association between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in the Arabian Gulf are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between NSAIDs use and MACE in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients in the Arabian Gulf region. Data were analyzed from 3007 consecutive patients diagnosed with ACS admitted to 29 hospitals in four Arabian Gulf countries from January 2012 to January 2013, as well as being on prior NSAIDs use during the admission.

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Objectives: The Rajan's heart failure (R-hf) score was proposed to aid risk stratification in heart failure patients. The aim of this study was to validate R-hf risk score in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

Methods: R-hf risk score is derived from the product estimated glomerular filtration rate (mL/min), left ventricular ejection fraction (%), and hemoglobin levels (g/dL) divided by N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (pg/mL).

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Objectives: This study aimed to describe the incidence and features of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections among healthcare workers (HCWs) at a tertiary hospital in Oman.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2020 and February 2021 among HCWs with no history of COVID-19 infection. An online questionnaire collected sociodemographic and clinical data.

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Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and evaluate risk factors of hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to platinum-based compounds (PBCs) in cancer patients. PBCs play an important role in cancer therapy. However, one of the drawbacks of PBCs is the occasional occurrence of HSRs, which can lead to serious consequences.

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Objectives: International cardiovascular guidelines recommend prescribing a combination of five evidence-based medications (EBM) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients post-revascularization. This study aims to assess the prevalence and impact of prescribing the full (five medications) versus partial (four medications or fewer) EBM combination on major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in patients with ACS post-revascularization.

Methods: Data from patients with ACS who had revascularization between January 2016 and September 2021 were collected retrospectively.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiology of access and non-access-related infections in patients receiving haemodialysis at an academic tertiary hospital in Oman.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of 287 hospitalized patients who received haemodialysis during the period January 2018 to December 2019 at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman.

Results: A total of 202 different infections were documented in 142 of the 287 patients (49.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cardiovascular diseases are a major health problem, especially for older patients who often take many different medications at the same time.
  • The study looked at 215 patients in a hospital to find out how many of them experienced dangerous drug interactions while being treated.
  • They found over 2000 interactions, mostly serious, and the most common ones involved specific drugs like atorvastatin and clopidogrel, with diabetes and the number of medications being important factors.
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Objectives: This study sought to determine whether early prone positioning of patients with moderate to severe COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) lowers the mortality rate.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using data from intensive care units of two tertiary centers in Oman. Adult patients with moderate to severe COVID-19-related ARDS with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio < 150 on FiO2 of 60% or more and a positive end-expiratory pressure of at least 8 cm H2O who were admitted between 1 May 2020 and 31 October 2020 were selected as participants.

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Article Synopsis
  • Clinical pharmacists play a vital role in enhancing treatment efficacy and reducing toxicity in patients, with 58% of their interventions aimed at improving treatment outcomes.
  • A study at a tertiary care hospital in Oman showed high levels of agreement among clinical pharmacists regarding the significance of their interventions, particularly between the originator and reviewers.
  • The findings highlight the importance of collaboration among clinical pharmacists, demonstrating substantial consensus on the clinical impact of their interventions on patient safety.
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Objectives: Dengue fever (DF) is the most common arthropod-borne viral illness with significant public health implications that can cause severe clinical symptoms and possibly death. We sought to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients presented with DF to the Royal Hospital in a recent outbreak in Oman.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study between 1 January and 18 April 2022, at the Royal Hospital, Oman, including all patients who presented with febrile illness and laboratory-confirmed DF.

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Objectives: Initial reports indicate a high incidence of abnormal aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in patients with COVID-19 and possible association with acute kidney injury (AKI). We aimed to investigate clinical features of elevated transaminases on admission, its association with AKI, and outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the registered data of hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and assessment of the AST and ALT was performed.

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