Quantitative assessment of exposure to fecal contamination in urban environment across nine cities in low-income and lower-middle-income countries and a city in the United States.

Background: During 2014 to 2019, the SaniPath Exposure Assessment Tool, a standardized set of methods to evaluate risk of exposure to fecal contamination in the urban environment through multiple exposure pathways, was deployed in 45 neighborhoods in ten cities, including Accra and Kumasi, Ghana; Vellore, India; Maputo, Mozambique; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Atlanta, United States; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Lusaka, Zambia; Kampala, Uganda; Dakar, Senegal.

Objective: Assess and compare risk of exposure to fecal contamination via multiple pathways in ten cities.

Methods: In total, 4053 environmental samples, 4586 household surveys, 128 community surveys, and 124 school surveys were collected.

Effect of Leadership Support, Work Conditions and Job Security on Job Satisfaction in a Medical College.

Background: Faculty members are crucial elements of an educational institution, and their job satisfaction is likely essential for success of the educational process. Leadership support, work conditions and perceived job security could be factors affecting academic job satisfaction.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of leadership support, work conditions and perceived job security on the overall academic job satisfaction of faculty.

Exome-Wide Association Analysis of Coronary Artery Disease in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Population.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Mortality rates associated with CAD have shown an exceptional increase particularly in fast developing economies like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Over the past twenty years, CAD has become the leading cause of death in KSA and has reached epidemic proportions.

Symptomatic Control of Neuroendocrine Tumours with Everolimus.

Everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, increases progression-free survival in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumours. Patients with neuroendocrine tumours and symptomatic carcinoid have inferior health-related quality of life than those without symptoms. We aimed to evaluate the effect of everolimus on symptomatic control of neuroendocrine tumours.

Metformin in peritoneal dialysis: a pilot experience.

Objective: In a number of patients, the antidiabetic drug metformin has been associated with lactic acidosis. Despite the fact that diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and that peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an expanding modality of treatment, little is known about optimal treatment strategies in the large group of PD patients with diabetes. In patients with ESRD, the use of metformin has been limited because of the perceived risk of lactic acidosis or severe hypoglycemia.

Development of a Nationally Coordinated Evaluation Plan for the Ghana National Strategy for Key Populations.

Objective: Just as HIV prevention programs need to be tailored to the local epidemic, so should evaluations be country-owned and country-led to ensure use of those results in decision making and policy. The objective of this paper is to describe the process undertaken in Ghana to develop a national evaluation plan for the Ghana national strategy for key populations.

Methods: This was a participatory process that involved meetings between the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC), other partners in Ghana working to prevent HIV among key populations, and MEASURE Evaluation.

Farber disease in a newborn.

Farber disease is a rare lysosomal storage disease characterized by a clinical triad including painful joint deformity, subcutaneous nodules and hoarseness, due to progressive granulomatous inflammation. We report the case of an early presentation on a female infant who manifested typical signs 1 week after birth.

Polymorphism in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and apolipoprotein E in hemodialysis patients.

The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphism, apolipoprotein E (apo epsilon4) gene polymorphism and polymorphism of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) have been shown to be associated with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). To determine the prevalence of these mutations in Saudi patients with ESRD on hemodialysis, we studied the allelic frequency and genotype distribution in patients receiving hemodialysis and in a control group, all residing in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The genotypes were determined using allele specific hybridization procedures and were confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Increased Prevalence of Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Leu 33 Pro Polymorphism in End Stage Renal Disease Patients on Hemodialysis.

Traditional atherosclerosis risk factors cannot elucidate the increased prevalence of cardiovascular events in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis. A previous study has indicated a strong association of the PI(A1/A2) polymorphism with myocardial infarction, diabetes and renal allograft rejection. In this investigation, we determined the prevalence of the PI(A1/A2) polymorphism of platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa in ESRD patients on hemodialysis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Haematological, lipid profile and other biochemical parameters in normal and hypertensive subjects among the population of the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To determine the lipid profile complete blood count and other biochemical parameters in normotensive and hypertensive individuals.

Design: Cross-sectional population-based epidemiological household survey.

Setting: Population sample of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

Frequency of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism in patients with cardiovascular disease in Eastern Saudi Arabia.

Objective: Homozygosity for the C677T mutation in the gene of the thermolabile enzyme 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) associates with reduced enzyme activity, leading to mild hyperhomocysteinemia. We now know that an elevated level of homocysteine is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of the C677T mutation in Saudi patients diagnosed with CVD.

Emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a community pathogen.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is an established nosocomial pathogen, with hospital-based outbreaks occurring worldwide. An increase in MRSA infections without risk factors has been recently documented in several reports. A prospective study was conducted over a 36-month period to determine the prevalence and risk factors for community-acquired MRSA infection at King Fahad Hospital of the University Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

Disease profile, complications and outcome in patients on maintenance haemodialysis at King Faisal University Hospital, Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To determine the primary renal disease, acute complications and long term outcome of patients with end stage renal disease(ESRD) undergoing maintenance haemodialysis (MHD).

Design: A prospective descriptive study.

Setting: King Faisal Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

The changing sensitivity of Helicobacter pylori to metronidazole.

The objective was to determine over two periods, seven years apart, the sensitivity of H. pylori isolates to metronidazole, tetracycline and erythromycin. The study periods were 1987/88 and 1995/96 and the population consisted of 133 patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for peptic ulcer disease in KFHU.

Risk factors of stroke at high and low altitude areas in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The epidemiology of stroke at different geographical locations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not been adequately investigated.

Methods: In this study, clinical types and risk factors of stroke were compared among patients at low-altitude (Riyadh, 620 m) and high-altitude (Al Baha > 2000 m) areas using a case-control study design. One-hundred ninety recently diagnosed cases (109 from Riyadh and 81 from Al Baha) were verified and subjects were interviewed.

Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with antimony: intramuscular versus intralesional administration.

The various methods used to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) have not given consistent results. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of a solution of meglumine antimoniate (MA; 85 mg Sb/ml) given intralesionally (i.l.

Drug induced rhabdomyolysis: case report.

Rhabdomyolysis results from skeletal muscle injury leading to the release of intracellular contents into blood and urine. Its diverse aetiology includes severe exercise, muscle trauma or ischaemia, metabolic disorders, infections and exposure to drugs and toxins. Known risk factors include heredity disorders of glycogen and lipid metabolism as well as a history of substance abuse.

Stroke register: experience from the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

A stroke registry was established in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia with an estimated population of 750,000 inhabitants of whom 545,000 are Saudi citizens. The register started in July 1989 and ended in July 1993. The Gulf war led to its interruption from August 1990 to August 1991.

Angiographic patterns of carotid ischemic cerebrovascular disease in Saudi Arabia.

The angiographic findings in 100 Saudi patients with carotid ischemic cerebrovascular disease (CVD) (transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or strokes) were retrospectively reviewed. These patients were representative of all patients with similar disorders in the terms of sex, frequency of diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease. They were, however, significantly younger, smoked more, had more cervical bruits and less atrial fibrillation.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of cisapride in Saudi Arabs with functional dyspepsia.

Background: Trials on functional dyspepsia (FD) have been performed mostly in Western populations. We evaluated the effect of cisapride in Saudi Arabs with FD.

Methods: In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial patients were treated with cisapride three times daily or matching placebo and assessed at 2 and 4 weeks.

Clinical presentation of spontaneous primary hypothyroidism in adults.

In a retrospective study of 309 cases of hypothyroidism seen at King Fahd Hospital of the University (KFHU), Al-Khobar, 124 (90 Saudis and 34 non-Saudis) adult patients with spontaneous primary hypothyroidism satisfied the inclusion criteria for detailed analysis. Their male:female ratios for Saudis and non-Saudis were 1:4.6 and 1:3.