Metal phosphide poisoning in a disaster-stricken area. Can early hemodialysis improve outcomes?

Background: Phosphide metal poisoning results in tens of thousands of fatalities per year worldwide. The mortality in critically ill patients often exceeds 50%. The available treatment is supportive and there is no antidote.

Assessment of the response to kidney patients' needs in disaster-stricken Syria.

Purpose Of Review: The major fighting activities in the Syrian conflict have subsided, but the country continues to deal with significant political, economic, and psychosocial consequences that gravely impact the healthcare system, including the care of patients with kidney disease. The purpose of this manuscript is to review some of the problems faced by kidney patients in postconflict Syria and their available and proposed remedies.

Recent Findings: Many challenges, such as unfair, poorly planned, and poorly organized distribution of resources, suboptimal quality-monitoring infrastructure, psychosocial barriers, and workforce shortages, impede the delivery of quality care and negatively impact outcomes.

Providing Hemodialysis in Unstable Areas: An Assessment and Framework for Effective Care.

Introduction: Providing hemodialysis to patients with kidney failure (KF) in conflict-affected areas poses a significant challenge. Achieving and sustaining reasonable quality hemodialysis operations in such regions necessitates a comprehensive approach.

Methods: In the conflict area of Northwest (NW) Syria, a 3-phase project was initiated to address the quality of hemodialysis operations.

Telemedicine interventions in six conflict-affected countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region: a systematic review.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has escalated the use of telemedicine in both high and low resource settings however its use has preceded this, particularly in conflict-affected settings. Several countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean (EMR) region are affected by complex, protracted crises. Though telemedicine has been used in such settings, there has been no comprehensive assessment of what interventions are used, their efficacy, barriers, or current research gaps.

End-Stage Kidney Disease in Areas of Armed Conflicts: Challenges and Solutions.

Violent and protracted conflicts are disastrous to civilian populations and their health care systems. The complex requirements of caring for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) dialysis patients in such contexts pose unique challenges. Dialysis is procedurally complex and resource-intensive.

Challenges of providing healthcare worker education and training in protracted conflict: a focus on non-government controlled areas in north west Syria.

Without healthcare workers (HCWs), health and humanitarian provision in Syria cannot be sustained either now or in the post-conflict phase. The protracted conflict has led to the exodus of more than 70% of the healthcare workforce. Those remaining work in dangerous conditions with insufficient resources and a healthcare system that has been decimated by protracted conflict.

Care and outcomes of end-stage kidney disease patients in times of armed conflict: recommendations for action.

Background: Conflicts can lead to significant disruption in the care of endstage kidney disease (ESKD) patients. The purpose of this paper is to review the available literature on the care of ESKD patients in times of armed conflict and make recommendations for action.

Method: A review of all PubMed-published reports between 1965 and 2015 about the care of ESKD patients at the time of conflict.

Incidence of childhood brain tumors in Syria (1993-2002).

Objective: To determine whether the incidence and location of childhood CNS tumors in Syria follows the same pattern described in Western and Far Eastern countries.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed the data compiled from 367 children with brain tumors operated on in our Department of Neurosurgery between 1993 and mid-2002. We excluded all vascular and metastatic lesions and adopted the latest WHO classification in grouping all glial tumors.