Comparison between female kidney donors with prediabetes and without diabetes in blood pressure measurements, kidney and diabetes biomarkers: a prospective cohort study.

Background: A comprehensive evaluation of potential living kidney donors is crucial to ensure their short and long-term safety. We explored differences in kidney biochemical indicators, blood pressure measurements, and glucose control pre- and post-kidney donation between women with pre-diabetes and those with normal glucose levels.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study at West Bank and Gaza University hospitals between 2016 and 2022.

NEWS-2 Accuracy in Predicting Mortality and Severe Morbidity Among Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study.

: Early risk stratification tools for COVID-19 patients have been indicated yet there are few data about their ability to effectively detect clinical deterioration among COVID-19 patients. : To evaluate the NEWS-2 to predict severe morbidity and mortality for COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals. : We conducted a prospective cohort study among adult COVID-19 patients with a confirmed diagnosis who were admitted to the inpatient units at COVID-19 Martyrs Medical Military Complex Hospital, from 1 March 2022, until 29 February 2023.

Non-Maleficence toward Young Kidney Donors: A Call for Stronger Ethical Standards and Associated Factors in Multidisciplinary Nephrology Teams.

Background: The rising frequency of live kidney donations is accompanied by growing ethical concerns as to donor autonomy, the comprehensiveness of disclosure, and donors' understanding of long-term consequences.

Aim: To explore donors' satisfaction with the ethical competence of multi-professional nephrology teams regarding disclosure of donation consequences to live kidney donors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among Israeli live kidney donors who had donated a kidney in two hospitals that belonged to the Ministry of Health's Transplantation Center one year after the donation, from December 2018 to December 2020.

Worsening of Diabetes Control Measures and Decreased Kidney Function in Pre-Diabetic Kidney Donors Compared to Non-Diabetic Donors Whose BMI Before Kidney Donation was Above 30.

Background: The incidence of end-stage renal disease has increased dramatically over the past two decades. Kidney transplantation is the best treatment option for individuals with end-stage renal disease, and living donor kidney transplantation has significant advantages over deceased donor kidney transplantation. Although there are criteria for assessing living kidney donors, different medical centers handle certain medical problems differently.

Patient racism toward nurses in a divided society: The case of Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Aim: This study examines whether racism exists among Jewish and Arab patients in Israel, as reflected in patient preference for receiving treatment from a nurse with the same ethnic background.

Background: We examine the relationship between racism and the level of trust in a nurse from a different ethnic group than the patient, as well as the preferred level of social distance, in the context of ongoing conflicts between the Jewish majority and the Arab minority in Israel.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a unique study questionnaire that asked 534 Jewish and 478 Arab respondents to express their preference for an Arab and a Jewish nurse.

Who do you Prefer to Take Care of you: A Jewish or an Arab Nurse? Nationality and Religion Preferences in Israeli Hospitals.

Studies show that there are patients who refuse treatment or demand that treatment be provided by a professional belonging to their ethnic group. We investigated whether patients have preferences for nationality and religion of nurses (PFNR), and which factors impact these preferences. The study included 1012 Jews and Arabs.

The general public's attitude towards accepting payment for kidney donation.

Introduction: Kidney transplantation has become the most cost-effective treatment for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and offers them the highest quality of life. Yet, kidney donation is often inaccessible due to cultural and traditional beliefs about organ donation. The goal of our study is to assess the value of kidney donation using the Willingness to Accept (WTA) technique.

Assessment of Differential Perceptions of Core Nursing Competencies between Nurse Managers and Nursing Graduates: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The literature review on perceptions of nursing competencies shows a critical shortage of studies addressing this topic.

Aim: To examine and compare perceptions of important nursing competencies of nursing graduates, and nurse managers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 148 students, who were recent graduates of the nursing school with RN degrees and had completed advanced training lasting 3 months at the Sheba Academic School of Nursing and the Academic School of Tel Aviv-Yafo, and 183 nurse managers with at least one year of seniority in the position in hospitals and community clinics in Israel.

The view of the three monotheistic religions toward xenotransplantation.

Xenotransplantation, transplanting animal organs into humans, may offer a solution to the shortage of organs for transplantation. This would increase the chances for scheduled, elective transplantation, even for patients currently ineligible for receiving a human organ. However, xenotransplantation raises specific ethical and philosophical issues, that is, a personal identification of the body parts with the soul and spirit, the relationships between humans and animals, and challenges related to issues of medical and social ethics.

The muslim patient and medical treatments based on porcine ingredients.

Porcine-derived products serve as an effective solution for a wide range of human ailments; however, there may be objections to their use due to Islamic religious prohibitions on consuming products derived from pigs. In order to enhance the cultural competence of medical practitioners who treat Muslim individuals, which constitute about one fifth of the world population, this study aimed at evaluating the knowledge and positions of Muslim patients on this subject. A questionnaire presenting 15 uses of porcine-derived materials was filled out by 809 Muslims.

Prenatal Diagnosis and Pregnancy Termination in Jewish and Muslim Women with a Deaf Child in Israel.

Deafness is the most common sensory disability in humans, influencing all aspects of life, However, early diagnosis of hearing impairment and initiating the rehabilitation process are of great importance to enable the development of language and communication as soon as possible. We examined the differences in attitudes towards performing prenatal invasive tests and pregnancy terminations in Jewish and Muslim women in Israel due to deafness. Overall, 953 Israeli women, aged 18-46 years with a mean age of 32.

Prenatal Testing and Pregnancy Termination Among Muslim Women Living in Israel Who Have Given Birth to a Child with a Genetic Disease.

The aim of the study was to investigate whether a Muslim woman with a child afflicted with a genetic disease who is living at home would perform more prenatal tests and pregnancy terminations as opposed to a woman with a normal child living at home, and what demographic characteristics, if any, influenced this decision. The study included 771 Muslim women; 37.1% lived with a child afflicted with a genetic disease; and 62.

Associations of the COVID-19 burden and various comorbidities of different ethnic groups in Israel: a cross-sectional study.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is highly transmissible between human beings. We examined differences in the core families with COVID-19 severity and mortality and comorbidities between Arab and Jews and explored the factors associated with COVID-19 severity and mortality to find a genetic component. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2240 COVID-19 patients (> 18 years of age) randomly selected by online panels and questionnaires in the native language (Hebrew or Arabic) during March 2021-June 2022.

Posthumous Organ Donation in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism: How Religious Beliefs Shape the Decision to Donate.

Evidence indicates that the religious beliefs of patients, potential donors, family members, and healthcare professionals play an important role in deciding to donate an organ. We aim to summarize the religious views of Christians, Muslims, and Jews on organ donation contributing to the decision-making process. Different approaches to this topic worldwide are presented, providing helpful information for medical professionals.

'I Prefer To Die at Home With Dignity': Perceptions of Death Rituals Among Religious Muslim Kidney and Liver Transplant Patients With COVID-19.

Background: Kidney and liver transplant recipients may be at a high risk of contracting acute COVID-19 due to chronic immunosuppression and comorbidities. These patients receive combinations of immunosuppressive drugs, altering their innate and adaptive immunity, thus, rendering them more susceptible to bacterial and viral infections and higher mortality. Kidney and liver transplant recipients frequently exhibit one or several risk factors, increasing the risk for unfavorable outcomes.

Prenatal Tests Undertaken by Muslim Women Who Underwent IVF Treatment, Secular Versus Religious: An Israeli Study.

Our goal was to determine if differences exist in the attitudes of religious Muslim women living in Israel toward prenatal testing and pregnancy termination after undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) compared to the secular Muslim women who had undergone IVF. Six hundred and ninety-nine Muslim women from cities and villages participated, 47% city-dwellers; 53% village-dwellers; 50%-secular; 50%-religious. Secular women who had undergone IVF performed more invasive tests and terminated more pregnancies due to an abnormal fetus than religious women.

Increasing Overnight Fluid Intake and Kidney Function During Ramadan Fasting: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: All healthy Arab individuals are obligated to abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual relations from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, which is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. Fasting effects various body systems, apart from the renal system. Fasting can also increase serum creatinine levels because of dehydration.

Differential Willingness to Pay for Kidney Transplantation From Living and Deceased Donors: Empirical Study Among End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) Patients.

Kidney transplantation has developed to the stage where it is currently the most cost-effective treatment for patients suffering from end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and, when available, offers them the highest quality of life. Yet, kidney transplantation is challenged by cultural and traditional beliefs; thus, this study sought to evaluate the willingness to pay for a kidney transplant in a culturally sensitive population. A self-administered survey was completed by 734 end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients.

Invalidating the Leadership of Muslim Spiritual Leaders in Death From COVID-And Shaping the Grief Journey - A Narrative Inquiry.

This narrative study voices the perspectives of a hidden population, spiritual leaders of the Muslim minority in Israel whose leadership in attending to deaths throughout COVID-19 was invalidated. Findings elucidate their dilemmas as being responsible for protecting the community from infection on one hand, and for guiding religious death rituals and preventing disenfranchised grief of families and the community on the other hand. Denying religious minorities their right to conduct traditions in a safe manner and leaving spiritual leaders outside of decision making on shaping COVID-19 guidelines creates distrust and deepens aggravation of enfranchised grief.

Religious Worldviews Affecting Organ Donation in Israel.

Background: The supply of donor organs available for transplantation far exceeds demand in Israel. Organ donation is perceived by many believers as contravening the tenets of their religion. This study investigates the different attitudes toward organ donation of members of the 3 major religions by subgroups and level of religiosity.

The Use of Porcine-Derived Materials for Medical Purposes: What do Muslim and Jewish Individuals Know and Opine About It?

Porcine-derived medical products represent an effective solution for a wide range of human suffering, yet this may contradict Muslim and Jewish religious prohibitions against consuming pig. The present study evaluated the level to which Muslim and Jewish participants are knowledgeable about the conditions permitting porcine-based treatments and explored their attitudes toward the permissibility of these treatments. A questionnaire that presented fifteen medical uses of porcine-derived products was completed by 809 Muslims and 714 Jews.

Standing on Both Sides: Analysis of a Transplant Coordinator's Ethical Position Between the Recipient and the Donor's Family.

Background: When an organ is harvested from a deceased donor, how should transplant coordinators handle the issue of contact between the donor's family and the organ recipient?

Methods: The authors-qualified both by their own considerable practical experience and theoretical investigation-discussed various aspects of the problem, relating to the bioethical issues as well as the practical dilemmas that must be clarified and decided.

Results: They proposed a strategy whereby transplant coordinators can analyze their own philosophical attitude toward the issue and respond accordingly in their work to the needs and preferences of both parties.

Conclusions: The professionals handling the transplant process need training tailored to the bioethical issues relevant to the challenges they are likely to confront.

The View of the Three Monotheistic Religions Toward Cadaveric Organ Donation.

Religious concerns regarding the legitimacy of cadaveric organ donation have been found to be major inhibiting factors for people to consent to donate organs post-mortem for transplantation; this constitutes a major cause for the grave shortfall of available organs for transplantation. The purpose of this review is to explore the view of the three monotheistic religions, namely Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, toward cadaveric organ donation. The literature review reveals that all three monotheistic religions support cadaveric organ donation but within certain restrictions.

The Ethical Standards of Sunni Muslim Physicians Regarding Fertility Technologies that are Religiously Forbidden.

This research project is pioneering in that it is the first to provide empirical data regarding the ethical standards of Sunni Muslim physicians toward religiously prohibited reproductive technologies, a topic which is considered taboo in Muslim society. A total of 689 Sunni Muslim physicians rated their acceptance of 14 fertility treatments. They expressed objections to assisted reproductive technologies entailing gender selection, egg, sperm and embryo donation, and surrogacy.