Impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC)'s multidimensional approach on rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units in 22 hospitals of 14 cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: To analyze the impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) Multidimensional Approach (IMA) and use of INICC Surveillance Online System (ISOS) on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates in Saudi Arabia from September 2013 to February 2017.

Methods: A multicenter, prospective, before-after surveillance study on 14,961 patients in 37 intensive care units (ICUs) of 22 hospitals. During baseline, we performed outcome surveillance of VAP applying the definitions of the CDC/NHSN.

Cutaneous horn arising from an area of discoid lupus erythematosus on the scalp.

A cutaneous horn is a rare clinical condition characterised by a conical projection of hyperkeratotic epidermis. Cutaneous horns most commonly arise from sun-exposed skin in elderly men, but may arise from any part of the body at any age in men and women. When a cutaneous horn forms, it is important to determine the underlying cause.

Hand hygiene compliance rate among healthcare professionals.

Objective: To motivate healthcare professionals, with a focus on improving hand hygiene compliance.

Methods: An observational, prospective, longitudinal study was conducted on the evaluation of hand hygiene compliance at Hera General Hospital, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from May 2009 to May 2010. Four components to improve hand hygiene compliance were implied; daily audit, monthly staff education; quarterly workshops of hand hygiene, and education material distribution.

Scoping a perforated bleeding peptic ulcer: learning points.

Peptic ulcer perforation and haemorrhage is not unusual as a complication of peptic ulcer disease. In the older patientspresentation can be dramatic and atypical. The authors are presenting a case of duodenal ulcer perforation and haemorrhage which was misdiagnosed as a gastric malignancy and thus failure to have Helicobacter pylori eradication, recurrence with complication and hesitancy in surgical intervention due to initial label of malignancy.

Fluoxetine-induced pill oesophagitis.

Pill-induced oesophagitis is well reported in people of all ages (range 3-98 years), with females outnumbering males by 1.5:1. Antibiotic pills, cardiac pills and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and alendronate are the most common culprits.

Practice of symptomatic treatment in the era of evidence-based medicine: report of 2 cases of diagnosis of Sheehan's syndrome delayed till eighth decade.

Sheehan's syndrome, first described in 1937, is characterised by postpartum haemorrhage, pituitary necrosis, lactational failure and hypopitutarism. Presentation is variable and late presentations are not unusual due to partial ischaemic injury of the pituitary and gradual loss of endocrine function. A history of postpartum haemorrhage is usual but in some cases it is not elicited.

Haemoptysis in a patient of achalasia cardia: pulmonary actinomycosis, not tuberculosis.

Actinomycosis is an infectious disease caused by anaerobic gram-positive, non-spore forming bacteria of the genus Actinomyces that affects the oropharynx, digestive tract, and genitalia. Thoracic actinomycosis may affect the respiratory tract and the pleura, even extending to the chest wall. Pulmonary actinomycosis occurs in immunocompetent persons during the fourth and fifth decades of life, with greater prevalence in men, and is generally due to Actinomyces israelii or A meyeri.

Catastrophic cerebral antiphospholipid syndrome presenting as cerebral infarction with haemorrhagic transformation after sudden withdrawal of warfarin in a patient with primary antiphospholipid syndrome.

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is caused by thrombotic vascular occlusions that affect both small and large vessels, producing ischaemia in the affected organs. The "catastrophic" variant of the antiphospholipid syndrome (cAPS) develops over a short period of time. Although patients with cAPS represent <1% of all patients with APS, they are usually life threatening with a 50% mortality rate.

Don't live in a town where there are no doctors: toxic epidermal necrolysis initially misdiagnosed as oral thrush.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare but life threatening skin disease that is most commonly drug induced. The exact pathogenesis of TEN is still unknown and many drugs, including prednisolone, cyclosporin and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), have been used in an attempt to halt the disease process. The use of IVIG in particular is controversial.

Lower cranial nerve palsy, aseptic meningitis and hydrocephalus: unusual presentation of primary antiphospholipid syndrome.

Presentation of primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is usually untrustworthy and unusual presentations are difficult to diagnose on the basis of clinical features alone. This is true especially in young and elderly patients. Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is less frequent than arterial thrombosis in APS.

Delirium in a 74-year-old man: correct imaging revealed the truth.

Delirium is a cognitive disorder. DSM-IV criteria for delirium must include both acute onset and fluctuating symptoms; disturbance of consciousness (including inattention); at least one of the following: disorganised thinking, disorientation, memory impairment or perceptual disturbance; and evidence of a putative causal medical condition. Traditionally, the course has been described as transient in which recovery is likely to be complete if the underlying aetiological factor is promptly corrected or is self-limited.

Congenital cataract and congenital chloride diarrhoea-a unique combination and antenatal diagnosis.

Congenital chloride diarrhoea (CCD) is a serious inherited defect of intestinal electrolyte absorption transmitted in an autosomal recessive way. The molecular pathology involves an epithelial Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchanger protein, encoded by the solute carrier family 26 member 3 gene (SLC26A3) and known DRA (down regulated in adenomas) in the distal ileum and colon. Polyhydramnios, premature birth, ileus without meconium passage, hypochloremia, and hyponatremia are typical features of CCD in the neonate followed by chronic metabolic alkalosis, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, retarded growth and renal impairment in older children and adults if the disease is not adequately treated.

Analgesics are not always the culprits: isolated gastric fundal varices as the cause of recurrent upper GI bleed in a patient with SLE, rheumatoid arthritis and polymyositis overlap syndrome.

The most common cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases is non-steroidal drug use; this is the case with COX-2 inhibitors, especially when used concomitantly with corticosteroids. Bleeding from varices is unusual in the absence of liver disease. We present an interesting case of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and polymyositis overlap syndrome with recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeds from isolated fundal gastric varices and a normal liver.