Assessing Stroke Awareness and Behavioural Response Following the National 'Act Fast' Stroke Awareness Campaign - Insights from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Qatar.

Evaluating stroke campaigns and associated behavioural changes is crucial to assess intervention effectiveness and inform future strategies. We aimed to evaluate patient's and bystanders' foreknowledge of stroke signs and symptoms and their response at stroke onset. We interviewed stroke patients using a validated questionnaire or their bystanders if the stroke patient had disabling stroke.

A randomised clinical trial of awake prone positioning in COVID-19 suspects with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Background: Awake prone position (APP) has been reported to improve oxygenation in patients with COVID-19 disease and to reduce the requirement for invasive mechanical ventilation for patients requiring support with high flow nasal cannula. There is conflicting data for patients requiring lower-level oxygen support.

Research Question: Does APP reduce escalation of oxygen support in COVID-19 patients requiring supplementary oxygen?The primary outcome was defined as an escalation of oxygen support from simple supplementary oxygen (NP, HM, NRB) NIV (CPAP or BiPAP), HFNC or IMV; from NIV (CPAP or BiPAP) or HFNC IMV by day30.

Q-DEPICT: Qatar Determining Emergency Physician Incidence of COVID-Positive Testing.

Despite protective measures such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and a COVID airway management program (CAMP), some emergency physicians will inevitably test positive for COVID. We aim to develop a model predicting weekly numbers of emergency physician COVID converters to aid operations planning. The data were obtained from the electronic medical record (EMR) used throughout the national healthcare system.

Qatar Prediction Rule Using ED Indicators of COVID-19 at Triage.

Introduction: The presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated disease, COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on the operations of the emergency department (ED), particularly the triage area. The aim of the study was to derive and validate a prediction rule that would be applicable to Qatar's adult ED population to predict COVID-19-positive patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective study including adult patients.

A case of aortic dissection with highly suggestive features of COVID-19.

Introduction: Aortic dissection is a cardiovascular emergency with an overall in-hospital mortality rate of 27.4%, and with every hour without intervention, the mortality rate increases by 1%-2% in the first 48 hours. Thoracic aortic dissection typically presents with tearing chest, back, or abdominal pain.

Randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of hydroxychloroquine with or without azithromycin for virologic cure of non-severe Covid-19.

Background: Hydroxychloroquine (HC) ± azithromycin (AZ) is widely used for Covid-19. The Qatar Prospective RCT of Expediting Coronavirus Tapering (Q-PROTECT) aimed to assess virologic cure rates of HC±AZ in cases of low-acuity Covid-19.

Methods: Q-PROTECT employed a prospective, placebo-controlled design with blinded randomization to three parallel arms: placebo, oral HC (600 mg daily for one week), or oral HC plus oral AZ (500 mg day one, 250 mg daily on days two through five).

ABC/2 estimation in intracerebral hemorrhage: A comparison study between emergency radiologists and emergency physicians.

Objectives: We aimed to define levels of agreement (LOA) between emergency radiologists (RAD) and emergency medicine (EM) physicians for estimating bleed volume in intracranial hemorrhages (ICH) using ABC/2 formula.

Methods: A prospective study of a curated sample of head CT's were performed in an emergency department. Raters independently reviewed the scans.

Marginal analysis in assessing factors contributing time to physician in the Emergency Department using operations data.

Standard Emergency Department (ED) operations goals include minimization of the time interval (tMD) between patients' initial ED presentation and initial physician evaluation. This study assessed factors known (or suspected) to influence tMD with a two-step goal. The first step was generation of a multivariate model identifying parameters associated with prolongation of tMD at a single study center.

Epidemiology and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Qatar: A nationwide observational study.

Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) studies from the Middle East and Asian region are limited. This study describes the epidemiology, emergency health services, and outcomes of OHCA in Qatar.

Methods: This was a prospective nationwide population-based observational study on OHCA patients in Qatar according to Utstein style guidelines, from June 2012 to May 2013.

Health System Response and Adaptation to the Largest Sandstorm in the Middle East.

The State of Qatar experienced a sandstorm on the night of April 1, 2015, lasting approximately 12 hours, with winds of more than 100 km/h and average particulate matter of approximately 10 μm in diameter. The emergency department (ED) of the main tertiary hospital in Qatar managed 62% of the total emergency calls and those of higher triage order. The peak load of patients during the event manifested approximately 6 hours after the onset.

Stroke Thrombolysis Protocol Shortens "Door-to-Needle Time" and Improves Outcomes-Experience at a Tertiary Care Center in Qatar.

Background And Purpose: To assess the effect of acute thrombolysis protocol on "door-to-needle time" (DTN) and improvement in outcome following acute stroke (AS).

Methods: The charts of all patients receiving intravenous (IV) thrombolysis for AS between January 2008 and June 2015 were reviewed for DTN, complications, and clinical outcome. Good prognosis was defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of less than 2 at 90 days.

Adherence to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for chronic heart failure--a national survey of the cardiologists in Pakistan.

Background: The aims of this study were to evaluate the awareness of and attitudes towards the 2005 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for Heart Failure (HF) of the cardiologists in Pakistan and assess barriers to adherence to guidelines.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in person from March to July 2009 to all cardiologists practicing in 4 major cities in Pakistan (Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar). A validated, semi-structured questionnaire assessing ESC 2005 Guidelines for HF was used to obtain information from cardiologists.

Craniocerebral gunshot injuries in preschoolers.

Introduction: Gunshot wounds (GSW) to the head are the most lethal form of trauma; unfortunately, the frequency of children being involved in such form of trauma is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. We present our experience with four children from 2 to 3 years of age with craniocerebral GSW admitted to the neurosurgery service at a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: For this study, four children, 2 to 3 years old, injured solely from bullet injuries to the head were selected.