Noncompaction cardiomyopathy in the State of Qatar.

Objective: To study the development of noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium (NCCM) in the state of Qatar and to highlight the prognostic parameters in those patients.

Methods: We conducted this study from 2000 to 2004 on patients who were referred to Hamad General Hospital with questionable echocardiographic features of cardiomyopathy with or without clinical manifestations of heart failure and were found to have NCCM. The diagnosis of NCCM was made according to echocardiographic criteria in 12 cases and those patients are followed up for 2-5 years.

Helicobacter pylori profile in asymptomatic farmers and non-farmers.

There is a positive correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer and maltoma. There is little information on H. pylori profiles in farmers and non-farmers in the literature.

Is there any effect of Ramadan fasting on stroke incidence?

Introduction: Over one billion Muslims fast worldwide during the month of Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan is a radical change in lifestyle for the period of a lunar month. The objective of this study was to investigate whether Ramadan fasting has any effect on the incidence of stroke and its outcome in a geographically-defined population.

Anomalous origin of the three coronary arteries from the right aortic sinus Valsalva: role of MDCT coronary angiography.

Background: Monocuspal origin of all three coronary arteries through separate ostia from the right aortic sinus (RCS) is a rare occurrence. To date, the use of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for imaging of congenitally abnormal coronary arteries has been discussed only in few individual case reports.

Objective: To describe the role of MDCT coronary angiography in the evaluation of two rare cases of monocuspal origin of all three coronary from RCS.

Persistent atrial standstill in noncompaction cardiomyopathy.

Atrial standstill is a rare form of bradyarrhythmia and consists of a transitory or permanent loss of the electrical and mechanical activity of the atria. It has been described in a few cases of long-standing valvular disease, amyloidosis, myocarditis, and muscular dystrophy. We report on a young female with noncompaction cardiomyopathy that progressed to congestive heart failure.

The resuscitation outcome: revisit the story of the stony heart.

Postresuscitation syndrome is a state of myocardial dysfunction after the restoration of circulation by successful resuscitation. Despite several advances in the field of resuscitation, the management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is still suboptimal. The high fatality rate shortly after successful resuscitation is mainly related to postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction.

Genetics and environmental risk factors associated with asthma in schoolchildren.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic and environmental risk factors associated with asthma among Qatari school children aged 6-12 years.

Design: A cross-sectional study was performed. The International study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) and some additional questionnaires were used to collect the data of the school children between Feb 2003 and Feb 2004.

Does pleural tuberculosis disease pattern differ among developed and developing countries.

Background: A number of reports from developed countries have documented a rising age at which pleural tuberculosis occurs and increase in the frequency of reactivation disease being as the main cause of pleural involvement.

Objective: To determine the age at which pleural tuberculosis occurs, study its clinical pattern, and to determine whether pleural tuberculosis is a result of reactivation of pulmonary tuberculosis or it is a primary one comparing our findings with results from developed countries.

Method: Retrospective study of 100 cases discharged from Hamad General Hospital with the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis from January 1996 to December 2002.

Does hospitalization for congestive heart failure occur more frequently in Ramadan: a population-based study (1991-2001).

Objective: Over one billion Muslims fast worldwide during the month of Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan is essentially a radical change in lifestyle for the period of one lunar month, so it is important to see the response of congestive heart failure patients to this change. Our objective in this study is to investigate whether Ramadan fasting has any effect on the number of hospitalization for congestive heart failure (CHF) in a geographically defined population.