9 research outputs found
Red Flags For Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Case Control Study
No full textAbstractObjectiveto examine the diagnostic accuracy of traditional ‘red flags’ for necrotizing fasciitis (NF) on history and physical examination.Methodsretrospective study of all cases of NF admitted to a large tertiary care hospital between January 1 2004 and December 31 2013, each matched to two control patients with cellulitis. We determined the diagnostic test characteristics of clinical features for distinguishing NF from cellulitis, with emphasis on positive (LR+) and negative (LR-) likelihood ratios.ResultsThere were no individual findings with sufficient sensitivity to rule out NF (sensitivity ≤ 85% and LR- ≥ 0.5 for all findings). The clinical features that most significantly increased the odds of NF were recent surgery (LR+ 7.0) pain-out-of-proportion (LR+ 4.5), diarrhea (LR+ 6.0), hypotension (LR+ 8.0), altered mental status (LR+ 3.3), erythema progressing beyond margins (LR+3.1), fluctuance (LR+ 5.0), hemorrhagic bullae (LR+ 8.0) and skin necrosis (LR+ 30.0). Each individual finding conferred low sensitivity, but absence of all nine ruled out NF (LR- 0.04). The presence of >=3 findings ruled in NF (LR+ undefined).ConclusionsWhen considered together, the traditional ‘red flags’ for NF may be sufficient to rule in or rule out the diagnosis. If future prospective studies validate these findings, there will be a potential opportunity to expedite NF diagnosis and improve patient outcomes
The prevalence of Factor V Leiden (Arg506Gln) mutation in King Khalid University Hospital patients, 2017–2019
No full textArg506Gln mutation is responsible for one of the procoagulant factors and most common inherited thrombophilia in the Factor V Leiden (FVL) family. The replacement of the missense mutation for Arg506Gln / R506Q is at 1691st position from Guanine to Adenine with the modification of the amino acid from arginine to glutamine. The aim of this study was to investigate the current prevalence of the G1691A mutation in the FVL gene in the capital city’s King Khalid University Hospitals (KKUH). Since 2017–2019 we have recruited 482 patients in these cross-sectional studies to test the G1691A mutation in KKUH’s FVL gene. DNA was extracted using 2mL of the EDTA blood and genotyping was performed with polymerase chain reaction and the data was analyzed using Sanger sequencing. In this study, 4.4% of the G1691A mutation was found to be positive (combined heterozygous-GA and homozygous-AA variants) and 95.6% of them with negative, i.e., homozygous normal-GG genotypes. Our study concludes that with the advances in genetic testing and their recent availability, early mutation detection could approve the genotype risks for many patients and this mutation is not as rare as previously believed in the Saudi region as our study has established with a 4.4 percent prevalence
The prevalence of Factor V Leiden (Arg506Gln) mutation in King Khalid University Hospital patients, 2017–2019
Get PDFArg506Gln mutation is responsible for one of the procoagulant factors and most common inherited thrombophilia in the Factor V Leiden (FVL) family. The replacement of the missense mutation for Arg506Gln / R506Q is at 1691st position from Guanine to Adenine with the modification of the amino acid from arginine to glutamine. The aim of this study was to investigate the current prevalence of the G1691A mutation in the FVL gene in the capital city’s King Khalid University Hospitals (KKUH). Since 2017–2019 we have recruited 482 patients in these cross-sectional studies to test the G1691A mutation in KKUH’s FVL gene. DNA was extracted using 2mL of the EDTA blood and genotyping was performed with polymerase chain reaction and the data was analyzed using Sanger sequencing. In this study, 4.4% of the G1691A mutation was found to be positive (combined heterozygous-GA and homozygous-AA variants) and 95.6% of them with negative, i.e., homozygous normal-GG genotypes. Our study concludes that with the advances in genetic testing and their recent availability, early mutation detection could approve the genotype risks for many patients and this mutation is not as rare as previously believed in the Saudi region as our study has established with a 4.4 percent prevalence.departmental bulletin pape
Correlation between Serum Electrolytes and Fasting Glucose and Hb1Ac in Saudi Diabetic Patients
No full text
SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study
No full textBackground: Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling.
Methods: The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18-49, 50-69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty.
Results: NNVs were more favourable in surgical patients than the general population. The most favourable NNVs were in patients aged 70 years or more needing cancer surgery (351; best case 196, worst case 816) or non-cancer surgery (733; best case 407, worst case 1664). Both exceeded the NNV in the general population (1840; best case 1196, worst case 3066). NNVs for surgical patients remained favourable at a range of SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates in sensitivity analysis modelling. Globally, prioritizing preoperative vaccination of patients needing elective surgery ahead of the general population could prevent an additional 58 687 (best case 115 007, worst case 20 177) COVID-19-related deaths in 1 year.
Conclusion: As global roll out of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination proceeds, patients needing elective surgery should be prioritized ahead of the general population
Approaching 100Sn: Structural evolution in 98,100Cd via lifetime measurements
No full textThe lifetimes of low-lying excited states below the 8+ seniority isomer were directly measured using fast timing detectors in the neutron-deficient isotopes 98,100Cd. This experiment was conducted with the DEcay SPECtroscopy (DESPEC) setup at GSI, where the ions of interest were produced via a fragmentation reaction and identified using the FRagment Separator (FRS) before being implanted in the AIDA active stopper system, and the γ rays emitted during the de-excitation of isomeric states were detected by the LaBr3 FATIMA Array. The newly deduced values for the reduced transition probabilities were compared with shell-model calculations using different interactions and effective charges. The results indicate that, while 98Cd aligns well with a seniority scheme description, in 100Cd the transition strengths among low-lying states are not fully reproduced, and the nature of these states remains an open problem within the present theoretical description. Ultimately, a key element in the description of this region, crucial for nuclear physics and astrophysics, appears to be the proton-neutron term of the nuclear effective interaction. © 2025 The Author(s
Global overview of the management of acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (CHOLECOVID study) /
No full textBACKGROUND: This study provides a global overview of the management of patients with acute cholecystitis during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS: CHOLECOVID is an international, multicentre, observational comparative study of patients admitted to hospital with acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on management were collected for a 2-month study interval coincident with the WHO declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and compared with an equivalent pre-pandemic time interval. Mediation analysis examined the influence of SARS-COV-2 infection on 30-day mortality.
RESULTS: This study collected data on 9783 patients with acute cholecystitis admitted to 247 hospitals across the world. The pandemic was associated with reduced availability of surgical workforce and operating facilities globally, a significant shift to worse severity of disease, and increased use of conservative management. There was a reduction (both absolute and proportionate) in the number of patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 3095 patients (56.2 per cent) pre-pandemic to 1998 patients (46.2 per cent) during the pandemic but there was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality after cholecystectomy comparing the pre-pandemic interval with the pandemic (13 patients (0.4 per cent) pre-pandemic to 13 patients (0.6 per cent) pandemic; P = 0.355). In mediation analysis, an admission with acute cholecystitis during the pandemic was associated with a non-significant increased risk of death (OR 1.29, 95 per cent c.i. 0.93 to 1.79, P = 0.121).
CONCLUSION: CHOLECOVID provides a unique overview of the treatment of patients with cholecystitis across the globe during the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study highlights the need for system resilience in retention of elective surgical activity. Cholecystectomy was associated with a low risk of mortality and deferral of treatment results in an increase in avoidable morbidity that represents the non-COVID cost of this pandemic
Infektiöse Komplikationen bei alloplastischen Brustoperationen und Implikationen für Plastische Chirurgen
No full textImplantation of breast prosthesis is still one of the most frequently performed breast reconstructing or contouring procedures. Infectious complications and capsular contracture are inherent problems that may have different causes which are not clearly defined yet in terms of pathophysiology. Recent findings showed bacterial contamination as a major cause of implant failure. Since this has direct implications for the surgical management we report on biofilm development on alloplastic breast prostheses, characteristics and effects after implantation of medical devices in general. This article gives a review of the current literature and discusses possible issues to solve the problem of infection after implantation of breast prosthesis. In conclusion the reinsertion of single-use devices should not be recommended and should be strictly avoided when a device related infection has occured. According to current knowledge contaminated implants should be removed, the infection then be cured and if necessary, a new prosthesis may be implanted after a regeneration period. Alternatively a change in therapy towards autologous tissue reconstruction should be considered if previous attempts with alloplastic prostheses have failed and if radiation therapy has worsened the local tissue situation in the recipient area.Implantationen von Brust-Prothesen sind für Brustrekonstruktionen oder Konturierungen noch immer die am häufigsten durchgeführten Verfahren. Typische inhärente Probleme sind dabei neben infektiösen Komplikationen die Kapselkontrakturen, deren unterschiedliche Ursachen bezüglich der Pathophysiologie noch nicht eindeutig geklärt sind.Neuere Erkenntnisse weisen auf bakterielle Kontamination als eine der Hauptursachen von Implantatversagen hin. Da dies direkte Auswirkungen auf die chirurgische Behandlung hat, berichten wir über das Problem der Biofilmentwicklung auf alloplastischen Brustimplantaten sowie über deren Effekte nach Einsetzen von medizinischen Implantaten allgemein. Dieser Artikel gibt einen Überblick über die aktuelle Literatur und diskutiert mögliche Fragen der Problematik der Infektion nach der Implantation von Brust-Prothesen.Zusammenfassend kann das Wiedereinsetzen von Implantaten für den Einmalgebrauch nicht empfohlen werden und sollte daher bei Verdacht auf eine Infektion unbedingt unterlassen werden. Nach derzeitigem Kenntnisstand sollten kontaminierte Implantate entfernt, eine bestehende Infektion zunächst ausgeheilt und, falls erforderlich, erst nach einer Regenerationsphase ein neues Implantat eingesetzt werden. Alternativ sollte immer auch ein Verfahrenswechsel auf eine Eigengewebsrekonstruktion in Betracht gezogen werden, insbesondere wenn vorherige alloplastische Verfahren versagt haben und die lokale Gewebesituation im Empfängergebiet etwa durch eine Strahlentherapie ungünstig ist
