Annals of Saudi medicine
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Jul 2007
Cancer incidence among the Bahraini population: a five-year (1998-2002) experience.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death, following cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 12% of annually reported deaths in Bahrain. We determined the epidemiological patterns of malignancies in Bahrain and compared them with those of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and other developed countries. ⋯ Compared to other Gulf countries, Bahrain had higher incidence rates for cancers of the lung, prostate, colorectum, bladder, kidney, pancreas and leukemia among males and for cancers of the breast, lung, bladder, thyroid, uterus and ovary among females. A rising trend in cancer incidence is likely to continue for years or even decades to come.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Jul 2007
ReviewEpidemiology, clinical and complications profile of diabetes in Saudi Arabia: a review.
Diabetes mellitus is emerging as a major public health problem in Saudi Arabia in parallel with the worldwide diabetes pandemic, which is having a particular impact upon the Middle East and the third world. This pandemic has accompanied the adoption of a modern lifestyle and the abandonment of a traditional lifestyle, with a resultant increase in rates of obesity and other chronic non-communicable diseases. ⋯ Diabetes is well studied in Saudi Arabia; however, there seems to be little research in the area of education and health care delivery. This is of paramount importance to offset the perceived impact on health care delivery services, to lessen chronic diabetes complications, and to reduce the expected morbidity and mortality from diabetes.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Jul 2007
Pattern of abnormal Pap smears in developing countries: a report from a large referral hospital in Saudi Arabia using the revised 2001 Bethesda System.
Reports describing the frequency and pattern of abnormal Pap smears in developing countries using the revised Bethesda system for Pap smear are few. We studied the pattern of cervical intraepithelial lesions and carcinoma detected in Pap smears of Saudi females in the western region of Saudi Arabia using the revised system. ⋯ Although this study showed a lower incidence and a wider age range of cervical epithelial cell abnormalities than others published internationally, the results emphasize the need for a well-organized cervical screening program supplemented by larger national studies on the pattern of cervical abnormalities in this country. The information provided in this study will encourage use of the Pap smear as a screening method for cervical cancer in developing countries.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Jul 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyInteraoperative use of epidural methylprednisolone or bupivacaine for postsurgical lumbar discectomy pain relief: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
Many patients with lumbar disc surgery experience postoperative back and radicular pain, delaying hospital discharge and resumption of normal activity. Some surgeons have used intraoperative epidural corticosteroids and local anesthetics to decrease pain following surgery for a herniated lumbar disc. Controversies still exist regarding the benefits of these drugs. The present study was meant to compare the effects of the intraoperative administration of epidural methylprednisolone and bupivacaine with that of normal saline (placebo) in lumbar disc surgery for postoperative pain control. ⋯ Intraoperative administration of epidural methylprednisolone or bupivacaine does not relieve postoperative back and radicular pain.