Annals of Saudi medicine
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Annals of Saudi medicine · May 2010
Water pipe (shisha) smoking among male students of medical colleges in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia.
Shisha smoking, one of the commonest methods of smoking tobacco among Arabs, increases the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of shisha smoking among male students of three colleges and to identify factors associated with shisha smoking. ⋯ There was a high prevalence of shisha smoking among university students. The majority of students started shisha smoking at a young age. Public health measures, including the banning of smoking in public places are recommended.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Mar 2010
Rate of conversion and complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.
Problems during laparoscopic cholecystectomy include bile duct injury, conversion to open operation, and other postoperative complications. We retrospectively evaluated the causes for conversion and the rate of conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy and assessed the postoperative complications. ⋯ Laparoscopic cholecystectomy remains the 'gold standard' by which all other treatment modalities are judged. Conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy should be based on the sound clinical judgment of the surgeon and not be due to a lack of individual expertise.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Mar 2010
Candidal colonization, strain diversity, and antifungal susceptibility among adult diabetic patients.
Candidal colonization in diabetics is a matter of debate. The aim of this study is to investigate oral candidal colonization, strain diversity, antifungal susceptibility, and the influence of local and systemic host factors on candidal colonization in adult diabetics. ⋯ Diabetic patients not only had a higher candidal carriage rate, but also a variety of candidal species that were resistant to azole antifungals. Oral candidal colonization was significantly associated with glycemic control, type of diabetes, and salivary pH.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Mar 2010
Comparative StudyComputer-aided endoscopic sinus surgery: a retrospective comparative study.
Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), markedly improved with the introduction of new preoperative imaging techniques, intraoperative visualization tools, and the use of surgical navigation systems. In this retrospective study we evaluated the usefulness of CT-guided endoscopic sinus surgery and studied its advantages over conventional endoscopic sinus surgery. ⋯ Computer navigational systems appear to serve as a valuable adjunct in preoperative planning and safe intraoperative dissection.