Annals of Saudi medicine
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Jan 2008
Comparative StudyHirsutism in Saudi females of reproductive age: a hospital-based study.
Hirsutism among women of fertile age is commonly seen in clinical practice, but the pattern of the disease in Saudi Arabs has not been studied. The aim of the study was to determine the clinical, biochemical and etiologic features of hirsutism in Saudi females. ⋯ The present data show PCOS to be the commonest cause of hirsutism in our clinical practice and PCOS is prominent amongst young obese females. However, further studies on a larger scale are needed to verify our findings.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Jan 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyBeclomethasone inhaler versus intravenous lidocaine in the prevention of postoperative airway and throat complaints: a randomized, controlled trial.
Previous reports indicate that inhaled corticosteroids attenuate airway inflammation. Beclomethasone inhaler was highly effective in the prevention of postoperative airway symptoms. Intravenous lidocaine prior to endotracheal intubation has also been shown to decrease the incidence of postoperative sore throat and cough. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of beclomethasone inhaler with various clinically used dosages of intravenous lidocaine prior to endotracheal intubation on the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat, cough, sputum, hoarseness, and dysphagia. ⋯ Beclomethasone inhaler is comparable with intravenous lidocaine prior to intubation in decreasing postoperative sore throat and cough. In addition, beclomethasone inhaler decreases the incidence and severity of postoperative sputum.
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Annals of Saudi medicine · Jan 2008
Comparative StudyPrevalence and pattern of alternative medicine use: the results of a household survey.
Alternative medicine (AM) encompasses all forms of therapies that fall outside the mainstream of medical practice. Its popularity is on the increase. Because previous surveys were limited and not generalizable, we estimated the prevalence, pattern and factors associated with use of AM in the community. ⋯ There is a high prevalence of AM use in the Riyadh region and the most important determinant of AM use was the perceived failure of medical treatment. The study results call for intensive health education campaigns in the media addressing wrong beliefs regarding AM and modern medicine. The popularity of AM in this community should alert decision makers to look at the difficult accessibility to the health system.
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Generic substitution has become a common practice since the late 1970s in the United States. At that time, many of these generics caused bioavailability problems, which fueled suspicions about their efficacy and safety, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards for bioequivalence. In Saudi Arabia, the increasing number of local products raised several concerns with regard to switching from brands to generics. Our objective was to review and examine the basis of the controversy surrounding brand and generic interchangeability and to explore a practical approach in pursuing a switch. ⋯ Performing the switch process is an advisable practice to reduce health care costs in countries with strong post-marketing surveillance program, but caution is to be exercised when narrow therapeutic index drugs or highly variable drugs are prescribed.