Eastern Mediterranean health journal = La revue de santé de la Méditerranée orientale = al-Majallah al-ṣiḥḥīyah li-sharq al-mutawassiṭ
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Mar 2009
Which patients wait longer to be seen and when? A waiting time study in the emergency department.
We investigated the waiting time for patients before seeing a physician in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bi- and multivariate analyses of routine data for 2187 patients determined the association between selected patient characteristics and waiting time. ⋯ Older patients and those arriving on Sundays and Wednesdays waited longer. Variability in waiting times could be addressed by more standardized triage policies, but may also be influenced by other clinical or non-clinical factors that required further investigation.
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East. Mediterr. Health J. · Mar 2009
Efficacy of diphtheria and tetanus vaccination in Gaza, Palestine.
This study evaluated the effectiveness and usefulness of vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus in different age groups in Gaza, Palestine. Blood samples were collected from 180 children aged <12 years, 90 males and 90 females. ⋯ Mean serum titres varied significantly by age group: for diphtheria 0.24 IU/mL at age 2-4 years, 0.63 IU/mL at 7-8 years and 0.46 IU/mL at 11-12 years, and for tetanus 1.01 IU/mL, 2.63 IU/mL and 1.20 IU/mL respectively. The relatively low antibody titres, especially for diphtheria, suggest the need for a booster dose.