Saudi Med J
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To determine the factors associated with the development of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), hospital stay and mortality, and early versus late MRSA infection. ⋯ Admission with sepsis (case: 46% vs. control: 2%, p less than 0.001) and having at least one comorbid condition (case: 95% vs. control: 46%, p less than 0.001) were significantly associated with the development of MRSA. Age (mean ±SD: case: 65±18, control: 64±18, p=0.7) and gender (% male, case: 52%, control: 56%, p=0.70) were not associated with the development of MRSA. Approximately 73% of all MRSA cases developed within the first 2 weeks of admission. Among the early cases, 44% died during their ICU stay; the corresponding percentage among the late cases was 42% (p=0.69). There was no difference between early and late MRSA cases in terms of non-sepsis admissions (50% vs. 67%, p=0.32) or comorbid status (at least one: 97% vs. 92%, p=0.17). Conclusion: Sepsis and comorbid conditions were significant risk factors for MRSA development among hospital patients.
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To determine the association between comorbidities and the severity of the disease among COVID-19 patients. ⋯ Comorbidities among COVID-19 patients may contribute to increasing their susceptibility to severe illness. The identification of these potential risk factors could help reduce mortality by identifying patients with poor prognosis at an early stage.
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Diagnostic processes typically rely on traditional and laborious methods, that are prone to human error, resulting in frequent misdiagnosis of diseases. Computational approaches are being increasingly used for more precise diagnosis of the clinical pathology, diagnosis of genetic and microbial diseases, and analysis of clinical chemistry data. These approaches are progressively used for improving the reliability of testing, resulting in reduced diagnostic errors. ⋯ However, the use of AI is associated with several ethical issues, including patient privacy and data ownership. The capacity of AI-based mathematical models to interpret complex clinical data frequently leads to data bias and reporting of erroneous results based on patient data. In order to improve the reliability of computational approaches in clinical diagnostics, strategies to reduce data bias and analyzing real-life patient data need to be further refined.
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Comparative Study
Effects of the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on routine pediatric immunization coverage rates at the main University Hospital in Saudi Arabia.
To investigate whether the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has had any effects on pediatric vaccination rates at the main university hospital in Saudi Arabia. ⋯ The huge impact of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic on childhood vaccinations will require urgent vaccination recovery plans with innovative approaches and future action plans to maintain vaccination coverage during any subsequent pandemics.
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Comparative Study
Acute cardiac injury is associated with adverse outcomes, including mortality in COVID-19 patients. A single-center experience.
To evaluate acute cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients and its association with adverse outcomes including mortality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population. ⋯ Acute cardiac injury is common among Coronavirus disease-19 patients. These patients present with higher comorbidities, have high inflammatory markers and have greater risk for in-hospital multi-organ damage, need for mechanical ventilation, and death. Prompt full assessment and intervention are recommended.