Digital Ischemia in an Extreme Preterm Infant Treated with Nitroglycerin Patch

Ischemic limb lesions occasionally occur in neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units. Known risk factors include the placement of arterial catheters, arterial punctures to obtain blood samples, and the use of vasoactive/vasopressor medications for hypotension. Prolonged peripheral tissue ischemia may result in serious complications, and successful management depends on early detection, proper assessment, and the institution of appropriate intervention. Currently, there is no standard approach for the management of peripheral tissue ischemia in extreme preterm infants. Topical nitroglycerine use is one of the promising options used to manage ischemic limb injuries in neonates, as demonstrated in several case reports. We report a case of digital ischemia in an extreme preterm infant with no clear risk factors except extreme prematurity, which recovered after topical nitroglycerine therapy.

Assessment of mental health and various strategies among Health Professions' (HP) students: A cross sectional study in King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences

BACKGROUND

The education environment of medical colleges is known to have a burdensome effect on the overall mental health of the students. This study aimed to investigate the immediate impact of the medical education environment on mental health and quality of life among Health Profession students and to identify various coping strategies used by students to mitigate the stress.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An online survey was conducted between April 1 and May 10, 2021, using a validated questionnaire based on DASS-42, employing a snowball sampling technique.

RESULTS

A total of 338 students filled the questionnaire. The respondents had a high level of depression and anxiety scores, categorized as very severe which were significantly different among level of education (P < .05), for example, 88.9% of sixth year students had very severe depression compared to just 37% of first year ones. Gender-wise very severe scores varied from lowest 45.8% to 70.3% with comparable results for both males and females. Additionally, more than 30% of the students listed that the amount of material to be covered, lack of time to study the material to be tested, heavy demand to study, concern about trying to learn all the content, and competitiveness among students to be the top reason which affect their mental state of mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identifies the need to provide the free professional and psychological services to help cope with stress to the health profession students.

Incidence of Inborn Errors of Metabolism in Newborn Infants: Five Years' Single-Center Experience, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) are inherited biochemical/metabolic disorders that are commonly present in the immediate neonatal period. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence and distribution of IEMs in newborn infants delivered in our hospital and to evaluate its outcome. A total of 16 494 (99.9%) newborn infants were screened for IEMs. We found 29 newborn infants diagnosed with IEMs, representing an incidence of 1 per ~569 live births and a cumulative incidence of 176 per 100 000 live births of the IEM-positive newborn infants. We detected 11 different types of IEMs, and the top 6 categories were endocrinopathies followed by carbohydrates disorders, vitamin-responsive disorders, organic acid defects, and ketogenesis and ketolysis defects. This study does reflect upon the importance of educating the general population about the perils of Consanguineous Marriages (CMs) in order to reduce related disorders significantly, especially in families who have a history of IEMs.

Jeddah Retinopathy of Prematurity (JED-ROP) Screening Algorithm

Background. The Jeddah retinopathy of prematurity (JED-ROP) algorithm, which is more specific to the population in Saudi Arabia, was established to decrease the number of infants screened without missing type 1 ROP cases. Methods. The data reviewed were birth weight (BW), gestational age (GA), weekly postnatal weight gain (PWG), and relevant perinatal risk factors. The sensitivities and specificities for detecting type 1 ROP were calculated. Results. Of the 502 infants included in the study, 148 developed ROP. The JED-ROP algorithm demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 38.9% specificity for recommending the screening of infants with GA ≤30 weeks and BW <1501 g and blood transfused <6 weeks and/or 3-week PWG <100 g in the type 1 ROP group. Conclusion. The JED-ROP algorithm can reduce the number of infants requiring ROP screening by 35.7% without missing type 1 ROP. The algorithm can be an adjunct to current national screening guidelines.

Clinical and diagnostic characteristics of complex III mitopathy due to novel BCS1L gene mutation in a Saudi patient

Background

Of the many types of mitochondrial diseases, mutations affecting BCS1L gene are regarded as chief cause of the defective mitochondrial complex-III, affecting normal mitochondrial functioning, and leading to wide variety of phenotypes.

Case presentation

In this case report we describe a novel genotype linked to a unique phenotype in a Saudi patient born of a consanguineous marriage. Detailed genetic analysis and whole genome sequencing identified a novel homozygous missense mutation in exon 5 c.712A > G (p.Ser328Gly) of the BCS1L gene, with predicted deleterious effects on the functioning AAA⁺-ATPase domain of the protein characterized by distinct clinical presentation associated with profound multisystem involvement, conductive hearing loss, absent external auditory canal, low posterior hair line, short neck, micro and retrognathia, over riding fingers, rocker bottom foot, small phallus with bilateral absent testis (empty scrotum) and intolerable lactic acidosis.

Conclusions

A pathogenic effect of this novel BCS1L mutation was reflected in the patient with his failure to thrive and a complex clinical and metabolic phenotype.

Hyaluronate levels and markers of oxidative stress in the serum of Sudanese subjects at risk of infection with Schistosoma mansoni

We showed previously that infection by Schistosoma mansoni not only triggers the production of reactive oxygen species in mouse liver but also leads to the alteration of antioxidant defences. To determine whether such events occur in humans, we measured the serum markers of oxidative stress, i.e., lipid peroxides and protein carbonyl, as well as hyaluronate levels in subjects in the Managil area of the Sudan. Grades of fibrosis were determined by ultrasonographic examination. Two groups were used as controls, one Sudanese and the other European. We found that Sudanese subjects in the endemic area differed from the control groups, both Sudanese and European, insofar as they had higher levels of the serum metabolites measured. The latter increased with the grade of fibrosis. Moreover, protein carbonyl and hyaluronic acid levels correlated positively with lipid peroxide levels. These findings indicate that oxidative stress might contribute to S. mansoni-associated pathology in man. The serum markers considered in our study, obtained by relatively simple techniques, may provide a useful biochemical index for the identification of almost asymptomatic patients who, however, are at risk of developing severe schistosomiasis.

Utility of various clinical, noninvasive, and invasive procedures for determining the causes of recurrence of myocardial ischemia or infarction > or = 1 year after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

In patients with recurrent symptoms > or = 1 year after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), the decision of whether to proceed directly with coronary angiography or to evaluate the patient noninvasively can be difficult. To determine which demographic, historical, clinical, and laboratory factors are useful in helping to make this decision, 76 consecutive patients who presented > 1 year (768 +/- 309 days) after successful PTCA with resolution of symptoms were studied. The initial PTCA successfully treated all stenoses (except chronically occluded vessels) in all major vessels and segments. The patient group was predominantly men (68%), with a mean age of 64 +/- 10 years. A prior myocardial infarction was present in 39 patients (51%), and there was a mean of 2.8 risk factors per patient. In patients who presented with recurrent symptoms, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society functional class was 2.0 +/- 0.9; 2 patients presented with acute infarctions, 57 were admitted to the hospital with unstable angina, and 17 had stable angina. New electrocardiographic changes at rest were found in 19 of 74 patients (26%) with recurrent angina. A thallium stress test was performed in 40 patients (53%), with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 36% for the presence of a significant stenosis. No nonangiographic variable was predictive of angiographic findings. At angiography, the number of coronary arteries with > or = 50% diameter narrowing was 1.4 +/- 1.0. Forty-two patients had stenosis at a new site, 7 had restenosis, and 27 had no new stenoses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)