Nosocomial Pathogens in Clinical Laboratory Departments of Various Hospitals in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Workers in clinical laboratories are exposed to occupational hazards on a daily basis and their health and safety may be threatened if appropriate protective standards are not implemented. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practices of clinical laboratory workers towards biosafety measures, in Al-Madinah city, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: Clinical laboratory staff was recruited from both the public and private sectors. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to achieve the aim of the study. Results: A total of 208 workers participated in the study (64% were males, 57% were from the public sector and 71% held a BSc degree). About 68% of the workers were trained in laboratory safety. The majority (> 80%) followed guidelines for disposing medical wastes, decontamination of sample spills, and use of protective lab coats, gloves, etc. However, among participants, 24.2% used to eat, drink or use gum, 18.3% used cosmetics and 24.6% used the mobile phone in the lab. About 18.4% reported that they continued working with a finger cut, whereas 67% reported that they used to recap needles after blood withdrawal. These unacceptable behaviors were associated with lack of lab safety training (P < 0.05), biology degree holders (P < 0.05), and low experience (3 years and less, P < 0.01). With respect to facilities, most of the laboratories complied with standard safety measures. Conclusion: The majority of the sample showed good laboratory practices with respect to safety measures. However, some behaviors are not accepted and need interventions

Download Full-text

Patterns of Macrolide Resistance Determinants among S. pyogenes and S. pneumoniae Isolates in Saudi Arabia

Journal of International Medical Research ◽

10.1177/147323000503300310 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 349-355 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

AM Shibl

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Respiratory Infection ◽

Streptococcus Pyogenes ◽

Susceptibility Testing ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Resistance Mechanism ◽

Macrolide Resistance ◽

National Committee ◽

Resistance Determinants ◽

Level Resistance

In the study we characterized the macrolide sensitivity of recent clinical isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes and S. pneumoniae collected from major Saudi Arabian hospitals. Susceptibility testing was performed using standard National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards methodology on 335 S. pyogenes and 350 S. pneumoniae isolates. Macrolide resistance mechanism phenotypes were identified using double-disk diffusion. All S. pyogenes were penicillin sensitive, while 6.3% were macrolide resistant, the main mechanism of which was of M phenotype (96%). Approximately 51% of S. pneumoniae were penicillin non-susceptible. Macrolide resistance in S. pneumoniae accounted for 18.8%, the majority of which were M phenotype (91%). Low-level resistance mediated by mef-bearing strains predominated. Newer macrolides, including azithromycin, are still considered drugs of choice for empirical treatment of respiratory infection in such circumstances.

Download Full-text

Lumbar Puncture in Saudi Arabia: Knowledge, Awareness, Acceptance and its Refusal Among Health Professionals

International Journal of Translational Medical Research and Public Health ◽

10.21106/ijtmrph.133 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 56-63

Author(s):

Amani A. Alrehaili

Keyword(s):

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Side Effects ◽

Lumbar Puncture ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Acceptance Rate ◽

Medical Laboratory ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Lumbar puncture (LP) is a standard technique to acquire cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for either diagnostic or therapeutic management of neurological disorders. This study assesses the awareness and level of acceptance of LP among medical laboratory students. The study also investigates the level of understanding of the purpose of performing LP and determines the acceptance rate among the study population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Taif, Saudi Arabia, using an online questionnaire distributed among medical laboratory students attending the College of Applied Medical Sciences at Taif University. Of over 200 questionnaires distributed, 176 students responded. The questionnaire queried students’ socio-demographic information, their knowledge, acceptance rate, and possible complications and precautions concerning LP. A univariate analysis was performed. RESULTS: The study showed that 81.8% of participants were aware of LP. About 53.6% of participants received their information from their education. The participants’ understanding of the side effects and precautions surrounding LP operations was significantly high at 87.5% and 72.7%, respectively. In all, 65.9% of participants reported their acceptance compared to 34.1% of participants who did not accept LP. In contrast, about 72.7% of participants preferred not to do LP, even if the LP was prescribed by their doctor. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSLATION: The study showed high knowledge of the purpose, process, and duration of the LP procedure among clinical laboratory students. The key reasons for the LP’s rejection in the majority of participants were fear of injection and side effects, including paralysis. This research demonstrated the need to raise awareness of LP using methods such as social media, academic seminars and training courses. Key words: Lumbar puncture; Cerebrospinal fluid; Taif; Saudi Arabia; Medical laboratory students. Copyright © 2020 Alrehaili. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Download Full-text

Clinical Determinants and Predictors for Prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 Infected Pediatric Patients in Saudi Arabia

10.1101/2021.07.28.21261284 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Khalid Mohamed Adam ◽

Bahaeldin K Elamin ◽

Jaber A Al-Faifi ◽

Mohammed Abbas

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Retrospective Study ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Pediatric Patients ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Measurement Data ◽

Female Gender ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Protective Role ◽

Severe Illness

Background The significant variations in clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID 19 that range from asymptomatic to severe fatal illness entail searching for potential prognostic determinants to help predict the disease course and early detection of patients at risk of developing life-threatening complications. Although children are less commonly infected by SARS CoV 2 than their adult counterparts, and their symptoms are generally milder, a severe type of COVID-19 cannot be precluded. Methods At first, demographic, clinical, laboratory measurement data, and outcomes for 26 COVID 19 infected children of less than 12 years of age, admitted to King Abdallah Hospital, Bisha, Saudi Arabia, were retrieved from the electronic medical records for the observational retrospective study. Later, electronic and manual database searches were carried out for pediatric severe COVID 19 related articles. The relevant data from 20 eligible studies and the present retrospective study were analyzed to assess the association of demographic characteristics and comorbidities with COVID-19 severity. Results In the retrospective study, 5 (19%) of the children presented with severe symptoms admitted to PICU, 18 (69%) presented with cough, 5 (19%) with diarrhea, 7 (27%) with underlying comorbidities, 4 (15%) with respiratory illnesses, 3 (12%) with cardiovascular diseases and 2 (8%) were obese. None of the patient characteristics showed any significant association with COVID-19 severity. Of the 21 studies selected for meta-analyses, 14 studies were included in the analysis of the association between any comorbidity and disease severity, resulting in OR: 2.69, 95%CI: 1.38, 5.26, P < 0.05, for analysis of the association between cardiovascular comorbidities and disease severity 14 studies were included giving OR: 4.06, 95%CI: 1.86 , 8.87, P < 0.05, for analysis of the association between respiratory comorbidity and disease severity 15 studies were included giving OR: 2.05, 95%CI: 1.54 , 2.74, P < 0.05, for analysis of the association between obesity and disease severity 10 studies were included, giving OR: 2.48, 95%CI: 1.16 , 5.32, P < 0.05, for analysis of the association between age <10 years old and diseases severity, 16 studies were included, giving OR: 0.80, 95%CI: 0.65, 0.97, P < 0.05, and for analysis of the association between female gender and disease severity, 19 studies were included, giving OR: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.59, 1.18, P > 0.05. Conclusion It can be concluded that COVID-19 pediatric patients with underlying comorbidities, being cardiovascular, respiratory, or obesity, are at high risk of developing severe illness, and young age has a protective role against the disease severity.

Download Full-text

Clinical and Laboratory Findings of COVID-19 in High-Altitude Inhabitants of Saudi Arabia

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2021.670195 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Mostafa Abdelsalam ◽

Raad M. M. Althaqafi ◽

Sara A. Assiri ◽

Taghreed M. Althagafi ◽

Saleh M. Althagafi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

High Altitude ◽

Sea Level ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Severe Form ◽

Laboratory Findings ◽

Charlson Comorbidity Score ◽

Comorbidity Scores ◽

Severity Of The Disease ◽

Laboratory Biomarkers

Background: SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, continues to cause a worldwide pandemic, with more than 147 million being affected globally as of this writing. People's responses to COVID-19 range from asymptomatic to severe, and the disease is sometimes fatal. Its severity is affected by different factors and comorbidities of the infected patients. Living at a high altitude could be another factor that affects the severity of the disease in infected patients.Methods: In the present study, we have analyzed the clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings of COVID-19-infected patients in Taif, a high-altitude region of Saudi Arabia. In addition, we compared matched diseased subjects to those living at sea level. We hypothesized that people living in high-altitude locations are prone to develop a more severe form of COVID-19 than those living at sea level.Results: Age and a high Charlson comorbidity score were associated with increased numbers of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and mortality among COVID-19 patients. These ICU admissions and fatalities were found mainly in patients with comorbidities. Rates of leukocytosis, neutrophilia, higher D-dimer, ferritin, and highly sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly higher in ICU patients. CRP was the most independent of the laboratory biomarkers found to be potential predictors of death. COVID-19 patients who live at higher altitude developed a less severe form of the disease and had a lower mortality rate, in comparison to matched subjects living at sea level.Conclusion: CRP and Charlson comorbidity scores can be considered predictive of disease severity. People living at higher altitudes developed less severe forms of COVID-19 disease than those living at sea level, due to a not-yet-known mechanism.

Download Full-text

Demand management and optimization of clinical laboratory services in a tertiary referral center in Saudi Arabia

Annals of Saudi Medicine ◽

10.5144/0256-4947.2018.299 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 299-304 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thomas F. Morris ◽

Tracy Louise Ellison ◽

Maysoon Mutabagani ◽

Sahar Isa Althawadi ◽

Martin Heppenheimer

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Demand Management ◽

Tertiary Referral ◽

Tertiary Referral Center ◽

Referral Center ◽

Laboratory Services

Download Full-text

Knowledge about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance among health-related students in a Saudi University

The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries ◽

10.3855/jidc.12329 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (07) ◽

pp. 925-933

Author(s):

Zafar Akbar ◽

Nahed Alquwez ◽

Abdulellah Alsolais ◽

Suhas Kaniyarakkal Thazha ◽

Mohammad Dabeer Ahmad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Learning Needs ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Academic Level ◽

Factors Influencing

Introduction: Antibiotic resistance is a threat to public health and safety globally. The inadequate undergraduate education on antibiotic stewardship may contribute to the clinical malpractice of antibiotics, causing serious consequences toward patient health. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of future healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia on antibiotics, antibiotic use, and antibiotic resistance. The factors influencing the students’ knowledge were also determined. Methodology: A cross-sectional study using a survey questionnaire was carried out among 284 Clinical Laboratory Science, Nursing, and Pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia from January to April 2019. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify the factors influencing the students’ knowledge regarding antibiotics, antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. Results: The study found that students have above-average knowledge of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, whereas their knowledge of antibiotic use was inadequate. Several factors, including gender, program, academic level, awareness about antibiotic resistance, attendance to seminars/training, and belief on the seriousness of antibiotic resistance problem, affect students’ knowledge. The findings suggest that the knowledge of students in these areas should be improved. Conclusions: Misconceptions are prominent in certain areas, such as in the concept of antibiotics and their uses. The findings prompt immediate interventions to improve students’ knowledge of antibiotics and resistance. Curricular contents must be reviewed and enhanced to suit the specific learning needs of students in terms of these concepts.

Download Full-text