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aimani,5 Anas Alghamdi,6 Sarah S Alharbi,7 Eman Balahmar,8 Ammar S Alhothali,9 Rahaf Hashim Alsharif,10 Naif A Jalal,1 Hatim Makhdoom111Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3Research and Innovation Center, King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 4Basira Center for Health Research Training and Consulting, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 5Health Promotion and Education Department, Faculty of Public Health and Health Informatics, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 6Faculty of Dental Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 7Faculty of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 8College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 9Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 10Department of Nursing, King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 11Department of Laboratory Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Fadi S Qashqari, Tel +966 553552660, Email [email protected] Background: This research evaluated the most visible symptoms associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines among residents in Makkah of Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 among a representative sample of residents receiving COVID-19 vaccination at King Abdullah Medical City, ‏Al Ukayshiyyah, and Umm Al-Qura University vaccination centers. A total of 805 participants selected by a census sampling method were included. Data regarding characteristics, medical history, and post-vaccination symptoms were obtained with an interview-based questionnaire.Results: The participants' mean age was 25.20 ± 15.5 years. Of them, 61.7% and 38.3% received one and two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, respectively. 2.2% have an allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. 25.3% were infected with COVID-19, 23% were infected before the first dose, and only 1.6% were infected after the first dose. Significant statistical associations were found between males and females in smoking status, age, body mass index, history of diabetes mellitus, and types of COVID-19 vaccines (P-value < 0.05). After adjustment for confounding variables, male participants had lower odds of having swelling, redness, or pain at the injection site, muscle or joint pain, headache, dizziness, and nausea compared to female participants [OR = 0.596, 95% CI = (0.388– 0.916)], [OR = 0.272, 95% CI = (0.149– 0.495)], [OR = 0.529, 95% CI = (0.338– 0.828)], [OR = 0.263, 95% CI = (0.125– 0.554)], and [OR = 0.145, 95% CI = (0.31– 0.679), P < 0.05 for all], respectively.Conclusion: The female participants may have a higher risk of post-COVID-19 vaccination symptoms than males among Makkah residents of Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) increased the demand for intensive care unit (ICU) services. Mortality and morbidity rates among ICU COVID-19 patients are affected by several factors, such as severity, comorbidities, and coinfections. In this study, we describe the demographic characteristics of COVID-19 patients admitted to an ICU in Saudi Arabia, and we determined the predictors for mortality and prolonged ICU length of stay. Additionally, we determined the prevalence of bacterial coinfection and its effect on the outcomes for ICU COVID-19 patients.Methods: We retrospectively studied the medical records of 142 COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU at a tertiary hospital in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Data on demographics, medical history, mortality, length of stay, and presence of coinfection were collected for each patient.Results: Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and intubation were reliable predictors of mortality and ICU length of stay among these ICU COVID-19 patients. Moreover, bacterial coinfections were detected in 23.2% of the patients and significantly (p < 0.001) prolonged their ICU length of stay, explaining the 10% increase in the length of stay for these patients. Furthermore, mortality reached 70% among the coinfected patients, and 60.8% of the isolated coinfecting pathogens were multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus.Conclusion: Increased NLR and intubation are predictors of mortality and prolonged length of stay in COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU. Coinfection with MDR bacterial strains potentially results in complications and is a high-risk factor for prolonged ICU length of stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is relevant to several chronic human diseases, from digestive diseases to renal, metabolic, and cancer diseases. H. pylori infections and chronic kidney diseases are in increasing, global records; if not well controlled in a specific population, these diseases might lead to more clinical complications. Methods: In this retrospective study, we investigated the prevalence of acute H. pylori infections among 127 dialysis patients via subjecting their serums to the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect the human Immunoglobulin M (IgM) against H. pylori infections. Samples were from dialysis patients in a single hemodialysis center in Medina, Saudi Arabia, from January to August 2021. Results: Our results indicated the significant prevalence of H. pylori acute infections among 33.1% of renal failure patients recruited in this study, chi-squared: 14.559, p-value: 0.0001. In addition, no significant occurrence of acute H. pylori infection among males and females, chi-squared: 1.823, p-value: 0.177. Furthermore, the prevalence of acute H. pylori infection was not significant in different age groups of renal failure patients. Chi-squared: 6.803, p-value: 0.147, despite H. pylori-infected cases predominantly represented in patients above 51 years. Moreover, we noticed that hypertension, followed by diabetes, was the most prevalent underlying medical condition among acute infected H. pylori and renal failure patients. Conclusion: We documented the significant prevalence of acute H. pylori infection among renal failure patients. We also highlighted and discussed the possible potential roles of H. pylori in renal failure and other chronic diseases. Routine screening and treatment for acute H. pylori infection for chronic kidney diseases, hypertension, and diabetes patients would positively reduce the bacterium's progressive effects on them. They might even improve the control of these diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]