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Background and aimHeart failure is still a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Assist devices are reserved for advanced heart failure patients with no other therapeutic options.We aim in this paper to describe the characteristics and outcome of Lebanese left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients.ResultsFrom 2010 till December 2019, 78 patients were implanted with assist devices at the Beirut cardiac Institute, 82 pumps were used. To the most recent follow up after 10 years, 26 patients died (34%). 24 patients of 35 (68%) survived more than 5 years. Seven patients only (9%) died during one month of surgery. One year mortality was 19% (15 patients). The leading cause of early mortality was infection, whereas cerebrovascular accidents CVA were the leading cause of late mortality. Pump thrombosis occurred in 12% of the cases. The most serious long term complication was haemorrhagic CVA. Only seven patients (9%) received heart transplantation, with a mean time on support prior to transplantation of 1303 ± 213 days.ConclusionIn this manuscript we reported the characteristics and outcome of the largest population of LVAD patients in Lebanon. The survival rate was 81% at one year. These findings were comparable to the international registries except for rates of heart transplantation. More efforts should be made to encourage organ donation in Lebanon.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The WASID study established the risk of subsequent ischemic stroke at 1 year in subjects with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (70%–99%) at 18%. The efficacy of different methods of endovascular revascularization in stroke prevention still has not been established. We compared the stroke rate in our registry at 1 year following intervention with the WASID results to identify which method, if any, provides the most benefit in stroke prevention. This result from the BMC-IRR follows a previously published article comparing stent placement and angioplasty outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We maintained a nonrandomized single-center single-operator registry of consecutive symptomatic patients who underwent endovascular intracranial revascularization. Data were collected prospectively and retrospectively and analyzed retrospectively. Patients were treated with angioplasty, BMS, or self-expanding WS. To make our data comparable with that in the WASID study, we selected patients with a single lesion of 50%–99% stenosis undergoing a single intervention. Data was collected on patients until symptom recurrence, repeat intervention, or 1 year postintervention, whichever occurred first. RESULTS: We found that 115 patients fit the inclusion criteria, with 38 angioplasty, 28 BMS, and 49 WS cases. For patients with 70%–99% stenosis, the overall probability of stroke at 1 year postintervention was 19.3%. The overall stroke probability per device, independent of clinical presentation, was 12.5% for angioplasty, 20.2% for BMS, and 24.1% for WS. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the WASID data, angioplasty appears to have a lower stroke rate after 1 year than medical therapy alone. However, neither stent-placement arm compared favorably with the WASID results.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It is important to try to clarify the methodology of vertebroplasty such as amount of cement needed, how many needles to use and the significance of cement extravasation. This prospective study evaluated the potential of vertebroplasty to increase the likelihood of an adjacent vertebral compression fracture (VCF) 1 year or less after vertebroplasty, the correlation between the cement volumes injected and pain relief, and the consequences of cement extravasation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pain relief and the incidence of a subsequent fracture of adjacent vertebrae 1 year or less after vertebroplasty were evaluated in 357 patients (660 vertebrae) of mean age 77.5 years with osteoporotic VCFs. The correlation between cement volume and pain relief was assessed with a Pearson correlation coefficient; factors potentially predictive of subsequent adjacent VCFs were explored by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Refracture of any vertebrae (adjacent or nonadjacent to the primary fracture) occurred in 18% of the patients 1 year or less after vertebroplasty. Refracture of adjacent vertebrae occurred 1 year or less after vertebroplasty in 12% of the patients. Neither cement volume nor extravasation of cement into the intravertebral disk was a significant predictor of adjacent VCFs. No correlation was found between cement volume and pain relief (r = −0.029). Extravasation of cement into the veins, soft tissue, or disk was observed in 33% of all of the treated VCFs and resulted in no complications. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of an adjacent VCF 1 year or less after vertebroplasty was comparable with that expected for untreated osteoporotic VCFs. Neither the volume of cement injected nor extravasation of cement into the intravertebral disk affected the likelihood of subsequent adjacent VCFs. Cement volume did not correlate with pain relief.

Objectives: To evaluate the nutritional status, to screen for the presence of malnutrition, and to study the possible risk factors associated with malnutrition in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional review of medical records of all diagnosed CF patients in the Pediatric Department, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, between January 1984 and May 2015 was conducted. Demographic and anthropometric data were collected from records of last visit to CF clinic. Nutritional status and risk factors of malnutrition were assessed. Results: All records of 109 CF patients were reviewed. Forty-seven pediatric patients were included in the study. All included patients were on pancreatic enzyme replacement and 42 (89%) received high-calorie supplementation. Growth failure was noted in 34 (72%) patients, 19 (56%) were wasted and stunted, 8 (23.5%) were wasted only, and 7 (20.5%) were stunted. Low birth weight ( p =0.032), and the presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) ( p =0.039) were the significant risk factors for malnutrition. Conclusions: Most CF patients in Bahrain (72%) are malnourished. Low birth weight and the presence of GERD are risk factors. Saudi Med J 2016; Vol. 37 (3): 293-298 doi: 10.15537/smj.2016.3.13476 How to cite this article Isa HM, Al-Ali LF, Mohamed AM. Growth assessment and risk factors of malnutrition in children with cystic fibrosis. Saudi Med J 2016; 37: 293-298.

Myiasis is the infestation by dipterous larvae of the tissues of humans, other mammals and some other vertebrates, most commonly affecting cutaneous tissues close to natural orifices or wounds. Suc...

ObjectiveTo detect the incidence of cryptosporidial infection in children presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms at the local hospital in Kuwait.MethodsOver a period of 3 years, September 1995 to August 1997, a single fecal sample from 3549 children was analyzed by modified saframin-methylene blue (SM-B) staining and a direct immunofluorescence test for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts.ResultsCryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 51 (10%) children with diarrhea. Prevalence was highest (73%) in children >2 years of age compared with children

The reference total serum immunoglobulin (IgE) values and the usefulness of total IgE values in the diagnosis of allergy have not been established for the Kuwaiti population. The literature reference values may not be applicable since such values often vary among ethnic nationalities.The aim of this study was to establish the reference IgE values for the young adult Kuwaiti population and to determine the usefulness of such values in the diagnosis of allergic diseases in the community.A total of 1057 randomly selected young adults were screened for atopy using the Pharmacia CAP-PhadiatopR method. Atopy was detected in 423 individuals (40.0%). Total serum IgE was then measured in 542 randomly selected Phadiatop-negative (non-atopic) cases in the age range 18-50 years (mean 28.9 years) and male:female ratio of 1.3.Serum total IgE values in non-atopics covered a very wide range (2-1993 kU/L) with a geometric mean (GM) value of 43.7 kU/L. The reference range, calculated as the 95% confidence interval of the log IgE (95% CI) was 3.2-602.5 kU/L. The 90% CI was 11.7-162 kU/L. The GM was significantly higher for males than females, (53.7 vs. 35.5 kU/L, P0.001) and for smokers than non-smokers, (64.6 vs. 40.7 kU/L, P0.01), but was independent of age. Although the GM for the non-atopics (43.7 kU/L) was significantly lower than those of the asymptomatic atopics (213.8 kU/L) and allergic asthmatics (626.6 kU/L), the 95% CI for the three groups showed considerable overlap.These results show that the normal total IgE values in the young adult Kuwaiti population are generally high and that the distribution of the values is so wide that the diagnostic value of total serum IgE in this community is likely to be very limited.

We report for the first time four cases of ophthalmomyiasis due to the larvae of Oestrus ovis in Kuwait, before and after Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The larvae were easily removed under local anaesthetic. The symptom complex of acute foreign body sensation, irritation, redness, lacrimation and photophobia resolved rapidly. Ophthalmic antibiotic and corticosteroid drops were also instilled and recovery was uneventful. The ophthalmomyiasis may not always be associated with contact with sheep-rearing per se. Medical personnel should therefore be aware that in cases of what might appear initially as acute, non-specific catarrhal conjunctivitis, patients with the persistent symptom complex should be re-examined to exclude ophthalmomyiasis due to the larvae of O. ovis in endemic areas.

During a 9-month hospital-based survey, the intestinal parasite Blastocystis hominis was detected in high numbers (five or more organisms per oil immersion field) in faecal specimens from 39 (2%) of 1960 children under 13 years old. Abdominal pain or discomfort with or without diarrhoea was present in 32 children categorized as acute (14), subacute (7) or chronic (11) cases with respective mean ages of 6.4, 7.3 and 8.7 years. They included three with other enteropathogens (Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium sp. or Hymenolepis nana). The remaining seven children had no gastrointestinal symptoms. The 14 acute cases (symptoms duration 1-11 days) were characterized by cramp-like abdominal pain, watery diarrhoea and vomiting. The seven subacute (3-4 weeks) and 11 chronic (3-12 months) cases presented with abdominal discomfort and/or loose non-watery stools. Four complained of flatus and eosinophilia was noted in six. All symptoms resolved with eradication of B. hominis or reduction to low numbers after metronidazole chemotherapy (28 cases) or with no treatment (four cases). This study would appear to support the role of the parasite as an enteropathogen in some children. A case control study is clearly needed to clarify the status of B. hominis as a pathogen.

During an 18 months' survey of children admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis, oocysts of the protozoan Cryptosporidium were detected in 35 cases (1.6% of the total 2205 surveyed). The affected children (age range 5 months to 8 years; mean 34.2 months) were immunocompetent, and had green and offensive watery diarrhoea. Vomiting (94%) with dehydration (80%), fever (66%) and abdominal pain (26%) were major clinical features of the diarrhoeal illness which lasted a mean 8.2 (range 3-14) days. Five children were infected with other enteropathogens. The illness was self-limiting in all cases and none were excreting oocysts 2 weeks after cessation of diarrhoea. Peak incidence occurred during the months of March and April, with no cases during the hottest months of July and August. There was no known contact with animals or pets; 4 children had other siblings affected and 2 conformed to cases of travellers' diarrhoea. The significance of cryptosporidiosis in Kuwait and the need for epidemiological studies are discussed.

During a 3-month pilot study, we identified ten children with cryptosporidiosis; they all presented with diarrhoea, most also with fever, vomiting and dehydration. For diagnosis, the formalin-acetate concentrate of the stool, and direct smears were stained for oocysts in safranin-methylene blue (S-MB). The negative staining of oocysts in trichrome-stained specimens was indicative and was confirmed by destaining and restaining in S-MB. Constraints contributing to the absence of reports from the Arabian Gulf were the lack of awareness of Cryptosporidium sp. as a cause of diarrhoea in children, inappropriate laboratory diagnostic techniques and, possibly, the initial referral of patients to polyclinics where mild cases may go undetected. Contaminated drinking water and close contact with domestic animals are possible modes of transmission of Cryptosporidium sp. but further studies are recommended to confirm this.