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Thamer A Almangour,1 Leen Ghonem,2 Ahmad Aljabri,2 Alya Alruwaili,3 Mohammed Al Musawa,4 Nader Damfu,5 Mesfer S Almalki,6 Majda Alattas,4 Hossam Abed,4 Doaa Naeem,5 Nawaf Almalki,5 Abdullah A Alhifany7 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia; 2Clinical Pharmacy Services, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Infectious Diseases Services, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Pharmaceutical Care Division, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 5Pharmaceutical Care Department, King Abdul Aziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 6Pharmaceutical Services, Security Forces Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Thamer A Almangour, Email talmangour@ksu.edu.sa.comBackground: The aim of this study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) to colistin-based regimen in the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE).Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter, observational cohort study of inpatients who received either CAZ-AVI or intravenous colistin for treatment of infections due to CRE. The study was conducted in 5 tertiary care hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Main study outcomes included in-hospital mortality, clinical cure at end of treatment, and acute kidney injury (AKI). Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression model were conducted to assess the independent impact of CAZ-AVI on the clinical outcome.Results: A total of 230 patients were included in this study: 149 patients received CAZ-AVI and 81 patients received colistin-based regimen. Clinical cure (71% vs 52%; P = 0.004; OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.31– 4.01) was significantly more common in patients who received CAZ-AVI. After adjusting the difference between the two groups, treatment with CAZ-AVI is independently associated with clinical cure (adjusted OR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.28– 5.91). In-hospital mortality (35% vs 44%; P = 0.156; OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.39– 1.16) was lower in patients who received CAZ-AVI but the difference was not significant. AKI (15% vs 33%; P = 0.002; OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.19– 0.69) was significantly less common in patients who received CAZ-AVI.Conclusion: CAZ-AVI is associated with higher rate of clinical cure and lower rate of AKI compared to colistin. Our findings support the preferential use of CAZ-AVI over colistin-based regimen for treating these infections.Keywords: ceftazidime-avibactam, colistin, colistimethate sodium, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales

The Saudi Society of Clinical Pharmacy (SSCP) is a scientific and professional society in the field of clinical pharmacy that operates under the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties governance. The SSCP believes that there is a need to define and describe many aspects related to the clinical pharmacy profession in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, there is an increasing demand for promoting the concept of clinical pharmacy and developing a consensus regarding the scope of practice and clinical pharmacist's required postgraduate education and training in Saudi Arabia. This paper is intended to present several position statements by the SSCP that define the concept of clinical pharmacy, describe the required education and training, and highlight clinical pharmacists' scope of practice in Saudi Arabia. This paper calls for further investigations that examine the impact of clinical pharmacists on individual and population health levels.

Introduction As the number of unemployment among pharmacy graduates increases, the Saudi Ministry of Labor implemented extra measures to facilitate their training and hiring by the private sectors. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of data regarding pharmacy graduates’ work readiness (WR). Hence, we aim to assess their WR and identify predicting factors associated with WR among pharmacy graduates’ in Saudi Arabia. Methods A 46-item self-reported pre-validated anonymous work readiness scale (WRS) survey with a 5-point Likert scale was administered to pharmacy senior students and graduates using Qualtrics XM® survey tool over the month of May 2020. The main outcome was to assess WRS for pharmacy interns and graduates and identify factors associated with work readiness. Results A total of 617 participants have participated in this survey, out of which 46.5% were freshly graduated pharmacists and 19.6% were pharmacy interns. Most participants (82.3%) were PharmD candidates or graduates. Around two-third of participants (63%) have successfully completed all survey items. The maximum points scored was 223 out of 230, and the median overall score was found to be 175. There was no significant association with gender, age, or type of university regarding overall scores. However, a statistically significant odds ratio was observed with PharmD program type and previous pharmaceutical marketing training (OR = 1.778, 95% CI = 1.143–2.765: OR = 0.618, 95% CI = 0.432–0.884, respectively). Conclusion The overall median score shows a good work readiness level among pharmacy students/graduates in Saudi Arabia; however, PharmD program graduates exposed to advance pharmacy training, including the pharmaceutical marketing experience, have higher work readiness odds than Bpharm graduates. Further studies involving other related perspectives, such as stakeholders, employers, and preceptors, would give a clear image of pharmacy graduates’ job readiness levels.

Objective To compare the effectiveness and safety of aerosolized (AER) plus intravenous (IV) colistin with IV colistin alone in patients with nosocomial pneumonia (NP) due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of adults with NP who received IV colistin alone or in combination with AER colistin. The primary endpoint was clinical cure at end of therapy. Secondary endpoints included microbiological eradication, in-hospital mortality and nephrotoxicity. Results In total, 135 patients were included in this study: 65 patients received AER plus IV colistin and 70 patients received IV colistin alone. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. Clinical cure was achieved in 42 (65%) patients who received AER plus IV colistin and 26 (37%) patients who received IV colistin alone (P = 0.01). Among a total of 88 patients who were microbiologically evaluable, 27 (42%) patients who received AER plus IV colistin and 12 (17%) patients who received IV colistin alone attained favourable microbiological outcomes (P = 0.022). In-hospital mortality (43% vs 59%, P = 0.072) was higher in patients who received IV colistin alone, but the difference was not significant. Renal injury occurred in 31% of patients who received AER plus IV colistin and in 41% of patients who received IV colistin alone (P = 0.198). Conclusion AER colistin can be considered as salvage therapy as an adjunct to IV administration for the treatment of patients with NP due to MDR Gram-negative pathogens.

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies have investigated medication errors in hospitals in Saudi Arabia; however, prevalence data on prescribing errors and associated factors remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: Assess the prevalence, type, severity, and factors associated with prescribing errors. DESIGN: Retrospective database review. SETTING: Large tertiary care setting in Riyadh. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We described and analyzed data related to prescribing errors in adults (>14 years of age) from the Medication Error Electronic Report Forms database for the two-year period from January 2017 to December 2018. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The prevalence of prescribing errors and associated factors among adult patients. SAMPLE SIZE: 315 166 prescriptions screened. RESULTS: Of the total number of inpatient and outpatient prescriptions screened, 4934 prescribing errors were identified for a prevalence of 1.56%. The most prevalent types of prescribing errors were improper dose (n=1516; 30.7%) and frequency (n=987; 20.0%). Two-thirds of prescribing errors did not cause any harm to patients. Most prescribing errors were made by medical residents (n=2577; 52%) followed by specialists (n=1629; 33%). Prescribing errors were associated with a lack of documenting clinical information (adjusted odds ratio: 14.1; 95% CI 7.7-16.8, P P CONCLUSION: Inadequate documentation in electronic health records and prescribing of anti-infective medications were the most common factors for predicting prescribing errors. Future studies should focus on testing innovative measures to control these factors and their impact on minimizing prescribing errors. LIMITATIONS: Polypharmacy was not considered; the data are from a single healthcare system. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.

Purpose To assess the efficacy and safety of topical application of clotrimazole versus others in the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC). Method Four electronic databases, registries of ongoing trials, and manual search were used to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the efficacy of clotrimazole to other antifungal agents in patients who were clinically diagnosed with oral candidiasis up to November 1st, 2019. Primary outcomes were clinical response and mycological cure rates. Secondary outcomes include relapse rate, incidence of systemic infections, and compliance. Adverse effects were also evaluated. Results Sixteen RCTs with a total of 1685 patients were included. Half of the eligible studies were considered at high risk of performance bias and more than a third, at high risk of reporting bias. Our analysis showed no significant difference in clinical response between clotrimazole and all other antifungal agents. However, clotrimazole was less effective in terms of mycologic cure and relapse rate. Sensitivity analysis comparing clotrimazole to other topical antifungal agents only showed no differences in clinical response, microbiologic cure or relapse. Further sensitivity analysis showed significant efficacy of fluconazole over clotrimazole. Conclusion This meta-analysis indicated that clotrimazole is less effective than fluconazole but as effective as other topical therapies in treating OPC. Well-designed high-quality RCT is needed to validate these findings.

Introduction Pharmacists, and thus pharmacy students, must participate in promoting awareness about proper storage and disposal of expired or unused medications. This study aimed to determine Saudi Arabian pharmacy students' knowledge and personal practices regarding storing and disposing of household medications. Methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study of pharmacy undergraduates or postgraduates across Saudi Arabia. The online survey was distributed to a convenience sample of participants and supplemented with snowball sampling on social media. Results: Of 807 pharmacy students who viewed the questionnaire, 464 students completed it (response rate 57.5%). Common reasons for keeping medications included having left-over medication (74%) and self-discontinuation of therapy (63.5%). The majority of students (79%) stored their medication in a bedroom or kitchen. Gender-specific variables revealed a gender difference in storing and disposing of these medications. Many students reported previously discarding medicines in the garbage (89%) or giving them to someone else to use (22%). More than half of the sample (60%) had not received any information on how to store or dispose of medications. Conclusions The current practice and knowledge of Saudi Arabian pharmacy students regarding storage and disposal of household medications was inappropriate. Concerned authorities (e.g., Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education) should provide proper education to all students on the safe storage and disposal of medications, which may necessitate curriculum reform.

Purpose Fentanyl poisoning has been widely reported, yet there is a lack of systematic evaluation of the nature and toxicology of associated deaths in the published literature. This article aims to systematically review the nature, causes, routes of administration and toxicology of fentanyl-associated deaths using case studies and case series in peer-reviewed published literature. Methods Four electronic databases including Embase, Medline (via Ovid), Scopus and Google Scholar were searched from inception until October 2019 to identify the studies reporting fentanyl related deaths. Two independent reviewers screened and selected the titles and then evaluated the full texts. Only case studies and case series were included. A structured data extraction tool was used to extract data on the number of deaths, routes of administration, concomitant drug use and toxicological data. The Joanna Briggs Institute quality assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Data were synthesized narratively. Results Of 1251 articles identified during initial search, 8 case reports and 9 case series met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1969 deaths were reported in the included studies. Deaths were concentrated in the north American region (n = 1946) and the Nordic region (n = 22). Reported causes of death included fentanyl overdose (n = 321, 56.4%), mixed drug toxicity (n = 196, 34.5%), natural (n = 28, 4.9%), other drug toxicity (n = 10, 1.8%), fentanyl and ethanol intoxication (n = 8, 1.4%), incidental (n = 5

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are infamous healthcare-associated infections for causing watery diarrhea to long-term hospitalized patients with a high mortality rate. Epidemiological reports from western countries showed up-trending pattern in the number of CDIs cases. It is becoming immensely challenging for routine diagnostic protocols to detect CDIs accurately with short turnaround time. In Saudi Arabia, there is a paucity of data about CDIs’ prevalence, recurrence rate, methods of screening and mortality rate. Nevertheless, a growing number of cases with similar virulence strains and comparable antibiotic resistance pattern to the western countries counterparts reported data were also detected. This review aims to present the status of CDIs’ diagnosis and incidence rate in Saudi Arabia based on current literature.

Background Nosocomial pneumonia (NP) due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative pathogens, has continued to rise over the last several decades. Parenteral administration of colistin results in poor alveolar penetration and subtherapeutic concentration; therefore, direct drug deposition at site of infection may improve the effectiveness while minimizing the systemic exposure. The aim of this study is to describe the safety and effectiveness of inhaled colistin for the treatment of NP caused by MDR Gram-negative pathogens. Method Patients who received inhaled colistin from May 2015 to May 2019 at 2 different tertiary care hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were identified from pharmacy databases and their charts were retrospectively reviewed. Results 86 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 56 ± 20 years. The mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) was 17 ± 5. The responsible pathogens for NP were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (60%) Acinetobacter baumannii (28%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (9%). Most patients (76/86) received concomitant intravenous antibiotics. Mean colistin total daily dose was 6 ± 3 million international units divided into 2–3 doses. Mean inhaled colistin duration of therapy was 11 ± 6 days. Favorable clinical outcome was achieved in 51 (59%) patients while favorable microbiological outcome occurred in 29 (34%) patients. Death due to all causes was noted in 39 (45%) cases. Renal injury occurred in 19 (22%) patients, all received concomitant intravenous colistin. Conclusion Inhaled colistin can be considered as salvage therapy as adjunct to intravenous administration for treatment of patients with NP due to MDR Gram-negative pathogens.

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are collaborative efforts to optimize antimicrobial use in healthcare institutions through evidence-based quality improvement strategies. The general administration of pharmaceutical care in the Saudi ministry of health (MOH) is putting outstanding efforts in implementing antimicrobial stewardship in Saudi health care settings. Several surveys have been conducted globally and reported many types of antimicrobial stewardship strategies in health institutions and their effectiveness. This study aims to identify ASPs in Makkah region hospitals and their perceived level of success. We administered a regional survey to explore current progress and issues related to the implementation of ASPs in Makkah region hospitals at the pharmacy level (n = 25). Among responding hospitals, 19 (76%) hospitals, the most commonly reported ASP were as following: formulary restrictions (90%) for broad-spectrum antimicrobials and use of prospective feedback on antimicrobial prescribing (68%), use of clinical guidelines and pathways (100%), and use of automatic stop orders (68%) to limit inappropriate antimicrobial therapy. The study outcomes will also be of pivotal importance to devise policies and strategies for antimicrobial stewardship implementation in other non-MOH settings in the Makkah region. Based on our results, all reported institutions have at least one antimicrobial stewardship program in a process with a high success rate. A multidisciplinary ASP approach, active involvement of drug & therapeutic committee, formulary restrictions, and availability of education & training of pharmacists and physicians on ASP are the primary elements for perceived successful antimicrobial stewardship programs in the Makkah region hospitals.

Background The aim of this study was to provide a scoping review of the impact of pharmacist-led interventions on medication adherence and clinical outcomes in patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Methods A scoping review was conducted using pre-defined search terms in three scientific databases, including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. A multi-stage screening process that considered relevancy, publication year (2009-2019), English language, and article type (original research) was followed. Review articles, meta-analysis studies, and conference proceedings were excluded. Data charting was done in an iterative process using a study-specific extraction form. Results Of the initially identified 681 studies, 17 studies with 136,026 patients were included in the review. Of these, 16 were randomized controlled trials, while the remaining study was a retrospective cohort study. The majority of pharmacist-led interventions were face-to-face counseling sessions (n=8), followed by remote- or telephone-based interventions (n=5) and multi-faceted interventions (n=4). The majority of the studies (n=7) used self-reported adherence measures and pharmacy refill records (n=8) to measure the rate of adherence to prescribed medications. Eleven of the included studies reported a statistically significant (P

Lomefloxacin may be more likely than other fluoroquinolones to cause photosensitivity. However, the rate of photosensitivity is variable and a meta-analysis has yet to be performed. The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare the rate of photosensitivity between outpatients who received lomefloxacin and those who received other fluoroquinolones. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library databases and trial registries were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of outpatients through June 12, 2019. The study outcome was the rate of photosensitivity based on the intention-to-treat principle, estimated by risk difference (RD) as the primary analysis and Peto odds ratio (Peto OR) as the secondary analysis, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effects models. Four RCTs (total of 2295 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. A statistically higher risk of photosensitivity was found with lomefloxacin than with other fluoroquinolones (RD, 3.4%; 95% CI, 0.7%–6.2%; P-value = 0.013; I2 = 10.9%). The odds of photosensitivity was also significantly higher with lomefloxacin (Peto OR, 5.81; 95% CI, 3.34 to 10.11; P-value

Osteomyelitis is one of the most challenging infectious diseases to treat and is associated with a significant burden to healthcare systems. There are limited available therapeutic options to treat osteomyelitis caused by Gram-positive pathogens and these are not without limitations. Dalbavancin is a long-acting lipoglycopeptide, approved for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections caused by designated susceptible strains of Gram-positive microorganisms. It demonstrated promising pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties and safety data to be considered for the treatment of bone infections. However, information on the effectiveness and safety of dalbavancin in the treatment of invasive Gram-positive infections, such as osteomyelitis, is very limited. In this review, we describe the novel characteristics and potential utility of dalbavancin in the treatment of osteomyelitis and summarize its long-term clinical outcomes from published case reports, series and comparative studies.

Background: In addition to diet restriction and physical activity, diabetes mellitus is managed by the chronic use of medications that require appropriate storage conditions to maintain their stability and effectiveness. However, there is a lack of information regarding patients’ knowledge of medication storage and practices in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the diabetics’ knowledge about medication storage requirements and to evaluate the impact of antidiabetic medications storage on the blood glucose levels. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional in the form of an interviewer-guided interview using a close-ended questions. The study was conducted among patients diagnosed with diabetes at diabetic clinics of public hospitals and other diabetic specialized clinics in Hail region of Saudi Arabia, over a period of four months between January to April 2019. Results: A total of 501 completed questionnaires were returned. Of the respondents, 51.5% were males and 48.5% were females. Of the total participants 52.7% never achieved normal blood glucose range, which was associated with health literacy and medication storage knowledge. Almost half of the participants stored the medication correctly and others have poor knowledge and practice of medication storage, of whom 7.8% always store their medicines in their cars. Conclusion: Almost half of the participants lack the knowledge of appropriate storage conditions of diabetes medications, which was shown to have a significant association with blood glucose levels. Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Storage, Knowledge, Anti-diabetic, Saudi Arabia

Objectives : To assess the public knowledge and perception about generic medications in Saudi Arabia, and their willingness to use generic medications. Methods : Th is cross-sectional, online-questionnaire-based study was conducted between May and July 2019, including participants who can read and complete an Arabic online survey. Chi-square test and contingency coeficient were used to investigate differences in different segments of participants and assess the association between knowledge and perception. Results : A total of 397 participants have completed the survey. One-half of them were female, the majority were of young age (less than 35 years), and 40% of them were buying their medications independently. Only 40.5% of participants had adequate knowledge and 60% of them had positive perception on generics. Participants with higher level of education were more likely to have adequate knowledge (p=0.002) and positive perception (p=0.006). The study found a moderate relationship between knowledge and perception about generics (standardized C=0.35, p less than 0.001). The country of origin for medications was a significant indicator of quality for two-thirds of participants, and one-half of them believed that local generics can compete with imported ones. About one-half of participants used generics and the majority of them were satis ed with their experience. Conclusion : Th ere is a general lack of knowledge, while having a positive perception on generic medications among the general public in Saudi Arabia. Future studies should focus on strategies to improve it and assess its cost-savings consequences while maintaining quality of care. Saudi Med J 2020; Vol. 41 (4): 413-420 doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.4.24992 How to cite this article: Almohammed OA, Aldwihi LA, Alhifany AA. Public knowledge, perception, and experience with generic medications in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J 2020; Vol. 41 (4): 413-420. doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.4.24992

Objective: To assess the safety and effectiveness of dalbavancin compared to standard of care (SOC) in the treatment of osteomyelitis in adults. Method: A retrospective cohort study of patients with osteomyelitis due to S. aureus treated with dalbavancin was conducted. Patients who received at least 2 doses of dalbavancin for the treatment of osteomyelitis between January 1, 2015 to January 31, 2018 in a single center in Texas, USA were identified and matched in 1:1 ratio with controls who received SOC. The primary efficacy outcome was the clinical success at the end of treatment. Secondary efficacy outcome was the clinical success continued for at least 3 months after the completion of the antimicrobial therapy. Results: During study period, 21 patients received dalbavancin for the treatment of osteomyelitis; however, only 11 patients were eligible for inclusion and matched to 11 others who received SOC. Primary outcome was achieved in all 11 patients who received dalbavancin and all those patients subsequently attained the secondary outcome. In SOC group, primary outcome occurred in 82% (9/11) of patients in which 8 out of 9 patients subsequently achieved the secondary outcome. No adverse reaction noted in either group. Conclusion: Dalbavancin appears to be safe and effective for the management of osteomyelitis in adults. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Keywords: Dalbavancin, Osteomyelitis, Staphylococcus aureus, Retrospective Cohort

Cost-effectiveness analyses that consider all currently used antiemetics in the case of emetogenic chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) have not been performed yet. We aim to compare the cost-effectiveness of olanzapine (OLA), or/and neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists (NK-1-RAs), in combination with palonosetron (PAL) and dexamethasone (DEX) in preventing highly emetogenic CINV. Two decision analytic models were constructed. The first model was based on overall complete response (CR); the second model was based on rate of absence of nausea. Four antiemetic regimens PAL + DEX, NK-1-RAs + PAL + DEX, OLA + PAL + DEX, and PAL + NK-1-RA + DEX + OLA were compared in terms of cost, overall CR and rate of absence of nausea. Base case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) estimates were calculated. The study was from the US payer perspective. In terms of CR, the PAL + NK-1-RA + DEX + OLA was associated with the highest gains in the percentage of CR among all treatment regimens at base case ICERs of $4,220 versus PAL + DEX, $4,656 versus NK-1-RA + PAL + DEX, $16,471 versus OLA + PAL + DEX. In term of rate of absence of nausea, the PAL + NK-1-RA + DEX + OLA was associated with the highest rate of absence of nausea among all the treatment regimens at base case ICERs of $2,291 versus PAL + DEX, $1,304 versus NK-1-RA + PAL + DEX, $2,657 versus OLA + PAL + DEX. from an economic perspective, our study revealed that whether to use overall CR or/and rate of absence of nausea as determinants in the antiemetic decision for the CINV patients, the CR-based-, and rate of absence of nausea-based cost-effectiveness analyses, showed negotiable ICER estimates for the treatment PAL + NK-1-RA + DEX + OLA over the combinations PAL + DEX, NK-1-RA + PAL + DEX, and OLA + PAL + DEX regimens.

This review aimed to conduct an indirect comparison using a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the efficacy and safety of delafloxacin versus other single antibiotic regimens for the empiric treatment of Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections.A systematic search with no start date restrictions was conducted. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess the quality of included RCTs.Of the 577 studies initially identified, nine RCTs were included in the review. The network meta-analysis showed that ceftaroline, ceftobiprole, delafloxacin and tigecycline had similar efficacy in the indirect comparisons [Ceftaroline Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.2, 95% Crl = 0.46-3.6), ceftobiprole (OR = 1.3, 95% Crl = 0.34-3.0) and tigecycline (OR = 0.96, 95% Crl = 0.30-2.9)]. However, the ranking plot for the intention to treat (ITT) population showed that delafloxacin had a probability of 80.8% to be ranked first followed by ceftobiprole (13.1%). The analysis of the overall adverse events showed that ceftaroline (OR = 0.88, 95% Crl = 0.65-1.2), ceftobiprole (OR = 1.1, 95% Crl = 0.69-2.0), delafloxacin (OR = 0.88, 95% Crl = 0.57-1.3) and tigecycline (OR = 1.4, 95% Crl = 0.88-2.2) had similar safety profiles.Delafloxacin did not show any statistically significant differences when compared to ceftaroline, ceftobiprole, and tigecycline in terms of efficacy and safety. However, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) probability ranked delafloxacin as the first option for the ITT population.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the utilization pattern of Caspofungin in an academic tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.This is a retrospective study, conducted at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Adult patients who received Caspofungin from January 2015 to December 2018 were included. The appropriate use of Caspofungin was evaluated according to the international guidelines and approved recommendations. Caspofungin doses were assessed according to the FDA-approved loading and maintenance doses as well as dose-adjustment per hepatic function for cirrhotic patients and drug-drug interactions. Cultures and laboratory tests were used to evaluate the appropriate duration of Caspofungin therapy.388 patients were included. Caspofungin was inappropriately used in 253 (64%) patients. This included 78 (20%) due to inappropriate indication, 165 (42%) due to wrong dosage, and 10 (2%) patients who had a wrong duration of therapy.The rate of inappropriate use of Caspofungin was high. Hence, developing antifungal stewardship and drug restriction program is highly recommended.

In the first few months of the pandemic, Makkah region reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases among all regions in Saudi Arabia. More than 80% of these reported cases were non-Saudi residents. In this study, we evaluated the perceived threat from and psychological impact of COVID-19 among non-Saudi residents of Makkah region. This was a cross-sectional analysis of data collected using a standardized self-report questionnaire. A total of 292 expatriates were included in the study, the majority of whom were non-Arabic speakers. The prevalence of self-reported depression was nearly 40%, anxiety was 32%, and stress was 43%. The findings indicated variability in the prevalence of psychological symptoms among expatriates from different ethnic backgrounds. Additionally, work environment and perceived threat were strong predictors of psychological disorders. This suggested that the perceived threat from and psychological burden of COVID-19 among non-Saudis in Makkah region is substantial. Future research should investigate the reasons behind these variations in the psychological impact of the pandemic among different ethnic groups.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of adjusted body weight (AjBW)-based dosing of unfractionated heparin (UFH) in obese patients vis a vis actual body weight (ABW)-based dosing in non-obese patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE).Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for obese and non-obese patients initiated on UFH for treating VTE from September 2013 to December 2014. Patients were excluded from the study if they were under 18 years old, developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia during treatment, received thrombolytic therapy prior to UFH, or received UFH at a dose that did not follow the institution’s protocol. The primary objective was to assess the efficacy of dosing UFH based on AjBW in achieving a therapeutic activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) within the first 24 h in obese patients, in comparison to the standard ABW-dosing for non-obese.Results: Of the 57 patients included in the study, 27 patients (47.4 %) were obese, and 30 patients (52.6 %) were non-obese; 16 (59.25 %) of the obese patients achieved a therapeutic aPTT within the first 24 h of AjBW-based dosed UFH, while 18 (60 %) of the non-obese patients achieved a therapeutic aPTT within the first 24 h of ABW-based dosed UFH (p = 0.45).Conclusion: AjBW-based dosing of UFH in obese patients demonstrates comparable efficacy to ABWbased dosing in non-obese patients. Keywords: Obesity, Unfractionated heparin, Venous thromboembolism, Adjusted body weight, Ideal body weight

Background Antimicrobials save millions of lives annually from dying because of bacterial infections, but the rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) becomes a global threat. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) has taken containment measures to limit the misuse of antimicrobials via implementing restrictions on dispensing without prescriptions. Hence, we aim to evaluate the impact of regulating antimicrobial sales and identify challenges that pharmacists are facing to prevent self-medication with antimicrobial agents. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using two sources of data: sales reports from 3000 pharmacies in Saudi Arabia and a self-designed questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 24 items written in English and Arabic languages, went through multiple steps to ensure validity and reliability and then distributed online. Descriptive analyses were used to present the results. Results A total of 106 pharmacists completed the questionnaire. Sixty-three per cent of the respondents observed a reduction of 40% in sales, which was consistent with pharmacies' sales reports, which revealed a 50% reduction in 2018 as compared to 2017. Seventy-six per cent of respondents agreed that antimicrobials' sales restrictions were frustrating to patients. The percentage of pharmacists who reported receiving prescriptions with complete information about patients, prescribers, medications and issue date was 70%, 54%, 86% and 77%, respectively. And 69% of respondents revealed receiving support from their employers to prevent dispensing antimicrobial agents without prescription. Conclusion Restriction measures implemented by the Saudi MOH led to a 40% to 50% reduction in inappropriate sales of antimicrobials. Further studies are needed to investigate the methods for improving documentation and prescribing practices.

Yasser Alatawi,1 Fahad S Alshehri,2 Abdullah A Alhifany,3 Adnan Alharbi,3 Badrah S Alghamdi4 1Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Unit, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Fahad S AlshehriDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al‑Qura University, Al‑Abidiyya, Makkah 21955, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaTel +966 542166571Email fsshehri@uqu.edu.saPurpose: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional online survey that targeted adults over the age of 18 residing in Saudi Arabia. The data collection began June 1, 2020 and continued for four weeks. The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Specific, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire version BIP-Q5, and a 9-item health literacy measure were used.Results: There were 1249 participants, of which 62.21% were under the age of 34. The prevalence of PTSD was 19.5% among all participants. The results showed that both the perception of threat (OR =1.17, 95% CI = 1.13− 1.19) and health literacy (OR =0.97, 95% CI = 0.95− 0.99) were associated with PTSD symptoms.Conclusion: This study highlights important findings that the level of an individual’s perception of threat and health literacy is associated with symptoms of PTSD. Thus, an understanding of these constructs in the target population will enable the development of better measures designed to reduce the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.Keywords: COVID-19, Saudi Arabia, posttraumatic stress disorder, perception, health literacy

Purpose Fentanyl poisoning has been widely reported, yet there is a lack of systematic evaluation of the nature and toxicology of associated deaths in the published literature. This article aims to systematically review the nature, causes, routes of administration and toxicology of fentanyl-associated deaths using case studies and case series in peer-reviewed published literature. Methods Four electronic databases including Embase, Medline (via Ovid), Scopus and Google Scholar were searched from inception until October 2019 to identify the studies reporting fentanyl related deaths. Two independent reviewers screened and selected the titles and then evaluated the full texts. Only case studies and case series were included. A structured data extraction tool was used to extract data on the number of deaths, routes of administration, concomitant drug use and toxicological data. The Joanna Briggs Institute quality assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Data were synthesized narratively. Results Of 1251 articles identified during initial search, 8 case reports and 9 case series met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1969 deaths were reported in the included studies. Deaths were concentrated in the north American region (n = 1946) and the Nordic region (n = 22). Reported causes of death included fentanyl overdose (n = 321, 56.4%), mixed drug toxicity (n = 196, 34.5%), natural (n = 28, 4.9%), other drug toxicity (n = 10, 1.8%), fentanyl and ethanol intoxication (n = 8, 1.4%), incidental (n = 5

Background: The Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is now a major challenge for healthcare systems in many countries, including some of the G20 countries like China, Italy and France. The purpose of this paper was to estimate how this disease could impact Italy, Spain and France, in comparison to China, based on the timing of their first response to the epidemic.Methods: The study visually estimated when will the suppression strategies implemented in Italy, Spain and France would change the direction of the daily new infections curve. The study utilizes the publicly available data from the WHO website. The curve representing the response strategy from China was used as a visual reference in this case, assuming that the virus is impacting all populations in the same way, transmitted in similar rate, and the time needed from the implementation of the suppression strategies to the appearance of its impact would be identical in all countries. Then, the total number of cases and deaths will be estimated from the produced curve, based on the current death rate among all infected people in each countryResult: The response in the three countries was not as fast as it was in China. Based on the cumulative number of cases at the response time, France was the fastest responder to the epidemic; therefore, we expect it will be the least impacted among three countries with about 97,523 cases and 4,876 deaths. Followed by Spain with approximately 153,013 cases and 14,536 deaths, then Italy with 162,885 cases and 20,034 deaths. The peak date for the new confirmed cases was expected to be around April 2nd for Italy and Spain, and April 6th for France. Then, the new daily cases should be declining to around Zero by the end of April or the beginning of May.Conclusion: Italy, followed by Spain, will be the most impacted countries in the European Union. Therefore, the support for Italy and Spain at this time is very needed, especially with medically trained personnel.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, research indicates that the COVID-19 disease susceptibility varies among individuals depending on their ABO blood groups. Researchers globally commenced investigating potential methods to stratify cases according to prognosis depending on several clinical parameters. Since there is evidence of a link between ABO blood groups and disease susceptibility, it could be argued that there is a link between blood groups and disease manifestation and progression. The current study investigates whether clinical manifestation, laboratory, and imaging findings vary among ABO blood groups of hospitalized confirmed COVID-19 patients. This retrospective cohort study was conducted between March 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Demographic information, clinical information, laboratory findings, and imaging investigations were extracted from the data warehouse for all confirmed COVID-19 patients. A total of 285 admitted patients were included in the study. Of these, 81 (28.4%) were blood group A, 43 (15.1%) were blood group B, 11 (3.9%) were blood group AB, and 150 (52.6%) were blood group O. This was almost consistent with the distribution of blood groups among the Saudi Arabia community. The majority of the study participants (79.6% [n = 227]) were asymptomatic. The upper respiratory tract infection (P = .014) and shortness of breath showed statistically significant differences between the ABO blood group (P = .009). Moreover, the incidence of the symptoms was highly observed in blood group O followed by A then B except for pharyngeal exudate observed in blood group A. The one-way ANOVA test indicated that among the studied hematological parameters, glucose (P = .004), absolute lymphocyte count (P = .001), and IgA (P = .036) showed statistically significant differences between the means of the ABO blood group. The differences in both X-ray and computed tomography scan findings were statistically nonsignificant among the ABO age group. Only 86 (30.3%) patients were admitted to an intensive care unit, and the majority of them were blood groups O 28.7% (n = 43) and A 37.0% (n = 30). However, the differences in complications’ outcomes were statistically nonsignificant among the ABO age group. ABO blood groups among hospitalized COVID-19 patients are not associated with clinical, hematological, radiological, and complications abnormality.

Patient: Male, 58 Final Diagnosis: Vertebral osteomyelitis Symptoms: Back pain Medication: Dalbavancin Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Infectious Disease Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) is a common form of hematogenous osteomyelitis, with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) being the most commonly isolated organism. Dalbavancin is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) and has a sufficiently promising pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile to be considered for the treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis. We describe here what is probably the first reported case of using multiple weekly dalbavancin to treat a complicated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia and vertebral osteomyelitis. Case Report: A 58-year-old man with a long history of recurrent MRSA bacteremia, who failed multiple courses of vancomycin and daptomycin, presented with recurrent MRSA bacteremia complicated by diskitis and osteomyelitis of the lumbar vertebrae. The patient was treated with dalbavancin 1000 mg intravenously weekly for two weeks followed by 500 mg weekly for six additional weeks. He improved clinically, his back pain resolved, and C-reactive protein (CRP) decreased to normal. Three months after the last dose of dalbavancin therapy, he underwent angiography for peripheral artery diseases, after which he developed a fever, mild leukocytosis, an elevated CRP, and the repeat blood cultures were positive for MRSA. No apparent adverse events were observed during dalbavancin therapy. Conclusions: In this case, multiple weekly dalbavancin infusions appeared to be safe in the treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis caused by MRSA, but did not seem to prevent infection recurrence. However, reinfection with a new strain from the angiography catheter insertion is highly likely. Clinical studies are needed to further assess the safety and effectiveness of multiple weekly dalbavancin dosing in the management of vertebral osteomyelitis.

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder affecting about 10% of women in reproductive age and associated with a variety of hormonal abnormalities, including hyperandrogenemia and infertility, all of which could lead to PCOS. Statins were previously introduced as a therapeutic option for reducing testosterone levels in women with PCOS, either alone or in combination. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of different statins alone or in combination with metformin in reducing testosterone levels in women with PCOS. Methods Medline, Embase, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for studies that investigated the efficacy of statins, metformin, spironolactone, or combined oral contraceptives (COCs), individually or in combination, in reducing the testosterone level in patients with PCOS. The search was limited to randomized clinical trials and conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses - extension statement for network meta-analyses (PRISMA-NMA). The quality of included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias (RoB) assessment tool. A frequentist network meta-analysis using random-effects models was used to assess the efficacy in reducing testosterone level and were expressed as odds ratios (OR) and 95% credible interval (95%Crl). All statistical analyses were performed using netmeta Version 1.0 on R statistical package. Result Nine RCTs involving 613 patients were included. Atorvastatin showed greater reduction in testosterone level compared to COC (MD −2.78, 95%CrI −3.60, −1.97), spironolactone plus metformin (MD −2.83, 95%CrI −3.80, −1.87), simvastatin (MD −2.88, 95%CrI −3.85, −1.92), spironolactone (MD −2.90, 95%CI −3.77, −2.02), simvastatin plus metformin (MD −2.93, 95%CrI −3.79, −2.06), metformin (MD −2.97, 95%CrI −3.69, −2.25), lifestyle modification (MD −3.02, 95%CrI −3.87, −2.18), and placebo (MD −3.04, 95%CrI −3.56, −2.53). Conclusion Atorvastatin was found to be more effective than the other management strategies in reducing the total testosterone level for patients with PCOS. Future studies should focus on the optimal dose.

ObjectivesThe risk of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections (RCDIs) is high when treated with standard antibiotics therapy (SAT) alone. It is suggested that the addition of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or bezlotoxumab after SAT reduces the risk of RCDI. In the absence of head-to-head randomised controlled trials (RCTs), this review attempts to compare the efficacy and safety of bezlotoxumab with FMT in reducing the risk of RCDI in hospitalised patients.DesignA systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.Data sourceA comprehensive search from inception to 30 February 2019 was conducted in four databases (Medline/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov).Eligibility criteriaRCTs reporting the resolution of diarrhoea associated with RCDI without relapse for at least 60 days after the end of treatments as the primary outcome.Data extraction and synthesisWe extracted author, year of publication, study design and binomial data that represented the resolution of diarrhoea or adverse events of monoclonal antibodies and FMT infusion. Random-effects models were used for resolution rate of RCDI and adverse events. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess the quality of included RCTs.ResultsOut of 1003 articles identified, seven RCTs involving 3043 patients contributed to the review. No difference was reported between single or multiple infusions of FMT and bezlotoxumab in resolving RCDI, (OR 1.53, 95% credible interval (CrI) 0.39 to 5.16) and (OR 2.86, 95% CrI 1.29 to 6.57), respectively. Patients treated with SAT alone or bezlotoxumab with SAT showed significantly lower rates of diarrhoea than FMT (OR 0, 95% CrI 0 to 0.09) and (OR 0, 95% CrI 0 to 0.19), respectively. There was no difference in terms of other adverse events.ConclusionsThis is the first network meta-analysis that has compared the recently Food and Drug Administration-approved monoclonal antibody bezlotoxumab with FMT for resolving RCDI. The quality of the included RCTs was variable. The findings of this study suggested no difference between single or multiple infusions of FMT and bezlotoxumab. However, FMT was associated with a higher rate of non-serious diarrhoea as opposed to SAT used alone or in combination with bezlotoxumab.