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Objective: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a common cause of preventable severe neurocognitive impairment in children. Previously conducted studies describing the natural history of CH in Saudi Arabia were either of shorter duration or a limited number of patients. In this study, we aim to assess our experience in the clinical course and therapeutic outcome of CH in two large tertiary centers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients <18 years of age diagnosed with CH at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between 2000 and 2018. Data were collected from the patients’ medical records, including epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological features as well as a long-term outcome of CH. Statistical analysis was carried out using the JMP statistical software. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC). Results: Out of the 71 cases, 53.5% were female, and 80.3% of these cases were diagnosed in the 1st week of life. The estimated incidence of CH is 1:2470 in the two study centers. Ectopic thyroid (43%, n = 25/58), dyshormonogenesis (34.5%, n = 20/58), and thyroid agenesis and hypoplasia (22.4%, n = 13/58). Learning difficulty was significantly associated with delayed treatment onset (P = 0.044) and lower compliance with treatment (P = 0.001). Conclusion: In our study, the incidence of dyshormonogenesis in CH is higher than international rates (34.5% vs. 20%), possibly because of consanguinity. Effective neonatal screening program facilitates early diagnosis that leads to prompt management of CH and avoidance of long-term outcome of neurocognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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aima Ahmed,2 Hani Alhamdan,1 Hanan AlGarni,3 Rawan Mohammed Elzain,3 Rihad S AlThubaiti,3 Mohammed Aseeri,1 Adnan Al Shaikh41Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA), King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Pharmaceutical Care Services Department, Clinical Pharmacy Section, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 2Princes Noorah Oncology Center (PNOC), Pediatric Oncology/Hematology/BMT Section, King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3Ibn Sina National College for Medical Studies, Pharmacy College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 4Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA), King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, Chemistry Laboratory, Community Medicine, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Aeshah AlAzmiKAMC 6255, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi ArabiaTel +966 122266666 Ext 22861Email Aeshah.alazmi@gmail.com Aim: Drug-related problems (DRPs) "are the unwanted effects of drugs that potentially lead to a harmful outcome" thereby requiring considerable attention. Hospitalized pediatric patients, in particular, represent a population at risk of DRPs. The epidemiology of preventable DRPs among children in Saudi Arabia remains scarce, which thus poses distinct challenges to all healthcare professionals. We aim to characterize preventable DRPs among hospitalized children at KAMC-Jeddah. Methods: A prospective observational study of children (≤15 years) admitted to pediatric units (excluding cancer units) at KAMC-Jeddah over a 3-month period (May 29 to August 30, 2016) is carried out to determine the incidence of preventable DRPs and investigate the possible associated factors (gender, age, admission location, type of admission, and number of medications). Results: A total of 319 DRPs were identified among 235 patients, of which 280 DRPs (87.8%, 280/319) were deemed preventable. The majority of preventable DRPs were related to dose selection (78%, 219/280). None of the preventable DRPs were life threatening or fatal, and the majority were assessed as moderate in severity (94.3%, 264/280). There was no significant difference between DRP incidences with age mean 3.5 (P=0.389), gender mean (P=0.436), and weight mean 13.47 (P=0.323). Younger children (age ≤2years) admitted to PICU were more likely to have DRP (OR 4.44, 95% CI, 1.87 to 10.52, P=0.00001). Scheduled admissions were 2.89 times more likely to be exposed to DRP compared to transferred admissions (OR 2.8, 95% CI, 1.83 to 4.70, P=0.005). Additionally, DRP incidences increased proportionally to the number of medications. Conclusion: Our data suggest that establishing appropriate prevention strategies towards improvement and safety in medicine use among this vulnerable patient population is a high priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To ascertain whether recommendations for the use of Statins and Aspirin as primary prevention in diabetic patients are correctly implemented at our institution. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2014 and April 2014 at the General Practice Department of King Abdulaziz University Hospital. Three hundred twelve patients were included in the study. Data were collected from the electronic patient medical records for the characteristics of the patients, existing co-morbidities, and results of laboratory investigations. Descriptive statistics were performed for all variables. Results: Of 312 patients, aspirin was indicated for 17.0% but it was not prescribed. It was both indicated and prescribed in 36.2% of the cases. Statin treatment was indicated in 27.2% of the patients but it was not prescribed, while in 63.1% of cases it was indicated and prescribed Conclusion: The proportion of patients who achieved treatment targets at our institution is greater than that reported by other studies, albeit treatment targets are not being met in a significant number of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate health professions student's awareness, attitude, and perception towards the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and also to determine the influence of socio- demographic variables on the descriptive outcomes of this study. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted among Undergraduate Health Professions Students (n=398) at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences at Riyadh campus, through a validated questionnaire. Results: The results of the study revealed that among various modalities of CAM, most students were aware and used prayers/spirituality, followed by nutritional supplements, cupping, massage, herbal medicine and yoga. The least effective modality was aromatherapy, whereas the most harmful modality was acupuncture. The data showed that the students obtained more information from friends/relatives and media and less from formal CAM training/courses. Awareness/self-use and beliefs/attitudes were found to have significant associations (p < 0.05) in regard to gender, parent's educational level, and family income. Conclusion: The study shows that most of the healthcare students are aware of and demonstrate positive attitudes towards the effectiveness and safety of most CAM modalities. However, the lack of formal training or courses is a major barrier towards its use and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Saudi National Diabetes Registry focuses mainly on adult patients. In 2020, the National Guard Health Authority (NGHA) launched the Saudi Pediatric and Youth Diabetes Registry (SPYDR), for children and adolescents with diabetes. This report is about the first data and the challenges we faced during SPYDR initiation. Patients were identified from the electronic medical records of the Saudi NGHA hospitals using the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10). A trained coordinator verified the diagnosis and entered patients' details into the registry and a random sample was validated by experienced endocrinologists. The data were analyzed according to patients' demography, diabetes subtypes, duration, control, and complications. The challenges faced by the team were identified and addressed. At the time of manuscript submission, 2,344 individuals were enrolled. Their mean age at diagnosis was 9.08 (±4.27) years and 1,136 (48.46%) were females. Of these, 91.3% have type 1 (T1D), and 6.4% have type 2 diabetes (T2D). The mean HbA1c was 10.45% (±2.36) and duration of diabetes was 5.31 (±3.05) years. The main challenges included the COVID-19 pandemic, data validation, and centers' participation. However, within 12 months of initiation enrolled subjects matched the expected number. Despite the challenges, the first step of SPYDR was achieved. The initial data confirmed that T1D is the most common form of childhood diabetes, and the frequency of T2D is comparable to regional and international data. SPYDR provides the infrastructure for data sharing and collaborative research with the enrollment of patients from other Saudi healthcare institutes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding this article’s publication., (Copyright © Sudanese Association of Pediatricians.)

Objective: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a common cause of preventable severe neurocognitive impairment in children. Previously conducted studies describing the natural history of CH in Saudi Arabia were either of shorter duration or a limited number of patients. In this study, we aim to assess our experience in the clinical course and therapeutic outcome of CH in two large tertiary centers in Saudi Arabia., Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients <18 years of age diagnosed with CH at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between 2000 and 2018. Data were collected from the patients' medical records, including epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological features as well as a long-term outcome of CH. Statistical analysis was carried out using the JMP statistical software. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC)., Results: Out of the 71 cases, 53.5% were female, and 80.3% of these cases were diagnosed in the 1 st week of life. The estimated incidence of CH is 1:2470 in the two study centers. Ectopic thyroid (43%, n = 25/58), dyshormonogenesis (34.5%, n = 20/58), and thyroid agenesis and hypoplasia (22.4%, n = 13/58). Learning difficulty was significantly associated with delayed treatment onset ( P = 0.044) and lower compliance with treatment ( P = 0.001)., Conclusion: In our study, the incidence of dyshormonogenesis in CH is higher than international rates (34.5% vs. 20%), possibly because of consanguinity. Effective neonatal screening program facilitates early diagnosis that leads to prompt management of CH and avoidance of long-term outcome of neurocognitive impairment., (Copyright: © International Journal of Health Sciences.)