Prevalence, severity, and risk factors of eczema among young children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia: A national cross-sectional study, 2019.

Background: Eczema is a common inflammatory skin disease with a significant global health burden. Eczema has a significant impact on quality of life. Objective: We aimed to estimate the prevalence, severity, and risk factors associated with eczema among schoolchildren in Saudi Arabia. Methods: The standardized Global Asthma Network questionnaires and methodology were used to conduct a nationwide cross-sectional study across 20 regions in Saudi Arabia between March and April 2019. Data were collected from 137 primary schools and 140 intermediate schools by using a multistage stratified cluster sampling method. Results: The study included 3614 young children aged 6 to 7 years and 4068 adolescents aged 13 to 14 years. Current eczema was prevalent among 4.5% of the children and 5.1% of the adolescents. Severe eczema was reported in 0.8% and 0.9% of the young children and adolescents, respectively. Several factors showed significant association with eczema. Among the children, eczema was linked positively to having a history of chest infections and wheezing in early life, as well as to ever attending day care and current exposure to cats. Among the adolescents, the main potential risk factors included paracetamol use in the previous year, adherence to a lifestyle of vigorous physical activity, and current exposure to cats. Conversely, high consumption of nuts was found to be negatively associated with eczema. Conclusion: The prevalence of eczema in schoolchildren in Saudi Arabia is lower than the global average but within the average range for the Eastern Mediterranean region. Further studies in Saudi Arabia should be conducted to identify variation among different regions.

Epidemiologic and clinical updates on viral infections in Saudi Arabia.

In the past two decades, the world has witnessed devastating pandemics affecting the global healthcare infrastructure and disrupting society and the economy worldwide. Among all pathogens, viruses play a critical role that is associated with outbreaks due to their wide range of species, involvement of animal hosts, easily transmitted to humans, and increased rates of infectivity. Viral disease outbreaks threaten public health globally due to the challenges associated with controlling and eradicating them. Implementing effective viral disease control programs starts with ongoing surveillance data collection and analyses to detect infectious disease trends and patterns, which is critical for maintaining public health. Viral disease control strategies include improved hygiene and sanitation facilities, eliminating arthropod vectors, vaccinations, and quarantine. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Public Health Authority (also known as Weqayah) in Saudi Arabia are responsible for public health surveillance to control and prevent infectious diseases. The notifiable viral diseases based on the Saudi MOH include hepatitis diseases, viral hemorrhagic fevers, respiratory viral diseases, exanthematous viral diseases, neurological viral diseases, and conjunctivitis. Monitoring trends and detecting changes in these viral diseases is essential to provide proper interventions, evaluate the established prevention programs, and develop better prevention strategies. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the epidemiological updates of the recently reported viral infections in Saudi Arabia and to provide insights into the recent clinical treatment and prevention strategies.

Epidemiology of Viral Infectious Diseases Reported in Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Efficient epidemiological monitoring of virus diseases is crucial in evaluating general public health, the prevalence of specific diseases, the pattern of spread, and implementing preventative and control strategies into action. METHODS: This study analyzed data obtained from the Field Epidemiology Program (FETP) which is part of the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Saudi Arabia, which contained reported cases of infectious diseases over four years, from January 2018 to December 2021, to investigate and highlight the significant trend and incidence rate for each viral infectious disease. RESULTS: Of the reported viral infectious diseases, hepatitis B and C, dengue fever (DF), influenza, chickenpox, and measles were the highest reported viral cases over four years. For the aforementioned diseases, males were often more susceptible to viral infections than females. Except for DF, this viral infection was more common in Saudi citizens. Viral illnesses like hand, foot, and mouth disease were less prevalent, while neurological viral disorders such as acute flaccid paralysis were rarely detected. There was an overall reduction in viral cases recorded during 2020-2021, which may be attributed to the implementation of preventive measures during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic or an underreporting of cases during the lockdown of that time. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of these common viral infections in the Saudi population suggests that understanding the mechanisms influencing changes in these viruses, methods of transmission, and the burden of these diseases is a priority for health policy. This understanding is necessary to develop effective intervention and preventive strategies.

Epidemiology of Reportable Bacterial Infectious Diseases in Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial infections have a significant impact on human health; they can cause severe morbidity and mortality, particularly in susceptible populations. Epidemiological surveillance is a critical tool for monitoring the population's health and facilitate the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreaks. Knowing the burden of bacterial communicable diseases is an initial core step toward public health goals. METHODS: Saudi epidemiology surveillance data were utilized to depict the changing epidemiology of bacterial infectious diseases in Saudi Arabia from 2018 to 2021. The cumulative numbers of cases, demographics, and incidence rates were analyzed and visualized. Parametric tests were used to compare the difference in the mean values between categorical variables. Regression analysis was employed to estimate trends in disease rates over time. Statistical significance was set at p value ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The results revealed that brucellosis, tuberculosis, and salmonellosis were the most frequently reported bacterial infectious diseases in Saudi Arabia. Males were more significantly affected by brucellosis and tuberculosis infections than females. Salmonellosis infections were more significant among Saudi citizens, while pulmonary tuberculosis was more significant in non-Saudis. Interestingly, there was a decline in the incidence rates of numerous bacterial infectious diseases during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and COVID-19 restrictions. Some bacterial infectious diseases were rarely reported in Saudi Arabia, including syphilis and diphtheria. CONCLUSIONS: The future perspective of this research is to enhance disease surveillance reporting by including different variables, such as the source of infection, travel history, hospitalization, and mortality rates. The aim is to improve the sensitivity and specificity of surveillance data and focus on the mortality associated with bacterial pathogens to identify the most significant threats and set a public health priority.

The immunological response among COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often results in pneumonia and can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is one of the most significant causes of death in patients with COVID-19. The development of a "cytokine storm" in patients with COVID-19 causes progression to ARDS. In this scoping review, we investigated the effect of pro-inflammatory cytokines in inducing moderate and severe ARDS outcomes. A comprehensive search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar to implement a broad query that captured all the relevant studies published between December 2019 and September 2020.We identified seven studies that evaluated the immune response in COVID-19 patients with ARDS. The white blood cell counts (WBCs), CRP, and IL-6 were higher in the moderately presenting ARDS patients, critically ill patients, and those with more severe ARDS. This study may contribute to better patient management and outcomes if tailored immune marker interventions are implemented in the near future.

Electronic cigarette use is negatively associated with body mass index: An observational study of electronic medical records.

OBJECTIVE: Vaping is advertised as a method to mitigate weight gain after smoking cessation; however, while there is an established inverse association between conventional tobacco use and body mass index (BMI), there is little research on the relationship between e-cigarettes and BMI. This research tested whether e-cigarette use was associated with BMI. METHODS: A secondary data analysis of 207,117 electronic medical records from the UAB was conducted. Patient data from 1 September 2017 through 1 June 2018 were extracted. To be included in the analysis, a patient's record had to include measures of e-cigarette use and key sociodemographic information. Ordinary least squares regression was used to test the association between e-cigarette use and BMI, controlling for covariates; unconditional quantile regression was used to determine whether the association varied by BMI quantile. For comparison with tobacco smoking, the association between current tobacco smoking and BMI was estimated in a sample from the same population. RESULTS: Respondents in the sample had an average BMI of 30.8 and average age of 50.0 years when BMI was measured. The sample was 51% female, 49.7% white, 46.7% black, and 1.0% Hispanic; 16.4% of the sample had less than a college education and approximately 5% reported currently using e-cigarettes. Individuals who reported using e-cigarettes had, on average, a lower BMI compared to those who did not report currently using e-cigarettes; results indicated that this association did not significantly vary by BMI quantile. Individuals who reported being current smokers had a lower BMI, on average. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that using e-cigarettes is associated with a lower BMI in a population of individuals seeking health care, consistent with the association between conventional tobacco use and BMI. This study is a springboard for future research investigating the associations between e-cigarette use, BMI, and risk of obesity in the general population.