Normative Data for Handgrip Strength in Saudi Older Adults Visiting Primary Health Care Centers.

Background and objective: Handgrip strength (HGS) plays a vital role as a predictor of adverse health outcomes. Several studies have established HGS norms by age, sex, hand, occupation, culture or disability in different countries and for children in Saudi Arabia. However, standardized values for Saudi older adults have not yet been reported. Therefore, the current study was aimed to establish normative data for HGS in Saudi older adults visiting primary health care centers (PHCCs). Material and Method: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, HGS in kilograms was measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer in Saudi older adults (n = 2045) aged ≥60 years visiting 15 PHCCs selected randomly from the five geographical regions of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January 2015 and April 2017. The average mean from three successive trials, standard deviations, and 95% confidence intervals presented for the left and right hands of men and women in six age groups (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and 85+ years). The analyses were performed using the ANOVA test for all the age groups and to determine whether any differences exist between them. Results: The average mean HGS was significantly (p < 0.0001) differ by the left and right hands of men and women in six age groups. Conclusions: The current study presents specific norms for HGS in Saudi older adults by age, sex, and hand. Further studies are required to examine the utility of these norms for prediction of morbidity and mortality in this population.

Latest updates on cellular and molecular biomarkers of gliomas.

Gliomas are the most common central nervous system malignancies, compromising almost 80% of all brain tumors and is associated with significant mortality. The classification of gliomas has shifted from basic histological perspective to one that is based on molecular biomarkers. Treatment of this type of tumors consists currently of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. During the past years, there was a limited development of effective glioma diagnostics and therapeutics due to multiple factors including the presence of blood-brain barrier and the heterogeneity of this type of tumors. Currently, it is necessary to highlight the advantage of molecular diagnosis of gliomas to develop patient targeted therapies based on multiple oncogenic pathway. In this review, we will evaluate the development of cellular and molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis of gliomas and the impact of these diagnostic tools for better tailored and targeted therapies.

Assessing the cognitive status of older adults attending primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia using the Mini-Mental State Examination.

OBJECTIVES:  To assess the cognitive status of older adults in Saudi Arabia. METHODS:  This was a cross-sectional, multistage, stratified study of older individuals (≥60 years of age) attending primary healthcare centres in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January 2015 and April 2017. We collected data using a structured questionnaire, which incorporated questions regarding demographic and anthropometric variables, the Arabic version of Mini-Mental State Examination, the Mini-Nutritional Assessment tool, and the Modified Katz Index of Independence in activities of daily living. RESULTS:  Of the 1299 participants, 914 (70.4%) were male, with a mean age of 66.2 ± 5.9 years. Approximately 79.1% of the participants had intact cognitive function, 17.1 had mild cognitive impairment, and 3.8% had severe cognitive impairment. Impaired cognitive function was associated with increased age, female gender, low education, unmarried status, and unemployed (p less than 0.001). Reduced cognitive impairment was significantly associated with functional impairment and malnutrition (p less than 0.001). CONCLUSION:  Cognitive impairment affected around 21% of the participants. The reduced cognitive function was associated with increased age, female gender, low education level, unmarried, low income, dependency on others, functional impairment, and malnutrition. Such information could motivate health-policy makers to introduce appropriate measures to improve older adults' existing healthcare services in primary care, including cognitive function assessment.

[Daily management of acute pericarditis: clinical and paraclinical outcomes, etiological diagnosis]. / Prise en charge au quotidien des péricardites aiguës: présentation clinique, paraclinique, diagnostic étiologique.

INTRODUCTION: Acute pericarditis is a frequent hospitalization cause. A prospective, bicentric study aimed at different goals: population description, aetiologies screening, and evaluation of the interest of a coordinated and combined management between cardiologists and internists. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between May 2005 and September 2007, all patients admitted for acute pericarditis were prospectively enrolled. Physical examination, ECG, echocardiography, biological screening were performed. Patients were asked to consult both cardiologist and internist, one month later. RESULTS: Hundred and three patients were enrolled (mean age 43 years). Clinical outcome was classical in 60% of cases. ECG was typical in 59%. Troponin elevation was noted in 30% of patients. CRP was normal at diagnosis in 27% of patients, and increased significantly at first day (P=0.002). Possible cause was identified in 44 patients. In 26 patients (24.3%), precise diagnosis was performed: six cancers, one hemopathy, three connectivities, one EBV and one parvovirus B19 seroconversions, two untreated HIV patients, four inflammatory diseases, three endocrinology troubles, one oesophagitis, one dental sepsis, one amyloidosis, one acute pancreatitis, one declined dialysis indication. Eighteen de novo diagnoses (16.5%) were performed, out of them at least 12 benefited from specific management. CONCLUSION: Population of patients admitted for acute pericarditis are very heterogeneous. Our co-management between internists and cardiologists aims to diagnose earlier and easier curable diseases. Long-term follow-up remains of great interest, in order to diagnose later other disorders, which remained hidden, and to follow evolution of the population.

MBBS teaching program, according to DREEM in College of Medicine, University of Bahri, Khartoum, Sudan.

INTRODUCTION: Learning environment might be defined as anything that can affect the learning directly or indirectly. During the era of accreditation and quality assurance, we are badly in need to evaluate our program strength and pick possible areas for curriculum reform. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of medical students in the University of Bahri (UB) about the educational environment and analyze the variation of this perception with gender, level of study, type of intake, type of certificate, and accommodation. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, UB, in Sudan during July-August 2017, enrolling 347 students. Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was used as a survey tool for this study. RESULTS: Overall DREEM average score of 125.2997/200 is perceived. This score is distributed in all DREEM subclasses. CONCLUSION: Having some negative perceptions is a huge burden on policymakers, administration, and all stakeholders to revise the whole educational environment at the UB with special efforts needed for curriculum revision, faculty development, mentoring, and other skills development.

Impact evaluation of nutrition education intervention for an elementary school in riyadh city.

A nutritional education intervention (NEI) was conducted to assess its impact and suitability for the 5th and 6th graders at a governmental girls' elementary school in Riyadh city. The study design was a randomized posttest only control group. The results revealed that the mean knowledge score of the first posttest for intervention classes was higher than that of their controls (F=91.147, p<0.001). This score increased markedly among all classes at the post-posttest. The mean self-efficacy (SE) score of the control class of 5th graders and intervention class of 6th graders at posttest were much lower than that of their comparable classes and both classes showed significant increase of SE in the post-posttest (paired t=2.819 and 4.561, p<0.01 and p<0.001 respectively). The mean practice score of the posttest was lower among intervention class of the 5th graders than their control, but both means were much higher than that of both classes of the 6th graders (F=6.856, p<0.001). Only control class of the 6th graders showed increased mean practice score at the post-posttest. Stepwise linear regression models reveal that exposure to NEI session was a major predictor of students knowledge at posttest (R(2)=.345). Knowledge score was a predictor of students' dietary SE and practices scores at posttest (R(2)=.041 & .136). Self efficacy was a predictor of students' dietary practices at posttest and post-posttest (R(2)=.107 & .162) as well as lower body mass index (R(2)=.048). The study recommends the replication of such a program among diverse population of school students to have more improvement in students' dietary knowledge, SE and practices.

Evaluation of health care services provided for older adults in primary health care centers and its internal environment. A step towards age-friendly health centers.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the health care services provided for older adults by primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and the ease of use of these centers by older adults. METHODS: Between October 2013 and January 2014, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 15 randomly selected PHCCs in Riyadh City, KSA. The evaluation focused on basic indicators of clinical services offered and factors indicative of the ease of use of the centers by older adults. Evaluations were based upon the age-friendly PHCCs toolkit of the World Health Organization. RESULTS: Coverage of basic health assessments (such as blood pressure, diabetes, and blood cholesterol) was generally good. However, fewer than half of the PHCCs offered annual comprehensive screening for the common age-related conditions. There was no screening for cancer. Counseling on improving lifestyle was provided by most centers. However, there was no standard protocol for counseling. Coverage of common vaccinations was poor. The layout of most PHCCs and their signage were good, except for lack of Braille signage. There may be issues of access of older adults to PHCCs through lack of public transport, limited parking opportunities, the presence of steps, ramps, and internal stairs, and the lack of handrails. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical services and the internal environment of PHCCs can be improved. The data will be useful for health-policy makers to improve PHCCs to be more age-friendly.

Pregnancy and progression to AIDS: results of the French prospective cohorts. SEROGEST and SEROCO Study Groups.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether pregnancy accelerates HIV-1 disease progression. METHOD: In two large French SEROCO and SEROGEST prospective cohorts of HIV infected patients, the progression to AIDS in 365 women with a known date of HIV-1 seroconversion was examined by comparing those who delivered after HIV infection (n = 241) with those who did not become pregnant while HIV-infected (n = 124). RESULTS: The crude relative risk of developing AIDS associated with pregnancy was 0.7 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.4-1.2]. Adjustment for age at seroconversion, the CD4+ cell percentage at entry, and the method used to date seroconversion did not modify the results (adjusted relative risk, 0.7; 95% CI 0.4-1.2). CONCLUSIONS: No deleterious effect of pregnancy on progression from seroconversion to AIDS was found. This result has important implications for the counselling of HIV-infected women of child-bearing age.

Use of transesophageal echocardiography for diagnosis of traumatic aortic injury.

This prospective study was conducted to describe the signs on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) associated with traumatic aortic injury (TAI). Twenty-eight patients with TAI underwent TEE, and they were compared with a control group of 30 thoracic trauma patients without aortic injury. The TEE signs were classified as direct or indirect signs, and the quality of imaging was assessed. Patients' TEE images were compared with their anatomic lesions. The direct signs were thick stripes (n=19), false aneurysm (n=7), aortic dissection (n=6), free-edge intimal flap (n=15), aortic wall hematoma (n=2), fusiform aneurysm (n=13), and complete aortic obstruction (n=2). The indirect signs included minor increases in aortic diameter (n=7), impairment of the aortic Doppler color flow (n= 18), and an increase of aorta-probe distance, indicating hemomediastinum (n=23). TEE allowed diagnosis of recently described limited intimal lesions frequently missed by other conventional methods, and permitted rapid diagnosis of complete rupture in which fast degeneration means that more time-consuming methods are not practicable. Significant blurring of the aortic outline was noted in 20% of cases and intraluminal artifacts were observed in 36% of cases, but neither sign impaired accurate diagnosis of TAI. The echocardiographic signs of aortic injury are complex and may be confined to a short section of the aorta. Therefore, examination by a physician highly trained in echocardiography is necessary in such cases.

Can portable chest x-ray examination accurately diagnose lung consolidation after major abdominal surgery? A comparison with computed tomography scan.

PURPOSE: To prospectively quantify the degree of accuracy of portable chest x-ray film examination in the detection of postoperative lung consolidations. STUDY: Nineteen patients had a chest x-ray film and computed tomography (CT) scan the day before and 48 h following elective abdominal aortic replacement. RESULTS: The diagnosis of lung consolidations by x-ray film examination showed sensitivity of between 0.33 and 1.00, depending on the lung zone considered (lower at the lung bases). Specificity always was greater than 0.79. Radiologic lung volume decreased 16 percent postoperatively (p < 0.01) on average and noninflated parenchyma increased by a factor of 3 (p < 0.0001). Postoperatively, PaO2 correlated with the amount of condensed lung by CT scan (p < 0.002). CONCLUSION: In postoperative conditions, x-ray film examination is a method which presents good specificity but poor sensitivity in the diagnosis of lung consolidations.

Plasma ionized calcium in brain-dead patients.

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of brain death-induced myocardial dysfunction remains debatable. Hypocalcemia is known to induce reversible myocardial dysfunction. However, the incidence of hypocalcemia and its effect on myocardial function during brain death is unknown. METHODS: In 54 consecutive brain-dead patients, we measured plasma total and ionized calcium concentrations, QT and corrected QT intervals, and left ventricular ejection fraction area (LVEFa), using transesophageal echocardiography. RESULTS: 49 (91%) of brain-dead patients had a decrease in total plasma total calcium concentration but only 19 (35%) had a decrease in plasma ionized calcium. Corrected total plasma calcium failed to predict ionized calcium concentration and QT intervals were not significantly different in normo and hypocalcemic patients. The LVEFa was not significantly different between normo and hypocalcemic patients (53 +/- 13 versus 50 +/- 20%), and no correlation was found between LVEFa and ionized calcium (R = 0.02, NS). Hypocalcemic patients required greater doses of dopamine (8.2 +/- 5.2 versus 5.0 +/- 3.4 micrograms.kg-.min-1, p < 0.02) to maintain arterial pressure. Hypocalcemia was associated with a higher volume loading and a lower plasma protide concentration which reflected hemodilution. CONCLUSION: A decrease in plasma ionized calcium is not frequent, rarely severe, and probably not the main mechanism of myocardial dysfunction in brain-dead patients. Hypocalcemic patients required higher doses of dopamine, suggesting a decrease in systemic resistance. Only direct measurement of ionized calcium can assess plasma calcium ion status in brain-dead patients.

Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography for pulmonary embolectomy without cardiopulmonary bypass.

This case report describes a patient with massive pulmonary embolism and acute circulatory failure in whom transesophageal echocardiography permitted the diagnosis of thrombi in the main pulmonary truncus and in the right branch and guided intraoperatively the surgical embolectomy performed under simple venous inflow occlusion because of a contraindication to heparin administration. Transesophageal echocardiography seems to be a very helpful technique to diagnose promptly massive pulmonary embolism and a very useful tool at the time of operation to guide the embolectomy.

Flow cytometric cell cycle kinetics and quantitative measurement of c-erbB-2 and mutant p53 proteins in normal, hyperplastic, and malignant endometrial biopsies.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to biologically characterize endometrial hyperplasia by investigating changes in DNA ploidy pattern, the expression of c-erbB-2 p185 and mutant p53 proteins. METHODS AND RESULTS: Our results show that all normal endometria (n = 62) were exclusively diploid and 2 (2.5%) of 79 endometrial hyperplasias and 22 (68.8%) of 32 endometrial carcinomas were aneuploid. Upper 95% normal values for synthetic phase fraction (SPF), c-erbB-2 and p53 were applied as cut-off values to discriminate between normal and malignant endometria. When 9%, 3.2 HNU (Human Neu Unit)/microgram protein, and 0.39 ng/mg protein were used as cut-off values for SPF. c-erbB-2, and p53 respectively, 13.9%, 20.2%, and 0% of endometrial hyperplasia and 50%, 56.3%, and 12.5% of endometrial carcinoma showed raised levels of the corresponding parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that subsets of endometrial hyperplasia are biologically different as evidenced by the presence of DNA aneuploidy, high SPF and c-erbB-2 overexpression, which may provide biological markers for assessing progression to endometrial carcinoma.

Lack of behavioural risk factors for squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) in HIV-infected women.

HIV-infected women have a high prevalence of abnormal Papanicolaou smears and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. A multiparametric analysis of epidemiological and behavioural risk factors has been performed in a cohort of 204 HIV-infected women in an outpatient clinic with the aim to investigate risk factors associated with squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) in HIV-seropositive women. The prevalence of SIL in the study population was 35.7%. Univariate and multivariate analysis of demographic, behavioural and immunological variables only identified cigarette smoking > 20/day and CD4+ cell counts < or = 200 x 10(6)/L as risk factors significantly associated with SIL in the study population. We found no epidemiological/behavioural risk factors specifically associated with SIL in HIV-infected women as compared with the general population. The results suggest that the high prevalence of SIL in HIV disease is related to acquired immune deficiency in HIV-seropositive women.

[Association of hepatocellular adenoma and focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver in a woman on oral contraceptives]. / Association d'un adénome hépatocellulaire et d'une hyperplasie nodulaire focale du foie chez une femme sous contraceptifs oraux.

PIP: The case of a 37-year old woman with no previous pathology who developed liver adenoma and focal nodular hyperplasia after taking various oral contraceptive (OC) combined preparations over 15 years is described. The woman was hospitalized after discovery of a mass in the right hypochondrium. Other clinical findings were normal. During laparotomy 2 hepatic tumors were found: a mass 10 cm in diameter in the right lobe found at histological examination to be a focal nodular hyperplasia, and a mass 1 cm in diameter discovered fortuitously in the left lobe and which demonstrated the histological characteristics of a hepatic adenoma. The role of OCs in the development of hepatic adenomas is supported by epidemiological evidence, but the relationship between pills and focal nodular hyperplasia is much less clear. Although they occur in men and children, their development and the appearance of occasionally serious hemorrhagic complications appear to be encouraged by OCs. The complications are probably due to the vascular modifications observed in the tumor during OC use. The association of the 2 types of tumor in 1 patient has apparently been reported only once previously. Various hypotheses may be advanced to explain the occurrence.^ieng

[Contribution of transesophageal echocardiography in intensive care: a prospective assessment]. / Apport de l'échocardiographie transoesophagienne en réanimation: évaluation prospective.

The benefits of transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) were assessed prospectively in intensive care patients. The doctors carrying out TOE were not the same as those who ordered it. TOE was performed in 32 patients, all of whom but one were intubated and artificially ventilated, to elucidate the cause of circulatory shock, or to search for valvular vegetations or an intracardiac mass. TOE confirmed the diagnosis previously obtained with pulmonary arterial catheterization (10 patients), transthoracic echocardiography (3 patients) or ventriculography (1 patient) in 54% of cases. In 28% of cases, TOE invalidated the suspected diagnosis, and, in the remaining 28% of patients, TOE invalidated provided a previously unsuspected diagnosis. TOE was particularly useful in confirming the presence of valvular vegetations, endocarditis, or intracardiac thrombi, and to assess left ventricular function and preload in patients in shock. Like others, this study confirms the benefits of TOE in the intensive care setting.

[Failure of spinal anesthesia. Evaluation of the practice at a university hospital]. / Echecs de la rachianesthésie. Evaluation de la pratique d'un hôpital universitaire.

There is little data concerning failures in spinal anaesthesia. A retrospective analysis of 337 spinal anaesthesias performed in a teaching hospital gave a 9.8% failure rate. A failure was defined as the need to carry out part or all of a surgical act under general anaesthesia when spinal anaesthesia had been carried out. The main causes of failure were insufficiently or excessively extended neural blockade, insufficient duration or a poor quality sensory blockade with the patient feeling surgical or tourniquet pain. The local anaesthetics used were hyperbaric 0.5% tetracaine with and without 0.1 mg metaraminol, hyperbaric 0.5% prilocaine and isobaric 0.5% bupivacaine. The failure rate was 19.4% with plain hyperbaric tetracaine, 7.6% with tetracaine with metaraminol, 5% with prilocaine and 2.9% with isobaric bupivacaine. This rate was related neither to the experience of the anaesthetist, nor to the clinical features of the patients, nor to the position nor to the needle size. Although there were more failures during orthopaedic procedures, probably because of tourniquet pain, this was not significant. These results confirmed that spinal anaesthesia was a reliable technique. Hyperbaric plain tetracaine did not always guarantee a successful anaesthesia and isobaric bupivacaine should be more commonly used.

[Analysis of failures of spinal anesthesia as a function of practice development in a university hospital]. / Analyse des échecs de la rachianesthésie en fonction de l'évolution de la pratique d'un hôpital universitaire.

This study is a retrospective analysis of 303 consecutive spinal anaesthesia performed in orthopaedic patients of a University Hospital between January and December 1990. Failure of spinal anaesthesia was defined as the requirement for general anaesthesia to perform surgery. The parameters studied as possible risk factors of failure were patients demographics, local anaesthetic agents and solutions and techniques of spinal anaesthesia (single injection versus continuous spinal anaesthesia). Failures were related to inadequate or incomplete extension of sensory blockade or to difficulties to perform spinal injection. Continuous spinal anaesthesia was performed in 209 patients mostly with 0.5% isobaric bupivacaine, while 94 patients received a single injection of either hyperbaric 0.5% tetracaine with adrenaline or 0.5% bupivacaine or 5% lidocaine. Failures occurred in 6.3% of the cases but were significantly less frequent with continuous spinal anaesthesia (4.8%) than with the conventional technique (9.6%). The incidence of failure was higher with hyperbaric tetracaine (11.1%) confirming its poor reliability. Inadequate extension of the anaesthetic block was the main cause of failure whatever the spinal anaesthetic technique. These results point out the reliability of continuous spinal anaesthesia but problems may occasionally occur due to spinal catheter misplacement.

[Opening of a foramen ovale during liver transplantation. The value of transesophageal echocardiography]. / Ouverture d'un foramen ovale lors d'une transplantation hépatique. Intérêt de l'échocardiographie transoesophagienne.

A case is reported of a foramen ovale becoming patent during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The patient had a hepatoma secondary to post-hepatitis cirrhosis. Monitoring included transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). A veno-venous shunt between the right femoral, portal and left axillary veins was used so as to maintain the venous return during portal and caval clamping. The patient's haemodynamic state remained quite stable throughout this period, and no vasoactive drug was required. Five min after graft reperfusion, pulmonary arterial pressure increased suddenly (mean PAP: 27 mmHg). TEE revealed paradoxical movements of the atrial septum. Colour coded Doppler ultrasound showed blood flowing from the right to the left atrium through a patent foramen ovale. Fifteen min later, mean PAP decreased (18 mmHg) and TEE no longer showed any flow between the two atria. Several studies have reported transient pulmonary hypertension after unclamping when the donor liver is reperfused. This could induce right ventricular failure, with transient inversion of the atrial pressure gradient, which, in turn, could result in a right-to-left shunt through a patent foramen ovale. TEE can monitor regional and overall left ventricular function as well as the atrial septum. This technique might therefore to be useful for cardiac monitoring during OLT.

[Comparison between conventional and continuous spinal anesthesia using bupivacaine]. / Comparaison entre rachianesthésie conventionnelle et rachianesthésie continue utilisant la bupivacaïne.

A study was carried out to find out whether dividing the dose of local anaesthetic would give a better control of the spread and duration of sensory blockade due to spinal anaesthesia. It was carried out in 34 patients (mean age 62 years) scheduled for elective limb vascular surgery. All were classed ASA 2 or 3. Sensory blockade was assessed using a fine needle, and the degree of motor blockade with Bromage's scale. This was carried out every 5 min for the first 30 min, and thereafter, every 15 min until recovery from anaesthesia was complete. In the first group of patients (n = 16), spinal anaesthesia was obtained with a 26 gauge needle, the patient lying on his side; 4 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine were injected (1 ml every 10 seconds) before putting the patient supine. In the second group (n = 18), the catheter for continuous spinal anaesthesia was set up with the patient in the same position as for the first group. Once a length of 1 cm had been introduced in the subarachnoid space, the patient was placed supine and 2 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine were injected. If 15 min later sensory blockade did not reach T10, further 0.5 ml aliquots were given every 10 min so as to obtain a level of sensory blockade between T9 and T11. Maximum extension of sensory blockade was 15.1 +/- 2.3 metamers in group 1, with an extension to T3 in 2 patients. In group 2, 12.9 +/- 3.1 mg bupivacaine anaesthetized 14.2 +/- 1.9 metamers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)