Parental Perceptions of Physical Activity and Risk of Disease Associated with Sedentary Behaviours in Infants and Toddlers.

OBJECTIVES: The current study intends to measure parents' perceptions of newborn and toddler physical activity. METHODS: A Cross-sectional study was conducted at the pediatric clinic at a University Hospital in Riyadh. The parents or guardians of children 0 to 3 years of age, healthy infants, and toddlers who visited the vaccination and pediatric clinic at a University Hospital in Riyadh, were recruited. The Parental Perceptions of Physical Activity Scale (PPPAS) was translated into the Arabic language. The Chi-square test was applied to observe the association between categorical variables. P value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 383 parents were recruited. There was a significant association observed between physical activity and income, employment, and education. A significant association was observed between the following perceptions; the child enjoys physical activity, it increases the child's fitness level, the strength of the muscles, flexibility, and life span, improves happiness, keeps the child active, and provides a sense of achievement, and decrease future weight problems. CONCLUSION FOR PRACTICE: The study determined that parental inclination towards engaging in a physical activity intervention for their infants, as well as identifying any concerns that may impact their children's adherence to physical activity was satisfied.

What is already known on this subject? Youth health is crucial since cardiovascular disease and obesity are linked to sedentary behaviors in children and will persist into adulthood.What this study adds? The study addresses the concerns of parents regarding physical activities which is an emerging concern for children's health. It investigates the viewpoint of parents about physical activities and the risk of diseases that may develop due to sedentary behaviors among infants and toddlers.

Deep brain stimulation for pediatric dystonia: a meta-analysis with individual participant data.

AIM: We performed a meta-analysis with individual participant data of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for dystonia in children and young people. METHOD: Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) were queried from January 1999 to August 2017 with no language restrictions to identify case studies and cohort studies reporting on pediatric patients (age ≤21y) with dystonia. The primary outcomes were changes in Burke-Fahn-Marsden (BFM) or Barry-Albright Dystonia Scale scores. A mixed-effects regression was used to identify associations between clinical covariates and outcomes. RESULTS: Of 2509 citations reviewed, 72 articles (321 children) were eligible. At last follow-up (median 12mo, 25th centile=9.0; 75th centile=32.2), 277 (86.3%) patients showed improvement in dystonia, while 66.1 percent showed clinically significant (>20%) BFM Dystonia Rating Scale-motor improvement. On multivariable hierarchical regression, older age at dystonia onset, inherited dystonia without nervous system pathology and idiopathic dystonia (vs inherited with nervous system pathology or acquired dystonia), and truncal involvement indicated a better outcome (p<0.05). INTERPRETATION: The data suggest that DBS is effective and should be considered in selected children with inherited or idiopathic dystonia. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Deep brain stimulation is effective in selected children with inherited or idiopathic dystonia.

Mapping the landscape of medical research in the Arab world countries: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the productivity, performance, and impact of medical research in the Arab world countries. METHODS: We carried out a bibliometric analysis using Clarivate Analytics databases from January 2017 to March 2023. We reported research productivity, national and international research collaboration patterns, impact of Arab medical research output compared to the global average, top medical journals publishing Arab-affiliated research, and performance of the most productive Arab institutions. RESULTS: The Arab world contributed 2.72% to global medical research publication, with a citation impact of 11.98 compared to the global impact of 12.02. Qatar, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia led medical research publications per million population among Arab countries, ranking 26th, 36th, and 37th globally. Medical research publications increased by 87% annually from 2017-2022, with 70% of research originating from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. National collaborations accounted for 15% of Arab world publications, while international collaborations represented 66%. The median impact factor across the top 20 medical journals with Arab-affiliated authors was 5.14, with 50% being quartile one journals. The top 10 Arab-origin medical journals had a median impact factor of 3.13. Approximately 80% of the top 20 Arab institutions were academic, with a median publication count of 3,162.5 and a median citation impact of 14.5. CONCLUSION: The study provides insights into the state of medical research in the Arab countries, indicating room for improvement in the region's medical research.

External Validation of Obese/Critically Ill Vancomycin Population Pharmacokinetic Models in Critically Ill Patients Who Are Obese.

Obesity combined with critical illness might increase the risk of acquiring infections and hence mortality. In this patient population the pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials vary significantly, making antimicrobial dosing challenging. The objective of this study was to assess the predictive performance of published population pharmacokinetic models of vancomycin in patients who are critically ill or obese for a cohort of critically ill patients who are obese. This was a multi-center retrospective study conducted at 2 hospitals. Adult patients with a body mass index of ≥30 kg/m2 were included. PubMed was searched for published population pharmacokinetic studies in patients who were critically ill or obese. External validation was performed using Monolix software. A total of 4 models were identified in patients who were obese and 5 models were identified in patients who were critically ill. In total, 138 patients who were critically ill and obese were included, and the most accurate models for these patients were the Goti and Roberts models. In our analysis, models in patients who were critically ill outperformed models in patients who were obese. When looking at the most accurate models, both the Goti and the Roberts models had patient characteristics similar to ours in terms of age and creatinine clearance. This indicates that when selecting the proper model to apply in practice, it is important to account for all relevant variables, besides obesity.

Public Knowledge and Perception of Anesthesia, Anesthesiologists' Expertise, and Their Role Among Saudi Citizens Residing in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Despite improvements in anesthesia practice, there is still a lack of public awareness of the field, the range of an anesthesiologist's duties, and the crucial role they play in the healthcare delivery system. Thus, this study aimed to assess Saudi citizens' perceptions of anesthesiologists' training, expertise, role, and responsibilities, as well as their knowledge and concerns about anesthesia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2022 and April 2023, with a 42-question survey administered to 406 adult Saudi citizens of both genders residing in Saudi Arabia, excluding healthcare students and employees. RESULTS: Most participants were female (82.8%), aged over 40 (67.6%), held a bachelor's degree (74.6%), and reported very good health (38.7%). A majority (67.2%) had at least undergone one or more surgeries. Knowledge scores averaged 8.14 ± 2.35/14, distributed as 20% poor, 67.7% moderate, and 12.3% good. Perception scores averaged 3.25 ± 1.59/7, with 55.2% poor, 38.2% moderate, and 6.7% good. A significant positive correlation between perception and knowledge scores was found. Higher perception scores were associated with having a chronic medical condition, while higher knowledge scores were associated with being female and having undergone more surgeries. Anesthesiologists were recognized as specially trained doctors by 79.8% of participants, and 63.8% trusted physicians for care. However, 22.4% refused care. Notably, the most common anesthesia concern was fear of dying during anesthesia (very concerned: 26.6%). CONCLUSION: This study reveals knowledge gaps and misconceptions about an anesthesiologist's role and responsibilities, highlighting the need for public education to address concerns, improve patient satisfaction, and inform future research.

The Anti-Virulence Activities of the Antihypertensive Drug Propranolol in Light of Its Anti-Quorum Sensing Effects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens.

The development of bacterial resistance is an increasing global concern that requires discovering new antibacterial agents and strategies. Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) systems play important roles in controlling bacterial virulence, and their targeting could lead to diminishing bacterial pathogenesis. In this context, targeting QS systems without significant influence on bacterial growth is assumed as a promising strategy to overcome resistance development. This study aimed at evaluating the anti-QS and anti-virulence activities of the ß-adrenoreceptor antagonist propranolol at sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC) against two Gram-negative bacterial models Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens. The effect of propranolol on the expression of QS-encoding genes was evaluated. Additionally, the affinity of propranolol to QS receptors was virtually attested. The influence of propranolol at sub-MIC on biofilm formation, motility, and production of virulent factors was conducted. The outcomes of the propranolol combination with different antibiotics were assessed. Finally, the in vivo protection assay in mice was performed to assess propranolol's effect on lessening the bacterial pathogenesis. The current findings emphasized the significant ability of propranolol at sub-MIC to reduce the formation of biofilms, motility, and production of virulence factors. In addition, propranolol at sub-MIC decreased the capacity of tested bacteria to induce pathogenesis in mice. Furthermore, propranolol significantly downregulated the QS-encoding genes and showed significant affinity to QS receptors. Finally, propranolol at sub-MIC synergistically decreased the MICs of different antibiotics against tested bacteria. In conclusion, propranolol might serve as a plausible adjuvant therapy with antibiotics for the treatment of serious bacterial infections after further pharmacological and pharmaceutical studies.

A Single-Center Study of Patients With Synchronous Primary Malignancy: A Case Series.

Multiple primary malignant tumors (MPMT) can be defined as more than two different tumors synchronously or metachronously forming in the same organ or different organs. The incidence of MPMTs varies dramatically between antemortem and postmortem examinations, becoming a serious medical issue. Evidence shows that the overall incidence of MPMTs is between 2.4% and 17%. Double primary malignancy (DPM) is considered the most common type of MPMT. In this case series, we present three cases of MPMT. The first case involved the colon and the breast, the second case involved the colon and the kidney, and the third case involved rectum and kidney.

Possible Azithromycin-Induced Life-Threatening Arrhythmia Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Azithromycin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic due to several advantages, including the broad range of indications, spectrum of activity, favorable drug interaction profile, and convenience of dosing. Although azithromycin carries a black-box warning for QTc prolongation and ventricular arrhythmias, these are considered rare adverse effects. CASE REPORT We present the case of a 37-year-old woman who received azithromycin (500 mg) for follicular tonsillitis and was admitted for worsening of symptoms. On the same day of admission to a secondary hospital, she became unresponsive and had cardiac arrest, for which cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed for 26 min. As per the input from the secondary hospital, she had multiple ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation, and needed to be transferred to a tertiary care hospital for further management. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support was inserted to support her hemodynamics, and serial ECGs showed significant QT interval prolongation up to 600 msec. The QT prolongation resolved over 10 days and she was successfully weaned-off ECMO. CONCLUSIONS Although azithromycin has a relatively safe profile, it is also associated with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias that may require surgical intervention to stabilize the patient hemodynamically.