Insight into prevalence, etiology, and modalities of pediatric chronic dialysis: a comprehensive nationwide analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and etiology of kidney failure (KF) among children below 15 years of age receiving chronic dialysis in Saudi Arabia and describe their dialysis modalities. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 8 August 2022, encompassing all 23 pediatric dialysis centers in Saudi Arabia. Data gathered comprised patient demographics, causes of KF, and the dialysis methods employed. Collected data underwent analysis to determine prevalence of children undergoing chronic dialysis, discern underlying causes of KF, and evaluate distribution of patients across different dialysis modalities. RESULTS: The prevalence of children on chronic dialysis is 77.6 per million children living in Saudi Arabia, equating to 419 children. The predominant underlying cause of KF was congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT), representing a substantial 41% of cases. Following this, others or unknown etiologies accounted for a noteworthy 25% of cases, with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) comprising 13%, glomerulonephritis at 11%, and congenital nephrotic syndrome contributing 10% to etiological distribution. Regarding dialysis modalities employed, 67% of patients were on peritoneal dialysis (PD), while the remaining 33% were on hemodialysis (HD). CONCLUSIONS: This first nationwide study of pediatric chronic dialysis in Saudi Arabia sheds light on the prevalence of children undergoing chronic dialysis and underlying causes of their KF, thereby contributing to our understanding of clinical management considerations. This research serves as a stepping stone for the development of national registries.

Evaluation of Some Dental Myths Among the Adult Population in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background To provide effective oral health care to patients and healthy individuals, it is critical to recognize prevalent myths. Most myths cause patients to follow the wrong protocol in dentistry, which can make treatment difficult for the dentist. This study aimed to assess dental myths among the Saudi Arabian population in Riyadh. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among Riyadh adults between August and October 2021. Saudi nationals aged 18-65 living in Riyadh without cognitive, hearing, or vision impairments and with limited or no trouble interpreting the questionnaire were surveyed. Only participants who consented to participate in the study were included. JMP Pro 15.2.0 was used to evaluate survey data. Frequency and percentage distributions were used for dependent and independent variables. The chi-square test evaluated the statistical significance of the variables, with a p-value of 0.05 being considered statistically significant. Results A total of 433 participants completed the survey. Half of the sample (50%) were aged 18-28; 50% were men; and 75% had a college degree. Higher-educated men and women did better on the survey. In particular, 80% of the participants believed "teething causes fever." "Placing a (pain killer) tablet on a tooth reduces pain" was believed by 34.40% of the participants, and 26% thought pregnant women should not get dental work. Lastly, 79% of the participants believed that "infants obtain calcium from their mother's teeth and bone." Most sources of these pieces of information were online (62.60%). Conclusions Nearly half of the participants believe in dental health myths, and as a result, people follow unhealthy practices. This results in long-term health consequences. The government and health professionals must prevent the spread of such misconceptions. In this regard, dental health education may be helpful. Most of this study's crucial findings are consistent with those of prior studies, indicating its accuracy.

The Prevalence of Peritonitis among Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Patients at Large Saudi Center.

Peritonitis is a common and serious complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and it is a direct or major contributing cause of death in around 16% of PD patients. Severe or prolonged peritonitis leads to structural and functional alterations of the peritoneal membrane, eventually leading to membrane failure, PD technique failure, and conversion to long-term hemodialysis (HD). This is cross-sectional record-based study in which the records of all children aged <14 years with end-stage renal disease on PD either on coiled or straight PD catheter had been reviewed at pediatric nephrology department in a tertiary care hospital, Riyadh, over the period of three years from 2017 to 2019. All information was collected using a structured data collection form. Our study had 30 patients on automated PD with 10 females (33.3%) and 20 males (66.7%) during the study period. The age ranged from 11 months to 14 years with a median 5.5 years, all of them were new to dialysis. A total of 11 out of 30 patients had multiple episodes of PD-associated peritonitis and the prevalence of peritonitis among the 30 patients was 37%. Peritoneal fluid cultures were positive in 100% episodes. Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal organisms were identified in 72.7%, 18.1%, and 9.0% episodes, respectively. The analysis showed the exit-site infection (ESI) to be a risk factor to develop peritonitis, where 21 patients out of 30 had at least one ESI, 52% end by peritonitis in coiled catheter group. No mortality among our cohort of patients was noted, even removal of or changing PD catheter and transfer to HD. Our data showed that the prevalence of peritonitis secondary to ESI with Gram-positive organisms was significantly high, especially in coiled catheter group.