Demographic and clinical characteristics associated with advanced stage colorectal cancer: a registry-based cohort study in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: In Saudi Arabia, approximately one-third of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Late diagnosis is often associated with a worse prognosis. Understanding the risk factors for late-stage presentation of CRC is crucial for developing targeted interventions enabling earlier detection and improved patient outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 17,541 CRC patients from the Saudi Cancer Registry (1997-2017). We defined distant CRCs as late-stage and localized and regional CRCs as early-stage. To assess risk factors for late-stage CRC, we first used multivariable logistic regression, then developed a decision tree to segment regions by late-stage CRC risk, and finally used stratified logistic regression models to examine geographical and sex variations in risk factors. RESULTS: Of all cases, 29% had a late-stage diagnosis, and 71% had early-stage CRC. Young (< 50 years) and unmarried women had an increased risk of late-stage CRC, overall and in some regions. Regional risk variations by sex were observed. Sex-related differences in late-stage rectosigmoid cancer risk were observed in specific regions but not in the overall population. Patients diagnosed after 2001 had increased risks of late-stage presentation. CONCLUSION: Our study identified risk factors for late-stage CRC that can guide targeted early detection efforts. Further research is warranted to fully understand these relationships and develop and evaluate effective prevention strategies.

A theory-informed systematic review to understand physical activity among women in Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review was conducted to identify health beliefs and modifying factors influencing physical (in) activity among adult women in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates). METHODS: A comprehensive search of the Medline (Ovid), EMBASE, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases was conducted to identify relevant articles published between 2009 and 2019. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data collection and analysis based on the health belief model were performed to systematically examine the relationships of health beliefs and modifying factors to physical activity. RESULTS: The sample comprised 15 studies (Saudi Arabia, n = 6; Oman, n = 5; Qatar, n = 2; Kuwait, n = 2). Reported physical activity prevalences were low (nearly 0% to 50%) and depended on the location, subpopulation, and measurement instrument. Evidence for relationships of modifying factors and health beliefs to physical activity was scarce and sometimes inconclusive. Among modifying factors, middle age and employment were associated positively with physical activity; marital status, educational level, income, and body mass index were not associated. Regarding health beliefs, the only conclusive evidence reported was that a lack of time was not associated significantly with physical activity in a population of men and women. Women reported a lack of social support and lack of skills significantly more frequently than men; these factors may explain the gender difference in physical activity prevalence. Differences in the reporting of fear of injury and lack of willpower were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Robust qualitative and quantitative research on the contributions of health beliefs and modifying factors to the low prevalence of physical activity among women in GCC countries is urgently needed. Current evidence indicates that unemployed women, women aged < 25 years, and elderly women are less likely to be physically active. Women in this population are more likely than men to believe that a lack social support and skills affects their physical activity. Many known factors and health beliefs appear to be unrelated to physical activity among adult women in GCC countries.

A systematic review of methods to estimate colorectal cancer incidence using population-based cancer registries.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies of incidence play an essential role in quantifying disease burden, resource planning, and informing public health policies. A variety of measures for estimating cancer incidence have been used. Appropriate reporting of incidence calculations is essential to enable clear interpretation. This review uses colorectal cancer (CRC) as an exemplar to summarize and describe variation in commonly employed incidence measures and evaluate the quality of reporting incidence methods. METHODS: We searched four databases for CRC incidence studies published between January 2010 and May 2020. Two independent reviewers screened all titles and abstracts. Eligible studies were population-based cancer registry studies evaluating CRC incidence. We extracted data on study characteristics and author-defined criteria for assessing the quality of reporting incidence. We used descriptive statistics to summarize the information. RESULTS: This review retrieved 165 relevant articles. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) (80%) was the most commonly reported incidence measure, and the 2000 U.S. standard population the most commonly used reference population (39%). Slightly more than half (54%) of the studies reported CRC incidence stratified by anatomical site. The quality of reporting incidence methods was suboptimal. Of all included studies: 45 (27%) failed to report the classification system used to define CRC; 63 (38%) did not report CRC codes; and only 20 (12%) documented excluding certain CRC cases from the numerator. Concerning the denominator estimation: 61% of studies failed to state the source of population data; 24 (15%) indicated census years; 10 (6%) reported the method used to estimate yearly population counts; and only 5 (3%) explicitly explained the population size estimation procedure to calculate the overall average incidence rate. Thirty-three (20%) studies reported the confidence interval for incidence, and only 7 (4%) documented methods for dealing with missing data. CONCLUSION: This review identified variations in incidence calculation and inadequate reporting of methods. We outlined recommendations to optimize incidence estimation and reporting practices. There is a need to establish clear guidelines for incidence reporting to facilitate assessment of the validity and interpretation of reported incidence.

Reproductive interference between Aedes albopictus and Aedes flavopictus at a place of their origin.

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus and Aedes (Stegomyia) flavopictus are related species that have overlapping distributions from southern to central Japan. To understand how they interact, we studied reproductive interference between them, particularly focusing on the body size difference between the mating pair. Here, we examined the effects of conspecific, heterospecific and double mating (i.e. heterospecific mating followed by conspecific mating) on copulation duration, egg production and hatchability of eggs using mosquitoes that varied in body size. Females mated only with heterospecific males produced few viable eggs, indicating that post-mating isolation is almost complete. When mated with heterospecific males before conspecific mating, the production of viable eggs was lower than when mated only with conspecific males, revealing the occurrence of reproductive interference. The degree of reproductive interference was larger in Ae. flavopictus than in Ae. albopictus when the female size was small but did not differ between them when the female size was large. Aedes albopictus females appear to be able to distinguish Ae. flavopictus males from conspecific males and larger females are more successful in the rejection of heterospecific males. On the other hand, Ae. flavopictus were not able to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific males.

Predictors of students' academic achievements in allied health professions at King Saud University: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The admissions criteria for colleges of medicine and allied health professions include several cognitive predictors. Little is known of the admissions criteria for the allied health professions and their correlation with students' academic performance. This study investigates predictors for students' academic achievements at allied health colleges at King Saud University. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: College of Applied Medical Sciences, College of Nursing, and Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services, Saudi Arabia. PARTICIPANTS: The sample comprised 1634 students. METHOD: The high school grade average (HSGA), aptitude test (APT) score, achievement test (ACT) score, and current grade point average (GPA) were retrieved. The data were analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression analysis. RESULTS: HSGA, ACT, and APT were significantly positively associated with students' academic performance in colleges for all allied health professions. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the most predictive variable for all allied healthcare professions was HSGA (ß = 0.347), followed by ACT (ß = 0.270) and APT (ß = 0.053) scores. The regression model indicated that the HSGA, APT, and ACT together predicted 26.5% of the variation in students' cumulative GPAs at the time of graduation. CONCLUSION: The admissions criteria for the allied health colleges at King Saud University predicted only 26.5% of the students' cumulative GPA at the time of graduation. Other noncognitive admission criteria should be taken into consideration to improve the prediction of students' academic potential.

Effect of sodium fluoride on neuroimmunological parameters, oxidative stress and antioxidative defenses.

AIMS: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of sodium fluoride (NaF) in inducing neuroimmunological, oxidative and antioxidative damage. METHODS: Twenty-four male Wistar rats broadly grouped into four groups containing six rats in each were fed with drinking water containing 20 ppm, 60 ppm, 100 ppm and 0.8 ppm (control) NaF. After 90 days, rats were sacrificed to assess the level of fluoride content and various neurotransmitters in brain. The levels of CD4, natural killer (NK) cells and IgG1 were assessed in blood and spleen. In addition, lipid peroxidation coupled with the levels of various antioxidative enzymes was also recorded. RESULTS: Increase in the NaF concentration resulted in increased fluoride deposition in brain tissue. This increased fluoride content led to increased levels of certain neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, histamine, serotonin and glutamate and decreased levels of norepinephrine, acetylcholine and dopamine in a dose-dependent manner. NaF exposure led to the decrease in the levels of CD4, NK cells and IgG1 coupled with marked increase in lipid peroxidation and impairment of the antioxidative defense system. CONCLUSION: The result of the study emphasizes the toxic role of high NaF doses on the neurological and immunological functions.

Are Saudi Arabian Patients Willing to Be Deprescribed Their Medications? An Exploratory Study.

Purpose: Deprescribing is a complex process that requires active patient involvement, so the patient's attitude to deprescribing is crucial to its success. This study aimed to assess predictors of Saudi Arabian patients' willingness to deprescribe. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, adult patients from two hospitals in Riyadh completed a self-administered questionnaire gathering data on demographic information and the Arabic revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questions. Descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 242 patients were included (mean age 59.8 (SD 11.05) years, range 25-87 years; 40% 60-69 years; 54.1% female). The majority (90%) of participants were willing to have medications deprescribed. Willingness to deprescribe was significantly associated with the rPATD involvement factor (OR=1.866, 95% CI 1.177-2.958, p=0.008) and the patient's perception of their health status (OR=2.08, CI=1.058-4.119, p=0.034). Conclusion: The majority of patients were willing to have one or more medications deprescribed if recommended by their doctors. Patient perceptions about their own health and their involvement in deprescribing were important predictive factors that could shape counseling and education strategies to encourage deprescribing.

Early Postoperative Outcome Following Laparoscopic Surgeries in Rectal Malignancies.

Rectal malignancies that require abdominoperineal resection (APR) and Anterior resection (AR) is very common. Laparoscopic APR or AR can be a better option. This study observed the feasibility of this newer technique for alternative to conventional open method. This prospective type of observational study was comprised of patients with diagnosis of rectal cancer, who admitted to BIRDEM General Hospital for Laparoscopic APR or AR from November 2015 to April 2016. Among 19 patients, age range was from 20-78 years, mean age was 49.84±17.04 years. Male: female ratio was 12:7 (63.2%:36.8%). Twelve (12) patients underwent Laparoscopic APR, 6 Laparoscopic AR, one conversion (conversion rate - 5.3%). Less analgesics were required, a mean of 5.61±1.57 dose/ample/mg opioid injections needed for 4.05 days. An early postoperative ambulation (2.16±0.76 days) was noted. Mean post-operative hospital stay was 11.53±1.98 days. Laparoscopic APR or AR is a safe, effective and technically feasible procedure. It can be a better operative procedure in terms of early postoperative outcome such as less analgesics requirement, early ambulation and shorter hospital stay.

Epidemiology of healthcare-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa in intensive care units: are sink drains to blame?

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is a common cause of healthcare-associated infection (PA-HAI) in the intensive care unit (ICU). AIM: To describe the epidemiology of PA-HAI in ICUs in Ontario, Canada, and to identify episodes of sink-to-patient PA transmission. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of patients in six ICUs from 2018 to 2019, with retrieval of PA clinical isolates, and PA-screening of antimicrobial-resistant organism surveillance rectal swabs, and of sink drain, air, and faucet samples. All PA isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing. PA-HAI was defined using US National Healthcare Safety Network criteria. ICU-acquired PA was defined as PA isolated from specimens obtained ≥48 h after ICU admission in those with prior negative rectal swabs. Sink-to-patient PA transmission was defined as ICU-acquired PA with close genomic relationship to isolate(s) previously recovered from sinks in a room/bedspace occupied 3-14 days prior to collection date of the relevant patient specimen. FINDINGS: Over ten months, 72 PA-HAIs occurred among 60/4263 admissions. The rate of PA-HAI was 2.40 per 1000 patient-ICU-days; higher in patients who were PA-colonized on admission. PA-HAI was associated with longer stay (median: 26 vs 3 days uninfected; P < 0.001) and contributed to death in 22/60 cases (36.7%). Fifty-eight admissions with ICU-acquired PA were identified, contributing 35/72 (48.6%) PA-HAIs. Four patients with five PA-HAIs (6.9%) had closely related isolates previously recovered from their room/bedspace sinks. CONCLUSION: Nearly half of PA causing HAI appeared to be acquired in ICUs, and 7% of PA-HAIs were associated with sink-to-patient transmission. Sinks may be an under-recognized reservoir for HAIs.

Synchronous Tumour: A Rare Case Report.

The occurrence of synchronous tumors is rare and there have been only a few reported cases. In this particular report, a 30-year-old female presented with abnormal heaviness and anorexia for one month. The case involved the presence of two simultaneous tumors: an immature teratoma in the ovary and a carcinoid tumor in the appendix. This case was complex and presented challenges for diagnosis and treatment. Although synchronous tumors are uncommon, they should be considered as a possibility in the differential diagnosis. Physicians may encounter difficulties in both clinical and histopathological diagnosis when dealing with such cases.

A standardized Code Blue Team eliminates variable survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that time of day affects survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest. Lower survival rates are observed during nights and on weekends, except in areas with consistent physician care, such as the Emergency Department. Since 1997, our hospital has utilized a standard, hospital-wide "Code Blue Team" (CBT) to respond to cardiac arrests at any time. This team is always led by an emergency physician, and includes specially trained nurses. OBJECTIVE: To assess if time of day or week affects survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest when a trained, consistent, emergency physician-led CBT is implemented. METHODS: This is an analysis of prospectively collected data on initial survival rates (return of spontaneous circulation >20 min) of all cardiac arrests that were managed by the CBT from 2000 to 2008. Cardiac arrests were also subcategorized based on initial cardiac rhythm. Survival rates were compared according to time of day or week. RESULTS: A total of 1692 cardiac arrests were included. There was no significant difference in the overall rate of initial survival between day/evening vs. night hours (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83-1.29), or between weekday vs. weekend hours (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.85-1.38). This held true for all cardiac rhythms. CONCLUSION: At our institution, there is no significant difference in survival from cardiac arrest when a standardized "Code Blue Team" is utilized, regardless of the time of day or week.

Effect of pre-bypass methylprednisolone on post-operative renal function following correction of atrial septal defect under cardiopulmonary bypass.

Conventional open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are associated with transient post-operative renal dysfunction which is caused by systemic inflammatory response induced by CPB. Corticosteroids are administered to attenuate the systemic inflammatory response. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of pre-bypass and post-bypass methylprednisolone on postoperative renal function after correction of ASD under CPB. Forty (40) patients were selected in the University cardiac centre of BSMMU undergoing ASD correction under CPB. Patients were randomized into two group to receive pre-bypass (Group A) or post-bypass (Group B) methylprednisolone 30mg/kg. Markers of glomerular function (BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance) and damage (micro-albuminuria) and tubular function (glucosuria) were evaluated 24 hours after operation. Transient impairment of glomerular and tubular function of kidney was observed in patients those received post-bypass metylprednisolone (Group B) while Group A patients shown no significant difference between baseline and post-operative renal function. Use of pre-bypass methylprednisolone has a protective effect on post-operative renal function after correction of ASD under CPB.

Budd-Chiari syndrome.

A 16 years old boy hailing from Comilla presented with sudden onset of upper abdominal pain, ascites and generalized muscle wasting for 3 months. Ultrasonogram (USG), Color Doppler and Venography was done and diagnosed him a case of Budd-Chiari syndrome. The patient was treated with salt and water restriction, diuretics, repeated palliative ascetic fluid aspiration with re-accumulation within 1-2 days. He was also given Low molecular weight Heparin for 7 days, overlapped and followed by warfarin 10mg/day with target INR 2.5-3.5. Consultation with hepatobiliary surgeon was done for shunt operation, but operation was not possible due to poor general condition. This patient improved satisfactorily with low molecular weight heparin, warfarin and supportive measures. Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare veno-occlusive disorder involving hepatic vasculature.

A primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy or pachydermoperiostosis.

A young boy of 17 years presented with arthalgia and arthritis of multiple joints unresponsive to treatment, generalized clubbing and enlargement of distal part of the extremities for 5 years and hyperhidrosis for 3 years. On examination, thickening of the facial skin and seborrhoea were found associated with acne. The patient has a Marfanoid appearance with column like legs and spade like fingers. There was no evidence of cutis vertices gyrata. Mild anaemia was present and vital signs were within normal limits. Examination of the musculoskeletal system revealed pain and swelling of the knee, ankle, elbow, wrist and proximal & distal interphalangeal joints. The spine and gait were normal. Radiographs of the limbs revealed subperiosteal new bone formation. The patient was diagnosed as a case of the autosomal dominant disorder, Primary Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy or Pachydermoperiostosis.

Spectrum of skin lesions of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in kala-azar endemic areas of Bangladesh.

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a complication of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and serves as a potential reservoir for Leishmania parasite. The study was aimed to evaluate the spectrum of skin lesions of PKDL in kala-azar endemic areas in Bangladesh. This cross sectional study was carried out to observe the characteristics of skin lesions among 250 PKDL cases. The suspected PKDL patients in highly endemic villages of Fulbaria Upazilla of Mymensingh district.were subjected to a dipstick test (rK39) for kala azar. The median time interval between diagnosing kala-azar and PKDL was 23 month (m-21, r- 0-60 months). The most common skin lesions were multiple symmetrical hypopigmented macules with irregular margins in 179(71.6%) cases followed by erythematous facial induration in 74(29.6%), papular in 33(13.2%), nodular in 28(11.2%) cases, combination of macules, papules, nodules and plaques in 88(35.2%) cases, annular in 7(2.8%) cases and Papillomatous mucosal growth in 2(0.8%) cases. Sites of involvement were mostly in face (92.4%), Trunk (84.8%), extremities (33.2%), oral mucosa and tongue (0.8%) and Genitalia (1.2%). Suspicion of PKDL on the basis of skin lesions will lead to early diagnosis and prompt treatment will impart an important role in prevention and eradication of Leishmaniasis in Bangladesh.

Pattern of cutaneous tuberculosis among children and adolescent.

Cutaneous tuberculosis is one of the most subtle and difficult diagnoses for dermatologists practicing in developing countries. It has widely varied manifestations and it is important to know the spectrum of manifestations in children and adolescent. Sixty cases (age < 19 years) of cutaneous tuberculosis were included in this one period study. The diagnosis was based on clinical examination, tuberculin reaction, histopathology, and response to antitubercular therapy. Histopahology revealed 38.3% had skin tuberculosis and 61.7% had diseases other than tuberculosis. Among 23 histopathologically proved cutaneous tuberculosis, 47.8% had scrofuloderma, 34.8% had lupus vulgaris and 17.4% had tuberculosis verrucosa cutis (TVC). Most common site for scrofuloderma lesions was neck and that for lupus vulgaris and TVC was lower limb. Cutaneous tuberculosis in children continues to be an important cause of morbidity, there is a high likelihood of internal involvement, especially in patients with scrofuloderma. A search is required for more sensitive, economic diagnostic tools.

Clinical Profile and Immediate Outcome of Pyogenic Meningitis in Children.

Meningitis literally means inflammation of the meninges. It is mostly caused by bacteria, virus, fungus and protozoa and pyogenic meningitis constitutes a serious neurological disorder associated with significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. This study was carried out to evaluate the clinical presentation and immediate outcome of pyogenic meningitis in children. This was a prospective observational study and conducted at department of Paeditrics in Cumilla Medical College Hospital, Cumilla, Bangladesh from July 2014 to June 2015. Total 50 children were diagnosed as pyogenic meningitis fulfilling the inclusion criteria was included in this study. Cases were enrolled purposively. Immediately after admission through history and clinical examination, complete blood count, random blood sugar, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination and blood culture was done in all patients. For statistical analysis chi-square test was done and significance of analysis was made when p value <0.05. This study includes patients aged between 2 months to 12 years and male female ratio was 1.5:1. Several risk factors like male sex (60.0%), age below one year (42.0%), Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) (30.0%), not exclusively breastfed (44.0%) were identified. Common presenting complaints were fever (100.0%), convulsion (96.0%), altered consciousness (42.0%) and vomiting (38.0%). Common physical signs were neck rigidity (56.0%), Kernig's sign (26.0%) and bulged fontanelle (34.0%). CSF was hazy in 54.0%, clear in 38.0% and turbid in 08.0% cases, CSF protein was more than 100mg/dl in 90.0% of the cases and glucose was less than 40mg/dl in most of the cases (94.0%). Streptococcus Pneumoniae (49.0%) followed by Neisseria Meningitidis (38.0%) were the two most commonly isolated organism responsible for pyogenic meningitis. Mortality rate during hospital stay was 18.0% and complications developed in 18.0% of cases. To avoid maltreatment in our resource limited setting due to failure of identifying organism, this study might help to administer appropriate antibiotics against organism and to reduce morbidity and mortality in meningitis. This study revealed less mortality rate in our country than neighbors and severe malnutrition important risk factors for the burden of pyogenic meningitis. It requires large scale multicentre studies to establish the whole scenario of Bangladesh.

Statistical methods for measuring trends in colorectal cancer incidence in registries: A systematic review.

Background: Monitoring cancer trends in a population is essential for tracking the disease's burden, allocating resources, and informing public health policies. This review describes variations in commonly employed methods to estimate colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence trends. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search in four databases to identify population-based studies reporting CRC incidence trends, published between January 2010 and May 2020. We extracted and described data on methods to estimate trends and assess model validity, and the software used. Results: This review included 145 articles based on studies conducted in five continents. The majority (93%) presented visual summaries of trends combined with absolute, relative, or annual change estimates. Fourteen (10%) articles exclusively calculated the relative change in incidence over a given time interval, presented as the percentage of change in rates. Joinpoint regression analysis was the most commonly used method for assessing incidence trends (n= 65, 45%), providing estimates of the annual percentage change (APC) in rates. Nineteen (13%) studies performed Poisson regression and 18 (12%) linear regression analysis. Age-period-cohort modeling- a type of generalized linear models- was conducted in 18 (12%) studies. Thirty-nine (37%) of the studies modeling incidence trends (n=104, 72%) indicated the method used to evaluate model fitness. The joinpoint program (52%) was the statistical software most commonly used. Conclusion: This review identified variation in the calculation of CRC incidence trends and inadequate reporting of model fit statistics. Our findings highlight the need for increasing clarity and transparency in reporting methods to facilitate interpretation, reproduction, and comparison with findings from previous studies.

Demographic Characteristics, Comorbidities, and Length of Stay of COVID-19 Patients Admitted Into Intensive Care Units in Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Retrospective Study.

Background: This study aimed to describe the demographic characteristics and determine the risk factors associated with disease severity and length of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay in a cohort of COVID-19 patients admitted into ICU in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a national, multi-center, retrospective cross-sectional study of all COVID-19 cases admitted into different ICUs in Saudi Arabia between March 2020 and September 202l. Demographic, clinical features, comorbidities, and length of stay (LOS) data were retrieved from the national Health Electronic Surveillance Network (HESN) and Taqassi databases at the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) for subsequent analyses. We used multiple linear regression models to determine risk factors associated with critical outcomes (including LOS in ICU) among COVID-19 cases. Results: A total of 12,436 COVID-19 patients were included in this study, with a mean age of 59.57 ± 18.30 years and 7,679 (62%) were <65 years old. COVID-19 was more common in males (N = 7,686, 61.9%) and Saudi nationals (N = 8,516, 68.5%). The clinical characteristic findings showed that 36.3% of patients required invasive ventilation whilst 65.4% received tracheostomies for ventilation, and 4% were on dialysis. Our analysis revealed that 2,978 (23.9%) patients had one comorbidity, 4,977 (47.4%) had two or more comorbidities, and diabetes (48.2%) was the most prevalent comorbidity, followed by hypertension (44.2%), and chronic cardiovascular disease (10.5%). Thirteen variables emerged as significant predictors of LOS in ICU using multiple linear regression analyses, with invasive ventilation as the strongest predictor of LOS in the ICU (beta = -0.68, p = 0.001) and hospital admission (beta = -0.65, p = 0.001). Conclusions: COVID-19 continues to affect millions of people around the world, with a mortality rate of about 2-3% of all infected patients. Our analysis revealed that comorbidities such as chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and older age were significant risk factors associated with a poorer prognosis and longer duration of stay in hospitals and ICU.