The Saudi initiative for asthma - 2024 update: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma in adults and children.

The Saudi Initiative for Asthma 2024 (SINA-2024) is the sixth version of asthma guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma for adults and children that was developed by the SINA group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Thoracic Society. The main objective of the SINA is to have guidelines that are up-to-date, simple to understand, and easy to use by healthcare workers dealing with asthma patients. To facilitate achieving the goals of asthma management, the SINA Panel approach is mainly based on the assessment of symptom control and risk for both adults and children. The approach to asthma management is aligned for age groups: adults, adolescents, children aged 5-12 years, and children aged <5 years. SINA guidelines have focused more on personalized approaches reflecting a better understanding of disease heterogeneity with the integration of recommendations related to biologic agents, evidence-based updates on treatment, and the role of immunotherapy in management. The medication appendix has also been updated with the addition of recent evidence, new indications for existing medication, and new medications. The guidelines are constructed based on the available evidence, local literature, and the current situation at national and regional levels. There is also an emphasis on patient-doctor partnership in the management that also includes a self-management plan.

When single-inhaler triple therapy is a preferred option in asthma management?

Asthma control is the main goal of management. Unfortunately, most asthma patients with moderate-severe asthma remain uncontrolled despite receiving standard treatment of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) with long-acting ß2 agonists (LABA). The addition of long-acting antimuscarinic agents (LAMA) has been shown to improve different aspects of asthma control, including symptoms, lung functions, and probably exacerbations. Such an option could be considered for low-T2 asthma phenotype. Umeclidinium and glycopyrronium bromide are other LAMA agents that have been recently made available in combination with ICS and LABA in single-inhaler triple therapy (SITT) devices. Here, we discuss the position of SITT as a new novel therapeutic option in asthma management and its clinical benefits, potential cost saving, and improved compliance.

Management guidelines for stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Management of stage III non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is very challenging due to being a group of widely heterogeneous diseases that require multidisciplinary approaches with timely and coordinated care. The standards of care had significant changes over the last couple of years because of the introduction of consolidation therapy with checkpoint inhibitor following concurrent chemo-radiotherapy and the evolving new role of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the adjuvant setting. The manuscript presents evidence-based recommendations for the workup, staging, treatment and follow up of the various subtypes of stage III NSCLC. The guidelines were developed by experts in various fields of thoracic oncology and guidelines development. The guidelines consider the sequence of interventions and the role of each discipline in the management of the disease taking into account the recent development and included required resources to help physicians provide better care.

The Saudi Initiative for Asthma - 2021 Update: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma in adults and children.

The Saudi Initiative for Asthma 2021 (SINA-2021) is the fifth version of asthma guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma for adults and children, which is developed by the SINA group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Thoracic Society. The main objective of the SINA is to have guidelines that are up to date, simple to understand, and easy to use by healthcare workers dealing with asthma patients. To facilitate achieving the goals of asthma management, the SINA panel approach is mainly based on the assessment of symptom control and risk for both adults and children. The approach to asthma management is aligned for age groups: adults, adolescents, children aged 5-12 years, and children aged less than 5 years. SINA guidelines have focused more on personalized approaches reflecting better understanding of disease heterogeneity with the integration of recommendations related to biologic agents, evidence-based updates on treatment, and the role of immunotherapy in management. Medication appendix has also been updated with the addition of recent evidence, new indications for existing medication, and new medications. The guidelines are constructed based on the available evidence, local literature, and the current situation at national and regional levels. There is also an emphasis on patient-doctor partnership in the management that also includes a self-management plan.

Asthma control and predictive factors among adults in Saudi Arabia: Results from the Epidemiological Study on the Management of Asthma in Asthmatic Middle East Adult Population study.

CONTEXT: Asthma control is suboptimal in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). AIMS: The aim of this study is to assess the level of asthma control in Saudi patients as per the Global Initiative for Asthma 2012 classification and explore its potential predictive factors. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Epidemiological Study on the Management of Asthma in Asthmatic Middle East Adult Population (ESMAA) is a multicentric, descriptive, epidemiological study assessing asthma management in the MENA region. In this article, we report the results of patients from Saudi Arabia included in the ESMAA study. METHODS: Adult patients diagnosed with asthma at least 1 year before study entry were considered for inclusion. Asthma control level and its predictive factors were explored. Treatment adherence and quality of life (QoL) were assessed by MMAS-4© and Short Form 8 Health Survey QoL questionnaires, respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Descriptive statistics were done considering two-sided 95% confidence intervals. Logistic regression was used to explore the potential predictive factors of asthma control. All statistical tests were two-sided, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Data of 1009 patients from Saudi Arabia were analyzed. Less than one-third of patients (30.1%) were found to have controlled asthma with significantly higher QoL. High level of asthma control was reported among male patients and those with high educational level, while age, body mass index, and adherence to treatment were found to have no effect on asthma control. CONCLUSIONS: Asthma control remains suboptimal among Saudi population. This needs huge efforts to achieve acceptable levels of control and better QoL for asthma patients. Further studies are still needed in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region.

The Saudi Initiative for Asthma - 2019 Update: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma in adults and children.

This is the fourth version of the updated guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma, developed by the Saudi Initiative for Asthma (SINA) group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Thoracic Society. The main objective of the SINA is to have guidelines that are up to date, simple to understand, and easy to use by healthcare workers dealing with asthma patients. To facilitate achieving the goals of asthma management, the SINA panel approach is mainly based on the assessment of symptom control and risk for both adults and children. The approach to asthma management is now more aligned for different age groups. The guidelines have focused more on personalized approaches reflecting better understanding of disease heterogeneity with integration of recommendations related to biologic agents, evidence-based updates on treatment, and role of immunotherapy in management. The medication appendix has also been updated with the addition of recent evidence, new indications for existing medication, and new medications. The guidelines are constructed based on the available evidence, local literature, and current situation at national and regional levels. There is also an emphasis on patient-doctor partnership in the management that also includes a self-management plan.

Saudi lung cancer prevention and screening guidelines.

BACKGROUND: While lung cancer is the leading cancer cause of death, it is largely preventable. Furthermore, early diagnosis enhances the chance of cure. Therefore, we developed guidelines for lung cancer prevention and early detection. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team of experts in lung cancer representing different health-care sectors was assembled based on the National Cancer Center request and in coordination with the Saudi Lung Cancer Association of Saudi Thoracic Society. The team reviewed various reliable international guidelines and the data and experience in the Kingdom and formulated guidelines that address the primary and secondary prevention approaches in lung cancer, including tobacco control, early diagnosis, and lung cancer screening. RESULTS: The team developed guidelines to assist healthcare professionals in the Kingdom manage the different aspects of lung cancer prevention. Primary prevention through tobacco control: the recommendations encourage all healthcare professionals in all practice settings to screen their patients for smoking and to provide counseling and if needed referral to smoking cessation programs for current smokers. For early diagnosis of patients with symptoms suspicions of lung cancer, it is expected standard of care to investigate, work up, and refer the patients appropriately. Mass screening of patients at high risk for developing lung cancer: the recommendations listed the program requirements, eligible patients, and algorithm to manage findings. However, the team does not recommend that national screening program be mandated or implemented for lung cancer at this stage until more data and studies provide stronger evidence to justify adopting a national program. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians can play an important role in preventing lung cancer by tobacco control and also detect lung cancer at earlier presentation. However, national mass screening programs require further study.

The Saudi Initiative for Asthma - 2016 update: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma in adults and children.

This is an updated guideline for the diagnosis and management of asthma, developed by the Saudi Initiative for Asthma (SINA) group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Thoracic Society. The main objective of SINA is to have guidelines that are up to date, simple to understand and easy to use by nonasthma specialists, including primary care and general practice physicians. SINA approach is mainly based on symptom control and assessment of risk as it is the ultimate goal of treatment. The new SINA guidelines include updates of acute and chronic asthma management, with more emphasis on the use of asthma control in the management of asthma in adults and children, inclusion of a new medication appendix, and keeping consistency on the management at different age groups. The section on asthma in children is rewritten and expanded where the approach is stratified based on the age. The guidelines are constructed based on the available evidence, local literature, and the current situation in Saudi Arabia. There is also an emphasis on patient-doctor partnership in the management that also includes a self-management plan.

The Saudi Thoracic Society guidelines for influenza vaccinations.

Influenza viruses are responsible for the influenza outbreaks that lead to significant burden and cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Based on the core proteins, influenza viruses are classified into three types, A, B, and C, of which only A and B cause significant human disease and so the vaccine is directed against these two subtypes only. The effectiveness of the vaccine depends on boosting the immune system against the serotypes included within it. As influenza viruses undergo periodic changes in their antigen, the vaccine is modified annually to ensure susceptibility. In contrast to other countries, Saudi Arabia faces a unique and challenging situation due to Hajj and Umrah seasons, when millions of people gather at the holy places in Mecca and Madinah, during which influenza outbreaks are commonly found. Such challenges making the adoption of strict vaccination strategy in Saudi Arabia is of great importance. All efforts were made to develop this guideline in an easy-to-read form, making it very handy and easy to use by health care workers. The guideline was designed to provide recommendations for problems frequently encountered in real life, with special consideration for special situations such as Hajj and Umrah seasons and pregnancy.

Tuberculosis presenting as endobronchial tumor.

Endobronchial tuberculosis TB can be present in various forms including ulceration, hyperemia and granulation tissue and rarely as mass lesion. We present a case of TB presenting as endobronchial tumor mimicking lung cancer on bronchoscopic examination. The histology of the tumor showed caseating granuloma and bronchial lavage culture was positive for mycobacterium TB. The patient improved after anti TB treatment. Endobronchial TB is usually a complication of primary pulmonary TB mostly occurring in children but can occur in adults. The most common form of endobronchial TB is mucosal hyperemia and erosions leading to ulceration and granulation tissue. Cough is the most common symptom and the most serious complication is bronchial stenosis. Several treatment modalities have been tried to decrease the incidence of bronchial stenosis including isoniazid inhalation and systemic steroids but results are not convincing. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential to prevent this debilitating complication.

Effect of obstructive airway disease in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

BACKGROUND: Extensive research has been devoted to cystic fibrosis-related brochiectasis, compared with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis but the latter is more common and results in significant morbidity and mortality. We assessed the relationship between pulmonary function test (PFT) findings and sputum bacteriology, blood gases, number of hospital admissions and mortality in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bonchiectasis (NCFB). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 88 consecutive patients admitted with exacerbation of bronchiectasis over 5 years from 1996 to 2001. Demographic and clinical data collected included gender, age, pulmonary functions, arterial blood gases, sputum bacteriology during stable and exacerbation periods, and number of hospital admissions due to exacerbation of bronchiectasis. A comparison was made between patients having obstructive airway disease (OAD group) and patients with normal or restrictive pulmonary functions (non-OAD group). RESULTS: OAD in patients with NCFB adversely affected clinical outcome. There was a significant increase in Pseudomonas colonization (60.3% vs. 16%; P<0.0003), hypercapnic respiratory failure (63.4% vs. 20%; P<0.0003), and mean number of admissions due to exacerbation (6 vs. 2; P<0.0001) in the OAD group as compared with the non-OAD group. Although mortality was increased in the OAD group, the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Patients with NCFB who have OAD have a significantly higher rate of colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PSA), hypercapnic respiratory failure, a greater number of hospital admissions due to exacerbation of bronchiectasis, and a higher mortality compared with patients with restrictive or normal pulmonary functions.

Spirometric reference values for healthy nonsmoking Saudi adults.

OBJECTIVES: To derive prediction equations of spirometric values of healthy Saudi adults and to compare the derived equations with equations reported in selected population. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of healthy nonsmoking men and women Saudi adults. The measured spirometric values were the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 ), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced mid-expiratory flow (FEF 25%-75%). RESULTS: A total of 621 spirometric tests were done. The prediction equations were derived using the following formula: Predicted spirometric value = constant + (b1 × age) + (b2 × height (cm)), where b1 and b2 represent the regression coefficients for age and height, respectively. Variable Constant Age (years) Height (cm) Variable Constant Age (years) Height (cm) Males (n = 292) Females (n = 175) FVC -2.933 -0.018 0.046 FVC -3.470 -0.016 0.045 FEV1 -1.886 -0.019 0.036 FEV1 -2.482 -0.018 0.036 FEV1 /FVC (%) 98.41 -0.095 -0.068 FEV1 /FVC (%) 100.67 -0.142 -0.072 PEF 17.274 -1.243 3.471 PEF -226.648 -0.499 4.076 FEF25%-75% 0.100 -0.024 0.027 FEF25%-75% -1.337 -0.021 0.031 The means of the measured FVC and FEV1 were significantly lower than the predicted values derived by the American equations of -7.2% and -4.6% among males, respectively (P value < 0.00001), and -4.7%, and -5.26% among females, respectively (P value < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The reference spirometric values derived in our study were significantly lower than the predicted values derived by the American equations.

The Saudi Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of COPD.

The Saudi Thoracic Society (STS) launched the Saudi Initiative for Chronic Airway Diseases (SICAD) to develop a guideline for the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This guideline is primarily aimed for internists and general practitioners. Though there is scanty epidemiological data related to COPD, the SICAD panel believes that COPD prevalence is increasing in Saudi Arabia due to increasing prevalence of tobacco smoking among men and women. To overcome the issue of underutilization of spirometry for diagnosing COPD, handheld spirometry is recommended to screen individuals at risk for COPD. A unique feature about this guideline is the simplified practical approach to classify COPD into three classes based on the symptoms as per COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and the risk of exacerbations and hospitalization. Those patients with low risk of exacerbation (<2 in the past year) can be classified as either Class I when they have less symptoms (CAT < 10) or Class II when they have more symptoms (CAT ≥ 10). High-risk COPD patients, as manifested with ≥2 exacerbation or hospitalization in the past year irrespective of the baseline symptoms, are classified as Class III. Class I and II patients require bronchodilators for symptom relief, while Class III patients are recommended to use medications that reduce the risks of exacerbations. The guideline recommends screening for co-morbidities and suggests a comprehensive management approach including pulmonary rehabilitation for those with a CAT score ≥10. The article also discusses the diagnosis and management of acute exacerbations in COPD.

The Saudi initiative for asthma - 2012 update: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma in adults and children.

This an updated guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma, developed by the Saudi Initiative for Asthma (SINA) group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Thoracic Society. The main objective of SINA is to have updated guidelines, which are simple to understand and easy to use by non-asthma specialists, including primary care and general practice physicians. This new version includes updates of acute and chronic asthma management, with more emphasis on the use of Asthma Control Test in the management of asthma, and a new section on "difficult-to-treat asthma." Further, the section on asthma in children was re-written to cover different aspects in this age group. The SINA panel is a group of Saudi experts with well-respected academic backgrounds and experience in the field of asthma. The guidelines are formatted based on the available evidence, local literature, and the current situation in Saudi Arabia. There was an emphasis on patient-doctor partnership in the management that also includes a self-management plan. The approach adopted by the SINA group is mainly based on disease control as it is the ultimate goal of treatment.