Detection of chikungunya virus in the Southern region, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Despite the fact that the chikungunya viral infection is a neglected disease, complications such as hemorrhagic fever, arthritis, and lymphopenia remain a health concern. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the chikungunya virus in the Southern Region, Saudi Arabia. Enzyme immunoassay and polymerase chain reaction have been compared between samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty samples from two southern hospitals in Saudi Arabia were collected between December 2019 and February 2020 and screened for chikungunya virus IgG antibodies and for viral RNA. Selection criteria were based on hematological parameters and rheumatological profiles such as rheumatoid factor, c-reactive protein, anti-nuclear antibody, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) of out-patients. RESULTS: One confirmed case of chikungunya virus was detected using the ELISA test. However, no viral RNA was detected in any of the samples. This suggests that the virus is cleared rapidly in patients. CONCLUSION: Chikungunya is a neglected viral disease in Saudi Arabia. Future work should focus on detailed investigation of this viral infection and its vectors.

Aesthetic monitoring-based assessment of oncological safety of oncoplastic management of breast cancer: a multi-center research study.

BACKGROUND: Oncoplastic Breast surgeries (OBS) in breast cancer have evolved to preserve the cancerous breast rather than its amputation to improve postoperative cosmetic results. The lack of evidence to support the oncological safety and benefits of OBS is questionable. In this study, we evaluate various aspects of oncoplastic surgeries with a focused monitoring of aesthetic results and oncological safety. METHODS: This was a multi-center observational study focused on the statistics of data collected from cases who underwent oncoplastic surgeries from the cohort of breast cancer candidates at Mansoura University Hospitals/Egypt and King Faisal Medical Complex/KSA from January 2015 to June 2018. All data were analyzed carefully using SPSS v-26. RESULTS: Eighty cases who underwent different oncoplastic surgeries were included and reviewed for the aesthetic outcome and oncological safety. The recurrence rate was found to be 2.5%. The breast impact treatment scale assessment method was used to analyze the aesthetic outcomes, and average scores were accepted in 90% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The oncoplastic breast surgeries are feasible and they had a high rate of oncological safety with the maintenance of good aesthetic outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Effect of Printing Layer Thickness and Postprinting Conditions on the Flexural Strength and Hardness of a 3D-Printed Resin.

BACKGROUND: Recently, dentists can utilize three-dimensional printing technology in fabricating dental restoration. However, to date, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effect of printing layer thicknesses and postprinting on the mechanical properties of the 3D-printed temporary restorations with the additive manufacturing technique. So, this study evaluated the mechanical properties of a 3D-printed dental resin material with different printing layer thicknesses and postprinting methods. METHODS: 210 specimens of a temporary crown material (A2 EVERES TEMPORARY, SISMA, Italy) were 3D-printed with different printing layer thicknesses (25, 50, and 100 µm). Then, specimens were 3D-printed using DLP technology (EVERES ZERO, DLP 3D printer, SISMA, Italy) which received seven different treatment conditions after printing: water storage for 24 h or 1 month, light curing or heat curing for 5 or 15 minutes, and control. Flexural properties were evaluated using a three-point bending test on a universal testing machine (ISO standard 4049). The Vickers hardness test was used to evaluate the microhardness of the material system. The degree of conversion was measured using an FT-IR ATR spectrophotometer. Statistical analysis was performed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) test (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: The 100 µm printing layer thickness had the highest flexural strength among the other thickness groups. As a combined effect printing thickness and postprinting conditions, the 100 µm with the dry storage group has the highest flexural strength among the tested groups (94.60 MPa). Thus, the group with 100 µm thickness that was heat cured for 5 minutes (HC 5 min 100 µm) has the highest VHN value (VHN = 17.95). Also, the highest mean DC% was reported by 50 µm layer thickness (42.84%). CONCLUSIONS: The thickness of the 100 µm printing layer had the highest flexural strength compared to the 25 µm and 50 µm groups. Also, the postprinting treatment conditions influenced the flexural strength and hardness of the 3D-printed resin material.

Epidemiology of Abusive Head Trauma Among Children in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To examine abusive head trauma (AHT) trends using data obtained from hospital-based child protection centers (CPCs) and the distribution of age in months among young children in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted that includes data obtained from 58 hospital-based CPCs in all 13 regions of Saudi Arabia registered in the National Family Safety Registry from 2010 to 2020. AHT cases (n=106) were identified for inclusion in the registry by a daily review of the emergency department logbooks. RESULTS: Over the 11-year period, there was a sharp increase in the number of cases, specifically after 2014, from seven cases per year in 2010 to 16 cases in 2020. AHT affects predominantly children aged 0-12 months (72.6%), followed by 13-24 months (17.9%), 25-36 months (3.8%), 37-48 months (3.8%), and 49-60 months (1.9%). Victims were characterized by a predominance of crying infants (23.6%), past history of abuse (13.2%), a child's chronic disease and disability (7.6%), and prematurity (2.8%). CONCLUSION: Different training and educational programs need to be performed to raise awareness of AHT. Enacting the pediatrician's mandatory reporting law will improve the rate of reporting cases.

Effect of ionizing radiation on mechanical properties and translucency of monolithic zirconia.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of radiation therapy (RT) on mechanical properties and translucency of monolithic zirconia. Yttria- stabilized zirconia (Y-PSZ) materials (14 × 4.0 × 1.5 mm) were divided in four experimental groups (n = 30): High-translucency/control (HT/C), high-translucency/irradiated (HT/I), low-translucency/control (LT/C), low-translucency/irradiated (LT/I). Irradiated specimens were submitted to a single dose irradiation of 70 Gray. Flexural strength (n = 10) (FS-3-point bending test), fatigue limits (n = 15) at 100,000 cycles (FLs-staircase approach), and translucency (n = 5) (TP-dental spectrometer) were analyzed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the materials. FS and TP data were analyzed by one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey HSD. FLs were analyzed using Dixon and Mood method, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RT affected FS of LT zirconia (p = .032) but not of HT zirconia (p = .86). FLs and TP of both materials were not affected by RT (p > .05). Higher cubic content after RT was observed. In conclusion, RT may affect flexural strength and crystalline content of zirconia-based materials, but this effect was not observed under fatigue. Translucency of Y-PSZ restorations is also not affected by RT.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training: An Assessment of Interns' Needs and Barriers to Training.

Background and objective The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is generally on the rise worldwide. However, as the epidemiology of diseases and the approach to their management vary internationally, POCUS may not be universally applicable. The resources available for medical education are generally limited. Thus, when considering the development of a training program during the internship year, we sought to determine interns' perceptions of the applicability of POCUS to clinical practice, the current skill gaps, and barriers to training. Methods  A validated questionnaire was distributed to the interns of the College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh to determine their proficiency in POCUS, and their opinions on its applicability on a 5-point Likert scale. Each skill gap was calculated by subtracting self-reported proficiency in POCUS from its perceived applicability. Results Of the 300 total interns (male: 200, female: 100), 229 participated [response rate: 76%; male: 136 (68%), female: 93 (93%)]. The use of POCUS to detect abdominal free fluid was perceived to be the most applicable use (mean: 3.9 ±1.1); scanning for consolidation was the least applicable (mean: 3.0 ±1.2). Knowledge and proficiency among the sample were generally poor. The skill gap was greatest for the assessment of inferior vena cava collapsibility (mean: 1.4 ±1.3) and least for the identification of pneumothorax (mean: 0.5 ±1.5). Although three-quarters of the participants (170) agreed that POCUS was an essential skill, 36 (16%) stated that they had no interest in it, and nearly half (101) believed that they did not have time to learn POCUS. Conclusions  While POCUS is applicable to medical interns in Saudi Arabia, significant skill gaps exist. However, our sample's perception of the applicability of POCUS was less favorable than that of internal medicine (IM) residents in Canada. Thus, initiating POCUS training during the internship year may yield suboptimal results. Interns must prioritize medical licensing examinations and applications for residency training. Indeed, many interns believe that they do not have enough time to learn POCUS. Thus, prioritizing the training of residents in POCUS may be a more effective use of the finite resources available for medical education.