Human immunodeficiency virus in Saudi Arabia: Current and future challenges.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding the pathophysiology of HIV infection has been crucial to the design of effective anti-viral strategies. HIV infection is declining worldwide due to early diagnosis and the effective long-term use of anti-retroviral therapy. New infections decreased from 3.3 million in 2002-2.3 million in 2012. However, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), an estimated 83,000 individuals still acquired the virus, with 37,000 morbidities reported. The first incidence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was reported in 1984. By the end of 2013, around 1509 patients had been diagnosed with HIV infection. HIV surveillance has improved in KSA with advances in medical care, counseling, family planning, diagnostic evaluation, and anti-retroviral therapy, but challenges remain. Patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy still show significant morbidity and mortality. Further targeted treatment regimens and preventive strategies are required to control HIV infection in KSA. Progress towards meeting the 90-90-90 goals for HIV in the MENA has also not been systematically monitored. METHOD: In this review, we examine current screening programs, therapeutic modalities, the emergence of drug resistance, and future perspectives for HIV-associated health care in KSA. CONCLUSION: The aim is to offer insight for healthcare policymakers to comply with the UNAIDS 2020 vision program and help establish the prevailing paradigms in the HIV community for an AIDS-free generation and the 90-90-90 goals for diagnosis.

Endemic or regionally limited bacterial and viral infections in haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation recipients: a Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) Review.

Literature discussing endemic and regionally limited infections in recipients of haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) outside western Europe and North America is scarce. This Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) article is part one of two papers aiming to provide guidance to transplantation centres around the globe regarding infection prevention and treatment, and considerations for transplantation based on current evidence and expert opinion. These recommendations were initially formulated by a core writing team from the WBMT and subsequently underwent multiple revisions by infectious disease experts and HSCT experts. In this paper, we summarise the data and provide recommendations on several endemic and regionally limited viral and bacterial infections, many of which are listed by WHO as neglected tropical diseases, including Dengue, Zika, yellow fever, chikungunya, rabies, brucellosis, melioidosis, and leptospirosis.

Endemic or regionally limited parasitic and fungal infections in haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation recipients: a Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) Review.

There is a scarcity of data on endemic and regionally limited fungal and parasitic infections in recipients of haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) outside western Europe and North America. This Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) Review is one of two papers aiming to provide guidance to transplantation centres worldwide regarding prevention, diagnosis, and treatment based on the currently available evidence and expert opinion. These recommendations were created and reviewed by physicians with expertise in HSCT or infectious disease, representing several infectious disease and HSCT groups and societies. In this paper, we review the literature on several endemic and regionally limited parasitic and fungal infections, some of which are listed as neglected tropical diseases by WHO, including visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, strongyloidiasis, malaria, schistosomiasis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, and coccidioidomycosis.

Nocardiosis at an Organ Transplant Center in Saudi Arabia: 15 years' experience.

BACKGROUND: Nocardiosis is a rare infection that affects immunocompromised patients on immunosuppressive medications used for transplantation and cancer therapy. Such therapies are becoming more widely available in the Middle East region. Yet, reports on nocardiosis are scarce. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of patients who were diagnosed with nocardiosis from 2004 to 2018 at a transplantation and cancer center. Nocardiosis were defined per the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria. RESULTS: During the study period, 35 patients with nocardiosis (male: 68.5%) were identified. The most common underlying associated condition was transplantation 11 (31.4%), followed by malignancy 7 (20%), connective tissue disease and sarcoidosis 7 (20%), chronic lung disease 5 (14%), miscellaneous conditions 4 (11%), and one patient with human immunodeficiency virus. Nocardia was disseminated in 8 patients (22.9%) and isolated in 27 (77.1%); the latter included 13 patients (37.1%) with bronchial form, 11 (31.4%) with isolated visceral form, and 3 (8.6%) with cutaneous form. Pulmonary involvement occurred in 90% of the cases with cough, fever, and dyspnea being the most common symptoms. The main strain isolate was Nocardia asteroides, and the cure rate was 90%. Mortality related to nocardiosis occurred in 3 transplant patients (8.6%). CONCLUSION: Wider use of immunosuppressive therapy warrants vigilance to nocardiosis, which can present in a myriad of clinical forms. In our series, mortality was confined to the transplantation group, probably because of the relatively heavy immunosuppression. Nonetheless, prognosis is favorable if the infection is recognized and treated early.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in living donor transplanted livers and donor-related tuberculosis in recipients: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA has been detected in multiple organs in people without active tuberculosis or a history of tuberculosis. Molecular testing for metabolic activity has suggested that M tuberculosis DNA represents viable bacilli. Whether transplanted organs with M tuberculosis DNA can result in tuberculosis in recipients has not been assessed. METHODS: Biopsies obtained at the time of living donor liver transplantation were tested for the presence of M tuberculosis DNA using in situ PCR. The cohort of recipients was longitudinally followed for the development of tuberculosis. RESULTS: Living donor liver transplantation was performed for 270 patients. Mean age was 33 years (median: 41 years, range: 1-80 years). Recipients were followed for a mean of 68 months (median: 72 months, range: 1-138 months) after transplantation. Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA was detected in 25 of 155 donated livers (16%) with liver biopsies available for testing. None of the recipients of these livers received tuberculosis chemoprophylaxis and only one (4%) developed tuberculosis 15 months after transplantation. Among the entire cohort of 270 patients, post-transplant tuberculosis was diagnosed in four patients (1.48%) at an incidence rate of 2.61 cases per 1000 transplant-years. No factors associated with developing tuberculosis were identified, including positive M tuberculosis DNA in transplanted livers. CONCLUSIONS: Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in living donor transplanted livers did not result in tuberculosis despite post-transplant immunosuppression.

Benefit of Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring in a Pediatric Patient with Spinal Dysmorphism, Split Cord Malformation, and Scoliosis.

Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) consists of a group of neurodiagnostic techniques that assess the nervous system's functional integrity during surgical operations. A retrospective analysis of a pediatric female patient was conducted who underwent 12 operations for the correction of scoliosis, tethered cord, and split spinal cord wherein IONM played an important role. From age 3 to 6, she underwent six procedures including a release of the tethered cord, resection of the filum terminale, removal of a T11-T12 bony spur, release of L3 adhesions, repair of subcutaneous meningocele, and correction of scoliosis with a vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rod (VEPTR) technique without the use of IONM. However, a multimodality IONM protocol with somatosensory evoked potentials, transcranial electrical motor evoked potentials (TCeMEP), and an electromyogram was utilized during the later procedures. At age 6 (the seventh procedure), a VEPTR expansion was performed, with loss and recovery of the lower extremity motor evoked potentials. The postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a partial split cord malformation with retethering of the spinal cord. We repaired her split cord malformation and tethered cord while employing IONM. Using IONM for her operation was crucial because a sudden significant loss of TCeMEP resulted in a cancellation of the procedure; the MRI showed a thick remnant attached to the spinal cord. If the procedure was performed without IONM, we could have missed the underlying pathology, an error that may have resulted in paraplegia. We strongly recommend using IONM during high-risk surgical procedures to help significantly reduce the risk of permanent postoperative complications.

The Saudi Thoracic Society guidelines for diagnosis and management of noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

This is the first guideline developed by the Saudi Thoracic Society for the diagnosis and management of noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Local experts including pulmonologists, infectious disease specialists, thoracic surgeons, respiratory therapists, and others from adult and pediatric departments provided the best practice evidence recommendations based on the available international and local literature. The main objective of this guideline is to utilize the current published evidence to develop recommendations about management of bronchiectasis suitable to our local health-care system and available resources. We aim to provide clinicians with tools to standardize the diagnosis and management of bronchiectasis. This guideline targets primary care physicians, family medicine practitioners, practicing internists and respiratory physicians, and all other health-care providers involved in the care of the patients with bronchiectasis.

Diagnostic potential of interferon-gamma release assay to detect latent tuberculosis infection in kidney transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) is screened by using clinical assessment, tuberculin skin test (TST), chest radiography, and recently by interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of QuantiFERON® -TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT) for diagnosing LTBI in patients planned for kidney transplantation. METHODS: All adult patients with end-stage renal disease, evaluated for kidney transplantation in a referral center from August 2008 till May 2013, were enrolled, after consenting in a prospective, observational, non-interventional study. LTBI diagnosis was conducted by TST, chest x-ray, and clinical assessment, followed by IGRA by QFT. RESULTS: Overall, 278 patients were enrolled and kidney transplantation was performed in 173 patients. Contributed follow-up was 836.5 patient-years, and TB-free transplant duration was 478.5 patient-years. By standard methods, LTBI was diagnosed in 14 patients. Peri-transplant chemoprophylaxis was given to 53 patients, which included recipients of organs from all deceased donors and living donors with LTBI. QFT was positive in 70 patients, negative in 200 patients, and indeterminate in 8 patients. The agreement between LTBI diagnosis using standard methods and IGRA by QFT was poor (kappa: 0.089+0.046, P-value=.017). Twenty-seven of the QFT-positive patients were transplanted and only one was given isoniazid preventive therapy. None of the transplant recipients developed TB after a median follow-up of 25 months (range 2-58 months, mean 27 months). CONCLUSIONS: The agreement of the QFT with standard diagnosis of LTBI in kidney transplant recipients was poor.

HIV-Care Outcome in Saudi Arabia; a Longitudinal Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Clinical characteristics of HIV-1 infection in people inhabiting Western, Sub-Saharan African, and South-East Asian countries are well recognized. However, very little information is available with regard to HIV-1 infection and treatment outcome in MENA countries including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. METHODS: Clinical, demographic and epidemiologic characteristics of 602 HIV-1 infected patients followed in the adult Infectious Diseases Clinic of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a tertiary referral center were longitudinally collected from 1989 to 2010. RESULTS: Of the 602 HIV-1 infected patients in this observation period, 70% were male. The major mode of HIV-1 transmission was heterosexual contact (55%). At diagnosis, opportunistic infections were found in 49% of patients, most commonly being pneumocysitis. AIDS associated neoplasia was also noted in 6% of patients. A hundred and forty-seven patients (24%) died from the cohort by the end of the observation period. The mortality rate peaked in 1992 at 90 deaths per 1000 person-year, whereas the mortality rate gradually decreased to <1% from 1993-2010. In 2010, 71% of the patients were receiving highly active retroviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS: These data describe the clinical characteristic of HIV-1-infected patients at a major tertiary referral hospital in KSA over a 20-year period. Initiation of antiretroviral therapy resulted in a significant reduction in both morbidity and mortality. Future studies are needed in the design and implementation of targeted treatment and prevention strategies for HIV-1 infection in KSA.

Mycobacterium abscessus peritonitis associated with laparoscopic gastric banding.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium abscessus is a rapidly growing Mycobacterium that is a common water contaminant in the environment. We report a case of M. abscessus infection with band erosion following laparoscopic gastric banding. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old woman developed insidiously progressing abdominal distension over a period of 1 year associated with abdominal pain, fatigue, night sweating and anorexia 4 years after laparoscopic gastric banding for obesity. Investigation revealed significant ascites with caseating granuloma in peritoneal biopsies from which M. abscessus was isolated. Band erosion with infection and multiple abdominal adhesions were confirmed during laparoscopic removal of the gastric band. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of M. abscessus infection after laparoscopic gastric banding surgery. We discuss the possible sources of infection, its indolent presentation, and therapeutic challenges. CONCLUSION: It is important to consider environmentally acquired infection in patients with signs and symptoms of infection in the presence of surgical prosthesis.

Documentation and coding of medical records in a tertiary care center: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Since the medical record is the major source of health information, it is necessary to maintain accurate, comprehensive and properly coded patient data. We reviewed 300 medical records from patients at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, representing four departments (medicine, surgery, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology). METHODS: The records were audited following the guidelines of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) for accuracy and completeness of documentation and coding of primary and secondary diagnoses and procedures performed. RESULTS: Of 1051 items abstracted, 876 (83.3%) were accurately documented, 41 (3.9%) were inaccurately documented, and 134 (12.7%) were not documented. Of the items abstracted, 736 (70%) were assigned a correct code, 110 (10.5%) were assigned an incorrect code, and 205 (19.5%) were not coded. More items classified as accurately documented were coded correctly (71.1%) than items inaccurately documented (49.7%) (P < 0.0001). The difference in comprehensiveness of documentation, which reflects physician performance, was not statistically significant among the four departments (P value < 0.234). The difference in the accuracy of coding, which reflects coder performance, was statistically significant (P value < 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Only 60% of the audited records met the benchmark for good quality medical records with regards to documentation and coding. A positive correlation between the accurate documentation and correct coding was noted, which supports the conclusion that high quality documentation enhances coding accuracy. These data, although encouraging, suggest room for improvement, which can be achieved through the collaboration of clinicians, who have extensive clinical experience, and coding professionals, who have comprehensive classification system expertise.