Atypical Clinical Presentation of Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis in a Female Child: A Case Report.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGPN) is an uncommon chronic obstructive renal suppuration disease. Histopathologically, XGPN manifests as lipid-laden macrophage infiltration in renal microstructure and inflammation of an engorged non-functional kidney. Nephrectomy is the standard therapeutic treatment, and the overall prognosis is good. Here, we report a case of XGPN presented as flank pain in an otherwise healthy child.

Parents' knowledge, attitude and practice towards seasonal influenza vaccination in Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Parents' knowledge and attitudes regarding influenza vaccine significantly determine whether or not their children will receive the vaccine. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice among Saudi parents towards vaccinating their children against influenza. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in multiple regions of Riyadh. We used a convenience sampling technique to enroll study subjects. Individuals who were Saudi nationals, with at least one child between 6 months and 14 years of age were included. RESULTS: Over half of the Saudi parents (53.8%) scored well on influenza and vaccine knowledge, while most of them (92.0%) showed positive attitude towards vaccination. Most of the children (87.9%) were immunized with national vaccination program and 63.6% of the parents were aware of the availability of seasonal influenza vaccines in primary healthcare centres (PHCs) and hospitals. However, only 28% of the parents and 18% of their children received the seasonal influenza vaccine between 2019 and 2020. High education level, high monthly household income and being part of a medical profession were statistically significant (p < 0.05) determinants of good knowledge. Similarly, male gender, younger parent, low monthly income, working in a medical profession and parents with one child aged between 6 months and 14 years were significant predictors (p < 0.05) of positive attitude. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance of Saudi parents towards influenza vaccination is fairly poor despite positive attitude. Stringent efforts are needed to encourage the parents to actively ensure annual influenza immunization of their children.

Attitudes Towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Pediatricians in Saudi Arabia.

Background Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) refers to a variety of healthcare practices outside the domain of conventional medicine, which may be integrated with conventional medicine by many physicians. Objectives This study aims to assess the attitudes and beliefs of pediatricians toward the use of CAM on children and to evaluate their knowledge and experience regarding CAM therapies and their desire for additional CAM training courses. Methods This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered electronic questionnaire consisting of 27 questions was distributed among pediatricians to assess the demographics, beliefs, experiences, and attitudes of pediatricians related to the use of CAM for children. Non-probability convenience sampling was used in selecting the sample of pediatricians. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results In this study, 140 participants completed the questionnaires. Most of the participants were of the male gender (83, 59.3%) and Saudi nationals (127, 90.7%). With regards to questions related to the experiences and opinions of participants regarding the use of CAM, 101 (72.1%) subjects reported the use of CAM among family members. Pediatricians cited affirmative encounters of use of CAM in 94 (67.1%) by parents. Pediatricians were not in favor of the use of CAM for end-stage (114, 81.4%) and chronic disease (108, 77.1%). The overall median self-reported CAM knowledge score was statistically higher for males in comparison with females [3 (IQR 1-5)] versus 2 (IQR 2-4), P = 0.030]. Also for nationality, median scores were significantly greater for the Riyadh region in contrast to other regions [[3 (IQR 2-5)] versus 2 (IQR 1-4), P = 0.041]. There was a significant difference in median scores for qualification of participants (P = 0.002). A multiple pairwise comparison revealed a statistically significant (P = 0.012) difference between participants with the qualification of residents and specialization. No differences in median CAM scores were found for responses related to the experiences, opinions, and attitudes of pediatricians towards the use of CAM therapies. Conclusion Most of the pediatricians in Saudi Arabia don't recommend the use of CAM treatment in their practice, but they acknowledge that learning more about CAM and imparting appropriate knowledge regarding it may incorporate its use in their routine clinical practices in a safe way.