The first case report of complement component 7 deficiency in Qatar and a 10-year follow-up.

Introduction: Neisseria meningitidis is a significant cause of bacterial meningitis and septicemia worldwide. Recurrent Neisseria meningitidis is frequently associated with terminal complement protein deficiency, including Complement component 7. This report discusses the first case of C7 deficiency in Qatar. Case report: A 30-year-old Qatari man presented with a meningococcal infection, which was verified by a blood culture. He experienced two episodes of meningitis caused by an undetermined organism. His blood tests revealed low levels of CH50 and C7. His C7 gene testing revealed a homozygous mutation in exon 10 (c.1135G>C p.Gly379Arg), a mutation that has not been previously documented in Qatar. However, it has been observed in 1% of Moroccan-origin Israeli Jews who also exhibit C7 deficiency. Regular prophylactic quadrivalent vaccinations against types A, C, Y, and W-135 with azithromycin tabs were administered. Over the last 10 years of follow-up, he remained in good health, with no further meningitis episodes. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first confirmed case of C7 deficiency reported in the Arabian Gulf countries. Such rare diseases should be a public health priority. Awareness among medical practitioners and the community should help with early detection of C7 deficiency and the prevention of its consequences.

Results of penicillin skin testing in patients with suspected penicillin allergy - the Qatar experience.

BACKGROUND: Unverified penicillin allergy has been linked to adverse patient events and increased healthcare expenditure owing to the usage of broad-spectrum, expensive antibiotics. Penicillin allergy test is the gold standard to diagnose penicillin allergy; and in this study, we present data from Qatar which have not been published before. METHODS: Patients with a history of penicillin allergy who underwent penicillin allergy testing between January 2015 and December 2020 at the Allergy Division of the Hamad General Hospital were retrospectively reviewed from the division registry. Benzylpenicilloyl-polylysine (PPL) and minor determinant mixture (MDM) kit DAP-penicillin (0.04 mg +0.5 mg)/vial) (penicillin G, amoxicillin (20 mg/vial), and lately clavulanic acid (20 mg/vial) (DAP, Diater, Madrid, Spain) were used for skin and intradermal testing according to published guidelines. Patients with negative skin tests were administered direct oral challenge with amoxicillin/clavulanate (500/125 mg) and observed for 2 hours. RESULTS: Of the 189 charts reviewed, 183 patients had a complete data set for analysis. Patients were predominantly women (n = 132, 72%) with an average age of 42 years. Of these patients, 149 (81.4%) had a history of an immediate allergic reaction to penicillin, 10 had a history of delayed reactions, and 24 had other or undefined reactions. A total of 39 (21.3%) patients were diagnosed with penicillin allergy (30 patients with positive skin test results and 9 using a direct oral challenge). Of the 30 patients with positive skin testing, 5 reacted to PPL, 8 to MDM, 13 to amoxicillin, and 4 to clavulanic acid. CONCLUSION: Previous studies indicate that 90% patients with a history of penicillin allergy were able to tolerate the drug (10% were truly allergic). Our data showed that 21% were truly allergic to penicillin. This high positive rate can be attributed to the high pretest probability based on the detailed history obtained before the test, which led to the exclusion of patients with symptoms incompatible with penicillin allergy from the test.

Frequency of Acute Kidney Injury in Patient Receiving Piperacillin - Tazobactam: A Hospital-based Study from Qatar.

BACKGROUND: several studies have been reported piperacillin-tazobactam (TAZ / PIPC)-associated AKI with various frequencies. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of TAZ/PIPC- associated AKI among our patients and to identify the risk factors for this clinical entity. METHODS: this retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Hamad General Hospital; it involved adult patients who were admitted from January 2017 to December 2017. RESULTS: we involved 917 patients, of whom 635 (69.25%) were males and 282 (30.75%) were females. The mean age of the patients was 52 (SD 19) years, and 98 (10.7%) patients were diagnosed with AKI. The patients with AKI were significantly older than without AKI [59.71 (SD 19.79) versus 51.06 (SD 18.67); P <0.001]. After TAZ/PIPC initiation, the mean creatinine level in the AKI group was higher than the mean creatinine level in the non-AKI group, [158.91 (SD 81.93) versus 66.78 (SD 21.42); P<001]. The mean time of onset of AKI after PIPC/TAZ initiation was 4.46 (SD 3.20) (1-12 days). AKI was significantly associated with low mean serum albumin (P<0.001), high mean fasting blood glucose (P<0.001), coronary artery diseases (P<0.001), heart failure (P<0.001), liver diseases (P=0.047), diabetes mellitus (P=0.021) and hypertension (P<0.001). The in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the AKI group [38.78% versus 5.13% in the non-AKI group; P<0.001], and only advanced age and heart failure were found as independent risk factors for TAZ/PIPC-associated AKI. CONCLUSION: TAZ/PIPC was significantly associated with AKI. Advanced age and heart failure were identified as independent risk factors for TAZ/PIPC-associated AKI.