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BACKGROUND: The increase in extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) producing microbes in recent years represents a major challenge. AIM: To study the risk factors for urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in patients requiring hospitalization for treatment. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Electronic health records were used to identify 616 inpatients over the age of 18 who had UTI symptoms and/or signs and an ESBL-producing E. coli strain cultured on urine culture between January 1 and December 31, 2018. The electronic health care records of these patients were searched to identify those patients with previous UTIs due to an ESBL-producing E. coli grown on urine culture. Patients with cancer or those taking prophylactic antibiotics or immunosuppression were excluded. RESULT: Risk factors for the acquisition of ESBL-producing E. coli included male sex (P = 0.0032), age over 66 years (P < 0.0001), renal stones (P = 0.0021), urology intervention within six months of presentation (P = 0.0360), pressure sores (P = 0.0002), feeding tubes (P = 0.0076), and urinary catheter (P = 0.0023). Comorbidities (e.g., diabetes mellitus and duration of antibiotic therapy were not associated with an increased risk of recurrence of ESBL-producing E. coli UTI (P = 0.4680, P = 0.3826, respectively). CONCLUSION: Antimicrobial stewardship programs may have reduced the development of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli. However, the recognition of risk factors for UTI caused by ESBL-producing E. coli may facilitate the early detection of high-risk cases and guide treatment decisions. This can improve patient outcomes while decreasing the length of the hospital stay.
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Background Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening condition with high morbidity and mortality rates. It should be diagnosed immediately and managed intensively to prevent its significant complications. Objectives The aim of this study to assess DKA treatment outcome and associated factors among adult patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City Emergency Department and Medical Wards, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using a chart review to assess DKA treatment outcome and associated factors. All patients who were admitted as DKA cases from September 2017 to August 2019 were selected by simple random sampling except those with incomplete charts or younger than 14 years. Data were entered and analyzed using SAS Version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Results A total of 223 reviewed charts were collected. The frequency of DKA recurrence in most of the patients was once per year (126 [56.5%]). The most common precipitating factor was inappropriate insulin therapy (104 [46.64%]). More than half of the patients (120 [53.81%]) got out of DKA management protocol within 24-72 hours with a hospital stay of less than or equal to five days. The mortality rate was 1.83%. Patients with two or more DKA episodes per year tended to be admitted to ICU more frequently than those with one episode (p=0.001). It was found that patients who had a duration of one to five years of diabetes mellitus were almost five times more likely to get out of DKA in more than 72 hours when compared with those who had a duration of more than five years (adjusted OR: 4.7; 95% CI: 1.34-16.60; p=0.01). Conclusions The findings of this study highlight that majority of DKA patients showed improvement and discharged with a very low mortality rate. Inappropriate insulin therapy was the most common precipitating factor; thus, educating diabetic patients about the complications of treatment non-compliance is an important part of management.
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OBJECTIVES: There is an increasing concern about diagnostic errors and their impact on patient safety. Physicians' diagnostic ability is significantly undermined by certain distractions that can carry potential negative consequences such as diagnostic and management errors. This study aimed to examine the effects of distracting factors for physicians during consultation and their consequent effects on diagnostic accuracy and disease or condition management. METHODS: Family medicine residents at a major training hospital in KSA were randomly assigned to two groups of simulated patients: one group with patients with distracting features and another group with patients without distracting features (the control group). Both groups encountered six simulated patients with different clinical conditions or diseases. The consultation time, accuracy of diagnosis, appropriateness of management, number of outlines of treatment, and simulated patient satisfaction were measured for both groups. RESULTS: A total of 70 simulated physician-patient encounters were conducted with 35 residents. Consultation time was significantly longer for encounters with patients with distracting features, which had a mean time of 7.43 min, compared with encounters with non-distracting patients, which had a mean time of 4.4 min (p value < 0.0001). There were no significant statistical differences in accuracy of diagnosis, appropriateness of management, or patient satisfaction between the two groups. However, residents recommended a higher number of outlines of treatment for patients with distracting features (2.96 for distracting patients versus 2.46 for non-distracting patients; p < 0.011). CONCLUSION: Distracting factors are associated with prolonged consultation time among physicians. Although this study did not demonstrate any effects of distracting factors on accuracy of diagnosis or disease management, these factors are still concerning, especially in complex clinical situations and situations where there is lack of reflective practice. The effects of distracting factors should be minimized to ensure patient safety.