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Background Thrombocytopenia is the most prevalent hematological condition in neonates that develops in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This set of illnesses is caused by either decreased platelet production due to placental insufficiency, increased platelet breakdown (consumption), or a combination of the two causes. Based on platelet count, it is defined as mild, moderate, or severe thrombocytopenia, with early and late onset. Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of thrombocytopenia and the factors that contribute to it in newborns hospitalized in the neonatal critical care unit at the Maternity and Children Hospital in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods This descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out at the NICU of the Maternity and Children Hospital in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, over the span of one year (August 2022 to August 2023) among hospitalized neonates with thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count of 150,000 or less. These patients were monitored until they recovered or died. Results The inclusion criteria were met by a total of 242 newborns with thrombocytopenia. Half of the neonates (57%) were full-term, with Apgar scores greater than 5 at the first (84%) and fifth (93%) minutes, respectively. The great majority of individuals (84%) experienced early-onset thrombocytopenia of mild severity (62%) and were asymptomatic (93%). The majority of the cases resolved spontaneously, with only 21% requiring platelet transfusion. There was a significant relationship discovered between gestational age and the severity of thrombocytopenia, with very preterm infants having moderate to severe thrombocytopenia, as well as birth weight (p=0.001). Furthermore, neonates with severe thrombocytopenia had a considerably higher mortality rate (p=0.001). Conclusion The mortality and morbidity of newborns with perinatal risk for neonatal thrombocytopenia can be reduced with timely detection of the cause and development of thrombocytopenia, as well as adequate and early care.
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Introduction The benefits of vaccination outweigh its risks as it protects approximately two to three million individuals from infectious diseases annually. With the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, new vaccines have been developed. However, it is crucial to follow and recognize the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Previous studies have shown a relationship between ABO blood groups and coronavirus. Some vaccination side effects, such as muscle pain at the injection site and fatigue, may impair an individual's ability to perform tasks that require fine motor skills, such as those performed by a general surgeon. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the association between ABO blood groups and the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines among general surgeons in Saudi Arabia. Method A cross-sectional online survey-based study regarding the side effects following COVID-19 vaccination was conducted among Saudi and non-Saudi general surgeons working in public and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia who had received one or two doses of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Results A total of 612 surgeons responded. Approximately, 74.7% of the respondents reported side effects after receiving vaccines. Tiredness was the most commonly reported side effect of the vaccine, followed by severe local pain at the site of injection. Approximately, 16.2% of the participants started showing side effects 12 hours after receiving the vaccine. There was a significant relationship between the type of vaccine administered and the appearance of side effects (p = 0.004). The rate of appearance of side effects was higher in participants who received the Pfizer vaccine. However, there was no significant relationship between the appearance of side effects and age, gender, blood group, number of doses, and past history of COVID-19 infection (p > 0.05). Of the total participants, 256 (41.8%) stated that the side effects of the vaccine affected their work performance. Moreover, there was no significant difference in side effects, symptoms appearing after vaccination, the onset of symptoms, and duration of symptoms between the participants who received one dose and those who received two doses of the vaccine. In addition, there was no significant relationship between the severity of side effects and age, past history of COVID-19 infection, number of doses, and blood type (p > 0.05). However, there was a significant relationship between the severity of side effects and gender and type of vaccine (p = 0.000 and 0.004, respectively). A high percentage of females and those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine stated that their side effects affected their work performance. Conclusion Three-quarters of the participants reported side effects after the COVID-19 vaccination, which affected the work performance of 41% of participating general surgeons. There was no significant relationship between the appearance of symptoms and age, gender, blood group, number of doses, and past history of COVID-19 infection. However, there was a significant relationship between the severity of side effects and gender and type of vaccination. Future large-scale studies are recommended to further evaluate the implication of ABO blood type on COVID-19.
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INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus (DM), a chronic metabolic noncommunicable disease (NCD), has assumed epidemic proportions worldwide. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is defined as chronic high blood glucose levels due to the deficiency of insulin or resistance to it. Dyslipidemia is one of the major causes of cardiovascular diseases in patients with T2D. It is characterized by elevated plasma triglyceride (TG), low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is mostly present in patients with DM. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study at the King Faisal University (KFU) Health Center in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The data of patients from October 2014 to February 2021 were collected. We collected the patients' data from the KFU Health Center after obtaining approval from the KFU polyclinic administration. Prior ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Board of Ethics and Research Committee in the College of Medicine, KFU (approval number, 2020-10-62). We collected patients' data, including their gender, age, nationality, and blood analysis (lipids profile - TGs, HDL, LDL, and hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] levels). RESULT: This study included 191 patients with T2D, 137 (71.7%) were from Saudi Arabia, and 54 (28.3%) were from other countries. Patients' age ranged from 21 to 100 years, with a mean age of 56.2 ± 11.8 years. There were 107 (56%) females. Cholesterol levels ranged from 102 to 300 mg/dl with a mean value of 187.3 mg/dl. CONCLUSION: In the current study, we assessed the association between HbA1c levels and lipid profiles in patients with T2D at the KFU Health Center in the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our results on the adjusted relationship of HbA1c with lipid profile through regression model have demonstrated that HDL alone had significant adjusted relation with HbA1c if other factors are kept constant. We suggest focusing on TC and HDL levels in T2D health management in future studies.
