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Introduction Many patients present to the emergency department with skin conditions that are not true dermatologic emergencies. Urgent skin conditions are uncommon. Because these conditions are rare, they can be sometimes challenging to diagnose. Few works of literature discussed the accuracy of non-dermatologists' initial judgment on dermatologic conditions concluding that non-dermatologists misdiagnose many common and uncommon skin conditions. Because the study was never done in our region, we aim to conduct an online assessment using a questionnaire assessing the ability of non-dermatologists to recognize urgent skin diseases at Kingâ¯Abdulazizâ¯Universityâ¯Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. Non-dermatologist physicians were contacted through their verified emails, provided by the secretaries of each department and the academic affairs unit. The questionnaire consisted of two main sections, the first section covered demographics, specialty, and academic level. The second part had eight questions, each containing a brief case scenario about an urgent dermatological condition with a picture of the condition attached. Participants were required to answer the questions and assess on a scale from one to 10 how confident they were about their answers. The responses were collected and analyzed. Results Out of all 161 responses, this study included 93 male physicians (57.8%) and 68 female physicians (42.2%). The mean age in the study was approximately 45 ± 3 years. This study showed that the percentage of accuracy by non-dermatologists in diagnosing urgent skin diseases given the typical presentation of the condition was (61.33%); nevertheless, the percentage decreased when it was recalculated in relation to the full level of confidence to (25.3%). Herpes zoster appeared to be the most recognizable urgent skin disease, and Pemphigus vulgaris was the least recognizable one. Conclusion This study shows that it is difficult for physicians to recognize some urgent skin diseases, which affects offering the optimum health care for the patients. Moreover, more dermatology-focused courses are needed to strengthen the knowledge about dermatological diseases.
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Background Hemithyroidectomy is a common procedure used to treat various benign and malignant conditions. It is often associated with complications, of which hypothyroidism is an underappreciated sequel. We sought to comprehend the rate and associated risk factors for developing hypothyroidism following hemithyroidectomy at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH). Methods In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of all patients who had hemithyroidectomies for benign and malignant conditions between January 2008 and August 2022. Patients were analyzed for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, family history of thyroid disease, thyroid antibodies, and pre- and postoperative thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Pre- and postoperative TSH levels were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results From 153 cases, 39 patients met the inclusion criteria; 31 (79.5%) were females. Seventeen (43.59%) patients developed biochemical hypothyroidism within two years following hemithyroidectomy; the majority (64.71%) of those with hypothyroidism developed it within the first six months. There was a significant increase in TSH levels following surgery (p < 0.001). Conclusion The overall incidence of hypothyroidism within two years of hemithyroidectomy is 43.59%; among those who developed hypothyroidism, the majority (64.71%) did so within the first six months. Thus, we strongly recommend continuous monitoring of TSH levels in the first six months, as it may aid in the decision to begin treatment before symptoms develop.
