The ARISCAT Risk Index as a Predictor of Pulmonary Complications After Thoracic Surgeries, Almoosa Specialist Hospital, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Pulmonary complications after thoracic surgery are common and are associated with prolonged hospital stay, higher costs, and increased mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the value of The Assess Respiratory risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia (ARISCAT) risk index in predicting pulmonary complications after thoracic surgery. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Almoosa Specialist Hospital, Saudi Arabia, from August 2016 to August 2019 and included 108 patients who underwent thoracic surgery during the study period. Demographic data, ARISCAT risk index score, length of hospital stay, time of chest tube removal, postoperative complications, and time of discharge were recorded. Results: The study involved 108 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Their mean age was 42.5 ± 18.9 years, and most of them were men (67.6%). Comorbid diseases were present in 53.7%, including mainly type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. FEV1% was measured in 58 patients, with a mean of 71.1 ± 7.3%. The mean ARISCAT score was 39.3 ± 12.4 and ranged from 24 to 76, with more than one-third (35.2%) having a high score grade. The most common surgical procedures were thoracotomy in 47.2%, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in 28.7%, and mediastinoscopy in 17.6%. Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) occurred in 22 patients (20.4%), mainly pneumonia and atelectasis (9.2%). PPCs occurred most frequently during thoracotomy (68.2%), followed by VATS (13.6%), and mediastinoscopy (9.1%). Multinomial logistic regression of significant risk factors showed that lower FEV1% (OR = 0.88 [0.79-0.98]; p=0.017), longer ICU length of stay (OR = 1.53 [1.04-2.25]; p=0.033), a higher ARISCAT score (OR = 1.22 [1.02-1.47]; p=0.040), and a high ARISCAT grade (OR = 2.77 [1.06-7.21]; p=0.037) were significant predictors of the occurrence of postoperative complications. Conclusion: ARISCAT scoring system, lower FEV1% score, and longer ICU stay were significant predictors of postoperative complications. In addition, thoracotomy was also found to be associated with PPCs.

Acute kidney injury in Coronavirus disease-19 related pneumonia in the intensive care unit: a retrospective multicenter study, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) poses a significant morbidity and mortality risk to critically ill COVID-19 patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, predictors, and outcomes of AKI in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with critically ill COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: A multicenter retrospective study in Saudi Arabia of adult patients aged at least 18 years diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia and admitted to the intensive care unit between May 2020 and May 2021 was conducted. The occurrence of AKI and associated risk factors, the need for continous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), and the outcome were reported. Results: The study included 340 patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19. Their mean age was 66.7±13.4 years, ranging from 49 to 84 years, and most of them were men (63.8%). The most common concomitant diseases were hypertension (71.5%), diabetes (62.4%), IHD (37.6%), CKD (20%), heart failure (19.4%), and 81.2% suffered from ARDS. AKI occurred in 60.3% of patients, 38% were stage 1, 16.6% were stage 2, and 45.4% were stage 3. Approximately, 39% of patients required CRRT, out of which 76.2% were stage 3, which was significantly higher than the other stages (p<0.001). AKI patients suffered significantly from asthma and had lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and higher creatinine levels than patients without AKI (p<0.05 all). The overall mortality rate was 39.4%, and the mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with AKI than in patients without AKI (48.3% versus 25.9%; p<0.001). Conclusion: AKI is common in adults admitted to the ICU with COVID-19 and is associated with an increased risk of death. Early detection of AKI and appropriate treatment can positively impact COVID-19 outcome. CRRT is the preferred dialysis method in critically ill ICU patients with AKI.

Comparison Between Physiological Scores SIPF, CURB-65, and APACHE II as Predictors of Prognosis and Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Multicenter Study, Saudi Arabia.

Background: A coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is associated with catastrophic effects on the world with high morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of physiological shock index (SIPF) (shock index and hypoxemia), CURB -65, acute physiology, and chronic health assessment II (APACHE II) as predictors of prognosis and in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: In Saudi Arabia, a multicenter retrospective study was conducted on hospitalized adult patients confirmed to have COVID-19 pneumonia. Information needed to calculate SIPF, CURB-65, and APACHE II scores were obtained from medical records within 24 hours of admission. Results: The study included 1131 COVID-19 patients who met the inclusion criteria. They were divided into two groups: (A) the ICU group (n=340; 30.1%) and (B) the ward group (n=791; 69.9%). The most common concomitant diseases of patients at initial ICU admission were hypertension (71.5%) and diabetes (62.4%), and most of them were men (63.8%). The overall mortality was 18.7%, and the mortality rate was higher in the ICU group than in the ward group (39.4% vs 9.6%; p < 0.001). The SIPF score showed a significantly higher ability to predict both ICU admission and mortality in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia compared with APACHE II and CURB -65; (AUC 0.89 vs 0.87; p < 0.001) and (AUC 0.89 vs 0.84; p < 0.001) for ICU admission and (AUC 0.90 vs 0.65; p < 0.001) and (AUC 0.90 vs 0.80; p < 0.001) for mortality, respectively. Conclusion: The ability of the SIPF score to predict ICU admission and mortality in COVID-19 pneumonia is higher than that of APACHE II and CURB-65. The overall mortality was 18.7%, and the mortality rate was higher in the ICU group than in the ward group (39.4% vs 9.6%; p < 0.001).

Relation Between URIC Acid Levels and Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Diabetic Patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is frequently seen in diabetic patients. Elevated levels of uric acid (UA) were also reported in diabetic patients. No study assessed the relation between SCH and UA levels in diabetic patients. We aimed to evaluate this relation and the association of both conditions with other clinical and laboratory parameters in diabetic patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 100 T2DM patients in addition to 50 age and sex matched healthy controls. Diabetic patients comprised 50 patients with SCH and 50 euthyroid patients. All participants were subjected to careful history taking, thorough clinical examination and standard laboratory work up. The performed investigations included fasting and postprandial blood sugar, fasting insulin levels, HbA1c levels, thyroid hormones (FT3, FT4 and TSH), renal profile and serum UA. RESULTS: Comparison between the studied groups regarding serum UA levels revealed significantly higher levels in the diabetic group (5.4 ± 1.9 versus 4.2 ± 1.0 mg/dl, p<0.001). SCH + DM patients had significantly higher UA levels in comparison to DM group (6.1 ± 1.8 versus 4.8 ± 1.7 mg/dl, p<0.001) and control group (6.1 ± 1.8 versus 4.2 ± 1.0 mg/dl, p<0.001). SCH + DM patients had significantly higher HbA1c levels (8.9 ± 1.1 versus 7.6 ± 1.3%, p<0.001), HOMA-IR (3.9 ± 0.8 versus 2.8 ± 1.0, p<0.001) and UA levels (6.1 ± 1.8 versus 4.8 ± 1.7, p<0.001). Correlation analysis identified a significant direct correlation between serum UA and HOMA-IR in DM + SCH patients (r=0.4,p=0.004). In univariate analysis, presence of SCH [OR (95% CI): 2.57 (1.07-6.15), p=0.034] and nephropathy [OR (95% CI): 4.57 (1.77-11.8), p=0.002] was significant predictors of higher (upper tertile) UA in the studied patients. However, in multivariate analysis, only nephropathy [OR (95% CI): 4.25 (1.62-11.17), p=0.003] continued to be significant while SCH showed a marginal trend [OR (95% CI): 0.43 (0.17-1.08), p=0.073]. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests an association between SCH and increased UA levels in diabetic patients.

Mepolizumab and dupilumab as a replacement to systemic glucocorticoids for the treatment of Chronic Eosinophilic Pneumonia and Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis - Case series, Almoosa specialist hospital.

In this case series, we present four patients who had asthma and blood eosinophilia. Two patients were diagnosed with Chronic Eosinophilic Pneumonia (CEP) and the other two with Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA). Laboratory findings revealed profound peripheral eosinophilia with abnormal chest radiography (alveolar shadows, segmental atelectasis, and cystic changes). Initial improvement (clinical, laboratory, and radiological) occurred with traditional asthma therapy, including systemic corticosteroids. The patients did not tolerate corticosteroid therapy because of weight gain, uncontrolled diabetes, bone fractures, and psychological adverse effects. Mepolizumab (administered to two CEP cases and one ABPA case) and Dupilumab (administered to one ABPA case) were initiated as steroid-sparing agents, resulting in successful therapy without relapse or adverse effects. Mepolizumab, and Interleukin-5 (IL-5) antagonist, targets diseases mediated by eosinophil activity and proliferation. Dupilumab blocks the Interleukin-4/Interleukin-13 pathway and suppresses Type 2 inflammation, including Immunoglobulin E (IgE). Dupilumab resulted in up to 70% drop in total IgE levels from baseline and reduced eosinophil-mediated lung inflammation, despite the presence of normal or increased blood eosinophil counts.

Puntuación de Mallampati modificada, como predictor de la presencia y la gravedad de la apnea obstructiva del sueño en pacientes que roncan / Modified Mallampati Score as a Predictor for the Presence and the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Snoring Patients

Objetivo del estudio: evaluar si la puntuación de Mallampati modificada (MMS) puede predecir la presencia y la gravedad del síndrome de apnea obstructiva del sueño (AOS) en un grupo de pacientes que roncaban y presentaban apnea en los hospitales universitarios de Al-Azhar, El Cairo, Egipto y el Hospital Almoosa, Alhasa, Arabia Saudita. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de pacientes que roncaban y presentaron apnea remitidos a un laboratorio del sueño para el diagnóstico de AOS mediante polisomnograma completo durante la noche desde enero de 2017 a noviembre de 2020. Se utilizó el índice de apnea-hipopnea (IAH) para categorizar la gravedad apnea del sueño. Se registraron edad, sexo, SMM, índice de masa corporal (IMC), comorbilidades, sueño y parámetros de laboratorio. Además, se registraron exámenes completos de Otorrinolaringología, Neurología y Medicina Interna. Resultados: El estudio se realizó en 350 pacientes que cumplían los criterios de inclusión con una edad media de 51,3 ± 14,3 años con un rango de 14 a 81 años. Más de la mitad de ellos (58,6%) eran hombres, el IMC medio fue de 35,1 ± 8,8 kg / m2 y el MMS medio fue de 4,7 ± 1,6 con aproximadamente el 65% de los pacientes agrupados en clases III y IV. Se diagnosticó AOS (IAH> 5) en 278 (79,4%) pacientes. Significativamente, la AOS se detectó más entre los hombres, aquellos con mayor edad, IMC, MMS y aquellos con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2). Una evaluación adicional mostró una correlación positiva significativa entre el IMC y el MMS con la gravedad de la AOS (ρ = 0,23, P <0,001 y ρ = 0,36, P <0,001) respectivamente. Conclusión: MMS es una herramienta útil para predecir la presencia y la gravedad de la AOS en pacientes que roncan. El IMC y el sexo masculino son predictores independientes

Aim of the study: To assess if the modified Mallampati score (MMS) can predict the presence and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) in a group of patients who had snoring and witnessed apnea from Al -Azhar university hospitals, Cairo, Egypt, and Almoosa Hospital, Alhasa, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A retrospective study was done for patients who had snoring and witnessed apnea referred to a sleep lab for the diagnosis of OSA by overnight full polysomnogram from January 2017 to November 2020. Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was used to categorize the severity of sleep apnea. Age, sex, MMS, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, sleep and laboratory parameters were recorded. Also, full Otorhinolaryngological, Neurological and Internal medicine examinations were recorded. Results: The study was carried out on 350 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria with a mean age 51.3 ± 14.3 years ranging from 14 to 81 years. More than half of them (58.6%) were males, the mean BMI was 35.1 ± 8.8 kg/m2 and the mean MMS was 4.7 ± 1.6 with about 65% of patients grouped in classes III and IV. OSA (AHI>5) was diagnosed in 278 (79.4%) patients. Significantly, OSA was more detected among males, those with increased age, BMI, MMS, and those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Further evaluation showed a significant positive correlation between both BMI and MMS with the severity of OSA (ρ =0.23, P<0.001 and ρ =0.36, P<0.001) respectively. Conclusion: MMS is a useful tool to predict the presence as well as the severity of OSA in snoring patients. BMI and male gender are independent predictors

Saudi Arabian real-life experience with biologic therapy in severe asthma.

BACKGROUND: Severe asthma (SA) is a common health problem associated with increased morbidity and mortality and high medical costs. Biological therapies have emerged in recent decades as promising treatment options for patients with high type 2 (T2) SA. This retrospective observational study from Saudi Arabia aimed to investigate the effects of additional biologics therapy on reducing oral corticosteroid (OCS) consumption, frequency of asthma exacerbations, improvement in lung function, and asthma control. METHODS: This multicenter observational study enrolled a cohort of 97 patients from March 2019 to February 2021. Outcomes of anti-IgE, anti-IL5/IL5R, and anti-IL4R therapies in severe type 2 asthma were recorded and analyzed in terms of number of exacerbations (emergency visits or hospitalizations required), asthma symptoms, and use of oral corticosteroids, blood eosinophil count, asthma control according to GINA classification, and FEV1 before and during biologic therapy. RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients were included in the analysis The mean age was 46.7±14.1 years, and 69.1% of them were female. The average duration of biological treatment was 16.4±6.8 months. At the time of data collection, the four biologic therapies reduced the exacerbation rate per year from 82/97 (84.5%) to 14/97 (14.4%) with a percent improvement of 83% from 2.9 per year in the year before biologic treatment to 1.6 per year (p<0.001). OCS was reduced from 75/97 (77.3%) to 10/97 (10.3%) for a percent improvement of 86.7%, and the average OCS dose decreased from 7.12 mg to 6.8 mg. Mean blood eosinophil count also decreased after biologic therapy from 750.5±498.5 to 188.0±122.4 cells/µl, most significant result achieved with benralizumab, and mean FEV1 improved from 59.0±12.9% to 76.0±10.2%, most significant result achieved with omalizumab. ll patients had uncontrolled asthma before biologics therapy, but asthma control improved by 91.8% after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Biologic as add-on therapy for high T2 SA was found to reduce asthma exacerbations, systemic glucocorticoid doses, and SA symptoms.

Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Complicating Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis in an Adult Saudi Male: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is an extremely rare autoimmune, necrotizing granulomatous disease of unknown etiology affecting small and medium-sized blood vessels. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a rare fungal infection with high morbidity and mortality that usually affects immunocompetent or mildly immunosuppressed patients with underlying respiratory disease. Antifungal agents (voriconazole, itraconazole) are the mainstay of therapy. Intravenous drug therapy (amphotericin B or an echinocandin), alone or in combination with azoles, is the last resort in special situations such as azole failure, resistance, or severe disease. Sometimes CPA and GPA coexist and are difficult to distinguish due to the nonspecific symptoms and similarity of clinical and radiological features, so a high degree of suspicion is required to make the correct diagnosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported that a 28-year-old man from Saudi Arabia was diagnosed with GPA. The patient had been complaining of cough, fatigue, polyarthralgia and red eyes for 40 days before he was admitted to our hospital. The diagnosis of GPA was confirmed by clinical and radiological examinations and a pathological report of a lung biopsy, and he was treated with immunosuppressive drugs. The patient's condition was complicated by chronic pulmonary aspergillosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Initial treatments included systemic glucocorticoids, methotrexate, followed by rituximab and voriconazole, finally intravenous cyclophosphamide and amphotericin B, with no complete remission. The thoracic surgical team postponed surgical debridement of the significant cavitary lung lesions until the active fungal infection could be brought under control. CONCLUSION: The clinical and radiological features of GPA are similar to those of pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, and lung cancer. The lack of clear clinical symptoms of GPA requires a high degree of suspicion for early diagnosis. This case illustrates the dilemma of diagnosis and treatment of GPA and superimposed fungal infection. Secondary infection, particularly fungal infection, must be considered when GPA cannot be controlled with an immunosuppressant.