Shared thoughts and practices on some modifiable cancer risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: Numerous cancer-causing factors are inversely correlated with health literacy. The current study's objective was to evaluate the Saudi community's knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding certain carcinogens. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: To perform this descriptive study, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in Hail City, Northern Saudi Arabia, between September 2020 and November 2020. In the city of Hail, about 450 volunteers have expressed interest in taking part in the study. RESULTS: A total of 165 individuals smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol, respectively (67%) and 42 (9%). Negative attitudes toward cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, radiation exposure, genetic predisposition, some viruses, some bacterial infection, some parasites, and fungi were 85/450 (19%), 209/450 (46.4%), 206/450 (45.8%), 322/450 (71.6%), 297/450 (66%), 375/450 (83.3%), 403/450 (89.6%), and 405/450 (90%), in that order. CONCLUSIONS: Some cancer-causing substances are widely used in the Saudi community. Lack of understanding and a negative attitude toward some carcinogens are widespread, necessitating immediate interventions at the community and health affairs levels.

Personal caution about some cancer-related lifestyle habits in Northern Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at assessing community familiarity with cancer-related lifestyle habits in Northern Saudi Arabia. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study involved a community-based sample of 442 civilians living in Hail, Northern Saudi Arabia. Data were collected during the period between October and November 2020. Data were randomly collected from different public gathering places regardless of age or sex. RESULTS: Higher nescience percentages were associated with physical inactivity followed by obesity and fast food, representing 328/390 (84%), 311/390 (80%), and 263/390 (67%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Northern Saudi Arabia has a high negative attitude toward cancer risk factors, necessitating the implementation of community-based health education and cancer awareness programs. Level of education and age have no significant role in the level of cancer awareness.

Epidemiology, risk factors and antimicrobial profile of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC): A study among women in the central region of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Candida spp. is a fungal resident of the normal microbiota of gastrointestinal tract, reproductive mucosa and oral cavity. Hence, a majority of the healthy population may be prone to the most common fungal infection such as candidiasis that can be caused by any species of Candida. In women, vaginitis or vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) forms a significant part of urogenital infections with a high recurrence rate thus posing a public health issue worldwide. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of VVC, its possible risk factors and the antifungal susceptibility of the species isolated from women attending a hospital in the central region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Samples of high vaginal swabs (HVS) were obtained from 208 women aged 15-64 years with signs and symptoms of VVC. The samples were cultured on Sabouraud agar plates (SDA) and incubated at 30°C for 10 days. Candida spp. were initially identified using morphologic characteristics, wet mount, germ tube test and finally confirmed with Vitek 2. RESULTS: Among the samples, 34% were culture positive. Out of the positive samples, 68% were Candida albicans, followed by C. tropicalis (27%) and C. glabrata (2.7%). Majority of the C. albicans (16%) were observed in women between ages of 21-30 years. All the isolates were sensitive to the antifungals tested. Also, the presence of Candida spp. did not correlate to risk factors such as pregnancy, diabetes and use of antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis was observed in the central region of Saudi Arabia with the predominant organism as Candida albicans.

Symptoms in patients attending services for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in Sudan.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the variation in clinical features of individuals presenting to a health facility with chest symptoms according to their ultimate diagnosis. METHODS: Of 16735 patients (52.6% males and 47.4% females) presenting at respiratory centres in seven states in Sudan, 5338 patients were identified with respiratory tract symptoms: 2917 (54.6%) men and 2421 (45.4%) women, with a mean age of 32 years. Those who had cough for more than 3 weeks that was not responsive to a course of antibiotics were screened by microscopy of two or three sputum specimens and chest radiography. RESULTS: A total of 504 (9.44%) were smear-positive, 259 (4.85%) were smear-negative, and 166 (3.11%) had extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, of whom 59 (1.11%) had pleural involvement; the remaining 4409 suspects (82.6%) were non-tuberculous. CONCLUSION: Tuberculosis patients had a constellation of presenting symptoms, with the principal symptom being cough for more than 3 weeks. The accompanying symptoms with greatest predicted significance were weight loss, tiredness and night sweats.

The effect of decentralisation on tuberculosis services in three states of Sudan.

SETTING: Referral hospitals and primary health care (PHC) facilities in Khartoum, Red Sea and Gadaref States. OBJECTIVES: To measure the effect of the decentralisation of the tuberculosis (TB) services on the clinical profile and treatment outcome of tuberculosis. DESIGN: A cohort study of case detection and treatment outcome using information routinely collected comparing patients attending PHC facilities and referral hospitals in selected locations in Sudan. RESULTS: Two-thirds of all TB patients were diagnosed in referral hospitals and one-third in PHC facilities. In PHC facilities, women represented 46% of notified cases, compared to 37.9% in referral hospitals (OR 1.398, 95%CI 1.343-1.455). Older age groups were more likely to prefer PHC facilities to referral hospitals. In referral hospitals, 38% were cured, 29.3% completed treatment without smear examination and 17.3% defaulted, while in PHC facilities 58% were cured, 17.8% completed treatment without smear examination and 11.6% defaulted. CONCLUSION: PHC facilities provide care for a higher proportion of women and older age groups of tuberculosis patients, suggesting a higher level of accessibility for these groups. A higher cure rate and a lower default rate were noted in PHC facilities, possibly reflecting better conditions for directly observed treatment and follow-up.

Transvaginal ultrasonography in predicting placenta previa at delivery: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the extent of overlapping of the internal cervical os by the lower placental edge at 11-14 weeks' gestation which best predicts placenta previa at term. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study initially involving 381 singleton pregnancies with a live fetus at 11-14 weeks attending for routine antenatal care. The distance between the lower placental edge and the internal cervical os was longitudinally evaluated by transvaginal ultrasound examination at 11-14 weeks', 20-24 weeks', and 30-34 weeks' gestation. The first 203 cases were selected at random (first phase) and after this period only cases with the lower placental edge reaching and/or overlapping the internal cervical os were followed up (n = 170, second phase). Thus a total of 373 cases were analyzed, 351 of whom were examined in all three trimesters. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the probability of predicting placenta previa at term using the overlap of the lower placental edge over the internal cervical os in the first trimester of pregnancy. RESULTS: A change in the relative position of the placenta (placental migration) was observed in all 351 cases examined in the three trimesters of pregnancy. In the general population, represented by the 203 cases (first phase), the incidence of placenta previa at 11-14 weeks' gestation was 42.3% (86/203), at 20-24 weeks' 3.9% (8/203) and at term 1.9% (4/203). A total of 18 cases of placenta previa and 17 cases of marginal placenta were observed at term. It was estimated that when the lower placental edge overlaps the internal cervical os by 23 mm at 11-14 weeks the probability of placenta previa at term is 8% with a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 86.1%. CONCLUSION: The present study establishes the probability of placenta previa at term depending on the relationship of the lower placental edge to the internal cervical os at 11-14 weeks.

Treatment results of DOTS in 1797 Sudanese tuberculosis patients with or without HIV co-infection.

SETTING: Consecutive new tuberculosis (TB) patients, from eight states in Sudan, who had never been previously treated for as much as 1 month between 1998 and 2000. OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection on tuberculosis treatment outcome. DESIGN: All patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis underwent sputum microscopy for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). Treatment is free of charge, and directly observed for all smear-positive patients. Treatment outcomes were those defined by the World Health Organization. All patients were tested anonymously for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using the Bionor test. RESULTS: Of 10 494 patients suspected of TB and referred for sputum microscopy, 1797 were TB cases; 983 had smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis, 521 smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis, and 293 extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Smear-positive cases showed a cure rate of 77.2% and a failure rate of 1%. Smear-negative and extra-pulmonary patients had a completion rate of 79.4%. Cure rates for the smear-positive cases were 68.3% for HIV-positive and 77.6% for HIV-negative patients (P = 0.164). Case fatality was significantly higher among HIV-positive (12%) than among HIV-negative cases (1.8%) (OR 7.7, 95% CI 3.51-16.8). CONCLUSION: To date, a relatively low proportion of tuberculosis patients in Sudan also have HIV infection. These patients are substantially more likely to die while on treatment for their tuberculosis, a fact that underlines their need for more comprehensive care if their lives are to be prolonged. In addition, every effort is required to diminish the transmission of HIV infection to prevent the tragedy this infection represents to the community.

Cereal-based oral rehydration solutions in Sudanese children with diarrhoea: a comparative clinical trial of rice-based and sorghum-based oral rehydration solutions.

A randomized controlled study was carried out at the Children's Emergency Hospital, Khartoum to evaluate the acceptability, safety and efficacy of (rice or sorghum) cereal-based oral rehydration solutions (ORS) relative to that of the standard WHO ORS formulation in children with acute diarrhoea. Ninety-six children whose ages ranged from 6 to 40 months were enrolled in the study. Thirty-two of them were allocated to the rice-based ORS group, 34 to the sorghum-based ORS group and 30 to the control group. Cereal-based ORS solutions were found to shorten the duration of diarrhoea and to reduce both the stool volume and the frequency of diarrhoea and vomiting as well as the mean total ORS intake. These effects were more marked with the sorghum-based ORS than with the rice-based ORS. By the end of day 3, 50% of patients in the rice ORS group and 67.6% in the sorghum ORS group had recovered compared with 40% from the standard ORS group.

Serological evidence of the occurrence of bluetongue in Iraq.

Precipitating antibodies against bluetongue were detected in sheep and goat serum samples collected from animals slaughtered in Baghdad abattoir. Out of 294 sheep serum samples and 110 goat serum samples examined, 28 and 18 samples respectively showed precipitating activity. In addition, examination of sheep serum samples collected from localities where clinical cases similar to bluetongue were previously reported revealed the presence of bluetongue precipitating antibodies in 101 sera out of 198 samples examined. This is the first report confirming the occurrence of bluetongue in Iraq.