The epidemiology of acute pancreatitis in a tertiary care hospital in Dubai.

Background: The prevalence of acute pancreatitis is rising especially in the Western world, but the prevalence remains unknown in most Middle Eastern Countries. Acute pancreatitis has been attributed with multiple etiologies with the two most common being alcohol abuse disorder and gallstones. The incidence and prevalence of it in the United Arab Emirates are yet to be reported. Materials and Methods: The Atlanta criteria were used for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and applied to patients that have been admitted to a single tertiary center in the year 2021. Several variables were investigated including gender, age, clinical presentation, etiology, radiological and laboratory results, complications, and outcome. Moreover, the Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis score was used to assess and determine the severity of acute pancreatitis in these patients. Results: Nineteen patients were identified in our database with 52% being males. The mean age of patients was 41 years. The most frequent presentation was abdominal pain in 100% of our patients. Moreover, the most common etiology identified was idiopathic (52.63%), followed by biliary (21.05%). The mortality rate was 0%. Conclusion: This is the first retrospective study in Dubai on acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a life-threatening condition with multiple etiologies. Physicians should consider multifactorial acute pancreatitis in patients with different comorbidities.

Résumé Contexte: La prévalence de la pancréatite aiguë augmente particulièrement dans le monde occidental, mais elle reste inconnue dans la plupart des pays du Moyen-Orient. La pancréatite aiguë a été attribuée à de multiples étiologies, les deux plus courantes étant l'abus d'alcool et les calculs biliaires. Son incidence et sa prévalence aux Émirats arabes unis n'ont pas encore été signalées. Matériels et méthodes: Les critères d'Atlanta ont été utilisés pour le diagnostic de pancréatite aiguë et appliqués aux patients admis dans un seul centre tertiaire en 2021. Plusieurs variables ont été étudiées, notamment le sexe, l'âge, la présentation clinique, l'étiologie, les données radiologiques et de laboratoire. résultats, complications et issue. De plus, le score de l'indice de gravité de la pancréatite aiguë au chevet a été utilisé pour évaluer et déterminer la gravité de la pancréatite aiguë chez ces patients. Résultats: Dix-neuf patients ont été identifiés dans notre base de données dont 52 % étaient des hommes. L'âge moyen des patients était de 41 ans. La présentation la plus fréquente était des douleurs abdominales chez 100 % de nos patients. Par ailleurs, l'étiologie la plus fréquemment identifiée était idiopathique (52,63 %), suivie par la biliaire (21,05 %). Le taux de mortalité était de 0%. Conclusion: Il s'agit de la première étude rétrospective réalisée à Dubaï sur la pancréatite aiguë. La pancréatite est une maladie potentiellement mortelle aux étiologies multiples. Les médecins devraient envisager une pancréatite aiguë multifactorielle chez les patients présentant différentes comorbidités. Mots-clés: Pancréatite aiguë, COVID-19, Dubaï, Moyen-Orient, rétrospective.

Does the Teaching Modality and Exam Proctoring Setting Influence Pre-Clinical Medical Students' Performance? A Retrospective Cohort Study of Student Performance in Remote Versus Face-to-Face Setting, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

OBJECTIVES: The intent of this study is to compare the academic performance of pre-clinical medical students in online teaching with online proctoring settings versus face-to-face (F2F) teaching with traditional F2F exam proctoring settings. INTRODUCTION: In 2019, the world was faced with a rapidly progressive pandemic of COVID-19. Consequently, numerous institutions have opted to transform from the traditional F2F teaching method to an online modality, ensuring the safety of their students and maintaining the effectiveness of their educational programs. In particular, medical universities faced a unique challenge in creating a new learning system due to their atypical curriculum, which often involves hands-on training and is not easily adaptable to remote teaching. METHODS: The core of this study is based on the scores of first-year undergraduate medical students across three academic years from the Mohamed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dubai (MBRU), United Arab Emirates (UAE). Course and semester grades were collected and compared in both F2F and online teaching modalities as well as exam settings. RESULTS: Our results show that major courses with high-credit courses had no difference in students' performance regardless of the teaching modality, and in low-credit courses, students generally did better in the online teaching modality. Regarding exam settings, no significant difference was observed in students' performance. CONCLUSION: With few studies examining the variations between F2F and online teaching, the current study in the UAE is the first study comparing academic performance during the COVID-19 era. Our findings illustrate no significant difference between both online and traditional F2F learning. Therefore, given the considerable potential of alternative teaching modalities, future studies are encouraged to explore the efficacy of online learning and proctoring methods.

Bladder leiomyoma treated with transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT): Case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Bladder leiomyomas are rare benign mesenchymal tumors, accounting only about 0.43 % of all bladder tumors. These tumors are classified based on their location, where they can be endovesical, extravesical, and intramural with the endovesical subtype being the most common. There are roughly 250 cases of bladder leiomyoma reported worldwide. In the following case report, we discuss the case of a bladder leiomyoma presenting with obstructive urinary symptoms and managed with TURBT. CASE PRESENTATION: A 24-year-old female presented complaining of incomplete bladder emptying accompanied by urgency, frequency, hesitancy, and urinary incontinence. MRI and US confirmed the presence of an oval-shaped mass lesion arising from the base of the urinary bladder. Tissue biopsy and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of bladder leiomyoma. Following confirmation of the diagnosis, the patient underwent an uneventful trans-urethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). During the surgery, one large bladder tumor was resected. Surgical biopsy report confirmed bladder leiomyoma. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: In this case report, we discuss the various management options of bladder leiomyoma and our surgical approach to this condition. CONCLUSION: This case highlights a rare bladder leiomyoma presenting with obstructive urinary symptoms. Trans-urethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) remains the mainstay of treatment for small, endovesical tumors. Our patient had a successful surgery with no recurrence on follow up.

The prevalence, severity, and risk factors for dry eye disease in Dubai - a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of dry eye disease is increasing globally and requires the attention of healthcare professionals as it worsens patients' quality of life. No published studies on the epidemiology of dry eyes have been found in Dubai. PURPOSE: To describe the epidemiology, prevalence, severity, and associated factors of dry eyes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2019. METHODS: This was an analytical, cross-sectional, survey-based study. An online survey was distributed by email to Mohammed Bin Rashid University students, staff, and faculty and to the staff at Mediclinic City and Parkview Hospitals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from April-June 2019. The survey included demographic questions and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). RESULTS: The survey was completed by 452 participants; the majority were females (288/452; 63.7 %). The prevalence of dry eyes in Dubai was estimated to be 62.6 % (283/452), with severely dry eyes being the most prevalent (119/283; 42 %). Females, high daily screen time (> 6 h), and the use of contact lenses were found to be associated with dry eyes (P-value < 0.05, 95 % confidence interval). Age was found to be negatively correlated with prevalence of dry eyes. Exposure to smoking/shisha, history of eye injury/surgery, and nationality were not associated with dry eyes. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first cross-sectional study to investigate the prevalence of dry eyes in Dubai (62.6 %). The majority of participants had severe dry eyes symptoms. Severely dry eyes were more common among females and users of contact lenses.