Qatar Medical Journal - Volume 2021, Issue 2

Background: Syria has suffered for nine years from a conflict that left over 11.1 million inhabitants in need of humanitarian assistance and over 80% in poverty. A ten-week-long full lockdown was enforced in Syria and successfully minimized the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to estimate the occurrence of mental health disorders after lockdown termination among the citizens of war-torn Syria. Methods: Online questionnaires, whic Read More

Introduction: The presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated disease, COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on the operations of the emergency department (ED), particularly the triage area. The aim of the study was to derive and validate a prediction rule that would be applicable to Qatar’s adult ED population to predict COVID-19-positive patients. Methods: This is a retrospective Read More

Background: Pain management is an evolving area of expertise in Qatar. Gaps in knowledge, inadequate training for physicians and nurses, and the absence of policies/guidelines are the main barriers to effective pain management in Qatar. In addition, the use of certain pain medication, especially opioids, is highly regulated, limiting their availability in outpatient pain management. These factors are responsible for the undertreatment of Read More

Background: Well-performing physician reflects the success of the residency program in selecting the best candidates for training. This study aimed to evaluate the selection criteria, mainly the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) results and applicants’ status as international or locally trained applicants, used by the medical education department and the internal medicine residency program i Read More

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is an infectious pulmonary disease that develops after 48 hours of ventilation. To date, several methods have been proposed to reduce VAP occurrence, such as the VAP prevention bundle, which involves raising the head of the bed, reducing sedation, avoiding deep vein thrombosis, and preventing peptic ulcer in the gastrointestinal system. The purpose of this study was to evaluat Read More

Objective: Clinical methods that are generally used to evaluate the completeness of medical abortion are not reliable. Ultrasound imaging and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) measurements are used to diagnose completed medical abortion, but a precise evaluation of these two methods has shown contradictory results. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the agreement of serum β-hCG measurement and ultrasound imagi Read More

Background: Clinical data on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are limited. We herein report the initial clinical experience with COVID-19 in SOT recipients in Qatar. Methods: All SOT recipients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 up to May 23, 2020 were included. Demographic and clinical data were extracted retrospectively from the hospital’s electronic health records. Categorical data are pr Read More

We report two cases of Qatari children with cystic fibrosis (CF) from different families presenting the homozygous CFTR 1521_1523delCTT (p. Phe508del) mutation with classic CF phenotypes. This gene mutation is considered the second CF mutation identified in Qatar. Herein, we review the frequency and distribution of this mutation in Arab countries.

Introduction: Sleep is necessary for maintaining adequate health and well-being. However, several behavioral and environmental factors, known as sleep hygiene, could affect sleep quality, contributing to the development of insomnia. Instruments to measure sleep hygiene such as the sleep hygiene index (SHI) have been developed, but only a few are available in the Arabic language. Therefore, this study was designed to translate and cul Read More

Introduction: Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) experience premature death, likely due to increased rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study was conducted to estimate the CVD risk in a cohort of individuals with SMI receiving outpatient psychiatric services in Qatar and to assess contributory CVD risk factors. Methods: This is a retrospective review of the electronic medical records of a cohort of outpatien Read More

Introduction: In late 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, discovered in the city of Wuhan, China, was found to cause a disease later named coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19. In January 2020, COVID-19 first reached the Gulf region. Afterwards, the disease spread rapidly across the countries of the Gulf and the number of COVID-19 cases rose significantly. Now, more than a year later, there are only a limited number of studies regarding Read More

Background: The central nervous system is an unusual location of sarcoidosis, which commonly affects the cranial nerves, meninges, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland. Involvement of the pineal region is extremely rare. This systematic review focused on the diagnosis and management of pineal region sarcoidosis, dorsal mesencephalon, and periaqueductal region. Objectives: This study aimed to discuss diagnostic modalities and best manag Read More

Similar to several viruses, coronaviruses can affect the eye and cause conjunctivitis. In addition to ocular involvement, it causes systemic manifestations, mainly respiratory symptoms. However, conjunctivitis as the only sign and symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a rare presentation. We present a case of a 20-year-old male patient who presented with conjunctivitis for 3 days and diagnosed on the same day with COVID-19 with Read More

Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterised by progressive cognitive decline due to neurodegeneration. Over activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, oxidative stress and inflammation potentially damage the neuronal system, affecting cognition. Aim: This study aimed to assess the relationship between serum cortisol, Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and homocysteine (Hcy) levels in AD. Methods: Case-Control observational study Read More

Introduction: Central obesity appears to play a major role in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome. Insulin resistance and carbohydrate disorders are associated with dysfunctional secretion of various adipokines by the adipose tissue. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate leptin, apelin, and visfatin against a background of carbohydrate metabolism parameters in patients diagnosed de novo with polycystic ovary Read More

Background: A needlestick injury (NSI) is a serious occupational hazard among healthcare personnel (HCP), as it can cause transmission of blood-borne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). This study aimed to determine the frequency and distribution of reported NSIs, associated factors, use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and percentage of seroconversion a Read More

Background: Alcohol consumption is a major cause of acute and chronic health conditions associated with comorbidities and traumatic injuries, despite its partial prohibition in some countries. Moreover, alcohol-related hospital admissions increase the burden on the healthcare system. More than 80% of the population in Qatar comprises expatriates. This study aimed to analyze the demographics and clinical characteristics of subjects with alco Read More

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection with multisystem presentations. Involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is considered the most lethal form among all types. In addition to possible fatality, CNS TB has serious neurological sequelae. These morbidity issues along with diagnostic challenges doubles the clinical burden. In recent years, there have been improvements in diagnostic sensitivity and specificity due to advances in techno Read More

Background: Metastases to the pituitary gland are extremely rare with an incidence rate reported from an autopsy series of 1.8%–12%, and only 20% was diagnosed clinically. Tumors that commonly metastasize are breast and lung tumors. Case series: We present a series of five cases, including four female patients and one male patient with metastatic cancer. Two women had metastatic small lung cancer and presented with diabetes insi Read More

Background: Data on the effect of metformin on serum vitamin B12 (VitB12) level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Qatar are limited; therefore, we aimed to assess the prevalence of VitB12 deficiency and its related factors among patients with T2DM treated with metformin at Hamad General Hospital in Doha, Qatar, from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study involved patient Read More

Introduction: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) elastography is another technique that measures the stiffness of tissue and adds more diagnostic value to EUS. Objective: This study aimed to assess the ability of qualitative and quantitative EUS elastography in differentiating malignant from benign solid pancreatic masses. Methods: This 2-year cross-sectional study enrolled 80 patients with solid pancreatic masses in the department of endosc Read More

Background: Spontaneous pneumothorax/pneumomediastinum is an uncommon complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Herein, we describe the clinical spectrum and outcomes of COVID-19-associated pneumothorax/pneumomediastinum in critical care settings. Materials and methods: We hereby present a case series of 12 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and developed air leak injuries in critical care setti Read More

Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a common disease in the State of Qatar and results in considerable morbidity, impairment of quality of life and mortality. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) is currently used in Qatar to identify those at high risk of ASCVD. However, it is unclear if this is the optimal ASCVD risk prediction model for use in Qatar' Read More