Qatar Medical Journal - Volume 2022, Issue 1

Background: Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and potentially life-threatening condition. This comprehensive study from a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country aimed to evaluate the clinical, radiological, and outcome characteristics associated with acute PE. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed data of patients with confirmed acute PE who were admitted to the largest academic tertiary center in the Stat Read More

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become one of the worst global pandemics in recent history. Post-COVID-19 interstitial lung disease is a significant concern in COVID-19 survivors. It is a disabling clinical condition for patients and a burden on the healthcare system. With time and subsequent waves of COVID-19 globally, the post-COVID-19 sequelae of lung diseases can be debilitating. We report cases of three patients Read More

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Multiple risk factors, including low hemoglobin levels, have been associated with poor outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, the long-term impact of anemia on death has not been investigated in high-risk patients in the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, this study evaluated whether anemia is a significant predictor of mortality in United Arab Em Read More

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a type of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy that usually appears after a stressful event or in a woman and is rarely seen after pacemaker implantation (PMI). Herein, we present the case of a 65-year-old man with PMI because of a 2:1 atrioventricular nodal block who had a syncopal episode later in the day of the procedure. Echocardiography showed septal and apical hypokinesis with reduced ejection fraction su Read More

Background: Mesotheliomas are benign masses that can arise from any body parts that contain mesothelium, such as the abdominal, pelvic, pleural, and pericardial cavities. Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma is a cystic tumor that arises from peritoneal mesothelial cells. It is a rare pathological entity, as only fewer than 200 cases have been reported. Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma mainly occurs in women, a Read More

Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) or necrotizing autoimmune myopathy includes a set of distinct disorders associated with marked myasthenia, myofiber necrosis, and high creatine kinase levels. Anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (anti-HMGCR) and anti-signal recognition particle (anti-SRP) are the two main autoantibodies associated with IMNM. Anti-HMGCR is usually associated with statin use. Howe Read More

Cardiac amyloidosis is a rare disorder caused by the myocardial deposition of abnormal fibrils. A 52-year-old man was referred to our center with clinical features of heart failure, after cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed restrictive cardiomyopathy. Abdominal fat pad biopsy showed features of amyloidosis, and after hematological workup, he was diagnosed with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM). He was initiated on a rituximab- Read More

Purpose: Scapular fractures are uncommon injuries that account for up to 1% of all fractures and 5% of all shoulder girdle fractures. Moreover, most of the evidence on the treatment of scapular fractures stems from case series, with paucity of comparative studies. Despite the lack of standardized criteria for the operative treatment of scapular fractures, a set of suggested radiological parameters has been recently reported. The primar Read More

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a threat to public health. People with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, are at a greater risk of severe diseases and death upon contracting this new disease. Due to the novelty of COVID-19, no specific information is available about the degree of its mortality and risk factors among diabetic patients. Therefore, this study aims to compare diabetic and nondiabetic COVID-1 Read More

Background and Purpose: A growing field of interest is exploration of the functional outcomes of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with stroke after rehabilitation. The association between stroke and COVID-19 infection is still being studied. We had explored the functional gain in post-COVID-19 patients with stroke following active rehabilitation services in Qatar to understand the possible predictors of functional gain. Metho Read More

Introduction: Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019, various thrombotic complications have been frequently reported in patients with infection. Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a rare but life-threatening complication in this disease, which requires early recognition and prompt treatment. Case presentation: We report two cases of COVID-19-related AMI. Both patients underwent emergency la Read More

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare malignant lung tumor in the pediatric population and occurs mainly in young children. Its clinical presentation is usually nonspecific. We report a rare occurrence of this tumor in a 15-year-old girl, who presented with symptoms mimicking respiratory tract infection and was nonresponsive to the initial treatment. Imaging investigations revealed a large solid lesion in the left hemithorax with a mas Read More

Melioidosis is a severe disease that can affect humans and animals. It is caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, which is an environmental aerobic gram negative bacteria. Despite being endemic in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia, many cases have been reported from different regions, including the Middle East. This is the third imported case of B. pseudomallei from Oman in a 46-year-old Indian male with left knee septic arthritis in less th Read More

Background: Polysomnography is the gold standard diagnostic method for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and on-time treatment can help prevent further complications of obstructive sleep apnea. However, polysomnography is associated with some difficulties for the patients and physicians, which hinder its application. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and polysomnography findings of patients with obstructive sleep apne Read More

Acute kidney injury is a common complication in patients with cancer. Obstructive uropathy is a rare complication of gastric cancer and occurs mainly during treatment. Moreover, obstructive uropathy is rarely complicated by acute renal injury and thus requires emergency treatment. We report a rare case of anuric acute kidney injury that was actually obstructive uropathy secondary to gastric adenocarcinoma. Based on this case and litera Read More

Background & Objectives: Splenic abscess (SA) is a rare clinical entity. There is a lack of information on SA in most Arab and Gulf countries, including Qatar. This study describes the demographics, clinical features, microbiologic etiologies, treatments, and outcomes of patients with SA at the largest tertiary medical center in Qatar over the previous six years. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at Hamad gener Read More

Background: Tracheostomy is among the oldest and most common surgical procedures for critically ill patients. Over the past decade, tracheostomy practice has changed regarding its indication, timing, technique, decannulation, and follow-up procedures. A systematic assessment tool for tracheostomy could maximize the quality of care and improve patient outcomes. This study develops a tool for systematically evaluating trac Read More

Quality improvement and patient safety are cornerstones to the delivery of effective patient care. The introduction of a quality improvement curriculum for medical students and trainee physicians can have a significant effect on their understanding of the science of improvement and its role in improving the quality of healthcare delivery and patient safety. The article describes the development and implementation of a quality improvement cur Read More