No abstract

Background Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) are one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in Saudi Arabia despite preventive measures and programs. The major factors for the increase in the incidence of mortality and morbidity are due to human factors, such as over speeding, not obeying traffic laws, fatigue, and driving before the legal age. In this study, we aim to report the pattern of orthopedic injuries (OIs) from RTA in the south-western region of Saudi Arabia and to explore the healthcare outcomes of OIs. Method This is a retrospective, record-based, case series study including RTA patients who were admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) at a tertiary hospital in the south-western region of Saudi Arabia. The data was collected for 531 admitted RTA patients with OIs over for five years from May 2011 to May 2016. Patients who were 15 years of age or above were included in this study. The data were analyzed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 21. Results A total of 531 patients were included with an age range between 15 and 90 years with an average age of 29 ± 2 years. Most of the population was male constituting 91.3% of the sample while 91.9% of the sample were Saudis. About 75% of the OIs had simple fractures and complex fractures were recorded among 10.2% of the cases. About half of the cases (52%) had lower limb fractures and 32% had upper limb fractures. Conclusions RTA and the resultant OIs, death, and permanent disabilities cause a tremendous burden on economic resources and should be of concern for local authorities. More attention and regularities should be paid to avoid life-threatening driving behaviors.

Background: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection spreads easily by interpersonal contact. Objective: This study determined the prevalence of seropositivity of cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the Asir Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: The study evaluated the seropositivity for cytomegalovirus-specific IgG in 460 females. Collected samples were processed and tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and specific HCMV IgG. Results: The study showed that all the respondents aged 15-20 years were seropositive for the HCMV. HCMV seropositive status was recorded in 99.2% of the older patients (> 40 years of age). In the remaining age groups, the rate of seropositivity ranged from 95.7 (age range 20-25 years) to 98.9% (age range 30 years). Conclusions: In all age groups of females tested, the prevalence of seropositive for HCMV was high, i.e., in the range of 95.7-100%.

Objective: Prolapsed lumbar disc is one of the most frequent diseases, which is usually presented by motor and sensory deficits. Consistency of herniated disc may play a significant role in surgical treatment and postoperative improvement. The objective of this study is to assess whether the histopathological degeneration in the sample of lumbar discs operated on is correlated to clinical variables and surgical outcomes. Materials and Methods: A randomized double-blind prospective study of lumbar disc prolapse cases over a period of 24 months was done. Forty cases were initially included in the study. All the included cases with a scheduled lumbar discectomy in the Department of Neurosurgery, King Fahd University Hospital, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, during this period were examined histologically. Results: Finally, 21 patients were only considered in this study due to loss of follow-up of the other 19 patients; of these 21 patients, 18 were male and 3 were female. The youngest patient was 32 years old, and the oldest was 72 years old. There is no significant correlation between the major histopathological changes of the prolapsed discs and the clinical findings of low back pain (correlation coefficient = 0.058, P < 0.8), duration of sciatica (correlation coefficient = −0.337, P < 0.1), paresthesia (correlation coefficient = 0.111, P < 0.6), motor weakness (correlation coefficient = 0.274, P < 0.2), and reflex (correlation coefficient = 0.081, P < 0.7). Meanwhile, the correlation coefficient between numbness and histopathological degeneration score (HPDS) is not defined because all reported cases were presented with numbness. Conclusions: There is no significant correlation between the histopathological changes of the prolapsed discs and some clinical findings. Moreover, the different types of prolapsed discs' histopathological changes have no impact on the outcome of the surgery. We also concluded that the disc material undergoes certain degenerative processes with age.