Objective:To assess the perceived availability of various services provided by Autism centers in our region.Methods:A cross sectional study was conducted from March to May 2015 involving health care workers at various governmental and private autism centers in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A structured 30-item questionnaire was designed to assess their demographics, training, experience, and the availability of various services at their centers.Results:Twelve autism centers were included and 136 employees participated in the study. Seventy-eight (57%) participants indicated that their center lacked important and essential services. These included programs for home care and outreach (59%), family recognition incentives and rewards (51%), integrative educational programs (39%), and occupational therapy (16%). Access for outside referral for these services was available in only 24% of cases. They cited several major obstacles in providing adequate service including; family involvement (24%), child’s behavioral problems (13%), increased number of students (9%), and work environment and space (5%).Conclusion:Significant deficiencies exist in the availability of autism services in our region. Access for referrals for important services is also limited. We identified several areas that can be targeted to help develop, promote, and improve the provided services for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Dravet syndrome (DS) is a severe epilepsy syndrome characterized by early onset of multiple types of seizures. We report the first case of reflex seizures triggered by diaper change in a girl at 9 months old and 2 years old with a mutation in the SCN1A gene causing DS. Reflex seizures have been reported in patients with DS provoked by increased body temperature or visual stimulation. The case we report widens the spectrum of triggers causing reflex seizures in children with DS. Cortical hyperexcitability resulting from the genetic defect explains the tendency to experience such reflex seizures.RÉSUMÉ: Épilepsie reflexe déclenchée par un changement de couche dans le syndrome de Dravet. Le syndrome de Dravet (SD) est un syndrome épileptique sévère caractérisé par un début précoce de plusieurs types de crises d'épilepsie. Nous rapportons le premier cas de crises d'épilepsie déclenchées par un changement de couche chez une fillette alors qu'elle était âgée de 9 mois et de 2 ans. Elle est porteuse d'une mutation du gène SCN1A responsable du SD. Des crises d'épilepsie réflexe, provoquées par une augmentation de la température corporelle ou par la stimulation visuelle, ont été rapportées chez des patients atteints du SD. Le cas que nous rapportons élargit le spectre des déclencheurs causant des crises d'épilepsie réflexe chez les enfants atteints du SD. Une hyperexcitatilité corticale résultant du défaut génétique explique la tendance à présenter de telles crises.
Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of childhood anxiety disorders in Saudi Arabia. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study, between September and November 2019, in Saudi Arabia. The study group included the parents of 468 primary school children, aged 6-12 years. Parents completed the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) screening instrument, translated to Arabic. The measured outcome was the prevalence of childhood anxiety disorders, determined from the scores on the SCARED instrument. Results: Childhood anxiety disorders prevalence were as follows: 32.7% had one anxiety, 18.4% had 2, 10.9% had 3, 8.1% had 4, and 7.7% had 5. Of note, 22.2% of children did not have an anxiety disorder. Conclusion: Our results reveal a high prevalence of childhood anxiety disorders among primary school age children in Saudi Arabia. Based on these findings, conducting awareness campaigns and providing educational programs on childhood anxiety disorders might be important to improve the health outcomes of children.
Objective:To assess the progress in the field clinical epilepsy in Saudi Arabia, by analyzing in depth the research output productivity and publication pattern, and to identify the current situation of epilepsy research and offer solutions.Method:Literature search strategy was designed to retrieve accessible articles that are related to epilepsy utilizing PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase. The retrieved articles were analyzed with several parameters, then evaluated using Oxford Center of Evidence Based Medicine level of evidence scale.Results:Of all identified articles, 90 were conducted in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and therefore were included. The included articles had a frequency of only 3.5 publications per year, and growth of 24.4% between the periods of 1990-2003 and 2004-2016. Only 13.3% of the articles were related to surgical epilepsy but the majority (86.7%) were related to medical epilepsy. Many articles (53.3%) were level III studies. The most common study design was retrospective studies in 35.6%, and the citations number ranged from 1–289 (Mean=7).Conclusion:Pattern of publications in clinical epilepsy researches revealed a slow growth rate in the frequency and a lower significance in the quality throughout the past 26 years. Active institutional and national promotion of clinical research is needed to help assess and therefore improve the quality of the provided epilepsy services.
Background: Burnout syndrome is a common professional problem causing mental fatigue, depersonalization, and diminished self-value. Burnout during pediatric residency can significantly influence the resident's performance and the quality of their training. Objectives: To evaluate the burnout status of pediatric residents across Jeddah, KSA. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study involving pediatric residents across Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was conducted from the 1 st of August to 1 st of December, 2012. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was utilized in addition to questions about their work environment and lifestyle. Results: Sixty pediatric residents (67% females) were included with ages ranging between 25 -30 years (mean 26.5). They practiced in various institutions, mostly (41%) in ministry of health hospitals. Burnout scores were abnormal in 49 (82%) and in 19 (32%) the syndrome was severe. Males were more likely to reach a severe burnout category when compared to females (32% vs 19%, p = 0.01). Residents working in the university hospital (23%), were more likely to have severe burnout when compared to those working in other hospitals (p = 0.002). Junior residents (R1 and R2) were also more likely to have severe burnout when compared to senior residents (34% vs 21%, p = 0.013). Conclusions: Many pediatric residents are suffering from burnout syndrome. It is more common among males, junior residents, and those working in a university hospital setting. Specific strategies should be developed to prevent resident burnout.
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