Objectives: Diabetic-ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication and a leading cause of hospitalization in Type-1-diabetes (T1DM) patients. We aimed to assess the risk factors of admissions of children with DKA in a specialized children hospital in order to reduce morbidity and to inform appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. Methods: A retrospective review of all DKA admissions at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, Riyadh (March 2015–December 2017). Data were gathered from newly diagnosed of T1DM and known patients ≤14-year-old with DKA criteria. The main variables were frequency, precipitating factors, and other characteristics of DKA admissions in both groups. Results: A total of 116/562 patients with T1DM (mean age 8.97±3.08 years) had 146 DKA episodes, of which 26/116 (34%) were newly diagnosed. The frequency of DKA admissions 2 were 146/562, 26%, of which (n=42/146, 28.7%) were newly diagnosed vs. (n=104/146, 71.2%) known patient of T1DM. The majority were 10-14 years (p≤0.001) and 55.5% were females. Missing insulin was the main precipitating cause of DKA (p=0.001) among known patients with T1DM. Recurrent episodes (n=30/164, 20.5%) occurred in 15/116 patients and were more common in children ≥10 years of age (P=0.024). The mean length-of-stay was 2.67±2.04 days and increased with DKA severity (P=0.008). Conclusions: In our study, the majority of DKA episodes were in patients with known T1DM; and missing insulin was the leading cause of DKA. In addition to awareness campaigns to prevent DKA as an initial presentation, intervention strategies should also target high risk groups of known patients of T1DM such as adolescents and patients with recurrent episodes.
BackgroundGlobally, less than 10% of graduating medical students select pathology as a future career. Many factors were reported from different settings to influence the choice of pathology. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that determine medical students' preferences in choosing pathology as a future career.
MethodsThis cross-sectional study surveyed students from three governmental medical schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire that contained demographic questions and items that addressed perceived factors that affect the choice of pathology was distributed to medical students. Collected data were analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). A chi-square test was used to determine the association between independent variables and interest in pathology.
ResultsOut of the 400 questionnaires distributed, 338 students completed the survey with a response rate of 84.5%. Overall, surgery (24%) and internal medicine (20%) were the most favored, specialties with only 5% of the students selecting pathology as their first choice. Patient-doctor interaction (72.2%) was perceived as the most important factor in not choosing pathology as a future career. Taking an elective course, younger age groups, and year in medical school were all significantly associated (p<0.001) with an interest in pathology.
ConclusionIn this study, most of the students indicated surgery and internal medicine as their first specialty choices. Only 5% of the students chose pathology as their first choice. Two-thirds of medical students perceived pathologists do not interact with patients. A significant association was found between younger age groups, enrolling for a pathology course, and having an interest in pathology.
To translate and cross-culturally adapt a Swedish questionnaire to Arabic to assess the awareness of pregnant women in Saudi Arabia regarding the availability of an accurate and safe prenatal screening procedure. Methods: The study was conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between December 2018 to April 2019. The non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) questionnaire, translated and validated in Arabic. Cronbach's alpha reliability testing was carried out to validate the Arabic version of the questionnaire. The sample size was 100 pregnant women, at any gestational period, from 20 to 44 years old. This is a prospective cross-sectional. Results: An Arabic translated, and culturally validated questionnaire related to the attitudes, knowledge, and self-perceived probability of delivering a child with chromosomal abnormality. Conclusion: We translated and validated the NIPT questionnaire to assess the attitude and awareness of pregnant women regarding the availability of the NIPT.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.