Background and Aims Thrombocytopenia is increasingly recognized among patients with critical illness and plays a role in several diseases affecting different organ systems. Therefore, we studied the prevalence of thrombocytopenia among hospitalized COVID‐19 patients and its correlation with disease severity and clinical outcomes. Methods This was an observational retrospective cohort study conducted on 256 hospitalized COVID‐19 patients. Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count below 150,000/μL. Disease severity was classified based on the five‐point CXR scoring tool. Results Thrombocytopenia was found in 66 (25.78%) patients. In outcomes, 41 (16%) patients were admitted to intensive care unit, 51 (19.9%) died, and 50 (19.5%) had acute kidney injury (AKI). Of the total patients with thrombocytopenia, 58 (87.9%) had early thrombocytopenia, while 8 (12.1%) had late thrombocytopenia. Notably, mean survival time was markedly decreased in late‐onset thrombocytopenia cases ( p < 0.0001). Patients with thrombocytopenia showed a significant increase in creatinine compared to those with normal platelet counts ( p < 0.05). Moreover, thrombocytopenia was more prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease compared to other comorbidities ( p < 0.05). In addition, hemoglobin was significantly lower in the thrombocytopenia group ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Thrombocytopenia is a common finding among COVID‐19 patients, with a predilection toward a specific group of patients, though the exact reasons are unclear. It predicts poor clinical outcomes and is closely linked to mortality, AKI, and the need for mechanical ventilation. These findings suggest that more research is required to study the mechanism of thrombocytopenia and the possibility of thrombotic microangiopathy in COVID‐19 patients.
Primary myelofibrosis and paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) are uncommon clonal blood disorders that are rarely found together. We report a case of primary myelofibrosis (PMF) with concomitant subtle PNH in a 42-year-old man who presented with a 4-week history of fatigue, unexplained chest pain, and new-onset erectile dysfunction. Bone marrow biopsy showed severe fibrosis consistent with PMF. However, smooth muscle dystonia symptoms in the form of new-onset erectile dysfunction and oesophageal spasm were not fully explained by PMF but were clues for PNH, confirmed by flow cytometric assays. Routine PNH testing for patients with new-onset PMF and clinical symptoms suggestive of PNH, as well as those with refractory anaemia despite effective therapy, is crucial since these two conditions can coexist. As a result, a lack of early testing may cause a delay in diagnosis, increasing the patient’s transfusion load and the facility’s costs.
Background: Child maltreatment is a crucial issue worldwide that has negative consequences for children and their families. Inability to distinguish between traditional corporal punishment and abuse is part of the problem. Objectives: To assess parents’ knowledge and perception of child maltreatment and investigate the factors that influence their awareness. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited parents with at least one child aged <18 years. Data were collected using a self-administrated online questionnaire. Participants were categorized into two groups based on the median knowledge score. Results: A total of 447 participants completed the questionnaire, of which 62% were female and the average age was 37 years. Almost two-thirds of the respondents (60.6%) consider child abuse and neglect (CAN) to be a common problem in Saudi Arabia. Only 53% had good knowledge of CAN, and more than one-third were unaware of the hotline number available to report any CAN. Almost half of the participants did not consider refusing childhood immunization or smoking in front of children to be a form of CAN. Logistic regression showed that higher education and family income levels were significantly associated with good knowledge ( P = 0.013 and 0.003, respectively). Conclusions: While most parents consider CAN to be a common problem in Saudi Arabia, they do not have adequate knowledge of what constitutes emotional abuse and neglect. These findings highlight the need for community-based education programs to increase parents and caregivers’ awareness of child rights.
Background: The burden of sickle cell disease is high in Saudi Arabia with a great impact on patients' quality of life. This study aimed to assess the Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adult patients with sickle cell disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult Sickle cell disease (SCD) patients attending hematologic clinics at Qatif Central Hospital in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire included sociodemographic, SCD characteristics, HRQoL SF-36, and opinion regarding barriers to service provision. Results: Among 272 patients; (64.7%) reported one to three emergency department visits within the last 6 months; 58.5% reported ≥ 20 minutes waiting in the Emergency Room before the examination; 68.4% reported ≥ 15 minutes waiting time before receiving analgesics. Patients who reported ≥ 6 painful episodes during the previous 6 months were 19.1%. The mean percent score for participants’ opinions regarding service provision was 64.2±15.6, and 24.60% had a positive opinion. The highest score of HRQoL was social functioning 65.0±23.4, followed by physical functioning 64.4±24.6. The least score was met in Role limitation due to physical health (47.2±40.4). Different sociodemographic, SCD related characteristics have been related to the impaired HRQoL dimensions. Conclusion: SCD patients exhibited low HRQoL in general and different factors were related to low scores of HRQoL. Counselling, empowerment, and improvement of doctor-patient communication are important strategies to improve health care provision and hence HRQoL.
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.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.