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Objectives: To find the prevalence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli)-producing extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) at King Fahd Military Medical Complex in Dhahran (KFMMC) and to detect the genes responsible for its production. In addition, we determined the pattern of multi-drug resistance among isolates. Methods: A total of 117 uropathogenic E. coli isolates were collected from KFMMC over a period of 4 months from March 2014 to June 2014. These were received in the Microbiology Laboratory at Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences (PSMCHS), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia for analysis. The isolates were screened for ESBL using VITEK® 2 Compact. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) examination was used to determine TEM, SHV, and CTX-M genes. Results: Our findings indicated that there is a high incidence of ESBLs among the E. coli isolated from UTI (23.1%). Our study also indicated that CTX-M genes are the most prevalent among the isolates at KFMMC followed by TEM class (6%), but there was also a higher percentage E. coli (3.4%) simultaneously harboring TEM and CTX-M genes. None of our isolates harbored the SHV genes. Conclusion: The findings document the threat of ESBL among E. coli isolates from UTI especially the CTX-M class in our hospital with the occurrence of these strains as etiologic agents of infection in the hospital and community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum are recognized as the most common protozoan infections in Saudi Arabia. Microscopic examination of stool samples, either direct or concentrated, for the recovery of G. lamblia cysts and trophozoites and C. parvum oocysts is still the most commonly used for the diagnosis of both parasites. We compared the conventional parasitological techniques of iodine-stained wet mount for G. lamblia and Kinyoun's acid-fast for C. parvum against ImmunoCard STAT® Cryptosporidium/ Giardia and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detecting the 18S rRNA gene of G. lamblia and conventional PCR detecting the same gene of C. parvum at a tertiary hospital in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Out of 148 stool samples, 19 and 12 true positives were identified for G. lamblia and C. parvum, respectively, using a composite reference standard. In this case, true positives and negatives were considered as those with at least two positive or negative results out of the three tests. Both ImmunoCard STAT! and PCR methods were more sensitive than the microscopic tests of a single stool specimen of 85.7 % (CI = 62.6-96.2 %) and 85.7 % (CI = 56.2-97.5 %) for G. lamblia and C. parvum, respectively. However, specificity of microscopic tests was higher than other techniques for both parasites. Although PCR seems to be most sensitive for both G. lamblia and C. parvum, its low specificity may render its superiority over other techniques. When a single stool sample is used for detection of G. lamblia and C. parvum, better results can be obtained when coupled with serological testing. Although PCR is the most sensitive method for the detection of both G. lamblia and C. parvum, its use requires attention in relation to the increased possible false positives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the relationship between coffee intake, obstructive sleep apnea risk (OSA), and glycemic control among patients with diabetes mellitus. Results: There were 110 patients with diabetes and 96 healthy control subjects (matched for age and sex) attending a diabetes center زinTabuk, Saudi Arabia during the period from June 2018–October 2019. Stop-Bang questionnaire was used to assess OSA risk, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale to investigate daytime sleepiness. OSA risk and daytime sleepiness were higher among patients with diabetes compared to controls (4.34 ± 1.61 vs. 2.86 ± 1.24, and 8.31 ± 4.40 vs. 6.39 ± 3.70 respectively, P < 0.5), while coffee consumption was not (4.64 ± 3.95 vs. 3.45 ± 3.06, P > 0.05). Women with diabetes were younger with short duration since the diagnosis of diabetes and consumed less coffee compared to men, P < 0.5. A negative correlation was found between coffee consumption and the duration of diabetes, while no correlation was found between coffee intake, the glycated hemoglobin, OSA risk, sex, and daytime sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness and OSA risk were commoners among patients with diabetes, they were not correlated with coffee consumption which was negatively correlated with the duration since diabetes diagnosis. Further larger multi-center studies investigating coffee intake among patients newly diagnosed with diabetes are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]