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Abstract Background We aimed to study the impact of biological therapies in Saudi Arabia on patients with severe asthma (SA) combined with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in terms of clinical outcomes. Methods This is a retrospective observational cohort research that was undertaken at the severe asthma clinics of the Armed Forces Hospital of the Southern Region (AFHSR) and King Khalid University Hospital, Abha, from March to September 2022 to delineate the effects of 3 biological therapies (dupilumab, benralizumab, and omalizumab) in adults with SA and concomitant CRS. Clinical outcomes assessed included asthma exacerbation frequency, hospitalization rates, use of oral corticosteroids (OCs), and the asthma control test (ACT) scores before and 1 year after biological therapies. Results Eighty patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 46.68. There were 45 (56%) females and 35 (44%) males. There was a notifiable decrease in the frequency of exacerbations and hospitalization and in the number of patients who received OCs after 6 and 12 months of biological therapies compared to pre-biological therapies, respectively (p

Abstract Background This study’s purposes were to evaluate the impact of biological therapies on outcomes in patients with severe asthma (SA) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and to compare these effects among those with NP (CRSwNP) versus those without NP (CRSsNP) in the “real-world” setting in Saudi Arabian patients. Methods From March to September 2022, a retrospective observational cohort study was undertaken at the severe asthma clinics of the Armed Forces Hospital—Southern Region (AFHSR) and King Khalid University Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia, to delineate the effects of dupilumab therapy. Outcomes were assessed, including clinical outcomes, FEV1, and laboratory findings before and one year after dupilumab. Post-therapy effects were compared between CRSwNP and CRSsNP. Results Fifty subjects were enrolled, with a mean age of 46.56. There were 27 (54%) females and 23(46%) males. Significant improvements in clinical parameters (frequency of asthma exacerbations and hospitalizations, the use of OCs, anosmia, SNOTT-22, and the ACT), FEV1, and laboratory ones (serum IgE and eosinophilic count) were observed 6 and 12 months after using dupilumab (p

Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) affects a significant portion of the population, manifesting symptoms that impact the quality of life. Despite the prevalence of ETD, there remains a notable gap in comprehensive studies exploring the condition’s dynamics within specific demographic contexts, particularly within Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of ETD across different demographic groups, to evaluate the efficacy of various treatment modalities, and to identify key predictors of treatment response in a Saudi Arabian cohort. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2022 to May 2023 in tertiary care hospitals in the Aseer region, Saudi Arabia. Participants included adults diagnosed with ETD, assessed through clinical symptoms, otoscopic examinations, audiometric evaluations, tympanometry, and the ETDQ-7 questionnaire. The study incorporated advanced diagnostics such as nasopharyngoscopy and pressure equalization tube function tests and involved 154 participants, revealing significant variations in ETD severity, with the 46–60 age group exhibiting the highest mean ETDQ-7 score of 4.85, and urban residents displaying lower severity scores compared to rural counterparts. Pharmacological interventions were most effective, achieving the highest symptom relief and audiological improvement rates of 87.78%. Multivariate regression highlighted age, geographic location, and treatment modality as key predictors of treatment efficacy, with notable interaction effects between climate conditions and treatment types influencing outcomes. The findings underscore the heterogeneity in ETD presentation and the differential efficacy of treatment modalities.

Background: Tonsillectomy is one of the most frequently applied and oldest surgical procedures in otorhinolaryngology. Various surgical techniques are used to perform this operation including traditional and cauterization techniques. Objectives: To assess morbidity and efficacy and compare objectively the techniques in tonsillectomy, i.e., traditional technique and cauterization technique. This study compares the traditional and cauterization tonsillectomy techniques in view of their advantages and complications. Methods: This is a retrospective study and comparative study, conducted during the period from January 2017 to March 2018 from the patients attending to Alnamas General Hospital, Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was designed to compare the traditional and cauterization tonsillectomy. Fifty patients underwent traditional technique and fifty patients underwent cauterization method. The data analyzed using SPSS V.16.0 (SPSS Inc; Chicago, IL, USA). Results: A total of 100 patients, 62 males and 38 females, aged 8 to 16 years were included in the study. A total of 100 patients were enrolled in the study. Traditional and cauterization tonsillectomy were performed. 50 (27 male and 23 female) patients, whose ages ranged from 9 to 16 years old underwent the traditional tonsillectomy, 50 (35 male and 15 female) patients whose ages ranged from 8 to 16 years underwent cauterization. The two groups were similar for demographic parameters. The difference between mean operative times of the two methods was statistically significant. Postoperative bleeding is significantly higher in the traditional technique compared to cauterization method. Postoperative pain is significantly less in cauterization method. Only a few patients experienced fever, bleeding, and other complications related to anesthesia. The bleeding severity is significantly lower in the cauterization technique. Postoperative pain was less in cauterization technique on day 1 and day 5. Postoperative pain was from mild to severe. Conclusion: This study revealed significantly less postoperative complications in traditional tonsillectomy in comparison with the cauterization method. Healing time was significantly faster in cauterization technique than in traditional method.

Introduction Traumatic neck injuries can cause serious morbidity and mortality. They have very serious outcomes and require emergent surgical interventions. This study illustrated 31 traumatic neck injury cases and their management over a period of 3 years. Materials and Methods Thirty nine (39) patients were studied retrospectively and analyzed. Patients admitted through emergency room with a history suggestive of vascular trauma in the neck, between February 2014 and March 2017 were included. Thirty one (31) patients which were treated surgically were selected for analysis. All the patients were taken to the operating room immediately and made hemodynamically stable, other parameters were quickly corrected and urgent measurements were undertaken to maintain vascular integrity. Results Out of 31 patients suspected to have vascular neck injuries, only 29 (74%) were established to have vascular neck injuries. Forty seven percent 47% were stabilized hemodynamically and underwent operations under elective conditions. 16 (55%) patients were found to be hemodynamically unstable with fair signs of vascular injuries and were taken to the operating room immediately. 41% had arterial injuries and 59 % had venous injury. No patients had any post-operative vascular complication. One patient expired on the 11th postoperative day as a result of multiple organ injury and brain injuries. Conclusion Patients with severe neck injuries leading to acute bleeding and hematoma must be taken to the surgery for best outcome. Prompt decision making plays very important role to minimize disastrous consequences leading to further vascular and neurological derangements.

Background. Tinnitus is a symptom that is defined as a subjective perception of noise in an absence of external sound. It is an indicator of auditory system abnormalities. It can also be present in individuals without any hearing abnormalities. Difficulty to consternate, insomnia, and decreased speech discrimination are the most common symptoms related to tinnitus. Aim. To assess the magnitude and pattern with determinants of tinnitus among health science students at King Khalid University. Methodology. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted targeting all accessible students in health science colleges in King Khalid University which is the main university in the Aseer region, south of Saudi Arabia. Students were included consecutively from different faculties and different grades. Data were collected through a self-administered prestructured questionnaire, which was distributed and recollected the next day. Tinnitus was screened using an adapted form of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Results. A total sample of 400 students have been included with their ages ranging from 18 to 30 years with a mean age of 22 ± 1.8 years), and 28.5% of the students recorded positive findings. Tinnitus was bilateral among 51.8% of students, and 44.7% of tinnitus students hear buzzing sound while 21.1% have hissing sound and 10.5% had pulsating sound. Among 46.5% of students with tinnitus, the heard sound was of moderate loudness and intermittent among 64.9% of them. Conclusions and Recommendations. In conclusion, the study revealed that just more than a quarter of students complained of tinnitus which was bilateral among half of them. Tinnitus frequency was mainly moderate in intensity and intermittent. Having ear problems, loud sounds, and allergy were the most important predictors of having Tinnitus.

Stress and depression among physicians are recognized as important problems because of the potential risks they impose on individual health and medical care. This study aims to assess level of stress and depression and associated factors among family medicine residents in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 75 residents in the family medicine residency programs in Al-Madinah. Stress and depression were assessed by using the stress and depression subscales of the validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 item (DASS-21). Sources of stress were assessed by 22 items. Results: Most participants had stress (57.3%) and depression (53.3%). Stress was associated with work overload (P=0.032), work demands affect personal/home life (P<0.001), inability to participate in decision making (P=0.026) and inability to make full use of skills and abilities (P=0.019). Depression was associated with 'work demands affect personal/home life' (P<0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of stress and depression among family resident doctors was high. Establishing a residency counseling office is suggested to deal with the resident's problems in a way that supports their needs and leads to the best working environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]