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Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) and endocrine disorders are common genetic conditions in the Saudi population with the incidence rate often underestimated. Newborn screening (NBS) using various disease panels provides the first line in the early detection and intervention among infants with a high risk of IEM. Here we aim to assess the incidence of screening disorders and provide an overview of the NBS program at the Ministry of Health Tertiary Care King Fahad Medical City. Dried blood spots (DBS) from 40,965 newborn infants collected on the second day after birth were analyzed for 20 disorders. The total number of positive screen (“repeat”) samples over 10 years was about 1% (n = 382/40,965). The true positive result rate was 15.3% (n = 46/301) with the recall rates of individual disorders ranging from 0.26% (95% CI, 0.17–0.69) to 2.6% (95% CI, 2.19–3.05). The false positive result rate was 84.7% (n = 255/301) with biotinidase activity found to be the most common cause of the second sample repeat. The overall incidence of the screened diseases was 1:891 (95% CI, 11.61–12.47). CH and CAH are the most prevalent among endocrine disorders with an incidence of 1:4097 (95% CI, 2.19–3.05), and PA and ASA among the IEM with an incidence of 1:10,241 (95% CI, 0.09–0.95). In summary, we provide updated data and our experience on the incidence of various IEM and endocrine disorders among the Saudi population, highlight the role of false positive results of biotinidase activity that can increase the recall rate and lead to overestimation of the incidence data, and recommend multicenter studies to achieve a successful national NBS program.

Background: Although several studies have reported on the prevalence of micronutrients in Saudi Arabia, most frequently vitamin D and iron, they are either old or hospital- or primary health care center-based. The objectives of our study were to provide more updated data on the prevalence rate of micronutrients deficiency among the Saudi general pediatric population and to determine if there is an association between micronutrients deficiency and undernutrition. Methods: The present study is part of a cross-sectional mass screening study, “Exploring the Iceberg of Celiacs in Saudi Arabia” conducted among school-aged children (6–16 years) in 2014–2015. A sample of 7,931 children aged 6–16 years was randomly selected. We identified thin children [body mass index (BMI) z-score

Bloodstream infection (BSI) prevalence in hospitalized patients has increased owing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens; moreover, antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is a global problem. Here, BSIs are investigated in several patients at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, and the resistance of bacterial isolates to widely used drugs is determined. Throughout 2020, bacteria isolated from patients were identified and subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. In total, 1125 bacterial isolates were obtained from 1039 patients; among them, gram-positive bacteria were significantly more abundant than gram-negative bacteria. The most prevalent bacteria were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Notably, gram-negative bacteria were mainly isolated from adult patients, and 20.63% of the gram-positive isolates were from pediatric patients, which was significantly higher than the corresponding percentages in elders and adults. The gram-positive isolates were mainly resistant to cephalothin, oxacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and erythromycin and susceptible to penicillin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and vancomycin. Additionally, the gram-negative isolates were mainly resistant to ampicillin, cephalothin, and amoxicillin-clavulanate and susceptible to amikacin, ertapenem, aztreonam, colistin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Consequently, the high prevalence of infective multidrug-resistant bacteria may account as a significant health issue; it is considered a hazard in Riyadh hospitals and must be prevented at all costs.

Background: Although several studies have reported on the prevalence of micronutrients in Saudi Arabia, most frequently vitamin D and iron, they are either old or hospital- or primary health care center-based. The objectives of our study were to provide more updated data on the prevalence rate of micronutrients deficiency among the Saudi general pediatric population and to determine if there is an association between micronutrients deficiency and undernutrition. Methods: The present study is part of a cross-sectional mass screening study, "Exploring the Iceberg of Celiacs in Saudi Arabia" conducted among school-aged children (6–16 years) in 2014–2015. A sample of 7,931 children aged 6–16 years was randomly selected. We identified thin children [body mass index (BMI) z-score <−2 SD, for age and gender], using the WHO reference 2007. A case-control study was performed, where the sera of 182 thin children (cases) and 393 normal BMI children (controls) were tested for levels of iron, ferritin, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, and copper. Results: The prevalence of thinness was 3.5%. The two most common micronutrients deficient among Saudi children with normal BMI were iron (20%) and vitamin D (78%). Vitamin D levels were significantly higher among boys as compared to girls (39.6 nmol/L vs. 31.15 nmol/L; P < 0.001). Deficiency of copper, zinc, and selenium occurred in 0.25%, 1%, and 7.4% of the children with normal BMI. Comparisons between the cases and controls did not show statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Vitamin D and iron deficiencies are still common forms of malnutrition in the Saudi community, that have remained unchanged over the past 20–30 years, while the intake of trace elements (zinc, copper, and selenium) is adequate as evident by normal serum levels in the vast majority of the investigated children. We could not observe a correlation between undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]