Pseudomonas bacteria are widespread pathogens that account for considerable infections with significant morbidity and mortality, especially in hospitalized patients. The Pseudomonas genus contains a large number of species; however, the majority of infections are caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, infections by other Pseudomonas species are less reported. Pseudomonas stutzeri is a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium that has been reported as a causative agent of some infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients but has rarely been reported as a cause of infective endocarditis. Here, we report a case of a 55-year-old female with no significant medical history who presented with exertional dyspnea, productive cough, and fever. She was diagnosed as a case of acute anterior ST myocardial infarction, underwent double valve replacement surgery, and was found to have infective endocarditis caused by Pseudomonas stutzeri.

Background: The prevalence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax is high in the Arab region. There is a lack of studies from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia highlighting the associated risk factors and demonstrating the effectiveness of surgical management. Objectives: To identify risk factors associated with primary spontaneous pneumothorax and to correlate the effectiveness of surgical management with the rate of disease recurrence. Subjects and Methods: This retrospective chart review included adult patients who presented with primary spontaneous pneumothorax and were managed at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2014. The results are presented as arithmetic mean for quantitative data, and chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. P ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In total, 151 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax were included, with the majority being male (98.7%) and Saudis (88.7%). The mean age was 24 ± 6 years (range: 13–49 years), mean height 171 ± 8 cm (range: 144–193 cm) and mean body mass index 19.2 ± 3.8 kg/m² (range: 13.3–39.0 kg/m²). About 62% of the patients were smokers. Ten patients had an ipsilateral recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax after the first episode was successfully managed. Surgical exploration after the first episode itself was found to significantly reduce the recurrence rate. The study found that in the management of these patients, there was a shift from conventional open thoracotomy to the minimally invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery method. Conclusions: The risk factors for primary spontaneous pneumothorax in this study were consistent with the current literature. Surgical exploration after the first episode of primary spontaneous pneumothorax significantly reduces the recurrence rate and there is a paradigm shift toward a less invasive surgical approach in managing these patients.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is considered one of the serious complications in the medical field. It has a large impact on patients' life medically, socially and economically. It also has a financial burden on governments and hospitals regardless of which part of the world is considered. On the other hand, AKI is a common complication of cardiac surgery, which alone has a tremendous burden and implications on patients and governments. In this study, we will discuss the various risk factors, outcomes and financial burden of renal impairment associated with cardiac surgery. This is a retrospective case-control study, which included 144 adult patients who underwent open cardiac surgical procedures at King Fahad University Hospital in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia over a period of five years from January 2015 till the end of December 2019. We included all types of cardiac surgeries performed such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve surgery and aortic dissection repair and excluded patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis preoperatively and pediatric patients. Two control groups were defined, those who developed renal impairment (group A) and those who did not develop it (group B). The mean age of the patients was 58.59 ± 12.6 years (range: 42 to 77 years). Mean serum creatinine level in the postoperative period was 1.95 ± 1.5 mg/dL in group A compared to group B of 1.0 ± 0.32 mg/dL (P-value<0.01). Mean serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in group A was 26.45 ± 19.9 mg/dL compared to group B of 16.79 ± 16.2 mg/dL in group B (P-value < 0.01). Diabetic were more likely to develop renal impairment than non-diabetic (P-value = 0.049, OR 2.73; 95% CI: 0.97-7.66). Obese patients were two times more likely to develop renal impairment than non-obese (P-value = 0.056, OR 2.6; 95% CI: 0.94-7.1). The average cost for each patient with renal impairment who required dialysis was 110,000 Saudi Riyal (~ 29,000 $) compared to other patients. Serum creatinine, BUN, diabetes and obesity are strong indicators in developing AKI in cardiac surgery. In addition, the financial burden was almost doubled in patients developing AKI.

Introduction and Background . Right aberrant subclavian artery accounts for 0.5‐1.8% of the population as the most frequently encountered aortic arch anomaly, while the prevalence of an isolated left vertebral artery ranges from 3 to 8%. Despite the low prevalence and the asymptomatic presentation of these structural anomalies, the development of cardiovascular complications and aneurysmal formation could happen as in Kommerell’s diverticulum in a complicated right aberrant subclavian artery, which can undergo aneurysmal degeneration and dissection. Depending on the severity and the degree of the symptoms, the management of the patient can be determined. Case Presentation . A 51‐year‐old male hypertensive Pakistani patient was admitted complaining of chest and back pain; a CT of the aorta was done and showed type B aortic dissection associated with a right aberrant subclavian artery with an isolated left vertebral artery. A thoracic endovascular aneurysmal repair was done, and the patient improved afterward. Conclusion . The prevalence of these structural anomalies, the right aberrant subclavian artery, Kommerell’s diverticulum, and isolated left vertebral artery with type B aortic dissection, is uncommon. Therefore, the earlier the diagnosis, the better the treatment. This is the first case report explaining the occurrence of these vascular anomalies together in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Diabetes mellitus affects a large number of the population worldwide. One of the most important complications is diabetic foot ulcers, which are debilitating to the patient and the health care system. Objectives: To assess the risk factors leading to diabetic foot complications and the surgical outcome of management of patients affected by diabetic foot at King Fahd University Hospital. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study conducted at King Fahd University Hospital. The study included 52 patients who were admitted from the period 2007 to 2017 with cases of diabetic foot ulcers. The study includes a review of medical charts for diabetic foot patients including demographics, diabetic profile, associated comorbidities, clinical signs, laboratory investigations and surgical outcome. Results: Our study shows that diabetic foot patients had comorbidities like hypertension at 69.2% and hyperlipidemia at 55.8%. Regarding the association between comorbidities and surgical outcomes, we did not find any significance. Furthermore, we found that patients with gangrene were more likely to undergo amputation. Patients who underwent amputation had hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 10.3 ± 2.4% and random blood sugar (RBS) of 259 ±107 mg/dl, indicating poor diabetic control. Conclusion: Diabetic foot is the result of poor blood sugar control. Surgical intervention plays an important role in the management of diabetic foot. Depending on the presentation, patients may undergo surgical debridement, revascularization, or amputation. We found that patients who developed gangrene were more likely to undergo amputation.