Background.Antibiotics are responsible for most dramatic improvement in medical therapy in history. These medications contributed significantly to the decreasing mortality and morbidity when prescribed based on evidence of microbial infection.Objective.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of self-prescription with antibiotics in Al Wazarat Health Center, Riyadh City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Material and Methods.Cross-sectional study was conducted in Al Wazarat Health Center between February 2014 and November 2014. Respondents were randomly selected using a multistage clustered random sampling technique. Data was entered into SPSS version 21 and analyzed. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression models were applied.Results.A total of 681 patients have participated in this study with a response rate of 92%. The prevalence of self-prescription with antibiotics in Al Wazarat Health Center was 78.7%. Amoxicillin was the most used self-prescribed antibiotic with prevalence of (22.3%). Friend advice on self-prescription of antibiotics use (p=0.000) and pharmacy near to the participants (p=0.002) were the most common predictors for self-prescription with antibiotics.Conclusion.The level of self-prescribing antibiotics is relatively high among participants. Health education on the appropriate use of antibiotics is highly recommended. The proper use of treatment guidelines for antibiotic therapy will significantly reduce self-prescription with antibiotics.

Microvascular and macrovascular complications of type 2 diabetic mellitus in Central, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The chewing of Khat leaves, a natural psychoactive substance is widely chewed in countries of East Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, and is reported to be associated with a range of unfavorable health outcomes including khat dependence. The impact of Khat chewing on Health Related Quality of Life is yet to be explored. Aims: to measure and compare the quality of life of the khat chewers and non-khat chewers using a short form health survey (SF36), and to assess factors associated with Khat chewing using SF36 in a sample of adult population in Jazan region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A total of 630 participants from two independent male populations of khat chewers and non-khat chewers were recruited into a cross-sectional survey study. A self administrative survey based on the SF-36 questionnaire was used to collect data on measures of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Socioeconomic data of the respondents were also collected for detailed analysis. Data analysis include: descriptive statistics, reliability tests (Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient), and bivariate analysis (Chi square and Mann–Whitney U-test) to compare HRQoL of Khat chewers and non-Khat chewers. The odds of being a khat chewer were higher in respondents with a lower socioeconomic status. The SF-36 scores were significantly lower in all domains for respondents with khat chewing, indicating that non-khat chewers had higher health perceptions compared with those chewing khat. The overall mean score of HRQoL for non-khat chewers was 92.7% (SD 5.53) compared with 63.5% (SD 21.73) for the khat chewing group. The study had shown good internal consistency and reproducibility across the eight subscales of SF-36 questionnaire (α 0.74-0.95). The Mann–Whitney U-test showed a significant difference between khat chewers and non-khat chewers (P < 0.001). This study measured and compared the quality of life of khat chewers and non-khat chewers using a generic health survey (SF36). The study had shown that khat chewing is associated with lower quality of life (HRQoL) and lower socioeconomic status. However in future a more refined SF36 developed especially for Khat chewers can provide more useful information.

Background: Hypertension is a major global health concern affecting approximately 1.13 billion people worldwide, with most of them residing in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of different stages of hypertension and its associated modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors among patients in military-setting hospitals in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at two hospitals in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected from hospital electronic records from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. The blood pressure levels of patients from the last three separate medical visits were recorded. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were used for the data analysis. Results: The study included 884 hypertensive patients. The incidences of stage of elevated BP, stage 1, stage 2, and hypertension crisis were 60.0, 29.5, 7.0, and 3.5 cases per 1000 persons. Multivariate analysis indicated that progression from the stage of elevated blood pressure to hypertension crisis was significantly associated with advanced age (odds ratio [OR] = 3.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.99–8.42), male sex (OR = 2.84, 95% CI: 0.57–5.92), and a positive family history of hypertension (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.23–3.09). Other key determinants of the development of stage of elevated blood pressure to hypertension crisis were current smoking status (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.23–4.76), and physical inactivity (OR = 6.48, 95% CI: 2.46–9.14). Conclusion: The incidence stage of elevated blood pressure was high among the patients investigated at armed forces hospitals in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The logistic regression model proposed in the present study can be used to predict the development of different stages of hypertension. Age, sex, marital status, family history, smoking status, and physical activity play an important role in the development of hypertension. Better strategies to improve awareness, screening, treatment, and management of hypertension are required in Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: The burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is high in Saudi Arabia, but data related to its complications are limited. This study aimed to determine the incidence of microvascular complications caused by T2D and evaluate the impact of the associated risk factors. Patients and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at two military hospitals in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Data on the socio-demographics, glycaemic profile, blood lipid indices, duration of T2D, and associated microvascular complications were collected from electronic health records and medical files. Descriptive statistics and Cox proportional hazards models were used for data analysis. Results: This study included 1563 T2D patients. The incidence of microvascular complications was 34.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.0– 36.6). Retinopathy was the most common complication (incidence=20.0%; 95% CI, 18.0– 22.0%), while nephropathy was the least common complication (incidence=12.2%; 95% CI, 10.6– 13.8%). Advanced age (≥ 65 years) showed the highest risk of retinopathy (Hazard ratios [HR], 2.86; 95% CI, 2.56– 3.21), neuropathy (HR, 2.70; 95% CI, 2.40– 3.05), and nephropathy (HR, 2.37; 95% CI, 2.12– 2.64) compared with their counterparts. After adjusting for potential confounders, the study found that the significant risk factors for microvascular complications were longer duration (≥ 10 years) of T2D (HR, 5.3; 95% CI, 5.1– 5.6), uncontrolled hypertension (HR, 3.9; 95% CI, 3.3– 4.2), poor glycaemic control (HR, 4.6; 95% CI, 4.3– 5.1), obesity (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 2.2– 2.6), and dyslipidaemia (HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2– 2.0). Conclusion: Given the high burden of microvascular complications in military healthcare facilities in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, a context-specific accessible public health program focusing on the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, physical activity, and consumption of a healthy diet, as well as the early diagnosis and management of diabetes, needs to be developed and implemented.