Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most frequent type of primary glomerulonephritis since the first type was described more than four decades ago. It is the prevalent cause of primary glomerular disease that causes end-stage renal disease. In most patients with IgAN, hematuria is the most common reported symptom, particularly in those with a preceding upper respiratory tract infection. Although the pathogenesis of IgAN is usually multifactorial, autoimmune complex formation and inflammatory processes are the most widely recognized pathogenic mechanisms. Multiple approaches have been trialed as a therapy for IgAN, including tonsillectomy, steroids, other immune-suppressive therapy in different regimens, and kidney transplantation. Aim and method: PubMed, Google, Google Scholar, Scopus, and EMBASE were searched by the authors using different texts, keywords, and phrases. A non-systemic clinical review is intended to review the available data and clinical updates about the possible mechanism(s) of IgAN pathogenesis and treatments. Conclusion: IgAN has a heterogeneous pattern worldwide, making it difficult to understand its pathogenesis and treatment. Proteinuria is the best guide to follow up on the IgAN progression and treatment response. Steroids are the cornerstone of IgAN therapy; however, other immune-suppressive and immune-modulative agents are used with a variable response rate. Kidney transplantation is highly advisable for IgAN patients, although the recurrence rate is high. Finally, IgAN management requires collaborative work between patients and their treating physicians for safe long-term outcomes.

A novel rapid spreading and changing virus called SARS-CoV-2 appeared in Wuhan city in December 2019. It was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic disease in March 2020. It commonly presents with respiratory symptoms; however, it may be asymptomatic. Electrolyte abnormalities are not uncommon features of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Hyponatremia is one of these electrolyte disturbances among SARS-CoV-2 patients, and it may produce symptoms such as weakness and seizure as the initial presenting symptoms. The underlying mechanism(s) of hyponatremia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection is (are) not established. The aim of this review is to evaluate the possible mechanism of hyponatremia in patients with COVID-19. Understanding and categorizing the hyponatremia in these patients will lead to better treatment and correction of the hyponatremia. A review of the literature between December 2019 and March 2022 was conducted searching for the possible reported mechanism(s) of hyponatremia in SARS-CoV-2. Although SIADH is the commonly reported cause of hyponatremia in SARS-CoV-2 infection, other causes such as diarrhea, vomiting, and kidney salt loss must be considered before SIADH.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic renal failure, and tubular abnormalities represent the kidney disease spectrum of malignancy. Prompt diagnosis and treatment may prevent or reverse these complications. The pathogenesis of AKI in cancer is multifactorial. AKI affects outcomes in cancer, oncological therapy withdrawal, increased hospitalization rate, and hospital stay. Renal function derangement can be recovered with early detection and targeted therapy of cancers. Identifying patients at higher risk of renal damage and implementing preventive measures without sacrificing the benefits of oncological therapy improve survival. Multidisciplinary approaches, such as relieving obstruction, hydration, etc., are required to minimize the kidney injury rate. Different keywords, texts, and phrases were used to search Google, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for related original and review articles that serve the article’s aim well. In this nonsystematic article, we aimed to review the published data on cancer-associated kidney complications, their pathogenesis, management, prevention, and the latest updates. Kidney involvement in cancer occurs due to tumor therapy, direct kidney invasion by tumor, or tumor complications. Early diagnosis and therapy improve the survival rate. Pathogenesis of cancer-related kidney involvement is different and complicated. Clinicians’ awareness of all the potential causes of cancer-related complications is essential, and a kidney biopsy should be conducted to confirm the kidney pathologies. Chronic kidney disease is a known complication in malignancy and therapies. Hence, avoiding nephrotoxic drugs, dose standardization, and early cancer detection are mandatory measures to prevent renal involvement.

Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are at increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and its complications compared with the general population. Several studies evaluated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in the dialysis population but showed mixed results. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines against confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in hemodialysis (HD) patients in the State of Qatar. We included all adult ESKD patients on chronic HD who had at least one SARS-CoV-2 PCR test done after the introduction of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines on 24 December 2020. Vaccinated patients who were only tested before receiving any dose of their COVID-19 vaccine or within 14 days after receiving the first vaccine dose were excluded from the study. We used a test-negative case–control design to determine the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccination. Sixty-eight patients had positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests (cases), while 714 patients had negative tests (controls). Ninety-one percent of patients received the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. Compared with the controls, the cases were more likely to be older (62 ± 14 vs. 57 ± 15, p = 0.02), on dialysis for more than one year (84% vs. 72%, p = 0.03), unvaccinated (46% vs. 5%, p < 0.0001), and symptomatic (54% vs. 21%, p < 0.0001). The effectiveness of receiving two doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines against confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection was 94.7% (95% CI: 89.9–97.2) in our HD population. The findings of this study support the importance of using the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in chronic HD patients to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in such a high-risk population.

In response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and the potential of spread via air travel, many airlines instituted measures to reduce the risk of in-flight transmission. These include mandatory use of face masks, frequent disinfection of the aircraft, encouraging use of hand sanitizers and pre-flight screening. ¹ Despite the high potential of spread of SARS-CoV-2 prior to boarding and during flight, little data are available to determine the risk of returning travellers introducing infection in the destination country. Qatar is home to Hamad International Airport—one of the busiest global travel hubs in the world. First case of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Qatar was detected on 27 February 2020 in a returning traveller. Soon thereafter, several infection control and public health measures were implemented in Qatar and by Qatar Airways, the national carrier of Qatar. We undertook this study to determine the proportion of travellers infected with SARS-CoV-2 infection from various destinations who arrived between 5 August 2020 and 22 February 2021. During this period, travel to Qatar was restricted to Qatari nationals and long-term residents who were returning home.

Shortening the patient experience time (PET) in the emergency department (ED) improves patient quality and satisfaction and reduces mortality and morbidity. Worldwide, the PET target in the ED is ≤ 6 hours; however, the PET awaiting admission to inpatient Medicine at Hamad General Hospital (HGH) in the Qatar State, through ED is currently 15.3±6.4 (mean ± SD) hours. Identify solutions to reduce the PET duration at HGH-ED to the international target. A cohort study was done using the Discrete-event simulation (DES) model, utilizing a commercial simulation software package (Process Model Inc., Utah, version 5.2.0). One-year data, January 1, 2019 - December 30, 2019, was analyzed and found to follow seven subprocesses. The duration of each subprocess was recorded, and the average time was calculated. A computer simulation scheme was developed for all the subprocesses of the actual PET duration. The simulated PET was validated, and scenarios were proposed and assessed for each subprocess separately and in combination, A constructed simulatory design using an iterative process involving a construction model. This model starts with the logical organization of submitted tasks based on their cycle times. A subject-matter expert interview was conducted to determine the appropriateness and frequency of actions. The duration of each activity in the considered process was defined using a triangular distribution. The actual PET duration for the Medical Department was 15.3±6.4 (mean + SD) hours. The three most prolonged PET subprocess durations were in the referral to internal medicine, the decision to admit, and finding a free bed; these represent 17.9%, 53.8%, and 16.7% of the PET, respectively. Adding two physicians to each shift, which shortens the subprocess of the decision to admit, reduced the PET duration by 27.5%. Moreover, creating a new admitting team (unit) that takes care of new patients admitted to the ED reduced PET duration by another 12.5%. Combining these two scenarios reduced the average PET duration to only 10.2±0.5 hours. In addition to these scenarios, the PET can be further decreased to six hours by increasing the number of inpatient beds. The simulated scenarios indicated that restructuring the medical teams, adding two physicians to each shift, and creating an admissions team dedicated to the ED would reduce the total PET duration to 10.2 hours, Furthermore, PET's further reduction to six hours is predictable by increasing the bed number.