BACKGROUND: Low Back Pain (LBP) is the commonest musculoskeletal disorder and an important occupational hazard among healthcare workers (HCWs) that peaks among Operating Room (OR) staff. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors of low back pain among operating room (OR) staff in a tertiary healthcare center in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A 39-item self-administered questionnaire was distributed to all available OR staff. Data about personal, sociodemographic, general risk factors OR specific risky activities, and LBP characteristics were obtained. Descriptive, crosstabs, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression tests were employed. RESULTS: Out of the 143 distributed questionnaires, 84 % were received. LBP prevalence was 74.2 %. No statistically significant associations were detected between LBP and any of the general risk factors (p >0.05). However, most of the OR risky activities were significantly associated with the occurrence of LBP (p <0.05) e.g. lifting objects above the waist, rotating torso while bearing weight, transferring patients onto bed or chair, pulling a patient up the bed, and repositioning a patient in bed. These significant associations were preserved after adjustment for gender, perceived stress at work, educational level, and receiving education about LBP. Rest and analgesics were reported to be the most common relievers. CONCLUSIONS: LBP is a common health issue among KAMC OR staff. OR risky activities were found to contribute to this problem. We suggest designing educational interventional programs to teach OR staff the best way to prevent this problem.
Analgesics ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Humans ; Lifting ; Logistic Models ; Low Back Pain* ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Operating Rooms ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors* ; Saudi Arabia* ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Tertiary Healthcare* ; Torso

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective case-controlled study. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess genetic influence in Saudi Arabian children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The genetic locus linked to chromosome 19p for idiopathic scoliosis has been described. A pilot study conducted at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar showed that three microsatellite markers (D19S216, D19S894, and DS1034) of chromosome 19p13.3 were significant in Saudi Arabian females compared with healthy subjects. METHODS: A total of 100 unrelated Saudi Arabian girls treated for AIS, their parents, healthy siblings, and healthy subjects were recruited for genetic analysis of markers on chromosome 19p13.3. After informed consent was obtained from their parents, blood samples were collected and parametric and nonparametric linkage analyses were performed using GENEHUNTER ver. 2.1. Multipoint linkage analysis was used to specify an autosomal dominant trait with a gene frequency of 0.01 and an estimated penetrance of 80% at the genotypic and allelic levels. RESULTS: Five hundred blood samples were collected and analyzed for microsatellite markers (D19S216, D19S894, and DS1034) of chromosome 19p13.3. Comparison among patients, family members, and healthy subjects revealed no significant association between markers and scoliosis at the genotypic level: D19S216 (p=0.21), D19S894 (p=0.37), and DS1034 (p=0.25). However, at the allelic level, a statistically significant association was observed for marker DS1034 (p=0.008), and marker D19S216 showed significance between fathers and patients (p<0.001) compared with patients and mothers. The other two markers, D19S216 (p=0.25) and D19S894 (p=0.17), showed no significant association between patients and mothers. CONCLUSIONS: At the allelic level, marker DS1034 was significantly associated with AIS patients and their fathers. This allelic marker on chromosome 19p13.3 appears to be important in AIS etiology.
Adolescent* ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Fathers ; Female* ; Genes, vif ; Genetic Loci ; Genetic Markers* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Mothers ; Parents ; Penetrance ; Pilot Projects ; Prospective Studies ; Saudi Arabia ; Scoliosis* ; Siblings

BACKGROUND: Transfusion-transmissible hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major problem worldwide. Recently, confirmatory nucleic acid tests (NATs) for HBV DNA have been employed in several countries. We assessed the prevalence and yearly trends of HBV infection in blood donors in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, screening for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody against HBV core antigen (anti-HBc), and HBV DNA. METHODS: Between 2011 and 2015, a total of 22,842 donors were screenedfor HBsAg, anti-HBc, and HBV DNA using the HBsAg Qualitative II kit (Abbott, Ireland Diagnostics Division, Sligo, Ireland), ARCHITECT Anti-hepatitis B core antigen antibody (HBc) II Assay kit (Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Wiesbaden, Germany), and NAT Procleix Ultrio Elite Assay kit (Grifols Diagnostic Solutions Inc., Los Angeles, CA, USA), respectively. RESULTS: A total of 739 (3.24%) donors were HbsAg(+), anti-HBc(+), or HBV DNA(+); 63 (0.28%) were HbsAg(+), anti-HBc(+), and HBV DNA(+). Twelve (0.05%) were anti-HBc(+) and HBV DNA(+) but HBsAg(−); they were considered to have occult infection. Further, 664 (2.91%) were HBsAg(−) but anti-HBc(+), indicating chronic or resolving infection. HBV prevalence increased significantly from 2011 to 2012, increased marginally till 2013, and showed a decreasing trend from 2013 (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The five-year prevalence of HBV infection among blood donors in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (3.24%) is lower than that reported for other regions in the country. The occult HBV infection rate of 0.05% emphasizes the importance of NATs in isolating potential infectious blood units.
Antigens, Surface ; Blood Donors* ; DNA ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Ireland ; Mass Screening ; Prevalence* ; Retrospective Studies* ; Saudi Arabia* ; Tissue Donors

To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of brucellosis in human and animal's communities in southern Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional sero-epidemiological study was conducted in Aseer and Jazan, Saudi Arabia (October 2017-October 2018). Human serum samples (n=339) were initially screened for Brucella antibodies and positive samples were further titrated for Brucella antibodies by immunocapture assay (titer of 1:320 as positive). Animal samples (n=828) were screened using the Rose Bengal test. Relationship status was dichotomized to measure and predict independent contributions to variations in human using univariate and multivariate stepwise binary logistic regression model. Results: The rate of brucellosis among the 339 human samples in the two regions was 33.9%, and the rate of acute brucellosis was 12.4%. The rate of brucellosis in animals was 4.7%. Human brucellosis among the target groups was higher in northwestern Aseer (53.3%) compared to Southeastern Aseer (25.9%) and Jazan region (20.6%). The disease was more prevalent among non-Saudi nationals (35.2%) compared to Saudis (30.5%). The rate of brucellosis among butchers and shepherds was 37.5% and 37.2%, respectively. The rate of brucellosis was 37.8% in people over 30 years of age. Our univariate analysis showed that residing in Aseer region (OR: 2.60, 95% CI: 1.50-4.40), especially residing in northwestern Aseer region (OR: 4.40, 95% CI: 2.40-7.90), frequent consumption of raw meat (OR: 2.90, 95% CI: 1.50-5.50), shepherds (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 0.80-5.30), owning sheep (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.10-4.40), daily contact with animals (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 0.75-5.80), and those > 30-year-old (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.00-2.40) were significantly associated with increased risks of brucellosis. Our multivariate analysis further showed that residing in northwestern Aseer (OR: 9.16, 95% CI: 3.39-24.76) and having sheep (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.00-1.35) were significant and independent risks of brucellosis while residing in agricultural region (OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.10-0.78) was a significant and independent protector against brucellosis. Conclusions: The study concluded that residing in northwestern Aseer area and having animals (sheep) are associated with significantly increased risks of brucellosis.

Humans ; East Asian People ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vitiligo/epidemiology*