BACKGROUND: Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that may cause death. The signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis have not been examined in the Saudi population before. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the signs, symptoms, triggers, and demographic patterns of patients treated for anaphylaxis at a large tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: All the patients who were prescribed new prescriptions of adrenaline auto-injectors (AAs) between February 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011 were included in this study. Information was collected using a standardized form. RESULTS: There were 238 patients who were analyzed. The median age at the time of first AA prescription was 15.5 years. Female to male ratio was 52:48 and 54% of the subjects were more than 18 years of age. There were some differences in the presenting signs and symptoms observed in our study compared with similar studies from around the world. Urticaria and angioedema were the most common at about 70% across all ages, followed by shortness of breath at 28%. Some triggers were found to be more common in our region. Food was the commonest trigger for anaphylaxis including tree nuts, egg, and sesame. Drug allergy was also a common trigger, with penicillins and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs being the commonest. Regarding insect allergy, samsam ant was the commonest trigger in our study. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study on anaphylaxis in Saudi Arabia. Some of the manifestations of anaphylaxis are significantly different in our population study compared to previously published data from other parts of the world. While managing anaphylaxis, we should be mindful of these differences. This improved understanding should help reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with anaphylaxis in our region.
Anaphylaxis ; Angioedema ; Ants ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; Dyspnea ; Epinephrine ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Insects ; Male ; Mortality ; Nuts ; Ovum ; Penicillins ; Prescriptions ; Saudi Arabia ; Sesamum ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Trees ; Urticaria

In the context of ARVC, a systematic review of the validation of the ARVC risk score can provide insights into the accuracy and reliability of this score in identifying patients at high risk of ARVC. Digital databases were searched to identify the relevant studies using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). A total of 8 studies were included in this systematic review. A total of 8 studies were included in this review. The review found that the sensitivity of the ARVC risk scores ranged from 80 to 95%, and the specificity ranged from 31 to 79%. The PPV was 55%, and the NPV was 88%. The ARVC score provided a C-index for a 5-year VA risk prediction of 0.84 [95% CI (0.74–0.93)] and a Harrell C-index of 0.70 (95% CI 0.65–0.75). The calibration slope was 1.01 (95% CI 0.99–1.03). ARVC score demonstrated a significant event 5-year threshold between 15 and 20% and the classical ARVC 5-years/freedom-from-VA rate was 0.76(0.66–0.89) and the non-classical form 5-years/freedom-from-VA rate was 0.58 (0.43–0.78). In conclusion, the validation of ARVC risk scores is an essential step toward improving the accuracy of ARVC diagnosis and risk stratification. Further studies are needed to establish the accuracy and reliability of ARVC risk scores and to address the limitations of the current evidence.