Oman Medical Journal

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during the first year following hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) among Omani patients. METHODS: This retrospective study included allogenic HSCT recipients between January 2006 and December 2018. We investigated the possible factors associated with CMV infection and CMV impact on one-year mortality. RESULTS: Among 556 recipients of allogenic HSCT, 308 (55...

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to assess the prevalence of persistent COVID-19-related symptoms in patients with mild, severe, and critical disease. METHODS: We conducted a bidirectional cohort observational study that included all adult patients ≥ 18 years, admitted to Armed Forces Hospital, Muscat between July 2020 and June 2022, with COVID-19 infection and discharged alive. Patients were requested to attend outpatient clinic at weeks six and 12 post-discharge, where they filled out a questionnaire and underwent a chest X-ray...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVES: To identify urinary catheter (UC)-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) incidence and risk factors (RF) in nine Middle Eastern countries. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study between 1 January 2014 and 2 December 2022 in 212 intensive care units (ICUs) of 67 hospitals in 38 cities in nine Middle Eastern countries (Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE). To estimate CAUTI incidence, we used the number of UC days as denominator and the number of CAUTIs as numerator...

Since the first cases were reported in Wuhan, China, COVID-19 has spread swiftly worldwide and is caused by SARS-CoV-2. The development of myocardial injury is associated with significantly worse clinical course and increased mortality. However, currently, it is unclear whether cardiac injury occurred in COVID-19 patients. Histological results obtained directly from the viral infection of the myocardium (i.e., SARS-CoV-2 viral myocarditis) or indirectly from the complications of COVID-19, showed that only a portion of patients infected with the virus developed viral myocarditis...

We present a rare case of congenital thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) complicated with dissection in a nine-year-old girl with Noonan syndrome and atrial septal defect. She presented with rapid breathing and upper respiratory tract symptoms. Chest X-ray revealed a huge upper mediastinum with cardiomegaly. Echocardiogram showed possible ascending TAA. Computerized tomography angiogram of the aorta revealed huge aortic root-ascending TAA with small aortic dissection. Despite immediate treatment, the patient passed away due to severe airway compromise...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the quality of life (QoL) of medical residents enrolled in the various postgraduate programs of the Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB). METHODS: The data for this cross-sectional study was collected from January to June 2022. All postgraduate residents who were enrolled in all 19 OMSB training programs were targeted. An online English version of the validated 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to assess the participants' self-reported QoL...

Adenovirus infections are common and self-limiting in young children except those with compromised cellular immunity. However, serious adenovirus infections are rare in children with acute leukemia. We report a rare case of a toddler with acute myeloid leukemia who developed a disseminated adenoviral infection complicated by hemorrhagic enterocolitis and septic shock that led to a fatal outcome.

Commonly, herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes infectious encephalitis among children. A neurological relapse after primary HSV encephalitis in the weeks or months after presentation is well recognized. Relapsing symptoms of post-HSV encephalitis can present either as a true relapse or an immune-mediated disorder. A relationship is predicted between immune-mediated disorder and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antibodies. This study presents two cases of patients suffering from anti-NMDAR encephalitis that appeared after treatment for proven HSV encephalitis...

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the confidence level of mental health practitioners in Oman regarding the use of antidepressants during pregnancy and breastfeeding, assess their knowledge and need for further training in this area, and examine their current prescribing patterns and preferences. METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted from May to June 2017 among all practitioners in the psychiatry specialty, including medical officers authorized to prescribe medications, at the Behavioral Medicine Department of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Al Masarra Hospital...

OBJECTIVES: Patient-centered clinical pharmacists' activities play a major role in improving clinical outcomes by optimizing the efficacy of drug therapies and minimizing associated toxicities during hospitalization, at the transition of care, and upon discharge. We aimed to compare the impact of comprehensive versus partial clinical pharmacists-driven bundled of care services on the rate of 90-day hospital readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits. METHODS: This retrospective study included all admitted patients who received a comprehensive or partial bundle of clinical pharmacy services (medication history, interventions, counseling, and discharge prescription review) from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, several vaccines have been developed and administered to the public since 2021. A spectrum of cutaneous reactions has been reported among some of the vaccinated individuals. In this case series, we describe three cases of pityriasis rosea and pityriasis rosea-like eruption that manifested after COVID-19 vaccinations, which might suggest the vaccines as a possible trigger.

OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and bacterial vaginosis (BV) coinfection generate sustained inflammation with bulk production of reactive oxygen species. They have the potency to cause hepatocellular carcinoma, vaginal apoptosis, disturb pregnancy, and influence drug treatment and follow-up. This case-control study aimed to compare the redox status in HCV and BV coinfection with respect to BV mono-infection among pregnant females (PFs). METHODS: Blood samples and vaginal secretions were drawn from 75 PFs divided into three groups: coinfection (n = 25), monoinfection (n = 25), and control PFs (n = 25) who are presumed healthy subjects...

OBJECTIVES: In clinical experience, selecting atypical antipsychotics optimally balancing their benefits and potential side effects is seen to improve treatment adherence in patients. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and side effect profiles of aripiprazole and olanzapine in patients with psychotic disorders. METHODS: In this double-blind clinical trial, the subjects were patients with psychotic disorders treated with aripiprazole and olanzapine. The subjects were randomly divided into two equally sized groups...

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes mellitus (DM) patients are considered to be at high risk for contracting latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of LTBI and its associated factors among diabetic patients attending primary care clinics in Terengganu state, Malaysia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among diabetic patients attending 11 health clinics in the Terengganu region from June 2017 to November 2018. The selected participants were administered a tuberculin skin test (TST)...

OBJECTIVES: Leptin is a hormone that contributes to glucose homeostasis and food intake regulation via its action on the hypothalamus. Leptin level increases with obesity and overfeeding and decreases with energy deficiency. Serum leptin levels vary between different ethnic groups with no reports of its reference range in the Arabic population. We sought to determine gender-specific reference ranges for serum leptin in a cohort of the Arabic population and identify the cut-off value for different metabolic derangements...

OBJECTIVES: There is some controversy regarding the clinical significance of cluster of differentiation 38 (CD38) protein in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We aimed to study the prognostic value of CD38 expression in relation to the standard cytogenetic risk stratification in AML patients. METHODS: In this prospective study, adult patients with AML were diagnosed based on the finding of ≥ 20% blasts in the bone marrow and the flow cytometry. The control group was selected from normal bone marrow samples examined at the same period in the lab...