National Guard Health Affairs

Right access, right patient, right time: Individualized planning

Vascular access is the lifeline for patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, yet selection, creation, and maintenance remain challenging. Arteriovenous fistulas provide superior long-term patency, lower infection risk, and better dialysis efficiency but require suitable vess...

Depression and Anxiety Among Adolescents with Cancer: A Saudi Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Adolescents undergoing treatment for cancer face both physical and psychological challenges, including depression and anxiety, yet local prevalence data remain limited in Saudi Arabia. The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of depressive and...

From Infection to Oncology: AI-Assisted Drug Repurposing Uncovers Anti-Infective and Excipient-Class Compounds as PPAR-α-Linked Anticancer Agents

Drug repurposing offers an efficient strategy to identify novel anticancer agents from marketed compounds. We screened a library of ~1400 approved drugs using a PPARE–PPAR-α luciferase reporter assay to uncover modulators of lipid metabolism that induce cancer cell death without...

Depressive, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms Among Respiratory Therapists in Two Tertiary Hospitals in Saudi Arabia: Differences According to Sociodemographic Characteristics

Background: Respiratory Therapists (RTs) work in high-stress environments, predisposing them to psychological distress. This study evaluated the proportion of depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms and their differences across sociodemographic groups among RTs in two Saudi Arab...

CT-based distribution of paranasal sinus involvement in sinusitis: A retrospective single-centre study

Background Sinusitis is among the most common inflammatory conditions of the paranasal sinuses, and computed tomography (CT) is the reference modality for demonstrating sinus involvement. The maxillary sinus is generally reported as the most frequently affected, but local data fr...

Monitoring and control of antimicrobial resistance across the water continuum, from natural sources to engineered water systems

Chemical disinfection is heavily relied upon to arrest microbial regrowth in water systems, but its future must be reimagined. Growing evidence indicates that disinfectants themselves, along with persistent disinfectant residues and the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs)...

Navigating the Unknown: A Surgical Perspective on Thoracic ALK-Positive Histiocytosis With Literature Review

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive histiocytosis (APH) is a rare disorder characterized by the accumulation of cells derived from monocyte-macrophage-dendritic cells.Thoracic APH is incredibly unusual and thus creates a diagnostic challenge.In this study, we report a case...

Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia Outbreaks in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review of Epidemiology, Transmission Dynamics, and Outbreak Investigations

BACKGROUND: Although Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) outbreaks continue to occur in solid organ transplantation (SOT) recipients, no systematic review has synthesized the available evidence to provide an aggregated understanding of their epidemiology and transmission. METH...

Beyond Screen Time: A Scoping Review of Screen Exposure and Early Childhood Development

Background: Screen exposure in early childhood has evolved beyond traditional duration-focused “screen time” to encompass a multidimensional construct including content quality, context of use, co-viewing, caregiver mediation, and developmental trajectories. Understanding these d...

Academic educators’ leadership styles and their associations with student engagement and critical thinking disposition among Saudi health sciences students: a mixed-methods study

Educator leadership behaviors are widely recognized as an important component of the classroom environment and may be associated with student engagement and critical thinking disposition. In health sciences education, these competencies are fundamental to clinical reasoning and e...

Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Spirometry in Primary Healthcare: Opportunities for Early Detection of Small Airway Dysfunction

Spirometry underuse and persistent limitations in its technical quality and interpretation in primary healthcare (PHC) contribute to delayed and inaccurate diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Artificial intelligence (AI) has recently demonstrated...

Exploring Factors Influencing Vaccine Uptake From the Perspective of Physicians and Public: A Mixed Method Study

ABSTRACT Background Immunisation is recognized worldwide as one of the key strategies for extending life expectancy and improving health outcomes. Developing a national policy that improves the vaccination rate against diseases requires the barriers and facilitators to be identif...

Comparative effectiveness of biologic therapies for preventing asthma exacerbations in severe asthma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

The comparative effectiveness of biologic therapies for preventing exacerbations in severe asthma remains uncertain because no eligible direct head-to-head randomized comparisons were identified. We compared six biologic therapies using a network meta-analysis (NMA). This systema...

Assessing the osteoporosis care gap and clinical outcomes following fragility hip fractures in Saudi Arabia: implications for fracture liaison services

Abstract Background Osteoporotic hip fractures cause significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden. Substantial gaps persist in osteoporosis diagnosis and secondary fracture prevention, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Aims To evaluate the osteoporosis care gap, mortality...

IMPACT OF PHARMACIST-LED MEDICATION RECONCILIATION ON MEDICATION DISCREPANCIES AND PATIENT SAFETY DURING TRANSITIONS OF CARE: AN UPDATED SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND QUANTITATIVE DESCRIPTIVE SYNTHESIS

Medication discrepancies are common during admission, transfer, and discharge. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can obtain best possible medication histories, identify discrepancies, communicate corrections, counsel patients, and support post-discharge continuity. To synthesi...

Changes in Glycemic Control and Lipid Profiles Following COVID-19 Infection in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Study in Saudi Arabia

Background: The clinical course and mortality risk of COVID-19 in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) remain elevated. Understanding its pathogenesis is essential for prognostic and therapeutic strategies. Viral infections can disrupt host glucose and lipid metabolism. This study...

Maternal satisfaction and childbirth experience in anaesthesia assisted and non anaesthesia assisted labour: a comparative study in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background Maternal satisfaction during childbirth is a multidimensional concept influenced by pain management, perceived control, emotional support, and overall birth experience. Although neuraxial anaesthesia is effective in relieving labour pain, its impact on overall...

In vitro study and in silico reveal Teucrium Polium L. methanolic extract as an apoptosis inducer and a potential Bcl-2 inhibitor for breast cancer

Therapy of breast cancer (BC) overexpressing the pro-survival protein Bcl-2 remains a major clinical challenge. The discovery of natural anticancer drugs with potential as Bcl-2 inhibitors has generated increasing interest. The medicinal plant Teucrium polium L. (TPL) exhibits ph...

Metabolic Signatures Associated with COVID-19 Vaccination in Serum from Healthy Individuals

Background: COVID-19 vaccines have proven effective in reducing severe disease and mortality from SARS CoV-2 infection. The underlying molecular mechanisms and alterations in the human serum metabolome influencing the effectiveness and development of immunity remain unclear. Meth...

Antibiotic catheter lock: An adjunct therapy for recurrent tunneled hemodialysis catheter infections

The objective of the study is to evaluate the use of antibiotic catheter locks in reducing recurrent catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. This prospective case series was conducted at ASeeb Renal Dialysis Center, from September 2022 to A...