Browsing by Author "Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A."

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    2022 World AIDS day: Past achievements and future optimism
    (Elsevier, 2022-12-17) Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Alhumaid, Saad; Altawfiq, Kauthar J.; Bearman, Gonzalo; Medicine, School of Medicine
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    A 20-year retrospective clinical analysis of Candida infections in tertiary centre: Single-center experience
    (Elsevier, 2022) Muzaheed; Alshehri, Bashayer A.; Rabaan, Ali A.; El-Masry, Omar S.; Acharya, Sadananda; Alzahrani, Faisal M.; Al Mutair, Abbas; Alhumaid, Saad; Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Muhammad, Javed; Khan, Amjad; Dhama, Kuldeep; Al-Omari, Awad; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Fungal infections have risen exponentially in the last decade. In fact, candidiasis has become the most frequent type of hospital acquired infection especially in patients receiving treatment for chronic and terminal illnesses in a hospital. A retrospective analysis for a period of twenty year was undertaken to analyze the incidence rate of candidiasis, especially of Candida species, patients treated in a tertiary care center. Materials and methods: Clinical data was collected from samples of patients who were receiving tertiary care were presenting with clinically suspected fungal infections. Direct microscopy with 10% potassium hydroxide was done to visualize the presence of fungal elements, and Gram staining was done for any suspected yeast infection. The samples were inoculated on Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar and kept at 22 °C. Results: A total of 1256 samples with presumed fungal etiology were included in the study. The maximum number of fungal infections were present in elderly (70-79 years age). Females (53.8%) were more affected (45.5%). 21% isolates were identified as yeast but belonged to non-Candida fungi. Among Candida species, Candida albicans was the most dominant species (58.3%) followed by Candida glabrata (6.4%). The year-round data of fungal cases showed that the highest incident of Candida albicans infection were in January with a mean value of 3.80, while the lowest infections were reported in June, with prevalence of 2.32 of C. albicans. The twenty-year data analysis showed that the years 2001 and 2000 showed the highest incidents of C. albicans, with a mean prevalence of 7.50 and 6.83, respectively. Specimen vs fungal prevalence data showed that 38% of the C. albicans were isolated from body aspirate specimens, followed by 26% from swab specimens. Conclusion: The high prevalence of Candida spp. in the present study suggests increased susceptibility of patients with critical or chronic illnesses to fungal infections.
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    A case report of Mpox (Monkeypox) in male traveler
    (Elsevier, 2023) AlBahrani, Salma; AlGarzai, Ruba; Aljunaid, Thamir O.; Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Medicine, School of Medicine
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    A Cohort Study of Seroprevalence of Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Hospital in Saudi Arabia
    (Dove Press, 2022-08-10) Mushcab, Hayat; Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Ghamdi, Mohammed; Babgi, Amani; Amir, Abdulrazack; Sheikh, Salwa S.; Darwisheh, Adel; Alobaid, Abrar; Jebakumar, Arulanantham Zechariah; Qahtani, Saeed; Al Sagheir, Ahmed; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: The nature of the healthcare workers’ jobs standing at the frontline against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) puts them at a higher risk of unknowingly contracting the disease and potentially contributing to the spread. This study aims to assess the overall positive seroconversion prevalence of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: This is a longitudinal cohort study of healthcare workers at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH). JHAH is a tertiary hospital located in Dhahran serving patients in several districts in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Participants were recruited between June and December 2020. Each participant had a serology blood test and completed the World Health Organization’s risk factor assessment questionnaire. Results: This study included 682 participants working in JHAH, representing 15.7% of our population. Out of the 682 participants, 15.2% had a positive SARS-CoV-2 rt-PCR before taking part in the study. However, only 87 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, a prevalence of 12.7% of all participants. Out of the 87 positives for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, 17 participants never tested positive for COVID-19 rt-PCR, a prevalence of 2.9%. Moreover, not properly using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water after the risk of body fluid exposure and wearing personal protective equipment when indicated were found to be statistically significant to having a positive SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay. Conclusion: Positive seroconversion rate was considerably low during the first wave of COVID-19 amongst JHAH’s healthcare workers and similar to other healthcare organizations in Saudi Arabia. Seropositivity correlated significantly with following infection prevention and control recommendations.
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    Active viral shedding in a vaccinated hospitalized patient infected with the delta variant (B.1.617.2) of SARS-CoV-2 and challenges of de-isolation
    (Elsevier, 2022) Alshukairi, Abeer N.; Al-Omari, Awad; Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; El-Kafrawy, Sherif A.; El-Daly, Mai M.; Hassan, Ahmed M.; Faizo, Arwa A.; Alandijany, Thamir A.; Dada, Ashraf; Saeedi, Mohammed F.; Alhamlan, Fatma S.; Al Hroub, Mohammad K.; Qushmaq, Ismael; Azhar, Esam I.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    In the era of SARS-CoV-2 variants and COVID-19 vaccination, the duration of infectious viral shedding and isolation in post vaccine breakthrough infections is challenging and depends on disease severity. The current study described a case of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant pneumonia requiring hospitalization. The patient received two doses of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines, and he had positive SARS-CoV-2 viral cultures 12 days post symptom onset. The time between the second dose of vaccine and the breakthrough infection was 6 months. While immunosuppression is a known risk factor for prolonged infectious viral shedding, age and time between vaccination and breakthrough infection are important risk factors that warrant further studies.
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    Adenovirus and RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines’ perceptions and acceptance among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia: a national survey
    (BMJ, 2021-06) Temsah, Mohamad-Hani; Barry, Mazin; Aljamaan, Fadi; Alhuzaimi, Abdullah; Al-Eyadhy, Ayman; Saddik, Basema; Alrabiaah, Abdulkarim; Alsohime, Fahad; Alhaboob, Ali; Alhasan, Khalid; Alaraj, Ali; Halwani, Rabih; Alamro, Nurah Maziad; Al-Shahrani, Fatimah S.; Jamal, Amr; Alsubaie, Sarah; Memish, Ziad A.; Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the perception, confidence, hesitancy and acceptance rate of various COVID-19 vaccine types among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Saudi Arabia, a nation with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus experience. Design National cross-sectional, pilot-validated questionnaire. Setting Online, self-administered questionnaire among HCWs. Participants A total of 2007 HCWs working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participated; 1512 (75.3%) participants completed the survey and were included in the analysis. Intervention Data were collected through an online survey sent to HCWs during 1–15 November 2020. The main outcome measure was HCW acceptance of COVID-19 candidate vaccines. The associated factors of vaccination acceptance were identified through a logistic regression analysis and via measurement of the level of anxiety, using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7 scale. Results Among the 1512 HCWs who were included, 62.4% were women, 70.3% were between 21 and 40 years of age, and the majority (62.2%) were from tertiary hospitals. In addition, 59.5% reported knowing about at least one vaccine; 24.4% of the participants were sure about their willingness to receive the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, and 20.9% were willing to receive the RNA BNT162b2 vaccine. However, 18.3% reported that they would refuse to receive the Ad5-vectored vaccine, and 17.9% would refuse the Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine. Factors that influenced the differential readiness of HCWs included their perceptions of the vaccine’s efficiency in preventing the infection (33%), their personal preferences (29%) and the vaccine’s manufacturing country (28.6%). Conclusions Awareness by HCWs of the several COVID-19 candidate vaccines could improve their perceptions and acceptance of vaccination. Reliable sources on vaccine efficiency could improve vaccine uptake, so healthcare authorities should use reliable information to decrease vaccine hesitancy among frontline healthcare providers.
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    Anaphylactic and nonanaphylactic reactions to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    (BMC, 2021-10) Alhumaid, Saad; Al Mutair, Abbas; Al Alawi, Zainab; Rabaan, Ali A.; Tirupathi, Raghavendra; Alomari, Mohammed A.; Alshakhes, Aqeel S.; Alshawi, Abeer M.; Ahmed, Gasmelseed Y.; Almusabeh, Hassan M.; Alghareeb, Tariq T.; Alghuwainem, Abdulaziz A.; Alsulaiman, Zainab A.; Alabdulmuhsin, Mohammed A.; AlBuwaidi, Emad A.; Dukhi, Amjad K. Bu; Mufti, Hani N.; Al-Qahtani, Manaf; Dhama, Kuldeep; Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Al-Omari, Awad; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background Currently there is no systematic review and meta-analysis of the global incidence rates of anaphylactic and nonanaphylactic reactions to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in the general adult population. Objectives To estimate the incidence rates of anaphylactic and nonanaphylactic reactions after COVID-19 vaccines and describe the demographic and clinical characteristics, triggers, presenting signs and symptoms, treatment and clinical course of confirmed cases. Design A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses [PRISMA] statement was followed. Methods Electronic databases (Proquest, Medline, Embase, Pubmed, CINAHL, Wiley online library, and Nature) were searched from 1 December 2020 to 31 May 2021 in the English language using the following keywords alone or in combination: anaphylaxis, non-anaphylaxis, anaphylactic reaction, nonanaphylactic reaction, anaphylactic/anaphylactoid shock, hypersensitivity, allergy reaction, allergic reaction, immunology reaction, immunologic reaction, angioedema, loss of consciousness, generalized erythema, urticaria, urticarial rash, cyanosis, grunting, stridor, tachypnoea, wheezing, tachycardia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and tryptase. We included studies in adults of all ages in all healthcare settings. Effect sizes of prevalence were pooled with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). To minimize heterogeneity, we performed sub-group analyses. Results Of the 1,734 papers that were identified, 26 articles were included in the systematic review (8 case report, 5 cohort, 4 case series, 2 randomized controlled trial and 1 randomized cross-sectional studies) and 14 articles (1 cohort, 2 case series, 1 randomized controlled trial and 1 randomized cross-sectional studies) were included in meta-analysis. Studies involving 26,337,421 vaccine recipients [Pfizer-BioNTech (n = 14,505,399) and Moderna (n = 11,831,488)] were analyzed. The overall pooled prevalence estimate of anaphylaxis to both vaccines was 5.0 (95% CI 2.9 to 7.2, I2 = 81%, p =  < 0.0001), while the overall pooled prevalence estimate of nonanaphylactic reactions to both vaccines was 53.9 (95% CI 0.0 to 116.1, I2 = 99%, p =  < 0.0001). Vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech resulted in higher anaphylactic reactions compared to Moderna (8.0, 95% CI 0.0 to 11.3, I2 = 85% versus 2.8, 95% CI 0.0 to 5.7, I2 = 59%). However, lower incidence of nonanaphylactic reactions was associated with Pfizer-BioNTech compared to Moderna (43.9, 95% CI 0.0 to 131.9, I2 = 99% versus 63.8, 95% CI 0.0 to 151.8, I2 = 98%). The funnel plots for possible publication bias for the pooled effect sizes to determine the incidence of anaphylaxis and nonanaphylactic reactions associated with mRNA COVID-19 immunization based on mRNA vaccine type appeared asymmetrical on visual inspection, and Egger’s tests confirmed asymmetry by producing p values < 0.05. Across the included studies, the most commonly identified risk factors for anaphylactic and nonanaphylactic reactions to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were female sex and personal history of atopy. The key triggers to anaphylactic and nonanaphylactic reactions identified in these studies included foods, medications, stinging insects or jellyfish, contrast media, cosmetics and detergents, household products, and latex. Previous history of anaphylaxis; and comorbidities such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic and contact eczema/dermatitis and psoriasis and cholinergic urticaria were also found to be important. Conclusion The prevalence of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-associated anaphylaxis is very low; and nonanaphylactic reactions occur at higher rate, however, cutaneous reactions are largely self-limited. Both anaphylactic and nonanaphylactic reactions should not discourage vaccination.
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    Antibiotics in the pipeline: a literature review (2017–2020)
    (Springer, 2021-10-04) Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Momattin, Hisham; Al-Ali, Anfal Y.; Eljaaly, Khalid; Tirupathi, Raghavendra; Haradwala, Mohamed Bilal; Areti, Swetha; Alhumaid, Saad; Rabaan, Ali A.; Al Mutair, Abbas; Schlagenhauf, Patricia; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Introduction Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging global threat. It increases mortality and morbidity and strains healthcare systems. Health care professionals can counter the rising AMR by promoting antibiotic stewardship and facilitating new drug development. Even with the economic and scientific challenges, it is reassuring that new agents continue to be developed. Methods This review addresses new antibiotics in the pipeline. We conducted a review of the literature including Medline, Clinicaltrials.org, and relevant pharmaceutical companies for approved and in pipeline antibiotics in phase 3 or new drug application (NDA). Results We found a number of new antibiotics and reviewed their current development status, mode of action, spectra of activity, and indications for which they have been approved. The included studies from phase 3 clinical trials were mainly utilized for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, and pneumonia acquired in the healthcare settings. The number of these agents is limited against high priority organisms. The identified antibiotics were based mainly on previously known molecules or pre-existing antimicrobial agents. Conclusion There are a limited number of antibiotics against high priority organisms such as multi-drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. New antimicrobial agents directed against the top priority organisms as classified by the World Health Organization are urgently needed.
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    Antiretroviral therapy, CD4, viral load, and disease stage in HIV patients in Saudi Arabia: a 2001–2013 cross-sectional study
    (JIDC, 2015-07) Memish, Ziad A.; Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Filemban, Sanaa M.; Qutb, Sayed; Fodail, Abdullah; Ali, Batol; Darweeish, May; Department of Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    Introduction: The incidence of HIV/AIDS is increasing worldwide and in the Middle East. In this study, we analyzed the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the patterns of CD4 and viral load (VL), and stage of presentation. Methodology: Laboratory variables, ART use, and CD4 count were obtained and analyzed retrospectively. Results: A total of 997 cases from eight HIV/AIDS care providers were included. Of the total cases, 274 (28.3%) had a CD4 count of < 200 cells/mm3, and 413 (42.3%) had a viral load of > 5 log10. Of the total cases, 50% were on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), and the majority of cases were asymptomatic (70%). Of those patients on ART, 247 (39.5%) took tenofovir/emtricitabine combined with either efavirenz (147; 14.7%) or lopinavir/ritonavir (100; 10%), and 158 (15.8%) were on lamivudine and zidovudine with either efavirenz (32; 3.2%) or lopinavir/ritonavir (126; 12.6%). Other combinations were used in 70 (7%) patients. The mean (± standard deviation) of baseline CD4 and viral load were 401 cells/mm3 (322 cells/mm3) and 4.6 log1010 (1.3 log10), respectively. At diagnosis, 72% of patients were asymptomatic; 50% had AIDS and 20% had CD4 count < 350. Conclusions: ART use was in line with international guidelines, but the number of patients receiving ART was lower than expected. Large proportions of cases presented late with AIDS at diagnosis or had CD4 < 350. Further data is needed to evaluate the medical care of patients with HIV/AIDS in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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    Asymptomatic coronavirus infection: MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
    (Elsevier, 2020-05) Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Medicine, School of Medicine