<b><i>Background:</i></b> Diabetes mellitus (DM) has become a global public health challenge. The increasing urbanisation and the significant lifestyle changes have resulted in an unprecedented rise in the rates of type 2 DM and, consequently, its microvascular complications which are the major outcome of the disease. It is the low- and middle-income countries where 80% of the diabetic patients live that face the greatest burden of the disease. <b><i>Study Objectives:</i></b> Our primary objective was to estimate the frequency of microvascular complications among patients diagnosed with type 2 DM. Our secondary objective was to investigate the relationship between the microvascular outcomes and the different characteristics and potential variables among patients with type 2 DM. <b><i>Methodology:</i></b> An observational descriptive clinic-based cross-sectional survey was conducted to calculate the prevalence of microvascular complications of type 2 DM and the associated risk factors in a lower middle-income country, Sudan. The study was carried out at Shambat Primary Healthcare Clinic during the period between May and June 2018. All patients aged 20 years and above visiting the clinic were included. Patients excluded from selection were those on steroid therapy and those having bilateral eye cataract. A total of 209 patients constituted the sample and were selected through systemic random sampling. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software version 21. For the continuous variables, the mean was used as a measure of central tendency and the standard deviation as a measure of dispersion. The associations between the microvascular complications and the other variables were analysed using the χ² test. The <i>p</i> value was used as a test for statistical significance. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The response rate to the survey was 72.6%. The age of the enrolled subjects ranged from 24 to 88 years. Males constituted 61.7% of the study sample and females 38.3%. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.92 ± 2.06. Out of 209 patients known to have type 2 DM, 96 (45.9%) developed any of the microvascular complications. Nephropathy was the most frequent with a prevalence of 38.8%, followed by retinopathy and neuropathy with a frequency of 23.9 and 22.5%, respectively. The presence of other co-morbidities, namely hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, chronic kidney disease and dyslipidaemia, was a predictor for the occurrence of the small-vessel conditions. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study is probably the first of its kind to shed light on the magnitude of the microvascular complications of DM in Sudan. The yielded results reveal a significant burden caused by microvascular complications in the country. The concurrent presence of other chronic medical disorders, namely hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, chronic kidney disease and dyslipidaemia, amplifies the risk for the development of microvascular sequelae. The mean BMI of the sample reflects an overweight trend. Facing the high tide of the metabolic syndrome and its sequelae requires a holistic perspective and a multidisciplinary approach. The health authorities and other stakeholders need to prioritise healthcare expenditure and invest more in DM research. A national diabetes registry will serve as a key player in guiding the efforts.

Purpose: The concept of Pharmacovigilance (PhV) evolved to improve patient safety and the quality of provided healthcare. Community pharmacists are considered to be key players in the process of PhV and reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs).The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of community pharmacists in relation to pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reactions. Study Design: A cross sectional study. Subjects and Methods: An observational cross-sectional survey was carried out among community pharmacists in Sudan to evaluate their knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards Pharmacovigilance. The study was carried out between March and May 2020, including 201 community pharmacists who were selected through simple random sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software version 24. Results: A total of 201 community pharmacists were included in the survey. Females constituted 68.7% of the study participants. Two-thirds of the study population were between 23 and 30 years of age. The majority had a career experience between 1 and 5 years (52.2%). The mean knowledge score among males was 3.48 (± 1.51), and 3.75 (± 1.36) among females. The difference in the mean knowledge score between the two genders was not statistically significant (p-value 0.197). 73.1% showed a positive attitude towards Pharmacovigilance. The mean attitude score was higher among females (2.97 vs 2.90). However, the difference was not statistically significant (p-value 0.662). Conclusion: Community pharmacists may have a prominent role in responding to the increase of  ADR reporting if they have enough knowledge about Pharmacovigilance and how to report it. This survey showed that community pharmacists had a positive attitude about ADR but, unfortunately, many of them had insufficient knowledge.

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Acute endotracheal tube (ETT) obstruction is not an uncommon event during surgery, but under certain circumstances, it can be life-threatening. It can arise for a variety of reasons. In this case study, we present an event of endotracheal tube obstruction in a pediatric surgery case during anesthesia recovery. Early detection and prompt response are the keys to successful management.

Background Sepsis is considered one of a life-threatening condition among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Although, there are evidence-based management guidelines, sepsis still remains a leading cause of death with in-hospital mortality ranging from 22.8% to 48.7%. Previously sepsis was defined as systemic inflammatory response to infection, which could be diagnosed by meeting two or more Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria, along with a known or suspected infection. Even though the SIRS criteria were sensitive, but they were not specific enough to differentiate between sepsis and other inflammatory conditions. Objective To compare between the ability of SOFA score, the quick SOFA (qSOFA) and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) to predict ICU mortality. Patients and Methods Randomized prospective comparative study conducted in El Haram Specialized Hospital. The study included 75 patients. We calculated SOFA, SIRS, and qSOFA scores based on physiological and laboratory data that were collected upon admission to the ICU. Standard criteria were applied with a threshold of 2 or more points for each scoring system. The baseline SOFA score was assumed to be zero for patients without a known preexisting organ dysfunction. The baseline total SOFA score was considered to be 4 for patients undergoing chronic dialysis, and 2 or 3 for cirrhotic patients, depending on baseline bilirubin levels. Results ROC curve analysis between survival and each of SIRS, qSOFA and SOFA, it shows that SOFA score presented the best discrimination with an AUC of 0.993 (95% CI 0.981–100). Conclusion In patients with suspected infection admitted to an ICU, an increase in SOFA score had greater prognostic accuracy for in-hospital mortality than SIRS criteria or qSOFA. These findings suggest that SIRS and qSOFA may have limited use for predicting mortality in an ICU setting.