This study aimed to measure the incidence and record the relations between risk factors of postoperative pneumonia (POP) among patients who underwent open heart surgery in a single hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted in June 2019 at King Abdulaziz University hospital in Saudi Arabia. Data including general information, comorbidities, lab investigations, preoperative risk factors, intraoperative considerations, and postoperative elements were collected and analyzed. Results A total of 255 cardiac surgeries were performed from November 2014 to June 2019. Two hundred of the 255 cardiac surgeries were analyzed as open-heart surgeries. Only five patients were diagnosed with POP after open heart surgery with an incidence of 2.5%. The mean age of these patients was 47±18 years, more than half of them were smokers, three were hypertensive, four were classified as ASA 4, and three underwent the operation electively. The mean bypass time was 100.3 ± 24.5 min, the mean duration of operation was 199 ± 86.2 min, the mean postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 97.4 ± 83.4 hours, and the mean overall hospital stay was 10.4 ± 7.2 days. We observed significant differences in only the following correlations: amount of blood transfusion with ICU stay and with the overall hospital stay. Conclusion The incidence of developing postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing open heart surgery in the King Abdulaziz University hospital from November 2014 to June 2019 was 2.5%, indicating a high-quality level of surgical technique and proper infection control.

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a term used to describe when the kidney loses its function rapidly. And it’s associated with an increase in the level of serum creatinine by 0.5 to 1mg/dL. It can be diagnosed by a plethora of criteria such as the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) and the Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-stage (RIFLE) criteria. Cardiac surgery-associated AKI (CSA-AKI) is the most prevalent complication in patients following cardiac surgery and is also linked to increased mortality and morbidity rates. In addition, exogenous and endogenous toxins, ischemia and reperfusion, inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic factors, and neurohormonal activation may all play a role in the development of CSA-AKI. All these factors may be active at varying time intervals and with different degrees of intensity, or may function simultaneously. Methods: In late 2019, a retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the health data of patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), valvular repairs, and other open cardiac surgeries at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between November 2014 and June 2019. Information was obtained from the Hospital information system, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Of the 159 patients who underwent open-heart surgery at KAUH, 126 (79.2%) were male and 33 (20.8%) were female. Patients below 15 years of age and those with poor renal function prior to open cardiac surgery were excluded. The KDIGO criteria were used to diagnose AKI for our patients. Results: In this study, 34% of the patients experienced AKI after open cardiac surgery, and the most frequent risk factor encountered was diabetes mellitus (DM), which was present in 97 (61%) patients, followed by angina pectoris in 93 (58.5%) patients. Hypertension was identified in 85 (53.5%) and acute myocardial infarction in 82 (51.6%) patients. There were only two (1.3%) patients with known cases of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). Of the surgeries, 131 (82.4%) were classified as elective and 28 (17.6%) were urgent. Conclusion: The most common risk factor associated with AKI following open-heart surgery is DM, followed by angina pectoris. However, further studies are required to investigate all the cardiac procedures.

BackgroundHemithyroidectomy is a common procedure used to treat various benign and malignant conditions. It is often associated with complications, of which hypothyroidism is an underappreciated sequel. We sought to comprehend the rate and associated risk factors for developing hypothyroidism following hemithyroidectomy at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH). MethodsIn this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of all patients who had hemithyroidectomies for benign and malignant conditions between January 2008 and August 2022. Patients were analyzed for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, family history of thyroid disease, thyroid antibodies, and preand postoperative thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Pre-and postoperative TSH levels were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. ResultsFrom 153 cases, 39 patients met the inclusion criteria; 31 (79.5%) were females. Seventeen (43.59%) patients developed biochemical hypothyroidism within two years following hemithyroidectomy; the majority (64.71%) of those with hypothyroidism developed it within the first six months. There was a significant increase in TSH levels following surgery (p < 0.001). ConclusionThe overall incidence of hypothyroidism within two years of hemithyroidectomy is 43.59%; among those who developed hypothyroidism, the majority (64.71%) did so within the first six months. Thus, we strongly recommend continuous monitoring of TSH levels in the first six months, as it may aid in the decision to begin treatment before symptoms develop.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome that has been receiving considerable attention as a common risk in cardiac surgeries, which has consequences for short- and long-term survival implications, even for those who do not progress to renal failure. There have been limited studies in the Middle East, and specifically in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Therefore, our study aimed to identify the prevalence of and risk factors for AKIs following adult cardiac interventions during 2010-2020 at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods Setting and Design: A retrospective medical record review was conducted among all the adult patients who underwent cardiac interventions and developed AKIs between 2010 and 2020. Google forms were used to extract the data from the hospital records. About statistical analysis binary logistic regression analyses, relative risks (RRs), and confidence intervals (CI) were used to determine the associations among the variables. Results After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 564 patients were included. Their baseline demographic, clinical, biological, and operative characteristics were analyzed. AKIs developed in 110 (19.5%) patients and patients with diabetes were more likely to develop AKIs ( P < 0.012, RR = 2.280, CI = 1.198-4.339). Hypertension showed a strong effect in the development of AKIs ( P < 0.004, RR = 2.865, CI = 1.391-5.900). Moreover, patients who suffered from chronic heart failure were more prone to the development of AKIs ( P < 0.008, RR = 4.189, CI =1.452-12.087). Furthermore, anemia with significant P- values (<0.002), and CIs of 1.509-6.822, indicated that these patients were more likely to develop AKIs (3.209 times). Conclusion We demonstrated that AKIs are frequent complications in adults after cardiac interventions and were associated with poor outcomes. Risk factors for the development of AKIs were identified to be diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic heart failure, and anemia. Further investigation of this cohort is necessary to better understand the problem of kidney injuries.

Branchial cleft cysts are birth defects that happen when the first through fourth pharyngeal clefts do not close properly and most of these cysts develop from the second cleft. Second branchial cleft cysts are almost always in the neck, so it is rare for them to present in the nasopharynx. We report an extremely rare case of a branchial cleft cyst that is located in an unusual site in the nasopharynx in a 36-year-old male with no prior medical history. Computed tomography scan findings showed non-enhancing thickening of the right side mucosal-pharyngeal space, obliterating the fossa of Rosenmuller with no invasion or erosion. The patient was admitted for nasopharyngeal mass excision, and the mass was sent for histopathology. When a cystic lesion is noted in the lateral nasopharynx, branchial cleft cysts should be on the list of possible diagnoses. Surgery is primarily the treatment. The marsupialization approach is a simple way to treat nasopharyngeal branchial cleft cysts as it is safe and has limited complications