No abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, recommendations to prevent infection suggest increasing the frequency of handwashing and disinfection; however, these measures can have negative implications on our skin. This study aims to evaluate whether these measures correlate with new-onset skin damage or can exacerbate hand eczema among the general population. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, survey-based study, including the general population of Mecca region, Saudi Arabia. To achieve the study's aim, an online questionnaire to the general population comprising 25 items was distributed via social media apps during the pandemic between October 23 and November 21, 2020. Data were automatically collected in Excel and entered into SPSS for analysis. Results: A total of 783 participants were included in this study, of whom 695 (88.8%) were female. A history of hand eczema was reported among 123 (15.7%) participants, and 270 (34.5%) had a history of atopy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 86 (13.0%) participants noticed new-onset skin irritation, while 81 (31.3%) of the participants reported exacerbation of earlier hand allergic dermatitis. The most frequent symptoms were dryness and feeling of tightness. Additionally, most participants among both groups noticed that skin lesions appeared for less than 10 days. The frequent handwashing statistically increased following the onset of the pandemic (p=0.001), there is association between new-onset symptoms and more frequent handwashing, as well as the use of hand disinfectants, during the pandemic (p=0.001). Conclusion:Our study suggests that the general population's skin was negatively affected by COVID-19 precautions, particularly those with a history of hand eczema. We recommend spreading awareness of skin protective modalities and the use of new infection prevention measures, such as regular skin moisturization for hand protection and possibly using less damaging skin disinfectants like ozonized water provided it is scientifically proven effective in disinfecting COVID-19 virus.

Background Our study aimed to assess the burden of obesity on the health system and outcomes in patients with non-valvular cardiomyopathy. Methods A retrospective analytical cohort, single-center study was conducted at King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, from June 2019 to June 2020, and includes all non-valvular cardiomyopathy (NVCM) patients. The patients were divided into two groups, obese (BMI ≥ 30) and non-obese (BMI<30). The two groups were compared using a t-test and a chi-squared test for continuous and categorical data and regression analysis. Results A single-center, retrospective study was conducted at KAMC, Makkah, and included all NVCM patients (ejection fraction or EF ≤ 45%) who were admitted during this study period. A total of 626 NVCM patients were included in this cohort study; they had a mean BMI of 29 ± 8.1 and a mean EF of 28.4 ± 9.7. Patients were divided into two groups, obese (BMI ≥ 30) and non-obese (BMI<30). Obese patients represented 37% (n=231) of our study population. The non-ischemic category of cardiomyopathy had a higher prevalence among the obese (35% vs 27%). A higher percentage of obese patients presented with heart failure (HF) symptoms rather than ischemia or arrhythmia (46%, 40%, and 7% for HF symptoms, ischemia, and arrhythmia, respectively). There was no significant difference in NVCM complications, including cardiogenic shock, pulmonary edema, and cardiac arrest, between the two groups. Obese patients had a significantly higher post-myocardial infarction (MI) ejection fraction (29.7±9.7 vs 27.5±9.7, p=0.01). We found a statistically significant positive correlation between BMI and length of in-hospital stay (P=0.04). In-hospital mortality was non-significantly different between our two groups, although numerically, it was higher among the non-obese group (obesity paradox) (10% vs 12%, p=0.2). Type of cardiomyopathy, cerebrovascular stroke, smoking, and sacubitril/valsartan intake were detected as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality among our patients. Conclusions Obesity among NVCM patients sets more burden on health facilities by the prolongation of the in-hospital stay of patients although BMI is not an independent predictor of death in those patients.