Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is an uncommon complication of infection caused by streptococci and staphylococci. It is associated with a high mortality rate. When evaluating patients with shock symptoms from skin or soft tissue sources, a high index of suspicion for TSS must be maintained. Prompt diagnosis and integrative management with surgical intervention, antibiotics, hemodynamic stabilization, and adjuvants like intravenous immunoglobulins improve survival.

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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). We sought to establish for the first time in Saudi Arabia an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) profile of DM patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 210 IVUS studies in 181 patients hospitalized in King Salman Heart Centre for ACS. IVUS was performed to guide percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) of borderline moderate lesions. Results: Mean age was 58 ± 10 years, 78% (n = 163) of IVUS studies were performed in men. There were 71% (n = 128) patients with DM. ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was the most common clinical presentation (47%, n = 88 patients , p < 0.01) and longer lesions (37 ± 12 mm versus 30 ± 8 mm, p < 0.01). A positive remodelling index was observed for patients with and without DM, without significant difference (1.4 versus 1.3 respectively, p = 0.7). Percent plaque volume and obstruction were not different. Conclusion: IVUS demonstrates longer lesions to be treated in DM patients with ACS in Saudi Arabia, however no difference in average plaque burden or remodelling index. These findings are likely to impact our understanding of optimal PCI strategies in DM patients.

Aim To compare digital images of conventional radiographs with the original radiographs for perceived clarity of periapical lesions and the quality of root canal treatment. Materials and Methods One hundred and four intraoral periapical radiographs of patients with endodontically treated teeth were randomly selected. The radiographs were digitized using an MD300 USB X-ray Reader. The digital images were transferred to an HP laptop. Three evaluators compared each conventional radiograph with the matching digital image. The images were ranked for clarity and assessed for diagnostic quality; data were analyzed using the Reliability Calculation “ReCal.” Results. Both the digital images and conventional films had comparable clarity and diagnostic quality. Results indicated a moderate agreement between the evaluators. Conclusions Conventional radiographs digitized using an MD300 USB X-ray Reader have similar clarity and diagnostic quality in comparison to the original radiographs.

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