Objective: To investigate the association between some demographic factors and the levels of severity among asthmatic children. Method : One hundred and twenty five asthmatic children aged between 6 months and 15 years were studied in pediatric and asthma clinics at King AbdulAziz University Hospital (KAUH). The assessment of clinical severity was based on the global strategy guidelines for asthma assessment and management. Subjects were grouped by age: infants (≤1 year), toddlers (1-3 years), preschool or kindergarten (3-6 years), school (6-12 years), and adolescents (12-15 years). Demographic data (age and sex) were analyzed for any statistical significance. Results: Boys were 80 (64%) and predominated in all age groups except in infants. 10(8%) were infants, 22(17.6%) toddlers, 26 (20.8%) preschool or kindergarten, 49 (39.2%) school, and 18 (14.4%) adolescent. The levels of severity of asthma were intermittent 11 (8.8%), mild persistent 74 (59.2%), moderate persistent 33 (26.4%), and severe persistent 7 (5.6%). Frequency and severity of asthma were significantly higher in boys than girls (P<0.05) and at school age compared to other age groups (P<0.05). Conclusion & recommendation: This study demonstrated an increase in the frequency and severity of bronchial asthma in boys, particularly, those at school age. As stated in the literature, correlating demographic factors and clinical status can help in the prediction of the severity of asthma and possibly its outcome. This demands greater vigilance in the care of this group of asthmatics more than any others.

Background: Hypertension is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in Saudi Arabia. It is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and a major reason for visits to clinic and prescription of medications. Inspite of this, the degree of its control is not to the optimum. This could be due to its impact on patients' quality of life (QOL). Impaired physical and psychological well-being may lead to non-compliance or even the withdrawal of treatment . The aim of this study was to assess QOL of hypertensive patients registered in Al-Khobar. Methods: The QOL of hypertensive patients was compared with QOL of a control group. A total of 404 subjects (202 cases and 202 controls) were interviewed. The cases and controls were matched for age and sex. Patients' self-assessment of QOL was measured with an Arabic version of SF-36, a 36-item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire encompassing two main dimensions, physical and mental. Results: The QOL of hypertensive patients was substantially impaired in comparison to the control group. The mean scores for the physical component summary scale (PCS) were 39.3 and 50.8 for cases and controls respectively. The mean scores for the mental component summary scale (MCS) were 43.7 and 50.8 for cases and controls respectively. The burden of hypertension was concentrated in the physical dimension of health. Older age, female gender, unmarried patients, patients with hypertension complications, comorbid DM, use of Aldomet and shorter duration of hypertension were independently related to poorer QOL. The variability of the two summary measures explained by selected demographic and clinical characteristics was 24.3% and 10% for the PCS and MCS respectively. Conclusions and recommendations: The QOL of hypertensive patients was substantially impaired in comparison to the control group. Notably, the total explained variation of QOL by the selected characteristics was small, suggesting that the determinants of QOL are multi-factorial. Further research to explore the determinants and indices of QOL in hypertensive patients is warranted. From a clinical perspective, QOL should be considered in the monitoring of hypertensive patients to estimate the burden of hypertension and monitor their outcome.

This paper documents the evolution of the Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program established in 1989 (1408/1409 H) at the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, King Faisal University. The rationale, objectives, the general outline of the program as well as methods of instruction and evaluation are discussed. The internship period and future plans are also addressed. Two hundred and seventy (270) students had been enrolled in the program since its inception until September 2000. Ten batches (138 graduates) have already successfully graduated. One hundred and fifteen (83.3%) graduated technologists are employed in the different health sectors and educational institutions in the Kingdom.

Objective: To compare ear piercing practices and complications arising therefrom in British and Sudanese children and to seek possible ethnic, cultural and environmental differences. Settings: Maelor General Hospital, Wrexham, UK and Wad Medani Children Hospital, Wad Medani, Sudan. Methods: Parents of a hundred British children and an equal number of Sudanese parents were requested to fill a questionnaire on ear piercing. All children were examined for possible local or systemic complications. Results: All parents answered the questionnaire. Eighty-eight (88%) of the British children were girls while all Sudanese children (100%) were girls. Eighty (80%) of the British children had had their ears pierced before they were 6 years old while 90% of Sudanese children had had their ears pierced below that age. The procedure was performed in both groups by non-medical staff. Local inflammation and allergic contact reactions were the commonest complications in both groups. Keloids were only encountered in the Sudanese children. A case of tetanus was encountered in the Sudanese group. Conclusion and recommendations: Ear piercing in both communities is performed at a very early age. This procedure is not without complications and the medical profession should advise safety in this practice. Earrings selected should be of non-allergenic material. Regular application of an antiseptic to the site should be encouraged. The community should be made aware of the hazards and complications of ear piercing. With the awareness of these complications and guided with a set of rules, people may continue the practice (she may have it done). Health authorities in Sudan should formulate guidelines that will ensure hygienic measures and reduce complications.

Background:The provision of healthcare generates waste which can be detrimental to health and environment. Staff who provide healthcare ought to be aware of the proper handling and the system of management of healthcare waste used by different hospitals. Materials and Methods: A survey of doctors, nurses and allied medical staff for their awareness of the hospital generation and handling of waste was conducted. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Results: Lack of awareness, ignorance of policy and procedure on the handling of healthcare waste and failure to attend educational activities were major defects found among healthcare staff in the study. Conclusion: There is a need for a plan to improve the awareness of healthcare workers about hospital generated waste and its proper handling.

Doctor-patient communication is a skill essential for the satisfaction of the patients' needs and expectations. It involves an art that every practicing physician should have. The situations in health care delivery that demands good doctor-patient communication are many. Diabetes care, the management of hypertension, explaining serious disease diagnoses, prognosis, and investigative procedures are some of the common situations where good doctor-patient communication is very essential. Doctor-patient communication assumes a special status in Saudi Arabia where as a result of mixed ethnicity of the manpower in the health service and the expatriate community, there is a vast diversity of languages, health traditions and beliefs. The skill of doctor-patient communication can be developed and improved by the application of the principles of the patient-centered approach, the utilization of patient-oriented evidence that matters, and its inclusion in the undergraduate curriculum in the first few years of medical school. There should be continuous medical education programs for practicing doctors on the skills of doctor-patient communication through seminars and workshops. This would be a further step towards the improvement of the consumer's well-being.

Searching for references is part of everyday life in medicine. Since the arrival of the Internet, it has provided great promise for clinicians because of its ready provision of access to large amounts of knowledge and information. But because of the overload of information, searching for particular information has now become a tedious time-consuming and frustrating task. This article describes effective ways, tips, tools, detailed search techniques and strategies for searching for medical information. It also lists some useful resource and database sites that can help in the search for accurate information.