Browsing by Author "Reem Shehab AlSulaiman"

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COVID-19 in patients with rheumatological diseases in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
(2023) Reem Shehab AlSulaiman; Ahmed Mousa Abu Quren; Hasan, M.; Bukhari, R.; Dania M Alkhafaji; Abrar Alwaheed; Alwaheed, A.; Raed Albukhari; Al-Wazza, M.; Al Warthan, S.; Manal Hasan; Albeladi, F.; Fedaa Albeladi (fellow); AlSulaiman, R.; Abu Quren, A.
The severity of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its effects remain unpredictable. Certain factors, such as obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, may increase the severity of the disease. Rheumatology experts suggest that patients with active autoimmune conditions and controlled autoimmune diseases on immunosuppressive therapy may be at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19. In this retrospective observational study, we aimed to examine the patterns of COVID-19 in patients with underlying rheumatological diseases and their association with disease severity and hospital outcomes. A total of 34 patients with underlying rheumatological diseases who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were included between March 2020 and April 2021 at King Fahd Hospital of the University. The study population consisted of 76.47% female and 23.53% male patients, with a mean age ranging from 20 to 40 years. Female gender (p=0.0001) and younger age (p=0.004) were associated with milder disease. The most frequent rheumatological disease was systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (38.24%), which was associated with a milder infection (p=0.045). Patients treated with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) had a milder disease course (p=0.0037). Hypertension was significantly associated with severe COVID-19 disease (p=0.037). There was no significant relationship between SLE and the need for ICU admission. Patients on hydroxychloroquine and MMF tended to develop milder disease, and there was no association between the severity of the infection and the treatment with steroids.
Emergence of Post COVID-19 Vaccine Autoimmune Diseases: A Single Center Study
(2023) Alqatari, S.; Ismail, M.; Reem Al Argan; Bukhari, R.; Al Argan, R.; Safi Alqatari; Alkhafaji, D.; Raed Albukhari; Turki Alamri; Kawthar hadiah; Nemer, A.; Albeladi, F.; Bumurah, N. N.; Sharofna, K.; Albaggal, Z.; Alghamdi, R.; AlSulaiman, R. S.
INTRODUCTION: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) became a major concern since the announcement that it is a pandemic in early 2020. Vaccine trials were started in November 2020, and completed rapidly due to the urgency to get over the infection. Side effects to vaccines started to be reported. There were minor side effects including site of injection pain and heaviness and constitutional symptoms like fever which are considered minor. One of the rare adverse events is post vaccine new onset autoimmune diseases. METHODS: Data were obtained from one center in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia (King Fahd Hospital of University). All patient events reported occurred in the study period March 2021 to February 2022. We identified patients presenting with autoimmune diseases with exclusively new onset presentations. RESULTS: We identified 31 cases of immune-mediated disease: 18 females (58%); 13 males (42%). Only 4 of them (13%) had an autoimmune background before COVID-19 vaccination. The average time between vaccination and new-onset disease symptoms was 7 days. Among all the cases in our study, 7 patients (22.5%) had new-onset vasculitis, 2 cases had IgA vasculitis and 5 cases had ANCA vasculitis, 6 cases had neurological diseases (19.3%), 4 cases (12.9%) had new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 3 cases (9.6%) presented with new-onset inflammatory arthritis, and one had Sjogren's syndrome (3.2%). CONCLUSION: Our study is unique as it is the first study to include the largest number (31 patients) of new onsets of confirmed autoimmune diseases related to Covid-19 vaccines.
Gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19 in a single center in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
(2022) Reem Shehab AlSulaiman; Ismail, Mona; Alkhafaji, Dania; Alsulaiman, Raed; Dania M Alkhafaji; AlSulaiman, Reem; Almajid, Ali; Alsheekh, Lameyaa; Safi Alqatari; Alzaki, Alaa; Marwam alwezzah; Alwaheed, Abrar; Al Said, Abir; Al Wazzeh, Marwan; AlQurain, Abdulaziz
Background: Several gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been associated with novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Their prevalence and relation to the severity and hospital outcome of COVID-19 have not been well reported in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. We aimed to examine the GI manifestations of COVID-19 and their association with the severity and hospital outcome of COVID-19 infection. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who had a positive SARS-COV2 PCR test and were admitted at a university hospital in Saudi Arabia, from March to September 2020. The primary objective of the study was to describe the GI manifestations of COVID-19. The secondary objective was to investigate the association of GI manifestations with severity and outcome of COVID-19 infection. Results: We included 390 patients, of which 111 (28.5%) presented with GI manifestations. The most common presentation was diarrhea followed by nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Patients without GI manifestations had a higher risk of severe-critical COVID-19 infection evident by the development of lung infiltration in more than 50% of lung fields within 24–48 h, acute respiratory distress syndrome, altered mental status, multiorgan failure, and cytokine storm syndrome (P < 0.05). These patients had a higher mortality rate compared to patients with GI manifestations (P = 0.01). A lower odds of death was seen among patients with GI symptoms (AOR 0.36; 95% CI, 0.158–0.82; P = 0.01). Conclusion: COVID-19 infection presents commonly with GI manifestations. Patients with GI manifestations have less severe COVID-19 disease and lower mortality rates.
Hepatobiliary manifestations of COVID-19 and their impact on severity and outcomes in a single center in Saudi Arabia
(2022) Reem Al Argan; Ismail, M.; Dania M Alkhafaji; Alsulaiman, R.; Alaa Alzaki; Abrar Alwaheed; Safi Alqatari; Abir Al Said; Alkuwaiti, F.; Al Said, A.; Lamyaa Alsheekh; Alwaheed, A.; Feras ahmed alkuwaiti; Reem Shehab AlSulaiman; AlQuorain, A.
Recognizing hepatic manifestations of COVID-19 and their impact on the severity and outcome is crucial in managing this emerging pandemic. However, we lack such reported data in Saudi Arabia regarding this clinical entity. This is a retrospective observational study conducted on 387 patients with COVID-19 disease who were hospitalized at King Fahad Hospital of the University from March-September 2020. The total cohort was divided into two groups: liver and non-liver involvement. Then, the frequency of hepatic manifestations was determined, followed by comparing severity and outcome among the two study groups. A total of 387 patients were included, of which 72.87% had hepatic manifestations. The most prevalent abnormalities were high LDH in 308 (79.58%) followed by AST 205 (52.97%), GGTP 124 (31.26%), ALT 74 (19.12%), PT/INR 66 (17.05%), direct bilirubin 51 (12.40%), total bilirubin 46 (11.88%), and low albumin 48 (12.4%). Univariate analyses showed that liver involvement was significantly associated with severe (31.91%) and critical (34.75%) presentation (P<0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the presence of liver involvement was an independent risk factor for severe or critical COVID-19 disease (OR 2.44; P<0.001), longer hospitalization (OR 2.27; P=0.001), and ICU admission (OR 2.27; P=0.006). The current study showed that liver involvement is common in the setting of COVID-19 disease. Such patients had a higher disease severity and a worse clinical outcome.
The Impact of Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2 Virus on the Outcome of COVID-19 Disease
(2022) AlKhafaji, D. M.; Al Argan, R. J.; AlBahrani, S.; Ali Nizar Almajid; Alqatari, S. G.; Al Elq, A. H.; Albaker, W.; Safi Alqatari; Waleed Albaker; AlSulaiman, R. S.; Almadan, H. M.; Amal Alsulaiman (Resident; Almajid, A. N.; Hakami, F. H.; Alanazi, W. K.
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a rapidly spreading infection that is on the rise. New variants are continuously appearing with variable degrees of lethality and infectivity. The extensive work since the start of the pandemic has led to the evolution of COVID-19 vaccines with varying mechanisms. We aim to determine real-world data by looking at the different clinical outcomes associated with COVID-19 vaccination, focusing on the rate of hospitalization, severity, and mortality. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective observational study included 624 patients with COVID-19 infection who were hospitalized at King Fahad Hospital of the University and King Fahad Military Medical City between April and July 2021. The cohort was divided into 3 groups: unvaccinated, partially vaccinated (PV), and fully vaccinated (FV). The severity and outcome of COVID-19 disease were compared among the three groups. Among the vaccinated group, we studied the effect of vaccine type on the severity and outcome of COVID-19 disease. RESULTS: We found that 70.4% of patients with COVID-19 disease who required hospitalization were unvaccinated. Un-vaccination was a significant predictor of critical COVID-19 disease (OR 2.31; P <0.001), whereas full vaccination was associated with significantly milder disease severity (OR 0.36; P 0.01). Moreover, un-vaccination status was an independent predictor of longer hospitalization (OR 3.0; P <0.001), a higher requirement for ICU admission (OR 4.7; P <0.001), mechanical ventilation (OR 3.6; P <0.001), and death (OR 4.8; P <0.001), whereas the FV group had a lower risk of ICU admission (OR 0.49; P 0.045). Unvaccinated patients with comorbidities had worse severity and outcome of COVID-19 infection (P<0.05). Both vaccine types (Pfizer and AstraZeneca) had similar protective effects against the worst outcomes of COVID-19 disease. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to be effective in reducing hospitalization, the severity of COVID-19 infection, and improving outcomes, especially in high-risk group patients. COVID-19 vaccination programs should continue to improve the outcome of such a disease.