Ehab Hamed
Qatar University, Public health, Faculty Member
- Highly skilled and dedicated Family Medicine Consultant with extensive experience in hospital and primary care settin... moreHighly skilled and dedicated Family Medicine Consultant with extensive experience in hospital and primary care settings
Expertise spans all domains of family medicine, including paediatrics, elderly care, dermatology, and oncology.
Well-regarded for patient-centred approach and exceptional care
Holds a Leading in Healthcare Diploma in Organizational Leadership from the NHS Leadership Academy in the UK
Holds a Master of Business Administration in International Management from Swiss Business School
Proven track record of success in high-pressure situations and exceptional organizational skills
Demonstrates a strong sense of integrity and commitment to patient care through leadership roles in healthcare commissioning and as Physician Lead at a university health center in Qatar
Successfully managed a team of over 20 primary care physicians and served a population of nearly 80,000 patients in current role
An accomplished educator with a strong record as a faculty member for postgraduate and undergraduate Family Medicine training
A strong advocate for scholarly activities with impactful research publications in various healthcare-related topics
Experience in guidelines development and review showcases the ability to contribute to the advancement of the field and improve patient outcomes
Committed to providing the highest quality of care and making a positive impact on the lives of patients.
Dedicated to advancing knowledge in the field and improving patient outcomesedit
Research Interests:
CKD is underdiagnosed and under-coded by healthcare professionals. The diagnosis and staging have implications for management of CKD and other associated comorbidities. Therapeutic interventions are optimal in the case of statins and to a... more
CKD is underdiagnosed and under-coded by healthcare professionals. The diagnosis and staging have implications for management of CKD and other associated comorbidities. Therapeutic interventions are optimal in the case of statins and to a less degree ACEi/ARB. It is compromised on antiplatelet therapy. Optimal usage of statin and ACEi/ARB is more likely related to other comorbidities rather than CKD. Healthcare improvement projects should focus on improving diagnosis, management and patient support and education.
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American Diabetes Association (ADA), Diabetes Canada (DC) published updates to the management of Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in 2017 and 2018. National Institute of Healthcare and excellence (NICE) also updated their guidelines... more
American Diabetes Association (ADA), Diabetes Canada (DC) published updates to the management of Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in 2017 and 2018. National Institute of Healthcare and excellence (NICE) also updated their guidelines for management of neuropathic pain in 2018. This article aims to review the topic given those updates and to highlight similarities as well as differences in management. The authors will focus on implications and their clinical application in everyday practice. Abstract Introduction and Background
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How to cite this article: Hamed E. Caffeine toxicity following ingestion of an exercise supplement by a patient with type 1 diabetes. EJCRIM 2018;5: ABSTRACT We report the case of a patient with type 1 diabetes who developed acute severe... more
How to cite this article: Hamed E. Caffeine toxicity following ingestion of an exercise supplement by a patient with type 1 diabetes. EJCRIM 2018;5: ABSTRACT We report the case of a patient with type 1 diabetes who developed acute severe diabetic ketoacidosis following ingestion of an energy supplement containing caffeine. Some 95% of the US adult population consume caffeine, and the general perception is that there are no negative consequences for health. The upper limit of safe consumption is less than 400 mg per day. However, acute ingestion of high doses of caffeine may cause significant metabolic changes that can be fatal. Here the patient consumed a toxic dose of caffeine causing unpleasant and puzzling symptoms, vomiting and, following omission of his long-acting basal insulin, severe diabetic ketoacidosis. As the sports nutrition market continues to expand, providers and manufacturers have a responsibility to give clear and accurate dosing instructions as well as side effect profiles for their products, particularly for diabetic patients. LEARNING POINTS • The impact of caffeine on blood glucose levels has implications for people with diabetes who may be thinking of consuming supplements containing caffeine. • Providers of sports supplements have a responsibility to provide an accurate description of the side effects with a clear warning for diabetic patients • Legislators should review protocols for regulating the sports and nutritional supplements industry. KEYWORDS Caffeine toxicity, diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis CASE DESCRIPTION The patient was a 28-year-old male with a 16-year history of type 1 diabetes treated with multiple short acting daily injections and background basal insulin at night and rapid-acting analogue insulin with each meal. Overall diabetes control based on HbA1c levels was suboptimal (range 8-12%). The patient decided that regular exercise might be beneficial and so joined a local gym. However, before taking up exercise, he purchased a training supplement from an internet-based supplier advertised as 'pure caffeine powder' which had the potential to increase metabolism and improve fat oxidation. The background label says 'boost your workout, increase metabolism'. Online instructions provide a dosage regimen which recommends 200 mg of caffeine powder one to three times daily. A measuring scoop is provided at an additional price. While these directions are available on the product website, the packaging itself does not mention the recommended dose. Consumers are advised to seek medical attention if adverse events occur.
Research Interests:
Acute kidney injury (AKI) and hypoglycemia are independent risk factors for morbidity and mortality with a strong association. We present a case report of AKI associated with hypoglycemia in a diabetic patient. Following standard AKI... more
Acute kidney injury (AKI) and hypoglycemia are independent risk factors for morbidity and mortality with a strong association. We present a case report of AKI associated with hypoglycemia in a diabetic patient. Following standard AKI treatment protocol, kidney functions recovered, and the patient had no further hypoglycemic attacks. AKI in diabetic patients could be multifactorial, but we suggest the presenting symptom to the primary care centre in our case was the recurrent hypoglycemic attacks that might have been overlooked by clinicians. While the association is well established in hospital settings, presentation in primary care settings with hypoglycemia is often overlooked. This case report aims to highlight the risk for AKI in diabetic and elderly patients with multiple risk factors for AKI and the strategies for prevention including highlighting those at risk, close monitoring and lower threshold of suspicion for the presentation.
Research Interests:
While research and reporting on COVID-19 disease focused on laboratory-confirmed cases, many suspected COVID-19 cases are advised to home isolate based on symptoms and risk factors and not on laboratory test findings. While guidance... more
While research and reporting on COVID-19 disease focused on laboratory-confirmed cases, many suspected COVID-19 cases are advised to home isolate based on symptoms and risk factors and not on laboratory test findings. While guidance suggests that primary care physicians must rely on their clinical judgement for evaluation of those cases, there has been no risk stratifying tool that has been reported or validated in this cohort of patients. This reflection note reviews current guidance, identifies gaps in our knowledge and clinical practice and finally provides a rationale for research in this cohort of patients. We propose a research design with detailed descriptions of variables that would be feasible to examine in primary care settings. Primary care research in the characteristics and the outcomes of suspected cases of COVID-19 may provide a different view on the COVID-19 epidemic. We hypothesise that most of the patients with suspected diagnosis and home isolation will have good outcomes. Reporting on the characteristics and the outcomes in this cohort of patients may provide hope to patients and to the international community that receives daily updates on confirmed cases and mortality rates but none on the recovery counts.
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Background: Diabetic patients are at increased risk of glaucoma compared to the general population. Risk factors for glaucoma that is specific to diabetic patients include increased IOP, retinopathy and neovascular changes and years since... more
Background: Diabetic patients are at increased risk of glaucoma compared to the general population. Risk factors for glaucoma that is specific to diabetic patients include increased IOP, retinopathy and neovascular changes and years since diagnosis of diabetes. This cross-sectional study aims to report on the prevalence of glaucoma in diabetic patients in community diabetes centre in Sudan and examine associations with previously reported risk factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Omdurman specialised diabetic healthcare centre in Sudan. A total of 300 patients consented to participation. All patients filled in a survey for both demographics and diabetic disease history then had an assessment for glaucoma by an ophthalmologist. The assessment included examination of the anterior segment, optic nerve assessment and fundus examination using a stereoscopic slit lamp, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement using tonometry, peripheral anterior chamber configuration and depth assessments using gonioscopy and central visual field assessment using perimetry.
Results: Prevalence of open-angle glaucoma diagnosis was 2.8% among diabetic patients who were included in this study. Family history for glaucoma was significantly associated with increased risk of open-angle glaucoma (OR 5.67, 95% CI 1.74-18.45). Retinopathy was also associated with an increased risk of developing the condition (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.11-8.51). Gender, years since diabetes diagnosis and medications did not have significant associations.
Conclusions: Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of developing open-angle glaucoma, but the prevalence among the diabetic population attending community diabetes centre in Sudan remains low. Among different clinical determinants, diabetic retinopathy and genetic determinants may explain the increased risk in the diabetic population.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Omdurman specialised diabetic healthcare centre in Sudan. A total of 300 patients consented to participation. All patients filled in a survey for both demographics and diabetic disease history then had an assessment for glaucoma by an ophthalmologist. The assessment included examination of the anterior segment, optic nerve assessment and fundus examination using a stereoscopic slit lamp, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement using tonometry, peripheral anterior chamber configuration and depth assessments using gonioscopy and central visual field assessment using perimetry.
Results: Prevalence of open-angle glaucoma diagnosis was 2.8% among diabetic patients who were included in this study. Family history for glaucoma was significantly associated with increased risk of open-angle glaucoma (OR 5.67, 95% CI 1.74-18.45). Retinopathy was also associated with an increased risk of developing the condition (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.11-8.51). Gender, years since diabetes diagnosis and medications did not have significant associations.
Conclusions: Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of developing open-angle glaucoma, but the prevalence among the diabetic population attending community diabetes centre in Sudan remains low. Among different clinical determinants, diabetic retinopathy and genetic determinants may explain the increased risk in the diabetic population.
Research Interests:
While research and reporting on COVID-19 disease focused on laboratory-confirmed cases, minimal to no reporting happen to suspected cases. Initially, WHO advised screen and quarantine strategy. All suspected cases who had mild symptoms... more
While research and reporting on COVID-19 disease focused on laboratory-confirmed cases, minimal to no reporting happen to suspected cases. Initially, WHO advised screen and quarantine strategy. All suspected cases who had mild symptoms were advised to have COVID-19 polymerase chair reaction test.Patients with positive results are advised to quarantine in either home or quarantine facilities dependant on local guidance. Feasibility of testing and isolation strategy seems unlikely in many settings because of the strain on resources; guidance was updated in different countries. Centers for disease control (CDC) and many international guidelines advised home isolation with no testing for suspected cases with mild symptoms. Case definition was updated on different occasions, but suspected cases generically defined based on history and/or risk factors.
Research Interests:
Long-term usage of Metformin is associated with lower serum vitamin B12 levels. The lower than normal levels could worsen neurological complications of diabetes, including diabetic neuropathy and poor cognition. Guidelines advise periodic... more
Long-term usage of Metformin is associated with lower serum vitamin B12 levels. The lower than normal levels could worsen neurological complications of diabetes, including diabetic neuropathy and poor cognition. Guidelines advise periodic monitoring of vitamin B12 but do not specify frequency, treatment targets or treatment modality. This
commentary aims to review the prevalence and the severity of the presentation and to provide evidence-based answers to those clinical questions not answered by current guidelines.
commentary aims to review the prevalence and the severity of the presentation and to provide evidence-based answers to those clinical questions not answered by current guidelines.
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Non invasive prenatal Testing (NIPT) is changing the practice of prenatal diagnosis worldwide. It provides high sensitivity and specificity in screening for common aneuploidies. As a result, it has reduced the number of invasive... more
Non invasive prenatal Testing (NIPT) is changing the practice of prenatal diagnosis worldwide. It provides high sensitivity and specificity in screening for common aneuploidies. As a result, it has reduced the number of invasive procedures, thereby reducing their associated risk of pregnancy miscarriage. NIPT is based on the detection and analysis of cell free fetal DNA (cffDNA) that is obtained from a maternal peripheral blood sample. Advanced laboratory detection and purification technology has improved the performance of NIPT and allowed the introduction of new applications in recent years. The introduction of Next Generation Sequencing (NSG) into clinical practice has rendered NIPT to have high sensitivity in the screening of aneuploidy. It has also allowed detecting and investigating the fetal genome from maternal plasma. Fetal Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) provides non invasive prenatal diagnosis of inherited monogenic disorders and can also offer a diagnosis of an underlying cause of fetal anomalies that have a normal karyotype. The following will review the current and potential future applications of NIPT and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the various NIPT techniques. The role of public healthcare system plays in the provision of the test, and the psychological impact of NIPT on the end-users will also be highlighted.
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Background: The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests haemoglobin that (Hgb) cutoff levels below 2SD from the population mean to initiate anaemia investigations. In the absence of epidemiological data, Hgb less than 11 g/dL is abnormal... more
Background: The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests haemoglobin that (Hgb) cutoff levels below 2SD from the population mean to initiate anaemia investigations. In the absence of epidemiological data, Hgb less than 11 g/dL is abnormal in children up to the age of 59 months (4 years and eleven months). Objectives: This study reports on the Hgb cutoff levels among children at 1 and 4 years of age. The study compared the prevalence based on the WHO generic cutoff levels and population-specific cutoff based value defined as below 2SD from the population mean. Design, settings, and Participants: A cross-sectional record-based study of healthy children below the age of 59 months attending primary care settings in Qatar. 3 years of Hgb data were collected and analysed using descriptive analyses. We excluded children with any pre-existing disease or who have altered biological parameters indicating a non-healthy child. Results: 39407 Participants were stratified into different subgroups according to age, gender, and ethnicity. Hgb levels were expressed as the mean ± 2SD for children of one and four years of age. Most children were from Western Asia (45.6%), followed by Northern Africa (23.7%), and Southern Asia (21.7%). Our findings for one-year-old children cutoff levels for anaemia might be as low as 9.9 g/dL and 10.6 g/dL for 4-years old. Conclusion: Hgb cutoff values may be set at higher levels for one-year and four-year age groups and many different ethnicities. Higher cutoff points may overestimate the problem as a public health issue. Children may be unnecessarily treated with iron or have needless investigations.
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Background: The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests haemoglobin that (Hgb) cutoff levels below 2SD from the population mean to initiate anaemia investigations. In the absence of epidemiological data, Hgb less than 11 g/dL is abnormal... more
Background: The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests haemoglobin that (Hgb) cutoff levels below 2SD from the population mean to initiate anaemia investigations. In the absence of epidemiological data, Hgb less than 11 g/dL is abnormal in children up to the age of 59 months (4 years and eleven months). Objectives: This study reports on the Hgb cutoff levels among children at 1 and 4 years of age. The study compared the prevalence based on the WHO generic cutoff levels and population-specific cutoff based value defined as below 2SD from the population mean. Design, settings, and Participants: A cross-sectional record-based study of healthy children below the age of 59 months attending primary care settings in Qatar. 3 years of Hgb data were collected and analysed using descriptive analyses. We excluded children with any pre-existing disease or who have altered biological parameters indicating a non-healthy child. Results: 39407 Participants were stratified into different subgroups according to age, gender, and ethnicity. Hgb levels were expressed as the mean ± 2SD for children of one and four years of age. Most children were from Western Asia (45.6%), followed by Northern Africa (23.7%), and Southern Asia (21.7%). Our findings for one-year-old children cutoff levels for anaemia might be as low as 9.9 g/dL and 10.6 g/dL for 4-years old. Conclusion: Hgb cutoff values may be set at higher levels for one-year and four-year age groups and many different ethnicities. Higher cutoff points may overestimate the problem as a public health issue. Children may be unnecessarily treated with iron or have needless investigations.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
While research and reporting on COVID-19 disease focused on laboratory-confirmed cases, minimal to no reporting happen to suspected cases. Initially, WHO advised screen and quarantine strategy. All suspected cases who had mild symptoms... more
While research and reporting on COVID-19 disease focused on laboratory-confirmed cases, minimal to no reporting happen to suspected cases. Initially, WHO advised screen and quarantine strategy. All suspected cases who had mild symptoms were advised to have COVID-19 polymerase chair reaction test.Patients with positive results are advised to quarantine in either home or quarantine facilities dependant on local guidance. Feasibility of testing and isolation strategy seems unlikely in many settings because of the strain on resources; guidance was updated in different countries. Centers for disease control (CDC) and many international guidelines advised home isolation with no testing for suspected cases with mild symptoms. Case definition was updated on different occasions, but suspected cases generically defined based on history and/or risk factors.
Research Interests:
Background: Diabetic patients are at increased risk of glaucoma compared to the general population. Risk factors for glaucoma that is specific to diabetic patients include increased IOP, retinopathy and neovascular changes and years since... more
Background: Diabetic patients are at increased risk of glaucoma compared to the general population. Risk factors for glaucoma that is specific to diabetic patients include increased IOP, retinopathy and neovascular changes and years since diagnosis of diabetes. This cross-sectional study aims to report on the prevalence of glaucoma in diabetic patients in community diabetes centre in Sudan and examine associations with previously reported risk factors.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Omdurman specialised diabetic healthcare centre in Sudan. A total of 300 patients consented to participation. All patients filled in a survey for both demographics and diabetic disease history then had an assessment for glaucoma by an ophthalmologist. The assessment included examination of the anterior segment, optic nerve assessment and fundus examination using a stereoscopic slit lamp, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement using tonometry, peripheral anterior chamber configuration ...
Research Interests:
Long-term usage of Metformin is associated with lower serum vitamin B12 levels. The lower than normal levels could worsen neurological complications of diabetes, including diabetic neuropathy and poor cognition. Guidelines advise periodic... more
Long-term usage of Metformin is associated with lower serum vitamin B12 levels. The lower than normal levels could worsen neurological complications of diabetes, including diabetic neuropathy and poor cognition. Guidelines advise periodic monitoring of vitamin B12 but do not specify frequency, treatment targets or treatment modality. This commentary aims to review the prevalence and the severity of the presentation and to provide evidence-based answers to those clinical questions not answered by current guidelines.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Background The first COVID-19 cases in Qatar were reported on 29 February 2020. As the epidemic progresses, essential epidemiological information is needed to facilitate monitoring of COVID-19 in the population and plan the pandemic... more
Background The first COVID-19 cases in Qatar were reported on 29 February 2020. As the epidemic progresses, essential epidemiological information is needed to facilitate monitoring of COVID-19 in the population and plan the pandemic response in Qatar. Aim The primary aim of this cross-sectional study is to estimate the point prevalence of COVID-19 in Qatar’s primary care registered population. Design & setting A cross-sectional study design will be utilised. One publicly funded health centre from each of three geographical regions in Qatar will be identified as a study location and set up to facilitate a drive-through for the study. Method Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) is publicly funded and the largest primary care provider in Qatar. The study will include randomly selected individuals from the full list of PHCC's registered population on its electronic medical records system. The sample selection will be done using a proportional to size sampling technique stratified ...
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Centres for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) reports that there are limited data and information about the impact of underlying medical conditions and the risk of infection. To date, there are no studies that report on the risk of... more
Centres for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) reports that there are limited data and information about the impact of underlying medical conditions and the risk of infection. To date, there are no studies that report on the risk of infection among patients with haematological diseases or abnormalities. This cross-sectional study reports on the baseline complete blood count in patients attending publicly funded primary care settings with a diagnosis of suspected COVID-19 infections in the state of Qatar. The study will report on the descriptive characteristics of the population, including gender, age and prior abnormalities to their blood test results. We will compare the results of those with positive and negative PCR test results, where appropriate. Nine hundred sixty-two adult patients attended publicly funded primary health care settings in the state of Qatar between February the 10th and April the 30th 2020 with a diagnosis of suspected COVID-19 infections had prior recorded ...
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Patients with diabetes are at risk of different eye complications; mainly retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most devastating complications and results in vision loss. The disease is the leading cause of blindness in... more
Patients with diabetes are at risk of different eye complications; mainly retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most devastating complications and results in vision loss. The disease is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. Patients with diabetes are also at risk of developing cataract, uveitis, and glaucoma. Pathophysiologic changes of diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma and theories for the association
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Background: Anxiety screening in primary care is crucial for the identification and management of the condition. The generalized anxiety disorder-2 (GAD-2) is an abridged version of the tool composed of the first two questions of the... more
Background: Anxiety screening in primary care is crucial for the identification and management of the condition. The generalized anxiety disorder-2 (GAD-2) is an abridged version of the tool composed of the first two questions of the GAD-7 for screening for anxiety in the general adult population in primary care settings. Patients who score more than 3 points are further evaluated for anxiety. Although there is a growing body of literature documenting the psychometric properties of the GAD-2 against a structured interview and the GAD-7, no earlier studies have assessed the performance of the GAD-2 in Qatar. This cross-sectional study primarily aims to examine the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of GAD-2 scores for detecting anxiety among patients attending PHCC in Qatar.Methods: The study will employ a periodic cross-sectional study of electronic medical record data of adult patients attending the primary health care settings between Jan...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Non invasive prenatal Testing (NIPT) is changing the practice of prenatal diagnosis worldwide. It provides high sensitivity and specificity in screening for common aneuploidies. As a result, it has reduced the number of invasive... more
Non invasive prenatal Testing (NIPT) is changing the practice of prenatal diagnosis worldwide. It provides high sensitivity and specificity in screening for common aneuploidies. As a result, it has reduced the number of invasive procedures, thereby reducing their associated risk of pregnancy miscarriage. NIPT is based on the detection and analysis of cell free fetal DNA (cffDNA) that is obtained from a maternal peripheral blood sample. Advanced laboratory detection and purification technology has improved the performance of NIPT and allowed the introduction of new applications in recent years. The introduction of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) into clinical practice has rendered NIPT to have high sensitivity in the screening of aneuploidy. It has also allowed detecting and investigating the fetal genome from maternal plasma. Fetal Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) provides non invasive prenatal diagnosis of inherited monogenic disorders and can also offer a diagnosis of an underlying cause of fetal anomalies that have a normal karyotype. The following will review the current and potential future applications of NIPT and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the various NIPT techniques. The role of public healthcare system plays in the provision of the test, and the psychological impact of NIPT on the end-users will also be highlighted.
Research Interests:
Acute kidney injury (AKI) and hypoglycemia are independent risk factors for morbidity and mortality with a strong association. We present a case report of AKI associated with hypoglycemia in a diabetic patient. Following standard AKI... more
Acute kidney injury (AKI) and hypoglycemia are independent risk factors for morbidity and mortality with a strong association. We present a case report of AKI associated with hypoglycemia in a diabetic patient. Following standard AKI treatment protocol, kidney functions recovered, and the patient had no further hypoglycemic attacks. AKI in diabetic patients could be multifactorial, but we suggest the presenting symptom to the primary care centre in our case was the recurrent hypoglycemic attacks that might have been overlooked by clinicians. While the association is well established in hospital settings, presentation in primary care settings with hypoglycemia is often overlooked. This case report aims to highlight the risk for AKI in diabetic and elderly patients with multiple risk factors for AKI and the strategies for prevention including highlighting those at risk, close monitoring and lower threshold of suspicion for the presentation.
Research Interests:
BACKGROUND The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests haemoglobin that (Hgb) cut-off levels below 2SD from the population mean to initiate anaemia investigations. In the absence of epidemiological data, Hgb less than 11 g/dL is... more
BACKGROUND The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests haemoglobin that (Hgb) cut-off levels below 2SD from the population mean to initiate anaemia investigations. In the absence of epidemiological data, Hgb less than 11 g/dL is considered abnormal in children up to the age of 59 months (4 years and eleven months). OBJECTIVES This study reports on the Hgb cut-off levels among children at 1 and 4 years of age. The study compared the prevalence based on the WHO generic cut-off levels and population-specific cut-off-based value defined as below 2SD from the population mean. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional record-based study of healthy children below the age of 59 months attending primary care settings in Qatar. 3 years of Hgb data were collected and analysed using descriptive analyses. We excluded children with any pre-existing disease or who have altered biological parameters indicating a non-healthy child. RESULTS 39407 Participants were stratified into differen...
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Glaucoma is considered the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Patients with diabetes are at risk of different eye complications, mainly retinopathy. Patients with diabetes are also at risk of developing cataract, uveitis... more
Glaucoma is considered the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Patients with diabetes are at risk of different eye complications, mainly retinopathy. Patients with diabetes are also at risk of developing cataract, uveitis and glaucoma. Three systematic reviews examined the associations between diabetes and glaucoma. Pooled analysis from those studies reported different OR 1.37, (95% CI=0.72-2.02), OR=1.36, (95% CI=1.25-1.50) and OR=1.48, (95% CI=1.29-1.71). Although the results seem close and suggest an increased risk in the diabetic population, the systematic reviews report significant heterogenicity and come short in explaining causality. Indeed, in one systematic review where 3 out of 7 studies suggested a non-significant association, the results were skewed to the positive side with a one-record based study that had a population size exceeding 2 million patients, while the rest of the studies had collectively 100 thousand patients. In our view, a case control study design that combines the patient surveys and electronic medical records ensure accurate data and more valid study results to validate or refute the association. This short communication article discusses the condition associations, theories for increased risk in the diabetic population and implications for future research.
Research Interests:
Centres for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) reports that there are limited data and information about the impact of underlying medical conditions and the risk of infection. To date, there are no studies that report on the risk of... more
Centres for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) reports that there are limited data and information about the impact of underlying medical conditions and the risk of infection. To date, there are no studies that report on the risk of infection among patients with haematological diseases or abnormalities. This cross-sectional study reports on the baseline complete blood count in patients attending publicly funded primary care settings with a diagnosis of suspected COVID-19 infections in the state of Qatar. The study will report on the descriptive characteristics of the population, including gender, age and prior abnormalities to their blood test results. We will compare the results of those with positive and negative PCR test results, where appropriate. Nine hundred sixty-two adult patients attended publicly funded primary health care settings in the state of Qatar between February the 10th and April the 30th 2020 with a diagnosis of suspected COVID-19 infections had prior recorded blood investigations in the last six months and were included in this study. The population was young, mean of age is 38.8±11.6. (Median: 36 [Min: 19 - Max: 85]). Complete blood count of the sample had minimal missing data points. Females were more presented in our samples, Female (n=560, 58.21%) and Male (n=402, 41.79%). Most of our sample had a documented PCR test result, negative (n=831, 86.38%); positive (n=123, 12.79%) and missing (n=8, 0.83%). Low haemoglobin values (n=265, 27.5%) and low red blood cell count (n =170, 17.7%) were the most prevalent complete blood count abnormality in the population. Leukopenia was less common (n=50, 8.2%). Most of the population had normal platelet count (n=895, 93%). Gender was the most influential factor in our sample to increase the odds of having a positive PCR t results; males were more likely to be affected (P<0.001, Chi-square test) (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.73-3.77). Categories for haematological abnormalities were not associated with increased risk of having a positive PCT test result. In a population attending primary healthcare settings with early presentation of symptoms of COVID-19 infection, the risk of infection among our cohort was not affected by the prior haematological values of those patients. Gender was the most influential parameter in the risk of infection in our population. Analysis of the results using gender-specific categories for different haematological parameters suggested that patients with abnormal haematological values were not at increased risk of having a positive COVID-19 infection.
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Background The rapid evolution of medical knowledge necessitates the continuous adaptation of clinical guidelines to ensure evidence-based practice. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as the ChatGPT language model, have the... more
Background The rapid evolution of medical knowledge necessitates the continuous adaptation of clinical guidelines to ensure evidence-based practice. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as the ChatGPT language model, have the potential to streamline guideline adaptation by efficiently synthesizing recommendations from multiple sources. Objective: This study aimed to develop a comprehensive guideline for the management of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) using AI-assisted approaches and assess the feasibility and effectiveness of this methodology for the adaptation of clinical guidelines. Methods A systematic approach was employed, involving the identification and selection of reliable clinical guidelines on DKA management. Key clinical questions were defined, and prompts were designed to ensure consistent, reliable output. The AI model was utilized to extract, summarize, compare, and contrast information from three guidelines, followed by the integration of the findings into a comprehensive guideline for DKA management. Results The AI-assisted approach successfully synthesized recommendations from the selected guidelines, generating a comprehensive and up-to-date guideline for DKA management. The resulting guideline incorporated risk factors, signs and symptoms, investigations, and treatment strategies, as well as specific considerations for pregnant patients. The AIassisted approach demonstrated the potential for efficient guideline adaptation, with implications for various medical topics and improved clinical practice. Conclusion The use of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, shows promise for enhancing the process of clinical guideline adaptation, addressing gaps and challenges in the field. This study provides a foundation for future research aimed at refining and expanding the application of AI tools for guideline adaptation and evaluating the impact of AI-generated guidelines on patient outcomes and clinical practice.
