Musa Suliman Alfaifi

Purpose: To evaluate disaster preparedness and surge capacity perception at the Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region (AFHSR), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an instrument assessing perceived hospital preparedness and surge capacity within the AFHSR, which was developed based on a review of the literature. The items used in this instrument were adapted from the framework and thematic findings of Shabanikiya et al. (2016), covering eight domains: surge capacity, command and control, human resources, triage, communication, logistics and supply, safety and security and recognition and continuity. A total of 600 healthcare providers’ valid responses (response rate: 30.0%). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Findings: High awareness of disaster policies (89.5%) and prior real-world disaster exposure (58.5%) were reported. Strong perceived preparedness was observed in triage (1.12 ± 0.263) and safety and security (1.13 ± 0.266). Lower perceived performance was noted in human resources (1.22 ± 0.322) and communication training (1.19 ± 0.202). Awareness of the disaster plan significantly correlated with preparedness perceptions (r = 0.407**, p < 0.001), and awareness of the disaster policy significantly correlated with preparedness perceptions (r = 0.448**, p < 0.001). Research limitations/implications: The single-center design and moderate response rate may limit generalizability. Results underscore the need for targeted improvements in workforce planning and structured communication training to strengthen institutional resilience. Practical implications: Findings provide actionable guidance for hospital leadership to enhance surge capacity, optimize human resource strategies and reinforce communication frameworks. Social implications: Strengthened disaster preparedness improves patient safety, operational continuity and community confidence during public health emergencies and mass casualty incidents. Originality/value: This study delivers a structured, domain-based benchmarking of perceived preparedness in a major Saudi military hospital, contributing regional evidence to the limited literature on hospital surge capacity and disaster readiness.

Background: Snakebite envenomation remains a significant public health concern in Asir Province of Saudi Arabia. Aim: To characterize snake species and the clinical presentation, outcome and management of snakebite cases admitted to 4 major hospitals in Asir Province, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed medical records of paediatric and adult snakebite cases admitted to 4 regional hospitals in Saudi Arabia between January 2000 and December 2021 using search terms “snakebite”, “cobra”, “polyvalent antivenin”, “antivenom”, “compartment syndrome”, and “fasciotomy”. The data were analysed using R software version 4.2. Results: Sixty-nine patients were identified, of whom 30 (43.5%) were children aged 1000 U/L (8 patients; 11.6%), and acute kidney injury (4 patients; 5.8%), with 2 progressing to end-stage renal disease. Three patients (4.5%) died. A majority (94%) received initial 5-vial antivenom dose, with 39% requiring additional doses. Antivenom-related adverse reactions were mild and transient in 6 patients (9%). Blood products and antibiotics were used in 30% and 67% of cases, respectively. Anticholinesterase therapy was administered to 3 patients (4.3%). Conclusion: Snakebites pose a significant public health threat in Asir Province of Saudi Arabia. Antivenom, in addition to supportive care, remains the cornerstone of therapy, however, to optimize patient outcomes, our study highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to management, as well as vigilant monitoring with prompt recognition and interventions.

Black widow spider (Latrodectus renivulatus) envenomation is a toxicological emergency affecting Middle Eastern countries. Young children may experience greater morbidity due to their small size relative to the amount of venom delivered. We describe four pediatric cases of severe black widow spider envenomation in Saudi Arabia. The neurological effects predominated, and all patients needed morphine for pain relief. All patients required admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The durations of PICU stay and total hospital stay were 1–3 days and 2–5 days, respectively. Although Latrodectus antivenom is safe and effective, Latrodectus antivenom was unavailable, and no patients received antivenom. We believe that Latrodectus antivenom would rapidly relieve symptoms and shorten hospital stays.

Introduction Early identification of a patient with infection who may develop sepsis is of utmost importance. Unfortunately, this remains elusive because no single clinical measure or test can reflect complex pathophysiological changes in patients with sepsis. However, multiple clinical and laboratory parameters indicate impending sepsis and organ dysfunction. Screening tools using these parameters can help identify the condition, such as SIRS, quick SOFA (qSOFA), National Early Warning Score (NEWS), or Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS). We aim to externally validate qSOFA, SIRS, and NEWS/NEWS2/MEWS for in-hospital mortality among adult patients with suspected infection who presenting to the emergency department. Methods and analysis PASSEM study is an international prospective external validation cohort study. For 9 months, each participating centre will recruit consecutive adult patients who visited the emergency departments with suspected infection and are planned for hospitalisation. We will collect patients’ demographics, vital signs measured in the triage, initial white blood cell count, and variables required to calculate Charlson Comorbidities Index; and follow patients for 90 days since their inclusion in the study. The primary outcome will be 30-days in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcome will be intensive care unit (ICU) admission, prolonged stay in the ICU (i.e., >72 hours), and 30-as well as 90-days all-cause mortality. The study started in December 2021 and planned to enrol 2851 patients to reach 200 in-hospital death. The sample size is adaptive and will be adjusted based on prespecified consecutive interim analyses. Ethics and dissemination The Aseer Regional Committee for Research Ethics in the General Directorate of Health Affairs-Aseer Region has approved this study. Informed consent is not required for this study due to its complete observational nature and absence of interventions or invasive procedures. We will publish study’s results in peer-reviewed journals and may present them at scientific conferences. Study registration number ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05172479