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Biomedical subjects

R A Said

Publications and source records attributed to R A Said.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Detection of organic pollutants in sandy soils via TDR and eigendecomposition.

In this study, organic pollutants in sandy soils are detected using a time domain relectrometry (TDR) probe system and eigendecomposition technique. As a demonstration, four types of organic fluids (motor oil, diesel oil, methanol and ethanol) were examined. Samples were prepared with different combinations of deionized water and organic fluid contents. For each experiment, reflected signals were captured by an oscilloscope, and their characteristics were identified using eigendecomposition technique. Autoregressive modeling and singular value decomposition methods were utilized for calculating the eigenvalues. The most significant eigenvalues were then identified based on their relative magnitude. Experimental results indicated that the presented system is sensitive to both water and pore fluid organic contents. For saturated conditions, signature curves were determined for identification of organic and/or water contents in soil pore fluids.

Environmental Monitoring↗

Hepatitis C associated glomerulonephritis.

To determine the prevalence and type of glomerulonephritis (GN) associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis, we prospectively evaluated 28 consecutive Saudi patients with HCV cirrhosis for liver transplantation. Six patients (21%) underwent kidney biopsies for proteinuria, unexplained elevated serum creatinine or both. All 6 had GN, 4 had membranoproliferative, one focal segmental and one membranous GN. Immunologic and electron microscopic studies demonstrated immune complex deposition in the glomeruli. Two patients with significant proteinuria were treated with interferon alpha for 3 months with improvement in kidney and liver function. To our knowledge, this is the first report of focal segmental GN associated with HCV. This high prevalence of HCV associated GN is alarming and warrants further studies in cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients, particularly as an indication for therapeutic intervention.

Adult↗

Penile calcification in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Penile calcification was detected in 6 of 32 patients (19%) with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) using soft tissue x-ray techniques. Having been maintained on hemodialysis for a minimum of one year, all the affected patients showed clinical evidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism and calcification in the blood vessels of some other tissues. All had erectile impotence, while in 1 patient gangrene of the penis developed. Penile calcification is probably more common in ESRD patients than realized and should be looked for as a possible cause of impotence in male patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis.

Adult↗

Hypertension in Jordanian children: a retrospective analysis of 70 cases.

Seventy patients, aged 1-20 years, were seen at Jordan University Hospital with high blood pressure (BP) over a 3-year period. BP values ranged from 140 to 230 mmHg for systolic pressure and from 90 to 130 mmHg for diastolic pressure. Essential hypertension was seen in only 6 patients (8.6%); secondary hypertension (n = 64 or 91.4%) was due to renal parenchymal diseases (RPD) in 46 patients (65.7%), reno-vascular lesions in 8 (11.4%), renal transplantation in 5 (7.2%), teenage pregnancy in 4 (5.7%), and phaeochromocytoma in 1 patient (1.4%). The aetiologies of RPD were as follows: end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis in 14 patients, acute glomerulonephritis in 14, idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in 10, chronic renal insufficiency in 5, and polycystic kidney in 3 patients. Surgical cure of hypertension was achieved in 5 of the children with reno-vascular lesions and in the patient with phaeochromocytoma.

Adolescent↗

Noninvasive diagnosis of renal vein thrombosis by digital subtraction venography.

The definitive diagnosis of renal vein thrombosis (RVT) depends upon the demonstration of a persistent filling defect or defects within the renal vein by renal venography or selective renal angiography during the venous phase. We describe here the utilization of digital subtraction venography to diagnose RVT in a young nephrotic male patient. We injected 40 cm3 of contrast substance in a foot vein, having 4-second delayed films over the inferior vena cava and renal veins. We demonstrated a retrograde propagation of the dye into the right renal vein indicating intrarenal venous thrombosis. 'Renal vein thrombosis and digital venography'.

Adult↗

Severe hyponatraemia in burn patients secondary to hydrotherapy.

Severe hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia and pre-renal uraemia were seen in two burn victims who were treated with repeated submersion in tap-water. A primary loss of salt through the burned surface area into the whirlpool bathwater has been documented in both cases. All these abnormalities have been partially corrected by adding salt to the whirlpool water. To our knowledge no similar documented cases exist in the literature.

Adolescent↗