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Biomedical subjects

M K al-Haddad

Publications and source records attributed to M K al-Haddad.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

OCD in Bahrain: a phenomenological profile.

Fifty patients with a primary diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) were studied during the course of the year 1994 from a phenomenological point of view in order to delineate the various forms and contents of obsessions and compulsions. An attempt was made to highlight the frequency with which the different forms and contents occur. Six types of obsessions were identified: doubts, thoughts, fear (phobia), images, impulses and miscellaneous. Compulsive acts were classified into two types: yielding and controlling. The contents of obsessions could be classified into eight broad categories as relating to: dirt and contamination, germs, aggression, sex, religion, blasphemy, illness and indecisiveness. Thirty eight percent of the patients displayed obsessional thoughts related to dirt and contamination, while forty per cent showed religious and blasphemous obsessional thoughts and doubts. Fifty six percent of the patients had compulsions of which 36% were multiple, while 20% displayed only a single compulsion. The paper discusses these findings and emphasizes the role played by sociocultural and religious factors in shaping the character of an obsessional thought content.

Adolescent

Epidemiology of HIV and AIDS in Bahrain.

Between 1986 and 1996, 378 HIV cases were identified in Bahrain, of whom 51% were foreign nationals. Intravenous drug abuse was a major risk factor (38.8%) among Bahraini nationals, while transmission through sexual contact was more common (45.7%) among foreigners. Other well known risk factors were also represented in the two communities. The male to female ratio for the two communities were very different with 10:1 for nationals compared to 1:1.4 for foreigners. Among the AIDS defining manifestations, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was the commonest (50%), followed by tuberculosis (21%), oro-esophageal candidiasis, cryptosporidiosis and toxoplasmosis. Transmission through sex and maternal-foetus route could emerge as significant contributors in the spread of AIDS in Bahrain unless appropriate preventive steps are taken.

Adult

Heroin addiction in Bahrain: 15 years experience.

This study describes the development and outcome of a new treatment programme for the management of heroin addiction in Bahrain. The problem reached its peak in the early 1980s with several reported deaths and with the involvement of many disciplines in the overall response. In 1983, treatment of all addicts was restricted by law to the government psychiatric hospital. The newly established specialized drug unit was overwhelmed by the number of patients seeking treatment. The lack of sufficient resources and suitably trained staff forced the unit to adopt an outpatient maintenance therapy approach for most of its clients. In 1987, a new comprehensive treatment programme was introduced that relies on a clear philosophy, safe detoxification (using objective scales for withdrawal manifestations) rather than maintenance therapy, followed by psychological and social rehabilitation. A national committee for drug addiction was formed and an intensive programme of education was started at all levels. The results indicate an initial increase at inpatient level but a marked drop of outpatient attendance. The use of the Opioid Objective Withdrawal Manifestations Scale (OOWMS) revealed that only a small number of our patients developed moderate or severe signs of withdrawal that required detoxification, and the rate of dispensed controlled medication was reduced by 99%. The effect of this approach is discussed, with special reference to the need for a collaborative effort from all disciplines in planning, implementing, continuously evaluating and modifying the national programmes for handling the serious problem of addiction.

Bahrain

HIV antibodies among intravenous drug users in Bahrain.

A 12-month study was conducted to identify risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among intravenous drug users (IDU) attending drug rehabilitation clinic of the Psychiatric Hospital, Manama, Bahrain. Patients provided demographic and behavioural information based on a questionnaire. Two hundred and forty male IDUs participated in the study on voluntary basis. The seroprevalence of HIV was 21.1 per cent. The presence of HIV antibody was associated with educational status, frequency of injecting drugs and needle sharing.

Adult

Diagnostic agreement in psychiatry. A comparative study between ICD-9, ICD-10 and DSM-III-R.

A random sample of 100 new patients referred consecutively to the psychiatric hospital was assessed using the Arabic translation of the PSE. An abstract form was designed to include all PSE scores as well as the necessary extra data to make ICD-9, ICD-10, and DSM-III-R diagnoses. Kappa correlation was calculated for inter-rater and intra-rater reliability. Overall reliability and reliability of each major psychiatric diagnosis were compared between the three systems. The use of the PSE helped in achieving good agreement between Arab psychiatrists for all the three systems, but ICD-10 was found to have the highest reliability figures both for three-digit and four-digit psychiatric diagnoses.

Female

Problem-based curriculum: outcome evaluation.

The College of Medicine and Medical Sciences of the Arabian Gulf University (CMMS-AGU) in Bahrain is, in its innovativeness, unique in the region in that a problem-based strategy is used in the planning and implementation of the curriculum. The first batch of graduates have completed their internship programme in the different countries of the region. This paper presents an evaluative study of the outcome of the programme in relation to the institutional goals. Assessment of the intern's performance in clinical competence, interpersonal relations, self-directed learning, and their relative standing vis-à-vis graduates from other schools was done by supervisors. The findings of the study confirm the relative merits of the problem-based curricular strategy in medical education.

Bahrain