Volume 24, Issue 104, July - August, 2020

Effusion causes and management in a series of patients from Northern Saudi Arabia

Saleh Hadi Alharbi^♦

Department of Medicine, Alimam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Alimam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Email: slamhot@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT

Background: Management of patients with different forms of effusions represents a major challenge for many health caregivers. The present study aimed to explore the effusion causes and management in a series of patients from Northern Saudi Arabia. Methodology: In this descriptive retrospective study, data referred to 60 patients presented with exudative and trasudative effusions were reclaimed. Effusion was categorized into two types according to Light’s criteria. Results: Exudate effusion was identified in 27/60(45%) of the patients, hence, transudate was revealed in 33/60(55%) patients. The majority of males were identified with transudate 16/22(73%), hence, most females were identified with exudate 21/38(55%). The risk of exude effusion among males and the relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence interval 95%CI) was 1.6257(1.0509 to 2.5149), P = 0.0290, z statistic = 2.183. The risk of transude effusion among females, RR (95%CI) = 2.0263 (0.9669 to 4.2467), P = 0.0614, z statistic = 2.183, 1.871. Conclusion: Transudate effusion is more common and predominantly among males, whereas, exudate is more common among females. The most common causes of effusions in northern Saudi Arabia are cancers.

Keywords: Effusion, Exudate, Transudate, Saudi Arabia, Ha’il

Medical Science, 2020, 24(104), 2700-2706

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