Queen Rania Research Articles

Persuasion in Social Speeches

The study of the political speeches has drawn the attention of scholars since its revelation up to the present day. Many scholars have attempted to study specific features of it. One of these features that has been at the core of interest is persuasion. This research was aimed to elaborate on the concept of persuasion in the political speeches and to find out the persuasive strategies used in the speeches of queen Rania (queen of the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan) The study has confined itself to three main objectives. These are discussing the concept of persuasion as manifested in the political speeches, Identifying the persuasive strategies used, and naming the most common and the least common ones. By using a model based on persuasive communication theory and other related concepts, researcher analyzed the data using quantitative-qualitative research method. The analysis started with a comprehensive reading of queen Rania speech and then identifying the tokens of persuasive strategies. The results were put in numerical form and discussed both quantitively and qualitatively. The study findings show that persuasion is one of the basic concepts in the political speeches due to the nature of this text which aimed at persuading people to follow the righteous course of action and belief. It is also found that all the persuasive strategies included in the model appeared in the text under study. Finally, the study revealed that metaphor is the most commonly used persuasive strategies while personification is the least.

Uveitis Profile in Children and Its Impact on Vision at Queen Rania Children's Hospital.

The aim of this study was to explore the patterns of pediatric uveitis and the types of ocular complications of uveitis and to determine the possible risk factors associated with visual impairment. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Queen Rania Children's Hospital between June 2020 and June 2023. All children diagnosed with uveitis were enrolled in the study. After collecting data from the patients and reviewing their medical records regarding age, gender, and past ocular and medical history, the patients were subjected to a detailed ophthalmic exam including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Anterior segment exam using the slit lamp, intraocular pressure exam using Goldmann applanation tonometry, and posterior segment exam using 78 and 90 diopter Volk lenses were performed. Patients with other ocular diseases that affected visions not related to uveitis were excluded from the study. A total of 82 children, accounting for 130 eyes, were enrolled in this study, with ages ranging from 2 to 16 years (mean age 10.5±4.3 years). Among them, 27 were males, constituting 32.9% of the participants. Unilateral uveitis was observed in 34 eyes, representing 26.2% of cases. The mean age of uveitis onset was 6.9±1.9 years, and the mean disease duration was 4.8±0.4 years. The majority of cases i.e. 90.8% (n = 74)were non-infectious, with 92.3% (n = 76) classified as non-granulomatous and 79.2% (n = 65) categorized as chronic. Anterior uveitis was the most prevalent site of inflammation in 70.8% of cases (n = 58), followed by panuveitis in 20.0% of cases (n = 16), intermediate uveitis in 6.2%of cases (n = 5), and posterior uveitis in 3.0% of cases (n = 2). The cause of uveitis could not be identified in 40.0% (n = 33) of cases. Juvenile idiopathic uveitis emerged as the most commonly known disorder associated with uveitis in 40.0% (n = 33) of cases. Complications were identified in 52.3% (n = 43) of cases, with posterior synechiae being the most prevalent; 26.9% (n = 22) demonstrated an improvement in BCVA, while 21.5% (n = 18) experienced a decline in BCVA relative to the initial assessment Conclusion: Pediatric uveitis tends to manifest as anterior, chronic, bilateral, and non-granulomatous. Higher frequencies of severe visual impairment are linked to panuveitis, infectious and granulomatous uveitis, early-onset, long-duration cases, and male gender. The use of biologics has a positive effect, significantly improving or preserving visual acuity.

Inborn Errors of Immunity in Jordan: First Report from a Tertiary Referral Center.

Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a heterogeneous group of diseases with variable clinical phenotypes. This study was conducted to describe the epidemiology, clinical presentations, treatment, and outcome of IEI in Jordanian children. A retrospective data analysis was conducted for children under 15 years diagnosed with IEI from the pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology Division-based registry at Queen Rania Children's Hospital, Amman, Jordan, between 2010 and 2022. A total of 467 patients, 263 (56.3%) males and 204 (43.7%) females, were diagnosed with IEI. The mean age at symptom onset was 18 months (1 week to 144 months), a positive family history of IEI was reported in 43.5%, and the consanguinity rate was 47.9%. The most common IEI category was immunodeficiencies affecting cellular and humoral immunity at 33.2%, followed by predominantly antibody deficiencies at 16.9%. The overall median diagnostic delay (range) was 6 (0-135) months; patients with a positive family history of IEI had a statistically significant shorter diagnostic delay. Pulmonary and gastrointestinal clinical features were the most common at 55.2% and 45.6%, respectively. The overall mortality was 33.2%; the highest rate was reported in severe combined immunodeficiency at 56.2%. The high minimal estimated IEI prevalence at 16.2/100,000 Jordanian children compared to the regional and worldwide data, with the diversities in clinical presentation and distribution of IEI categories in our cohort point to unique features of IEI in Jordanian children, call for national registry establishment, regional and international collaborative networks.

Proportional of wheezing events in asthmatic children post-vaccination of annual flu vaccine

Background: The common childhood chronic disease asthma causes hospitalisation and exacerbations due to respiratory tract viral infections like influenza. Due to uncertainty about the benefits and role of influenza vaccines in preventing asthma exacerbations, many children with asthma do not receive them, despite recommendations from organisations like the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunisation. There are two main types of influenza vaccines: intramuscular trivalent inactivated and intranasal cold-adapted, live attenuated. Both vaccines are highly immunogenic and induce an adequate immune response, but their clinical efficacy varies by season and age. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of increased wheeze rates in stable asthmatic children who received the annual flu vaccine, compared to a control group of asthmatic children who did not receive the vaccine. Methods: A retrospective study at the Queen Rania Abdullah for Children Hospital in Amman, Jordan, examined the vaccination status of 200 asthmatic children aged 3-14. The study focused on recurrent wheezing episodes and the minimum 12-month period between the last annual flu vaccination and asthmatic exacerbation. The study excluded uncontrolled or partially controlled patients for the past 12 months. Data was collected from demographic information, vaccination history, and past wheezing episodes. The children were divided into two groups, one without the flu vaccine and the other with the flu vaccine. A comprehensive questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographic and disease-related factors. If children received the vaccination as per the National Vaccination Schedule, their vaccination status was considered complete. Results: A study of 200 asthmatic children in Jordan found that 35% did not receive a flu vaccine, placing them in Group I. 65% had received a flu vaccine in the previous year. Males had higher distribution rates in both flu-based groups, with a statistically insignificant positive correlation. Age categories showed similar distribution rates, with 21.0% for 3-6 years, 34.0% for 6-9 years, 37.5% for 9-12 years, and 7.5% for 12-15 years. No significant correlation was found between receiving the flu vaccine and wheezing rates in the last seasonal year. Frequent wheezing episodes were higher in experienced groups than in naïve groups.

Schedule of pneumococcal conjugated vaccination and incidence of asthmatic exacerbation in children

Background: Chronic asthma is a complex condition. An abrupt rise in eosinophil counts, deterioration of asthma symptoms, increased reliance on bronchodilators with or without oral/IV corticosteroids, and a higher frequency of emergency room visits with hospitalisations or antibiotic use have been identified as indicators of the effectiveness of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in preventing illness. Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the clinical importance of scheduling the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in reducing the occurrences of asthma exacerbations and their subsequent complications in children, as previously described. Methods: A study at Queen Rania Abdullah for Children Hospital in Amman, Jordan, examined 200 children aged 3-14 with chronic asthma who were hospitalized from 2022 to 2023 due to wheezing. The children were divided into four groups based on their experience with the flu vaccine and PCV13. The study used a detailed questionnaire to gather information about the children's background, health history, vaccination history, and vaccination history. The results were analyzed using chi-square testing and a 95% confidence interval. Results: A paediatric clinic in Jordan had 200 asthmatic kids, with 40.5% having not received the flu or PCV13 shot. The remaining 43.5% had received the flu shot but forgot to get the PCV13. About 11% of the kids in Group II were asthmatic and received both the flu shot and PCV 13. The study found a positive correlation between Groups I-IV for men but not for women. Age groups had similar distribution rates, with 21.0% for ages 3 to 6, 34.0% for ages 6 to 9, 37.5% for ages 9 to 12, and 7.5% for ages 12 to 15. There was a strong link between the rates of wheezing episodes in Groups I through IV compared to rates of occasional versus frequent episodes in the past seasonal year.

Queen Rania’s English Speech as a Practical Argument on Educating Women

The recent study throws light on Queen Rania’s Speech, which emphasizes the value of education for the Middle Eastern girls. The current study seeks to identify the Queen’s rhetorical strategies in order to address the research question; “why is Queen Rania’s speech reasonable, justified, and persuasive?” To answer this question the researchers examine the speech’s discourse using Toulmin’s (2003) model of argument which comprises six layouts: ground, claim, qualifier, warrant, backing, and Rebuttal. It is discovered that Queen Rania employs Toulmin’s model although with slight modification in the order of these layouts. She intends for her speech to be a massive appeal to the entire globe to raise their voices and help the unfortunate girls get better life. Her speech is composed of introduction part that sets time and place, four justified claims within the same theme beginning with showing the importance of education for girls, moving on to mention a number of sample stories of poor girls around the world and how they become successful when given the opportunity to be educated, and finally inviting the entire world to prioritize the education of girls.

The Impact of Ethical Leadership on Educational Excellence Among Kindergarten Teachers in Public Schools Affiliated with the Ministry of Education in Jordan

Objectives: The objective of this study is to examine the impact of ethical leadership on educational excellence among kindergarten teachers in Jordanian public schools affiliated with the Ministry of Education. Methods: For this study, a descriptive-analytical approach was employed. The researcher developed a questionnaire consisting of 32 items to collect primary data on the variables. The questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 300 teachers. Results: The study's findings revealed that both ethical leadership and the measure of educational excellence were high. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant effect of moral leadership, specifically its dimensions of moral values, moral adherence, moral relationships, and ethical personal practices, on educational excellence among Jordanian public school kindergarten teachers. Conclusions: Moral leadership, including its aforementioned dimensions, was identified as a crucial factor in the educational process. It was concluded that kindergarten teachers in government schools affiliated with the Ministry of Education possessed personal characteristics, relationships, and moral values that reinforced their moral commitment. Additionally, the presence of ethical leadership positively influenced kindergarten teachers in government schools affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry of Education, fostering a culture of educational excellence and motivating their participation in excellence awards such as the Queen Rania Al Abdullah Award for Educational Excellence.

Fatal COVID-19 in an infant prompted an early diagnosis of ZNFX1 deficiency in a sibling

BackgroundNFX1-type zinc finger-containing 1 (ZNFX1) is an interferon-stimulated double-stranded RNA sensor that restricts the replication of RNA viruses in mice. ZNFX1 deficiency in humans is very rare; to date, only fifteen cases have been reported by Vavassori S et al. (10.1016/j.jaci.2021.03.045). The disease presented in all cases as severe viral infections complicated by multisystem inflammation evolved to multiorgan failure with a high mortality rate.Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Section at Queen Rania Children’s Hospital in Jordan had confirmed the diagnosis of ZNFX1 deficiency in an infant at his first presentation with severe viral illness based on the positive family history of one sibling death caused by complicated COVID-19 infection. Case presentationA 12-month-old boy was born to consanguineous parents, full-term, with no NICU admission. He was doing well till the age of four months when he was admitted to the hospital with fever, hypoactivity, and maculopapular skin rash. On admission, he was ill, hypoactive, and febrile, and a physical exam showed hepatosplenomegaly and maculopapular skin rash. His lab showed thrombocytopenia, elevated transaminases, hyperferritinemia, and high CRP; he was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, but he continued to deteriorate, and his infectious workup was unrevealing, including COVID-19 PCR.His older sibling died at eight months in 2020 when she got a COVID-19 infection, deceased after rapid deterioration evolved to multiorgan failure. Unfortunately, she had no stored DNA, as she was treated at a peripheral hospital.Based on this presentation and the fatal COVID-19 infection, pediatric immunology service got consulted; we did an immunological workup, which showed normal lymphocyte subsets, Immunoglobulins, and bacterial antibodies.Whole exome sequencing showed a homozygous frameshift mutation in the ZNFX1 gene, protein change defect had detected; p.Tyr555MetfsTer6, and nucleotide change variant: c.1663_1665delTACinsAT. Family screening showed heterozygous for the same variant in both parents and a healthy sibling. The patient was diagnosed with the hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis-like disease and treated with steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and antimicrobials, he showed complete recovery, and we are going to do bone marrow transplantation as his brother is 8/8 HLA matched.

Clinical and Laboratory Features of Patients with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C): An Experience From Queen Rania Children's Hospital, Jordan.

Background Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a new clinical observation that emerged during the coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) and has similar manifestations to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome. In this study, we aim to describe the characteristics of MIS-C patients in a single center in Jordan. Methods A retrospective analysis of electronic medical records of pediatric patients diagnosed with MIS-C at the pediatric rheumatology division of Queen Rania Children's Hospital, Amman, Jordan, between January 2021 and December 2022. Data collected included age, gender, clinical and laboratory data on presentation, and treatment options, which were compared in two different age groups. Results A total of 80 patients were included in this cohort (53 males and 27 females). The mean age at presentation was 84.4 months (ranging between nine months and 16 years). The most common presenting symptoms included fever (100%), abdominal pain (76.2%), skin rash (75%), conjunctivitis (72.5%), and mucosal changes (62.5%). Lymphopenia was present in 66.2% of patients. The majority of patients (98.7%) showed elevated C-reactive protein (CRP); 72 patients showed elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (92.5%); ferritin was elevated in 70% of patients; the median fibrinogen level was 390 (interquartile range (IQR) 0.6-20) mg/dL; and the D-dimer level was 3.9 (IQR 0.6-20) mg/dL. Pericardial effusion was present in 23.8% of patients, and five patients (6.3%) had coronary artery dilatation. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first large case series of MIS-C in Jordan, with a wide spectrum of clinical presentation and evidence of hyperinflammation.

Factors Influencing the Length of Hospital Stay Among Pediatric COVID-19 Patients at Queen Rania Al Abdullah Hospital for Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2is a worldwide epidemic. Children are less commonly infected and have less severe symptoms than adults. However, they are at risk for COVID-19-associated severe sickness and hospitalization. The duration of stay is a major driver of effective health treatment during hospitalization; thus, it is only logical to attempt to comprehend the factors influencing the length of stay (LOS) for these patients, particularly in light of the ongoing pandemic caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 virus. As predictors of hospital LOS, several variables, including age, gender, disease severity, hospital mortality, insurance type, and hospital location, have been discovered. In our study, we focused on the severity of the patient's condition, the presence of comorbidities, and the necessary therapeutic regimen to predict the duration of stay. This study aimed to answer the following questions: If a patient has comorbidity and has COVID-19 requiring hospital treatment, will the patient's comorbidity elongate the duration of stay at the hospital for further management in the pediatric age group? What are the risk factors that play a significant role in the hospital stay duration in pediatrics? Methodology We gathered data from 100 hospitalized children aged up to 14 yearswho tested positive for COVID-19, which was not specific to variants of SARS-CoV-2, over 24 months (February 2020-February 2022) at Queen Rania Al Abdullah Hospital for Children, one of the Health Care AccreditationCouncil accredited facilities. Clinical symptoms, signs, oxygen demand, imaging study results, laboratory data, and usage of corticosteroid and antiviral medication were all taken from patients' medical records. There were no limitations in taking the sample of patients. All patients in the duration mentioned were included. Results Clinical data of 100 COVID-19-positive pediatric patients were analyzed; 52% of the patients had associated chronic illnesses, while 48% were medically free. The longest duration of LOS was 28 days, the shortest was one day, the median was eight days, and five days was the most frequent among patients owing to 21% of patients, using mean descriptive statistics. We compared LOS to having or not having comorbidities. The meanLOS of patients with the comorbid disease was 6.15 days, with a maximumof 28 days, while for patients without chronic illnesses, the mean was 4.81 days with a maximum of 14 days. The significance was 0.07. Our results also showed a significant correlation between using steroids and LOS, as it had an advantageouseffect by decreasing it with a significance value of 0.04. Having abnormal findings on chest computed tomography(CT) scan was also associated with increased LOS with a significant value of 0.00. Conclusions According to our research, there was no direct association between comorbidity and hospital LOS, which is counterintuitive, as it was influenced by multiplayers of variables such as using steroids, which decreased the LOS, and abnormal findings on chest CT, which resulted in lengthening of the hospital stay.Our findings cannot be proven without further research and a larger patient sample.

Hybrid ethnicities, fashionable bodies and unruly transgressors: Fetishizing Arab ‘first ladies’ in western media1

Until the Arab uprisings occurred, many Arab first ladies and queens feted by US media received exceptionally favourable coverage that celebrated their physical appearance and western sense of fashion. Grounded in the context of neo-liberal politics which considers them objects of cultural identification, this article studies western media’s representations of Suzanne Mubarak, Queen Rania of Jordan and Asma al-Assad who are framed as virtuous house wives, western by ethnicity, birth place or education, and sophisticated upper-middle class ladies with panic-trigger for both Arab elites and western observers: Egypt’s veiled Naglaa Mahmoud and the architype of a working-class seductress with lust for power, Tunisia’s Leila Trabelsi. Using qualitative textual and visual analysis of narratives and images from media coverage, reports and fashion magazines, the article presents a comparative content analysis of their representations through a set of three dichotomies: the first one pays careful attention to the intersection of neo-liberal politics and the deployment of ethnic hybridity as an ideological apparatus that sets up a binary between Arab and Caucasian or half-White women who emerge as the new ‘saviour’ of Muslim women; the second is a close pairing between the sexualization of the westernized and fashionable first lady and the de-sexualization of her veiled ‘backwards’ counterpart sister; the third entails a juxtaposition of the good and desired seductress with the promiscuous and bad one. Findings show how media discourses of modernity impose neo-liberal and neo-Orientalist demarcations to define Arab Muslim women’s agency, femininity, bodies and status according to western standards.

First Ladies of the Middle East: Change of Image in the Global Media

This Article is dedicated to the image of the middle Eastern First Ladies and how it impacts the way people perceive the country itself in the Media. We study the headlines and the coverage in foreign Media dedicated to Asma Assad, Queen Rania of Jordan, Sheikha Mosa, Princess Haya of Dubai. Queen Rania and Sheikha Mosa are considered the True Middle Eastern royalty, they wear the most on point collections by the eastern and European designers, visit Royal households around the world and have friendly parties with the European Royals; whereas Asma, who had been positively accepted years ago, now has ricocheted and makes the impression of the negatively lavish lifestyle. Princess Haya of Dubai is not only royal to the bone, but could defend her name, family and stand up to the cruel, traditional leader of Dubai proving her right to live freely in the British court, which is outstanding for the Eastern civilizations. We are observing the First Ladies as the attitude towards women and their empowerment is changing even in the Muslim countries of the Middle East. Each lady can represent a separate strong personality with the will and free spirit, whilst in the hardest time they stay by their husbands, supporting every hard decision he makes. In the framework of our research, we focus on each lady in the context of the situation she lives in – Iconic Rania and Mosa, rebellious Haya and loyal Asma. All four demonstrate the colorful palette of cultures of the modern Middle East.

Women for Women: Discourse Analysis of Female's Political Discourse Supporting Women's Issues (A Case Study of Queen Rania's English Speeches)

The focus of this study is the area of discourse analysis. This study analyses the political discourse of Queen Rania of Jordan’s English speeches. The data of the study consist of the English speeches the Queen delivered from 2016 to 2018. This study examines whether her speeches draw on the characteristics of the 'Feminine Style' of women’s political discourse in qualitative and quantitative analysis. The paper concludes that women in the political arena prioritise women's issues and address them through using some rhetorical techniques such as storytelling in order to convince the audience to support them.

Pediatric Noninfectious Uveitis in a Tertiary Referral Center in Jordan: Clinical Spectrum and Immunomodulatory Treatment.

ObjectivesThis study aims to describe the clinical, etiological, and treatment features of noninfectious uveitis in Jordanian children in a single center.MethodsA retrospective, observational analysis of medical records of pediatric patients who were diagnosed with noninfectious uveitis from 2015 to 2020 at pediatric rheumatology and ophthalmology clinics at Queen Rania Children’s Hospital, Amman, Jordan, was conducted. All patients were below 14 years of age at diagnosis. The collected data included age at diagnosis, anatomical location of uveitis, laterality, associated systemic disease, and used medications.ResultsOverall, 96 patients were included in this cohort (41 males and 55 females), with a mean age at diagnosis of 8.4±2.4 years. Anterior uveitis (44.8%) was the commonest anatomical location. Based on laterality, bilateral uveitis was reported in 59.3% of all patients. Idiopathic uveitis (46.9%) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis (JIAU) (35.5%) were the most common diagnoses. Of the children with idiopathic uveitis, 47% had panuveitis, while 61.7% of the children with JIAU had chronic anterior uveitis. Posterior synechiae were the most common complication (12.5%). Patients with refractory uveitis received infliximab (29.1%) and adalimumab (4.1%).ConclusionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on noninfectious uveitis in Jordanian children. Compared with other regional and international published reports, JIAU and idiopathic uveitis were the most common diagnoses. To obtain more details on noninfectious uveitis characteristics, a population-based rather than a single-center study is needed in Jordan.

Comparison Between Tonsillectomy Performed by Bipolar versus Coblation Techniques Our Experience at Queen Rania Hospital for Pediatrics

Comparison Between Tonsillectomy Performed by Bipolar versus Coblation Techniques Our Experience at Queen Rania Hospital for Pediatrics

Rhabdotaenia – a typical Gondwanan leaf from the upper Permian of Jordan

Rhabdotaenia, a typical leaf type of Gondwana (e.g., India, Australia, Africa, South America) is described from the Umm Irna Formation (Permian) of the Dead Sea Region, Jordan. Two fragments with well-preserved cuticles were collected during fieldwork in 2017 from a single locality. They are characterized by a taeniopterid morphology and sparsely anastomosing veins. Veins arise from the rachis at acute angles of about 45°, immediately dichotomize and recurve slightly to run at about 80° to the rachis straight towards the margin, sporadically dichotomizing a second time and forming sparse anastomoses. Epifluorescence microscopy revealed that stomata are confined to intercostal fields and are haplocheilic with exposed guard cells surrounded by only poorly differentiated subsidiary cells. Ordinary epidermal cells are characterized by slightly sinuous cell walls within intercostal fields. The new material is the northernmost occurrence of this genus reported so far, well within the palaeoequatorial belt of Pangea. This occurrence highlights the floral relationship of some assemblages of the so called ‘mixed floras’ of the Arabian Peninsula with Gondwana, and demonstrates that the Umm Irna Formation, in particular, still holds great potential for future palaeobotanical discoveries. Patrick Blomenkemper [p_blom02@uni-muenster.de], Paläobotanik, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Heisenbergstraße 2, 48149 Münster, Germany; Hans Kerp [kerp@uni-muenster.de], Paläobotanik, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Heisenbergstraße 2, 48149 Münster, Germany; Abdalla Abu Hamad [abdalla80@hotmail.com], University of Jordan, Queen Rania St, 2V7F + 85 Amman, Jordan; Benjamin Bomfleur [bbomfleur@uni-muenster.de], Paläobotanik, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Heisenbergstraße 2, 48149 Münster, Germany.

Hydatid Disease in Children, Our Experience at Queen Rania Al Abdullah Hospital

Background: Hydatid disease in children is one of the commonest proplems in pediatric age group in Jordan. It is complications is the main concern of pediatric surgeons in Queen Rania Alabdullah Hospital for children. Objective: The aim of our research is to represent our experience in dealing and management of children with hydatid disease in Queen Rania Al Abdullah Hospital for children. Materials and methods: Retrospective study was conducted over period from Feb 2011 till Sep 2019, the medical records of 63 patients with hydatid disease who were treated in our centre were collected. Demographic data, site of disease, complications, and outcome were demonstrated and analysed. Results: 63 patients with hydatid disease were seen in our centre since 2011 till 2019. 39 were males and 24 females with male to female ratio (1,6:1) Mean age was 8,5 years, ranged from 2,3 to 14,8. Single organ involvement was seen in 55 patients versus 8 patients with multiple organs. Conclusion: Hydatid disease is a common proplem in our country. Lung involvement is the most common involved organ in pediatric age group. Surgery is the main modality of treatment with high success rate and low complications.

Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1 in Jordan: A Retrospective Study.

Background Hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 (HT1) is a recessively inherited inborn error of metabolism affecting the final step of tyrosine catabolism. The accumulation of tyrosine toxic metabolites leads to progressive hepatic, renal, and neurological manifestations. Treatment of HT1 consists of tyrosine-restricted diets and nitisinone. The untreated disease progresses into life-threatening liver failure with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods From April 2010 to March 2021, eighteen patients were diagnosed with HT1 in the metabolic department at Queen Rania Al Abdullah Hospital for Children in Jordan. Patients were reviewed retrospectively regarding their clinical features, laboratory data, and sociodemographic history. Results The mean age of nine boys and nine girls was 6.03 years (SD ± 3.85). The mean age for symptom onset was 5.61 months (SD ± 6.02). However, the diagnosis was belated from the onset by 10.50 months (±10.42). Nitisinone treatment was delayed from diagnosis around 12.28 months (SD ± 25.36). Most of the patients (66.7%) had acute onset of the disease. Two children (11.1%) died due to hepatic complications. Positive family history was identified in 61.1% of patients, and a similar percentage were born to parents with consanguineous marriage. The most common presentation was abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever. Hepatomegaly and abdominal distention were the most common findings. Six patients' (42.9%) first presentation was rickets. Conclusion HT1 diagnosis is usually delayed because it is not part of newborn screening and nonfamiliarity with the clinical features of the disease. Therefore, nationwide newborn screening should be expanded to include HT1.

Topical Testosterone Therapy Prior to Hypospadias Repair (Our experience at Queen Rania Al-Abdullah Hospital for Children)

Objective: As hypospadias is one of the most common congenital male anomalies, furthermore, multiple approaches and methods of treatment were mentioned over the references, we tried to put our thumbs on one of the most preoperative steps which can be missed or has multiple debates during a discussion about it. Here in our study, we focused on the rule of topical testosterone treatment on multiple patients as an advantageous step to get a higher rate of success postoperatively side by side to achieve a good penile size intraoperatively. Deep detailed analysis of side effects of topical testosterone balanced with the duration of surgery, short and long-term outcome. Methodology: The study was carried out from January 2014 to January 2019 at Queen Rania Hospital for children, Amman, Jordan. The overall number was 182 patients. We divided them into two groups: (group A) 98 boys who did not receive the hormonal treatment and (group B) were referred to the patients who underwent the topical treatment and their number was 84. The age group was between 6 months and 6 years. Testosterone gel 1% was applied as a thin layer over the ventral aspect of the penis once daily for 3 weeks before surgery. The patient’s degree of hypospadias as glandular, coronal, distal shaft, and midshaft to illustrate the benefits on each group. The local and systemic side effects of the gel were documented. Concomitantly we measure the difference in penile length, glans width along with serum testosterone level before and after applying it. After that, the mean duration of surgery was measured. The common complications of surgery were listed as fistula, glans dehiscence, meatal stenosis and the number of each complication for each group was documented and analyzed. Results: There were good results related to the mean penile length and glans width no significant change related to the serum testosterone level. No valuable change upon the duration of surgery. Local skin pigmentation with ............

Acute Scrotum in Pediatric: Clinical Presentation and Management in Royal Medical Services Hospitals

Objectives: Children with acute scrotum usually present with acute scrotal pain. To rule out testicular torsion with consequent ischemia, this complaint is considered a top emergency that should be treated quickly. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical presentation and treatment of the acute scrotum in pediatric surgery. Method: A prospective study, which included 107 patients, was conducted in Queen Rania Hospital, Jordan, in the period January 2016–April 2020. Patients above 14 years old and those under conservative treatment, such as IV antibiotics for epididymo-orchitis, were excluded. In addition to scrotal exploration, the diagnosis was made via Doppler ultrasonography (DUS). Results: The main results revealed that the causes of acute scrotum are testicular torsion (35.5%), epididymo-orchitis (20.5%), torted hydatid of Morgagni (28.9%), hematoma (4.6%), scrotal abscess (1.8%), and tumor (0.9%). The most common signs and symptoms were tenderness (86%), erythema (77.6%), and edema (71.9%). In patients with testicular torsion, the salvage rate was around 65.8% for surgeries performed in durations up to 48 h from symptom onset. Conclusion: Testicular torsion is the most significant diagnosis that leads to testicular loss.