The experience of chronic pain is universal, yet pain management services delivered by health professionals vary substantially, depending on the context and patient. This review is a part of a series that has examined the issue of chronic non-cancer pain services and management in different global cities. The review is structured as a case study of the availability of management services for pe...

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to provide continuous (1998-2006) simulation of overland flow, channel flow, transmission losses for the for the Raudatain watershed in northern Kuwait, and the Umm Al Aish watershed in central Kuwait covering approximately 50% of the Kuwaiti landscape. Inputs required for the SWAT model were extracted from readily available global remote...

Stray cats are a common feature roaming the streets and alleys of Kuwait; they could be a source of parasites, including trematodes, that affect humans. A survey was conducted to identify feline trematodes and throw the light on their public health significance in Kuwait. Out of 240 stray cats trapped from different localities of Kuwait from June 2011 to May 2012, 59 (24.6%) were found to be in...

The occurrence of 14 phthalate metabolites was found in human urine samples collected from seven Asian countries: China, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Phthalate metabolites were found in all samples, indicating widespread exposure of humans to phthalates in these Asian countries. The highest total (the sum of 14 phthalates) phthalate metabolite concentrations were found in...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the level of empathy among medical students in Kuwait University Medical School and its association with sociodemographic factors, stress levels and personality. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A cross-sectional survey of 264 medical students was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University. Empathy levels were measured using the Jefferson Scale, personality was assesse...

OBJECTIVE We build classification models and risk assessment tools for diabetes, hypertension and comorbidity using machine-learning algorithms on data from Kuwait. We model the increased proneness in diabetic patients to develop hypertension and vice versa. We ascertain the importance of ethnicity (and natives vs expatriate migrants) and of using regional data in risk assessment. DESIGN Retr...

OBJECTIVE To report on stroke subtypes, associated risk factors and outcome in Kuwait. METHODS The records of 62 patients (30 male, 32 female) admitted with diagnosis of stroke to Kuwait Oil Company Hospital, Kuwait, a tertiary care hospital, during a 5-year period (1995-1999), were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS Small artery infarction was the most common subtype and occurred in 37 subj...

Objective: To assess the compliance with hand hygiene guidelines among nursing staff in secondary care hospitals in Kuwait. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through direct observation using the Lewisham observation tool and self-administered questionnaire in six major public secondary care hospitals in Kuwait. Only patient care activities that are described as ‘dirty ...

The isolation and characterization of two bacterial species, Streptococcus agalactiae and Lactococcus garvieae, previously unreported in wild marine mammals are described from a freshly dead bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, from Kuwait Bay, Kuwait, in September 2001. Conventional and rapid identification systems were used to determine that isolates from muscle and kidney were S. agalacti...

BACKGROUND Accidents are a preventable cause of death. Unfortunately it accounts for a large number of deaths in many societies. In Kuwait, road traffic accidents (RTA) is the leading cause of death in young people. The study investigated the patterns of accidental deaths in Kuwait, one of the Gulf States which incorporates a wide variety of multi-ethnic communities. METHODS The study was ret...