Clinical Management
Mariam Mohamed, n/a
Medial student
University of Montreal, United States
Background: KD, an acquired heart disease, has a global prevalence, including the Arab countries. The Kawasaki Disease Arab Initiative (KAWARABI) was created in early 2021 with the objective of optimizing the science and management of KD patients in the Arab region. Despite high level in medical education, comprehensive studies originating from Arab nations on KD are scarce. This study aims to review KD research in the Arab world, examining publication trends, collaborations, and thematic emphases.
Methods: We conducted a literature review covering 15 Arab countries from 1990 to 2023, exploring aspects such as topics, research output, and collaborations. The collected articles were a combination of PubMed search with a call on KAWARABI members to share non-PubMed publications.
Results: Over 33 years (1990-2023) 45 articles originated from the Arab countries. A 34% average annual growth rate in KD research output shifted towards case reports in the last decade (Figure 1). The average of cases in institutional series was 57 (range 18-146). The median in case reports was 1 (1-4). In institutional series, a total of 1034 patients were found, but no national incidence was provided in either report. While publications were nearly evenly split between case reports (47%) and institutional series (43%), research productivity lagged in developing nations. Three countries, notably the UAE, KSA and Egypt, contributed to 53% of total publications, concentrating in high-income Arab countries (figure 2). Institutional series observation spanned over 1.4 and 17 years (median 8 years). Only 10% were prospective studies. Most publications emphasized clinical aspects (versus 4% in basic science). Case series were split between local (53%) and international (43%) journals. Case reports exclusively featured in international journals. Surprisingly, international collaborations did not consistently correlate with increased research productivity (average collaboration rate: 25% (range 17%-33%). Finally, only 2 articles declared receiving financial grants, with support split between international and local associations.
Conclusion: This review unveils the evolving landscape of KD research in the Arab world over 33 years. The distribution of publications between case reports and institutional series reflects shifting research priorities. Lack of funding support emerges among crucial factors. This requires a call for strategic interventions to enhance KD research in the Arab world and foster a more impactful and collaborative research landscape. This state of science output in Arab countries steers the target effort of the mission of the Kawasaki Disease Arab Initiative (KAWARABI).