1st annual skmc international conference

1www.aimsconference.com

Endorsed by: Accredited by:

Conference Bookwww.aimsconference.com

Congress Secretariat: MCI Middle East, United Arab Emirates, Tel: +971 4 311 6300, Fax: +971 4 311 6301, E-mail: [email protected]

Under the patronage ofHis Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

1st ANNUAL SKMC INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCEADVANCES IN MEDICINE AND SUBSPECIALITIES (AIMS 2013)

Adva

nces

in M

edicine and Subspecialties

AIMS 2013February 13-15, 2013

Jumeirah Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

2 www.aimsconference.com


His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al NahyanPresident of the U.A.E


His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al NahyanCrown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed

Forces and Chairman of the Executive Council.


Under the patronage ofHis Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research


Contents

Welcome Message 11

Organizing Committee 12

Conference Faculty 13

General Information 15

Session Chairpersons 17

Exhibition Layout 19

Scientific Program 20

Satellite Symposium 23

Faculty Profile 24

Abstracts 48

Social Program & Tours 76

About Abu Dhabi 79

Notes 82


Welcome Message

Dear Delegate,

It is our pleasure to invite you to the “Advances in Medicine and Subspecialties (AIMS 2013)” conference, which will be held from February 13-15, 2013 at Jumeirah Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

This is a unique conference with many “firsts” for the region. It has been officially endorsed by the American College of Physicians, which is the largest organization of internal medicine physicians in the United States.

The meeting is also endorsed by SEHA, SKMC and will have CME accreditation from Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) as well as the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, which is the provider of CME credits in the USA . We have a list of absolutely distinguished local and international faculty, many of whom are involved in cutting edge research in their fields and sit on international guidelines panels.

The conference is intended for all healthcare professionals, including doctors in Internal Medicine, all of its subspecialties, General Practitioners, Family Physicians, medical residents and fellows, as well as allied health professionals. We intend to invite healthcare professionals from all of UAE and GCC countries, other Middle Eastern countries and Southeast Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh).

The conference program is spread over 3 days of main events. Each day will have two plenary lectures, followed by three “Theme Sessions” comprising of 3-4 lectures each. These theme sessions will cover various subspecialties of medicine, including Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Oncology, Respirology, Rheumatology and Neurology.

We look forward to your participation in this state-of-the-art program, and hope that you will have a very valuable scientific encounter at the congress and a memorable stay at Abu Dhabi.

Sincerely,

Adeel A. Butt, MD, MS, FACP, FIDSAConference ChairChair, Department of MedicineSheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAEAssociate Professor of Medicine and Clinical and Translational ScienceUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA


Organizing Committee

Adeel Ajwad ButtConference ChairChairman, Department of MedicineSheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAEAssociate Professor of Medicine and Clinical and Translational Sciences University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Abdul Karim SalehChair, Education DepartmentSheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Bisher MustafaConsultant Physician, Division of Internal MedicineSheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Inas SolimanSpecialist, Division of Internal MedicineSheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Rear Admiral (R) Ali Shan Khan, MD, MPHAssistant Surgeon General (R) of the United States of AmericaDirector, Office of Public Health Preparedness and ResponseCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

Salem BeshyahConsultant Physician, Division of Diabetes and EndocrinologySheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE


Conference Faculty

Ahmad, UroojSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Al Ahmad, MaithaSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Aljabbari, SamirSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Al Masalmani, MunaWeill-Cornell Medical College, Qatar

Al Zahrani, AliKing Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, KSA

Amir, NumanSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Baruni, RidaSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Beejay, NigelSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Benbarka, MahmoudSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Beshyah, SalemSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Bronson, DavidPresident, American College of PhysiciansCleveland Clinic, USA

Chapman, JeffreyCleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Comp, Philip C.University of Oklahoma, USA

Djazmati, WagihSheikh Khalifa Medical City

El Sameed, Yaser Abu Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Frankilin, BroderickSheikh Khalifa Medical City, UAE

Gokul, SathyarathnamSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Haroun, AnsarUniversity of California, San Diego, USA

Harrison, LeeUniversity of Pittsburgh, USA

Hashmey, RayhanTawam Hospital

Hoffman, RobertSheikh Khalifa Medical CityAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, USA

Hassan, MohammadSheikh Khalifa Medical City


Khan, Ali S. (Conference Scientific Committee)

CDC, Atlanta, USA

Latif, FarhanaColumbia University, USA

Mustafa, Bisher (Conference Scientific Committee)

Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Mustafa, HudaSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Nimeri, AbdelrahmanSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Qureshi, AbrarHarvard Medical School, USA

Saadi, Hussein F.Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Saleh, Abdul Karim (Conference Scientific Committee)

Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Shaikh, Obaid S.University of Pittsburgh, USA

Shuaib, AshfaqUniversity of Alberta, Canada

Spence, DavidSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Virani, Salim S.Baylor University, USA

Conference Faculty


Registration Desk:Registration desks for name badge collection and Onsite registration will be operational as below:

13 February 2013, 7:00 AM onwards14 February 2013, 7:30 AM onwards15 February 2013, 7:30 AM onwards

For Delegates: Registration fees entitles participants to attend all the general & concurrent sessions, entrance to exhibition, Opening Ceremony, daily coffee breaks, daily lunch and conference materials.

For Accompanying Persons: Accompanying Persons are entitled to opening ceremony

Badges:Name badges must be visible and used at all times at the Conference Venue.

Badge Colors: Red: Faculty (all access) Gold: Committee (all access) Black: Organizer (all access) Purple: Media (all access) Blue: Delegate (all access except speaker preview room) Green: Exhibitor (all access except speaker preview room & CME room) Orange: Guest (all access except speaker preview room)

Conference Bags:Conference bags will be distributed to registered participants at the Registration Desk

CME Certification:Online CME Certification will be available from 15th February 2013 from 17:30 hours onwards. Please log into www.aimsconference.com and click on the online CME to avail of your CME.

Speaker Registration & Preview Room:There is a dedicated registration room for speaker registration and badge collection at the Speaker Preview Room 13 (Chairman’s Suite) and is operational during same time as the registration desks.

General Information


NOTE: All speakers are requested to report at least 1 hour before their session for a final check on their presentation material.

Food & Beverage:• Coffee Breaks and Lunch will be open to all registered delegates ONLY. The hotel also offers a variety of all-day dining restaurants to choose from.• Lunch will be served in Mezzoon Ballroom 3 and 4

Exhibition:The Advances in Medicine and Subspecialties (AIMS 2013) Exhibition will be located in the foyer of the Mezzoon Ballroom

Language:English is the official language of the congress.

Rules:Smoking Policy: Jumeirah by Etihad Towers is a non-smoking venue. Participants are requested to exit the building when smoking is desired to designated smoking corners.

Mobile Phones: Delegates are kindly requested to keep their mobile phones in the off mode in meeting rooms when scientific sessions are in progress.

Parking:24 hours courtesy valet parking is available at the congress venue.

Emergency Contact:While in Abu Dhabi during the conference, for any emergency, please contact the following people from the congress secretariat:

Sucheeta D’Souza Eyad Zerba +971 55 550 8896 +971 55 203 5000

Congress Secretariat:MCI Middle East LLCP.O. Box: 124752Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTel: +971 (4) 311 6300Fax: +971 (4) 311 6301Email: [email protected]

General Information


Session Chairpersons

Ali Al-ObaidliSEHA, Abu Dhabi

Jassin HamedSKMC, Abu Dhabi

Mohamed Noshi SKMC, Abu Dhabi

Adeel A. ButtSKMC, Abu Dhabi &

University of Pittsburgh

Karen Barbara Carbone

SEHA, Abu Dhabi

Mona Al RukhaimiDHA, Dubai

Inas SolimanSKMC, Abu Dhabi

Kenneth DittrichSKMC, Abu Dhabi

Mouza Al SuwaidiSKMC, Abu Dhabi


Session Chairpersons

Muna Al MasalmaniWeill-Cornell, Qatar

Rayhan HashmeyTawam Hospital, AlAin

Nameer Al SaadawiSKMC, Abu Dhabi

Obaid ShaikhUniversity of Pittsburgh,

USA

Salem BisheyahSKMC, Abu Dhabi

Syed AtharSKMC, Abu Dhabi

Irena KhostanteenSKMC, Abu Dhabi

Philip CompU. Oklahoma, USA

Salim ViraniBaylor University, USA


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ACP


Scientific Program

APPNA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) for physicians. This activity has been planned and

implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the ACCME.

APPNA designates this conference for a maximum of 20 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity

Wednesday, February 13, 20137:55 – 8:00 Welcome and Introduction Adeel A. Butt Session Chair: Ali Al-Obaidli, SEHA

8:00 – 8:45 Plenary 1: Challenges to Internal Medicine in the US and Internationally David Bronson President, ACP8:45 – 9:30 Plenary 2: Management of STEMI. Logistics and Regional Perspectives Samir Aljabbari Sheikh Khalifa Medical City9:30 – 10:30 THEME 1 Cardiovascular Diseases Session Chair: Salim Virani, Baylor University USA

Updated Treatment Guidelines for Dyslipidemia Salim S. Virani Baylor University10:30 – 11:30 Opening Ceremony by HH SHEIKH NAHAYAN MABARAK AL NAHAYAN Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:00 Therapeutic Options in Advanced Heart Failure Farhana Latif Columbia University

12:00 – 12:30 Recent Developments in Management of Stroke Ashfaq Shuaib University of Alberta

12:30 – 13:15 Satellite Symposium

13:15 – 13:45 Prayer and Lunch Break THEME 2 Kidney Diseases Session Chair: Mona Al Rukhaimi, DHA, Dubai

13:45 -- 14:15 Kidney in Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity Mohmad Hassan Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

14:15 – 14:45 Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease Abdul Karim Saleh Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

14:45 -- 15:15 Update on Lupus Nephritis Maitha Al Ahmad Sheikh Khalifa Medical City15:15 – 15:45 Coffee Break

THEME 3 Diabetes and Endocrinology Session Chair: Salem Beshyah, SKMC15:45 -- 16:15 Evaluating the Patient with Thyroid Disorders Mahmoud Benbarka Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

16:15 -- 16:45 Advanced Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes: A focus on GLP-1 Therapy Salem Beshyah Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

16:45 - 17:15 Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Clinical update Huda Mustafa Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Endocrine Hypertension: Diagnosis and Management Ali Al Zahrani17:15 -- 17:45 King Faisal Specialist Hospital, KSA

17:45 Adjourn for the Day

19:30 Network Reception


Scientific Program




Thursday, February 14, 2013 Session Chair: Rayhan Hashmey, Tawam Hospital & Muna Al Masalmani, Weill-Cornell, Qatar

8:00 - 8:45 Plenary 3: Lee Harrison Immunization for Adults University of Pittsburgh 8:45 – 9:30 Plenary 4: Role of Public Health in Ensuring National Security Ali S. Khan CDC, Atlanta

9:30 – 10:00 Coffee Break

THEME 4 Hematology and Oncology Session Chair: Philip Comp, U. Oklahoma & Nameer Al Saadawi, SKMC

10:00 – 10:30 Venous Thromboembolism: From Leeches to Novel Agents Bisher Mustafa Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

10:30 – 11:00 GI malignancies: An evidence based approach to screening, surveillance Sathyarathnam Gokul and treatment Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

11:00 – 11:30 Diagnosis and Management of Anemia David Spence Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

11:30 – 12:00 Special Lecture: Update on the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Hussein F Saadi Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi


12:30 – 13:30 Prayer and Lunch Break

THEME 5 Infectious Diseases Session Chair: Adeel Butt, SKMC and University of Pittsburgh

13:30 – 14:00 Surgical Site Infections: How to Prevent and Treat? Muna Al Masalmani Weill-Cornell, Qatar

14:00 – 14:30 Rational Use of Antibiotics Rayhan Hashmey Tawam Hospital

14:30 – 15:00 Special Guest Lecture: Ali S. Khan Emerging Public Health Infectious Diseases Threats CDC, Atlanta 15:00 – 15:30 Coffee Break

THEME 6 Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine Session Chair: Syed Athar, SKMC & Inas Soliman, SKMC

15:30 – 16:00 Recent Advances in Management of COPD Wagih Djazmati Shiek Khalifa Medical City

16:00 – 16:30 When to Call an Interventional Pulmonologist? Yaser Abu El Sameed Sheikh Khalifa Medical City 16:30 – 17:00 Interstitial Lung Disease and Lung Fibrosis Jeffrey Chapman Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi


18:00 Adjourn for the Day


Scientific Program




Friday, February 15, 2013 Session Chair: Karen Barbara Carbone, SEHA

8:00 – 8:45 Plenary 5: “Deceptions in Medical Practice: are Doctors Liars?” Ansar Haroun UC, San Diego8:45 – 9:30 Plenary 6: Hypercoagulable States: Diagnosis and Management Philip C. Comp University of Oklahoma


THEME 7 Gastroenterology and Hepatology Session Chair: Jassin Hamed, SKMC & Obaid Shaikh, University of Pittsburgh

10:00 – 10:30 Evaluation of Patients with Abnormal Liver Enzymes Nigel Beejay Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

10:30 – 11:00 Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease – Far More Common Than Appreciated Obaid S. Shaikh University of Pittsburgh

11:00 – 11:30 Evaluation and Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Urooj Ahmed Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

11:30 – 12:00 Surgical Procedures for Weight Loss: What is Right for You? Abdelrahman Nimeri Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

12:00 – 13:30 Prayer and Lunch Break

THEME 8 General Medicine Session Chair: Mouza Al Suwaidi, SKMC & Mohamed Noshi, SKMC

13:30 – 14:00 Management of Chronic Intractable Pain Rida Baruni Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

14:00 – 14:30 Islamic vs. Western Approaches to Depression Ansar Haroun UC, San Diego

14:30 – 15:00 Common Dermatologic Manifestations of Medical Diseases Abrar Qureshi Harvard Medical School


THEME 9 Medical Emergencies Session Chair: Kenneth Dittrich, SKMC & Irena Khostanteen, SKMC

15:30 – 16:00 Management of Acute Poisoning in the Emergency Room Robert Hoffman Sheikh Khalifa Medical City/ Albert Einstein College of Medicine

16:00 – 16:30 “My Back is Killing Me” -- Don’t let the Patient Die from that Back Pain Broderick Frankilin Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

16:30 – 17:00 Neurologic Emergencies Numan Amir Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

17:00 - 17:30 Panel Discussion and Questions 17:30 Adjourn For The Day


Satellite Symposium

Wednesday, February 13th 201312:30 – 13:00

Thursday, February 14th 201312:00 – 12:30

Thursday, February 14th 201317:00 – 18:00

Satellite Symposium Sponsored by:




Faculty Profile

Butt, Adeel AChair of the Conference

Dr. Butt is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, a Yale-Johnson and Johnson Scholars Award in International Health, the Infectious Diseases Society of North America and HIV Medical Association’s AIDS Training Faculty Award for Africa, the National Talent Pool Scholarship, Outstanding Research, Advocacy and Service Award from the Muslim Physicians Society of Greater Pittsburgh, Outstanding Research Award as a Clinical Fellow and a Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Butt is a part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease’s AIDS Clinical Trials Group, where he is a member of the Hepatitis Committee, and leads two pivotal national clinical trials. Dr. Butt has been involved in setting up training programs in several countries including Uganda, Australia, Russia and Japan, and has delivered over 200 national and international invited lectures.

Dr. Butt has authored over 70 peer reviewed articles, book chapters and mono-graphs and presented over 70 abstracts at international meetings


Faculty Profile

Ahmad, UroojUAE

Al Ahmad, MaithaUAE

Dr Urooj Ahmed graduated from Dow Medical College, Karachi and completed his Internal Medicine Residency training at St Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital of Columbia University, New York.

He did his Gastroenterology fellowship at Medical College of Georgia, USA followed by Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy fellowship from Milwaukee.

He is an American Board Certified gastroenterologist and a Fellow of American College of Gastroenterology. He has been practicing as a Gastroenterology Con-sultant at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi since 2005.

Bachelor of Medicine and General Surgery (MBBS). Graduated from Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), UAE university Al Ain-UAE in 2007. Then joined Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC)-Abu Dhabi for internship (2007), com-pleted 4 years of training in Internal Medicine Residency program (July 2012) and currently nephrology fellow.


Faculty Profile

Al Zahrani, Ali KSA

Aljabbari, SamirUAE

Dr. Alzahrani graduated from King Saud University in Riyadh in 1990. He joined King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in 1990 where he finished an Internal Medicine Residency Program, obtained Arab Board Certification and the Membership of the Royal Colleges of the United Kingdom (MRCP UK). He did a Clinical and Research Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, USA in the period 1995-1998. He has been a consultant endocrinologist at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre 1998- now. Between March 2010-September 2011, joined the Division of Endocrinol-ogy and Metabolism of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as a faculty member and a visiting scientist.

He held many administrative and academic positions including Head, Section of Endocrinology, Deputy Chairman and Acting Chairman of Department of Medi-cine, Associate Executive Director, Academic Affairs and Editor-in-Chief, Annals of Saudi Medicine. He has more than 60 publications, 80 national and interna-tional presentations and book chapters.

He has recently joined the Editorial Board of the American Thyroid Association’s


Faculty Profile

Almaslamani, MunaQatar

Dr. Muna Al Maslamani pursued her medical degree in King Faisal University in Dammam, Saudi Arabia in July 1996 and graduated with a degree in M.B.B.S. Her post doctoral trainings include her internship in Hamad Medical Corporation for 1 year then later joined the Residency in Internal Medicine January 2001. While in the program she became the Chief Resident for nearly 3 years.

When she passed her C.A.B.M. S. in September 2002 she was promoted to Specialist in Internal Medicine. Because of her interest in Infectious Diseases she further intensified her Specialty in her field and enrolled in fellowship programs: HMC for almost 3 years then The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Cent-er, Texas USA and Wayne State University, Detroit Michigan, USA in 6 months period.

Since October 2006, Dr. Muna is the Asst. Chairman of the Department of Medicine. Currently she chairs various clinical positions and associated with several committees which includes Fellowship Program Director for Infectious Diseases; Chairman of Quality Management Improvement Medicine Department; and Member of Corporate Transplant Committee, Infection Control Committee (AAH), Promotion Committee (Departmental), Bylaw Committee, Medical Execu-tive Committee, Research Committee, Departmental Educational Activity and As-

official journal, Thyroid. Currently, works as an a consultant Endocrinologist in the Department of Medicine and a scientist and head of the Molecular Endo-crinology Section at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, and an associate professor of Medicine and Endocrinology, AlFaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.


Faculty Profile

Amir, Numan UAE

sistant Professor in WCMC-Q.In her advocacy for quality education often provide clinical teachings both Arab Board Candidates and medical practitioners (interns, residents & specialists) as well as bedside clinical teachings in HMC and event presents for various departmental activities and HMC Multi-Departmental Grand.Dr. Muna collaborated with several researches some of which were already been published and some are on-going basically Infectious Diseases related studies.

My name is Numan Amir. For my basic medical training I attended Punjab Medical College and graduated from University of the Punjab, Pakistan. I completed my neurology residency training from State University of New York. Then I went to Hahnemann University, Philadelphia for Neurological Intensive Care fellowship for a year and later on joined University of Alberta, Edmonton for Acute Stroke fellow-ship for 14 month. After completing my fellowships in 2002, I joined University Of Manitoba, Winnipeg as Assistant Professor in Neurology and worked there for five years before joining SKMC in Abu Dhabi in 2007 as Consultant Neurologist. I am Board Certified in Adult Neurology and in sub-specialty of Vascular Neurology.

Baruni, Rida UAE

Dr. Baruni is currently consultant and chair of the institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Sheilh Khalifa Medical City Managed by Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Baruni graduated with a bachelor degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Tripoli, Libya in 1981. He completed residency training in PM&R at the University of Toronto, Canada in 1988. Clinical fellowship in pain medicine in 1989 at the University of Toronto. He assumed many leadership roles in Canada,


Faculty Profile

Benbarka, MahmoudUAE

Beshyah, SalemUAE

Dr. Benbarka qualified from Ain-Shams University School of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt in 1976. Following his house jobs in Cairo, he worked as resident in Tripoli University Hospital, Libya. In 1979, he moved to the USA for further training. He started by Research Fellowship in Endocrinology & Metabolism, University of Alabama Medical Centre, Birmingham, Alabama, till 1982. Following which he proceeded to his residency at Bay state Medical Centre (an affiliate of Tufts Uni-versity Medical School), Springfield, Massachusetts, USA till 1984 when he be-came a Clinical Fellow: for 2 years at the Division of Endocrinology, University of California, Davis, Medical Centre, Sacramento, leading to his board certification in medicine and endocrinology in 1984 and 1985 respectively. He progressed from associate physician (1986-1988) to assistant professor (1988-1995) and associate professor (1995-2002) at the same University. He was also the Direc-tor of Fellowship Training Program between 1996 and 2002. In 2002, he moved to his current post. He has been a member of the American Diabetes Association and Fellow of the American Association for Clinical Endocrinologists. His inter-ests are insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus and combination therapy, diabetes during pregnancy and Quality of diabetes care.

Saudi Arabia, and lately in Abu Dhabi. His main interests are Pain Management, Neuro-Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Medico-Legal Medicine, Quality Improvement and Program Development.


Faculty Profile

Bronson, David LUSA

David L. Bronson, MD, FACP, is the President of the American College of Physi-cians (ACP), the nation’s largest medical specialty organization. Dr. Bronson’s term began during Internal Medicine 2012, ACP’s annual scientific meeting in New Orleans, La., April 19-21.

Dr. Bronson previously served as President-elect, a position he began in April 2011, before transitioning to President of ACP. Dr. Bronson was elected a Fel-low of the American College of Physicians (FACP) in 1994. FACP is an honorary designation that recognizes ongoing individual service and contributions to the practice of medicine. Dr. Bronson served on the Board of Regents since 2009 and was Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Governor from 2008-2009. He was Governor of the Ohio Chapter in addition to serving on the Governor’s Advi-sory Committee., where he was then elected Chair of the Board of Governors. Dr. Bronson has also been a reviewer for Annals of Internal Medicine and an ACP Journal Club commentator.

Dr. Bronson earned a medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He completed residencies at the University of Wisconsin and the Uni-versity of Vermont, where he served as chief resident. Board-certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine, Dr. Bronson’s research interests include de-lirium, clinical prediction instruments, smoking cessation, patient education, and other issues in primary care practice. Dr. Bronson is President of the Cleveland Clinic Regional Hospitals. He is also a professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Bron-son joined the Cleveland Clinic in 1992 as chairman of the department of general internal medicine prior to chairing the division of medical regional practice from 1995-2007. Additionally, from 2007-2010 Dr. Bronson held the position of chair-man of the Cleveland Clinic Medicine Institute. Outside of his ACP activities, Dr. Bronson serves the Board of Commissioners of the Joint Commission, where he chairs the Accreditation Committee, and the AHA Health Systems Governing


Beejay, NigelUAE

Faculty Profile

Council. He serves on the board of Better Health Greater Cleveland, and is a member of SGIM. Dr. Bronson has also served as a member of several National Board of Medical Examiner committees. He currently sits on many Cleveland Clinic boards and was co-chair of the Greater Cleveland United Way campaign in 2003, and is a member of the Cleveland Play House Board of Directors

Dr Nigel Umar Beejay is an experienced Physician Executive and Gastroenterolo-gist with in depth knowledge of global health care systems (Medical Informat-ics, Quality and Patient Safety). He is Chairman of the Health Information Man-agement Division at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC)(managed by Cleveland Clinic), Abu Dhabi. Dr Beejay is a member of the Physician Advisory Council on Health Information Technology for Abu Dhabi Health Services Company – SEHA, a diplomate of the American College of Physician Executives, and a key stake-holder for the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi in the development of colon cancer screening guidelines for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Dr Beejay qualified in medicine at the University of Cambridge and holds an hon-orary Masters in Social and Political Sciences from Kings’ College, Cambridge University. Dr Beejay underwent postgraduate studies in London and Boston and Toronto and completed an advanced fellowship in Therapeutic Endoscopy and Endoscopic Oncology at the University of Toronto. Dr Beejay completed the AMIA-Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) 10x10 program in biomedical and health informatics. Before coming to SKMC Dr Beejay was a Lead Consult-ant for Gastroenterology/Endoscopy in the UK National Health Service in London and was a key stakeholder in the UK Cerner Millennium deployment. He has contributed to the development of several UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines. He regularly teaches advanced endoscopic techniques (capsule endoscopy and colonoscopy) internationally and lectures and publishes internationally in Gastroenterology and Health IT.


Faculty Profile

Chapman, JeffreyUAE

Comp, Philip C.USA

Dr. Chapman is a graduate of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He received training in internal medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Medi-cal Center and in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Yale University. Pres-ently Dr. Chapman is chief of the Respiratory and Critical Care Institute and the Quality and Patient Safety Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Dr. Chapman was a Staff Physician at Cleveland Clinic from 2000 through 2011. His clinical interests are treatment and experimental therapies for interstitial lung disease, specializing in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, lymphangioleiomyomatosis and con-nective tissue disease associated with interstitial lung disease as well as lung transplantation. He has extensive quality management experience from leading Cleveland Clinic’s Respiratory Institute quality program as well as Cleveland Clin-ic’s CMS Core Measures Team. As chair of CCAD RCCI he is building a team to provide high quality patient care with value. He is also building a quality program within the building hospital and clinic that puts patients first and uses technology to support providers.

Dr. Comp is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine and received his training in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Penn-sylvania. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Centers and is board-certified in allergy and immunology. He joined the faculty in the Section of Hematology/Oncology at that institution in 1976 and now holds the rank of professor. Dr. Comp serves as Associate Chief


Faculty Profile

Djazmati, WagihUAE

El Sameed, Yaser AbuUAE

of Staff at the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. His research work has centered on the natural anticoagulant system in the blood and he is credited with the discovery of protein S deficiency, an inherited cause of venous thrombo-sis. His clinical research has focused on the development of new anticoagulants used in the prevention of venous thrombosis. Dr. Comp sees patients with variety of clotting and bleeding disorders and directs the adult hemophilia treatment center for the state of Oklahoma.

Dr Djazmati is Consultant and Head of the Respirology Division at the Sheikh Khal-ifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He is Pulmonary Board certified from France and he has practiced throughout the Middle East and France. He is member of the French Medical Council, the French Pulmonary Society and is a Gold member of the European Respiratory Society. His specialty interests include Acute and Chronic Respiratory failure, Non Invasive Ventilation, and Bronchoscopy.

Dr. Yaser Abu El-Sameed is a Respirology Consultant at SKMC in Abu Dhabi. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio. He then pursued his Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at Brown University in the United States. He is American Board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He was an Assistant Profes-


Faculty Profile

Frankilin, Broderick UAE

Gokul, SathyarathnamUAE

sor at Brown University before joining SKMC. He runs the Interventional Pulmo-nology Program at SKMC where he performs advanced pulmonary procedures like airway stenting, tumor ablation, intrabronchial valve insertion, and medical thoracoscopy. Other services provided at this program include Endobronchial Ul-trasound (EBUS)-guided mediastinal lymph node sampling, peripheral pulmonary nodules biopsy and long-term indwelling pleural catheters.

Born in Los Angeles California. Undergraduate education Howard University, Washington DC. Major Information Systems. Medical School, Howard University College of Medicine Residency, Emergency Medicine, Howard University Hospi-tal. Volunteer Relief Work in Somalia, and Bosnia after Residency. Fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at University Medical Center of Southern Ne-vada. Presently (American) Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Twelve Years in Baltimore, Maryland at Sinai Hospital as attending physician in emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine, with faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins University, as well as the University of Maryland during that time. Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Emergency Medicine at SKMC in Abu Dhabi since 2009.

After completing undergraduate studies in Trivandrum Medical College, Kerala University, India, Dr Gokul Sathyarathnam did his post graduate medical training in UK. After obtaining the MRCP, he did Specialist training leading to CCST in Medical Oncology at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. He won a Clinical reserach fellowship from The Cancer Research Campaign and did three years of research looking at p53 genes in ovarian cancer and whether this predicts for response to chemotherapy. Having worked as a Con-sultant In Medical Oncology at James Cook University Hospital Middlesbrough, UK, Dr Gokul has now been in SKMC, Abu Dhabi since Nov 2009.


Faculty Profile

Haroun, Ansar M.USA

Born in Pakistan, Dr Haroun was raised in Italy and England. He started medical school at London University, but dropped out, and finished in Lahore Pakistan. He first came to the US as a Roosevelt Scholar, and returned for his psychiatry training at Yale, and his child psychiatry training at Columbia.

He moved to California, where he has been the Supervising Psychiatrist for the San Diego Superior Court, performing court-ordered evaluations in all three of criminal, civil and administrative cases.

He made his court clinic into a teaching clinic for medical and law students, and as a professor of law and psychiatry, is the course director of the medical school elective in “Law, Logic and Ethics in Medicine”.

His main interests are in areas where psychiatry overlaps with the humanities, law and philosophy;

He Studies:• Vice and Virtue, and has authored the CLAW (Clinical Assessment of Wickedness), • Happiness (and how it differs from Pleasure), • Blame, separating misconducts that are blameworthy (“ bad”), from those that are not (“ mad”).• He has written papers on Wickedness, Decision-Making, Psychopathy, Terrorism, Uses and Abuses of Psychiatry, Deceptions of Doctors, Religious Delusion, the difference between Conduct Disorder and Disordered Conduct, Psychiatric Aspects of War, Trial Competency, Rationality, Informed Consent, and two books, on Coercion and on Deception.His interests in Islamic Medical Ethics include analysis of the• Permissibility of medical coercion in Islam, • Nature of “harm” in Islam.


Faculty Profile

Harrison, LeeUSA

Hashemey, RayhanUAE

Lee H. Harrison, MD, is Professor of Medicine in the School of Medicine and Professor of Epidemiology in the Graduate School of Public Health at the Univer-sity of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He also heads the Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit and the Public Health Infectious Diseases Laboratory, both at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Harrison received his medi-cal degree from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed his internship and residency at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia. From 1985 to 1987, he served as an Epidemic Intel-ligence Service Officer in the Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and then completed a fellow-ship in infectious diseases at Emory. Dr. Harrison is the author or co-author of over 200 articles, monographs, and book chapters. His research focuses on the epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, diagnosis, and prevention of vaccine-pre-ventable and other serious bacterial infections, including Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B Streptococcus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Clostridium difficile, and methicillin-resistant Staphylo-coccus aureus. Dr. Harrison recently became a voting member of the CDC Advi-sory Committee on Immunization Practices, the federal committee that develops written recommendations on use of pediatric and adult vaccines in the U.S.

Dr. Rayhan Hashmey is the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Consultant Infectious Diseases and Physician Lead for Medical Informatics at Tawam Hospital. He joined the Division of Infectious Diseases, Tawam Hospital, as a Senior Con-


Faculty Profile

Hassan, MohammadUAE

sultant in 2003. Assuming leadership of the Division in 2004, he spearheaded the expansion of Infection Control services at the hospital, and established an active antimicrobial stewardship program. In 2009he took over Chairmanship of the Department of Academic Affairs, overseeing the restructuring of PGME and establishment of the Clinical Research Office. He Co-Chairs the Department of Performance Innovation. A graduate of Dow University of Health Sciences, Pa-kistan, he completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases from the American Board of Medical Specialties. His areas of interest are infection control, antimicrobial steward-ship and HIV infection. He serves on several hospital and SEHA committees. He holds Associate Professorship in Internal Medicine at the UAE University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. An investigator in many clinical trials, he has a number of publications and abstracts to his credit. Dr Hashmey is a well-known invited speaker to scientific meetings/conferences, both nationally and internationally. He has won numerous awards including the Arab Health Award in Infection Control and Excellence in Patient Centered Care, SEHA Transforma-tional Event award, Tawam Hospital employee of the year, and the UAE University adjunct faculty Teaching Award.

Dr Mohamed Hassan graduated from Alexandria Medical School, joined Univer-sity of Minnesota as an honorary fellow in Nephrology and Transplantation. He completed Internal Medicine Residency and was the chief resident at Helene Fuld Hospital in New Jersey, and completed the Nephrology fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, USA. Dr Hassan is American board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. He served as a teaching faculty member at Helene Fuld Hospital of New Jersey, and as Assistant Professor of Medicine at Penn State University, Pennsylvania, USA.

Dr Hassan has publications in Ig A Nephropathy, TGF-b in Diabetic Nephropathy, AKI in H1N1, C-Reactive protein in ESRD and dialysis arthropathy, and he is a


Faculty Profile

Hoffman, RobertUAE

country investigator for the DOPPS “Dialysis Outcome Practice Pattern Study”.Dr Hassan is a member of many international societies, a fellow of the American college of Physician and the American Society of Nephrology, Board Member of EMAN (Emirates Medical Association / Nephrology) and a board member of Medical Advisory Board (SEHA Dialysis Services). He is also a Reviewer for the American Board of Internal Medicine and for Ibnosina Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Dr Hassan has many awards including the Ronald M. Franz, MD award for high academic attainment and quality that characterized the fine physician in1996; teacher of the year in York Hospital, Pennsylvania, USA 2002, and Physician of the year by the Pennsylvania advisory Board USA 2003.

Currently Dr Hassan is a Consultant Nephrologist and the chief of Dialysis Ser-vices at SKMC “Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE”.

Dr. Hoffman is and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, USA. He is the Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE, where he is also the Director of the Department of Toxicology. Dr. Hoffman’s postgraduate training included residency in pediatrics, and subse-quent fellowship training in medical toxicology, pediatric emergency medicine, and clinical research methods/biostatistics. He is chief editor of the newest American pediatric emergency medicine text, The 5 Minute Pediatric Emergency Medicine Consult. Dr. Hoffman has broad interest in academic emergency medi-cine, and engages in research on topics of toxicology, emergency medicine, and pediatric emergency medicine, with focus on contemporary drugs of abuse, particularly ketamine, and safety of endotracheal intubation.


Faculty Profile

Khan, Ali S.USA

Latif, FarhanaUSA

Ali S. Khan, MD, MPH, (former Assistant Surgeon General) is the Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which provides strategic direction, sup-port, and coordination for preparedness and response activities across CDC as well as with public health partners. Dr. Khan served as one of the main architects and Deputy Director of CDCs public health bioterrorism preparedness program. His efforts were crucial in limiting the scope of the first anthrax attack during which he directed the CDC operational response in Washington, D.C. Dr. Khan received his medical degree from Downstate Medical Center and completed a joint residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Michigan. He has a Masters of Public Health from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, where he now holds an adjunct Professor appointment and directs the Emerging Infectious Disease course. He has over 150 peer-reviewed publica-tions, textbook chapters, editorials, and brief communiqués.

Farhana Latif is board certified in cardiology and heart failure/transplant cardiology. Her research activities pertain to mechanical circulatory devices, heart failure and cardiac transplantation. She has a background in translational research- involved in the basic science lab as well as clinical research. In ad-dition, she has been involved in the educational process of training general cardiology fellows, heart failure fellows and internal medicine residents. Furthermore, due to her interest in inherited cardiomyopathies, she is involved in the Cardio-Genetics Clinic and the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center at Columbia University Medical Center. Due to her interest in genetic cardiomyopathies, her practice has afforded her the opportunity to manage


Faculty Profile

Mustafa, BisherUAE

Mustafa, Huda UAE

Dr Bisher Oscar Mustafa, is a graduate of Jordan University of Science and technology( JUST) , completed Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in University of Oklahoma , Oklahoma city , Oklahoma, American board certi-fied in Internal medicine and Vascular Medicine. Worked as Consultant and Head Division of Internal Medicine& Chief of staff in East Kootenay Regional hospital in Canada. Currently working as Consultant of Internal medicine in SKMC since 2008 and currently Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Pro-gram and Director of the Thrombosis Program.

the healthcare of pediatric transplant patients who have transitioned their care to the realm of adult cardiology.

• Graduated from King Faisal University in Saudi Arabi, 1993• Completed postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology from Imperial College London (UK), and obtained MRCP (2001), and the Specialty Certification in Endocrinology & Diabetes (2010).• Holds an MSc. degree in Diabetes from Warwick’s University (UK) • Holds a Diploma in Health Emergencies from The University of Geneva.• Holds a position of Assistant Professor of Medicine in Gulf Medical College of Ajman (UAE).• Attained the Endocrinology Certification in Neck Ultrasound from the American College of Endocriology 2011.• Research interests include Reproductive Endocrinology, Women health, Clinical audits and research appraisal & critique.


Faculty Profile

Nimeri, AbdelrahmanUAE

Qureshi, AbrarUSA

Dr Nimeri is currently the Head of Division of General, Thoracic, & Vascular Sur-gery, Director of Bariatric & Metabolic Institute (BMI) Abu Dhabi, and Surgeon Champion of ACS NSQIP at SKMC. He is an adjunct staff at the Cleveland Clinic’s Endocrine and Metabolic Institute in Cleveland Ohio, and Adjunct Associate Pro-fessor of Surgery, UAE University College of Medicine. Dr Nimeri joined SKMC as a consultant surgeon in May 2009. Prior to that he was an Assistant Clinical Pro-fessor at University of California San Francisco. He finished his general surgery residency training at Huron hospital Cleveland Clinic Health System in Cleveland Ohio in 2004. Dr Nimeri did his fellowship in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Sur-gery at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis Missouri in 2005. He has been in practice at the University of California San Francisco-Fresno start-ing in 2005. At UCSF Fresno he was on faculty at the general surgery residency program, and was one of three faculty of the Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship program at UCSF Fresno. Dr Nimeri has interests in Minimally Invasive Surgery, Bariatric Surgery, Surgical Education and Surgical Quality.

Abrar Qureshi is Associate Professor of Dermatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Associate Epidemiologist at the Channing Laboratory at BWH. He runs a combined derm-rheum clinic at BWH and has been managing patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis along with his rheumatol-ogy colleagues since 2003. He has a special interest in issues at the interface of derm-rheum and has published several scientific manuscripts on the epidemiol-ogy of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.


Saadi, HusseinUAE

Dr. Saadi earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut in 1985. He subsequently trained in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Saadi is a former member of the Cleveland Clinic staff in the Departments of General Internal Medicine and Endocrinology.

Dr. Saadi is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. He is also a fellow of the American College of Physicians. His specialty interests include diabetes mellitus, vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis and general endocrinology. Dr. Saadi has close to 100 publications including peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, letters, and chapters and has presented his work at several international meetings. He is a recipient of several awards for his distinguished performance in Research, Education and Clinical service.

After serving as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Dr. Saadi rejoined Cleveland Clinic in 2011 as Chairman of the Department of Medical Subspecialties of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He was also appointed as Clinical Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University in Sep 2012. Dr. Saadi is also a Consultant Endocrinologist at the Imperial College London Diabetes Center in Abu Dhabi.

Faculty Profile


Saleh, Abdul KarimUAE

Dr Saleh is a Consultant Nephrologist, Chairman of the Renal Program and Head of the Section of Adult Nephrology at SKMC. His clinical activities specialize in the care for renal patients including the management of fluid and electrolyte problems, hypertension, acute and chronic kidney diseases, end-stage renal dis-ease and critical care nephrology.

Additionally, Dr Saleh founded the Department of Education which he continues to chair with a particular focus on Graduate Medical Education, and led the trans-formation of SKMC to a teaching institution. He founded the first Medical Ethics Board which he chaired 2006- 2008, and previously Chaired the Health Informa-tion Management Committee (2005-2008). Prior to his tenure at SKMC, Dr Saleh was appointed to the Faculty of Northwestern University in Chicago- Illinois, and later served as the Head of the Clinical Services Division at the National Kidney Foundation of Singapore, in medical partnership with Harvard University and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA).

Dr Saleh has performed in key roles and in national and regional academic re-sponsibilities for Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the Health Au-thority of Abu Dhabi, the Ministry of Health, and the Arab Board of Healthcare Specializations.

Education & Fellowships:Bachelor’s of Science, The University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign (1984)Medical Doctor, The American University of Beirut, Lebanon (1988)Internal Medicine Residency Training. Mc Gaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, Chicago- Illinois (1992)Nephrology Fellowship Training, Yale University, New Haven- Connecticut (1996)Fellow of the American College of PhysiciansFellow of the American Society of Nephrology.

Faculty Profile


Shaikh, Obaid S. USA

Dr Shaikh is Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medi-cine. He is a highly regarded hepatologist with particular expertise in the area of Transplant Hepatology. Dr Shaikh serves as the Director of Transplantation Medi-cine at the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The transplant service at VAPHS is the largest liver and kidney program for US veterans. During his tenure at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Dr Shaikh conducted seminal studies on hepatitis C that are among the most cited in the literature. His paper on hepatitis delta was one of the earliest that helped define delta genotypes. His clinical trial of pentoxyfylline led to rapid adoption of the drug as standard therapy for acute alcoholic hepati-tis. He was a founding member of the acute liver failure study group (ALFSG). The group has produced a number of important publications and it is internationally recognized for advancing the understanding of this life threatening condition. His more recent research work has focused on liver transplant recipients infected with hepatitis C for which he received funding from the NIH. Dr Shaikh is an active member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), and he has served on several AASLD committees.

Faculty Profile


Shuaib, AshfaqCanada

Dr. Ashfaq Shuaib received his undergraduate medical education at Khyber Medi-cal College in Pakistan, obtaining his MBBS degree in 1980. Thereafter, he did post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and Neurology at the University of Calgary between 1983 and 1988, followed by specialized training in cerebrovas-cular research at the University of Western Ontario and Duke University Medical School in Durham, North Carolina.

He returned to Canada as an assistant professor in Medicine and Neurology at the University of Saskatchewan in 1989 and rose rapidly through the academic ranks to be appointed full professor in July 1995. In addition, he held the posi-tion of program director in the Division of Neurology between 1990 and 1995, supervised numerous research fellows and graduate students and was the Di-rector of the Saskatchewan Stroke Research Centre and Director of the WHO Centre.

He joined the University of Alberta as Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Neurology effective September 1, 1997. In July 2007 he stepped down as Divisional Director and remains Director of the Stroke Program. His major interest is in the understanding of the basic mechanisms of cerebral is-chemia and clinical trials in cerebrovascular diseases. He has published over 325 articles in peer-reviewed journals and his research is funded by the CIHR, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NIH, AHFMR and the industry. He is on the editorial board of ‘Heart.Org’ and ‘Stroke’ and ‘Neurohospitalist’ . He started a Stroke Prevention Clinic in 1999 and established a Stroke Investigative Unit at the University of Alberta Hospital. His clinical stroke program currently has 9 neurologists with specialist stroke training and 5 fellows in training (1-2 year fellowship program), making it one of the largest such training programs in the country. He chairs the National Stroke Program (10 + years ) and the National Residents’ Review Course (15 + years)

Faculty Profile


Faculty Profile

Spence, David UAE

Dr David Spence, FRCP (London, Edinburgh and Glasgow), FRCPath, FACP

President, Haematology Section, Emirates Medical Association ( Emirates Soci-ety for Haematology)

Consultant Haematologist, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, managed by Cleveland Clinic Graduated from Glasgow University 1973. Trained in Haematology, Glas-gow Royal Infirmary and Royal Marsden Hospital, London.

Consultant Haematologist Tayside Health Board 1981 - 83. Consultant Haema-tologist King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, 1983 – 1995, main area of activ-ity malignant haematologic disease and bone marrow transplant.

HCI International Medical Centre, Glasgow, 1996-1999, Director of Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant. Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre, 1999 onwards – Con-sultant Hematologist, and Chair of Medicine 2004 – 2009.


Virani, Saleem S.USA

Salim S. Virani, MD, PhD, is a staff Cardiologist at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) in Houston, Texas and an Assistant Professor in the section of Cardiovascular Research at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). He earned his medical degree from the Aga Khan University Medical College in Pa-kistan, graduating with the Best Medical Graduate Award. Dr. Virani completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Miami, there receiving an award as the Best Resident. He then completed a Cardiology fellowship at the Texas Heart Institute, where he served as the Chief Cardiology Fellow and received Tauber Award for the Outstanding Fellow. His clinical practice includes being a staff Cardiologist at the MEDVAMC with a special interest in lipid disorders. Dr. Virani’s research at both MEDVAMC and BCM focuses on evaluating strategies to improve quality of preventive care and adherence to cholesterol management guidelines. He currently holds a Department of Veterans Affairs Career Develop-ment Award and is also supported through the National Institutes of Health, and the National Football League Charities. Dr. Virani serves on Early Career Commit-tee of the American Heart Association (AHA) Epidemiology Council and the Qual-ity of Care and Outcomes Research Council, and the Cardiovascular Statistics Committee of the AHA. He also serves as the Department of Veterans Affairs’ representative to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) National Program to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk (NPRCR). In this role, he also serves as the chair for a strategic work group for NPRCR tasked with identification of patient, provider, institutional, and policy interventions to improve cardiovascular risk factor profile in both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Virani is the author of more than 70 peer review publications and also serves as an editor for the educational website lipidsonline.org

Faculty Profile


Abstracts

Internal medicine in the United States is changing dramatically. Only 10-12% of recent IM residency graduates are choosing traditional IM careers, with the majority pursing medical subspecialties and hospital medicine. Medical school debt, income disparities and perceived status are fueling the change. Coun-tervailing forces include the increase in US medical school graduates without a change in graduate medical education positions. President Obama’s health reform bill has added a new element that will have a profound impact on the structure of medical practice in the US, and may boost general internal medicine careers through health delivery system changes including the Patient Centered Medical Home and Accountable Care Organizations. At the same time the de-mographic and generational changes in the US physician population will add an additional new dimension to the challenges. The author will share his best predic-tions for the future of IM.

Learning objectives:1. Describe the similarities and differences in internal medicine training and practice internationally.2. Discuss the current status of specialty choice in internal medicine in the US.3. Discuss the solutions to the migration away from GIM

Challenges to Internal Medicine in the US and Internationally

Plenary 1:

David Bronson, President, ACP

Plenary 2:

Management of STEMI. Logistics and Regional Perspectives

Samir Aljabbari, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City


Abstracts

Multiple specialized lipid tests for e.g. apolipoprotein B measurement, LDL par-ticle concentration are currently available to a health care provider. These tests have shown to be better markers of cardiovascular disease risk compared with low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The question remains whether these tests perform better than another cholesterol parameter that can be very eas-ily calculated from any lipid panel. This prameter (non-HDL-Cholesterol) can be easily calculated by subtracting HDL cholesterol from total cholesterol and has a very high correlation with both apolipoprotein B measurement and LDL particle concentration. Non-HDL-Cholesterol calculation is also endorsed by the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) cholesterol management guidelines. In this presenta-tion, we will explore the concepts behind the use of specialized lipid testing. We will also discuss the utility of these specialized lipid tests in risk assessment for cardiovascular disease when compared with LDL cholesterol and more impor-tantly, non-HDL-cholesterol.

Learning objectives:1. What is non-HDL-C, Apo B, and LDL particle concentration2. Why non-HDL-C, Apo B and LDL particle concentration might be better markers of risk than LDL-C3. LDL particle size versus LDL particle number4. Know a little bit about the current debate regarding utility of LDL-P, Apo B as compared with non-HDL-C5. Know a little bit about Apo A-1 and HDL particle concentration compared with HDL-C6. What to look for (and ignore) when presented with a specialized lipid test report

Updated Treatment Guidelines for Dyslipidemia

Salim S. Virani, Baylor University

THEME 1: Cardiovascular Diseases


Abstracts

Despite improvements noted in survival of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients based on current modes of medical and device therapies, many patients pro-gress to advanced chronic heart failure (ACHF). These patients comprise less than 0.1% of CHF. The ACHF patients exhibit certain characteristics which de-fines them in Stage D Heart Failure:1)

Symptoms: NYHA class III-IV 2) signs: fluid retention or hypo-perfusion 3) ob-jective data: low EF <30% 4) severely impaired functional capacity : low peak oxygen uptake <12 ml/kglmin or 6 min walk test <300 meters and 5) frequent hospital admissions for HF (>1 admission) in 6 months in the setting of optimal medical therapy.’ In addition to therapies targeted at neurohonnonal blockade and cardiac resynchronization, advanced therapies for ACHF comprise of or-thotopic heart transplantation (OHT) and mechanical circulatory assist devices (MCSD). The utilization of mechanical circulatory support devices (MCSD) has had tremendous impact on advanced heart survival. Even though MCSD may be associated with bleeding, infectious, and neurologic complications, it is not an inherently scarce commodity, such as organ availability. Moreover, MCSD is a therapy that can be offered to ACHF patients who are unable to undergo heart transplantation due to medical contra-indications. Ultimately, the goal of care is to identify ACHF patients in a timely manner and refer them to tertiary centers where the multi-disciplinary team can initiate advanced therapies such as MCSD andlor OHT.

Learning objectives:1. Understand role of neurohormonal blockade and CRT in Advanced HF2. Utilization of Mechanical Circulatory Assist Devices in HF: Destination Therapy and Bridge to Transplantation3. The role of Orthotopic heart transplantation

Therapeutic Options in Advanced Heart Failure

Farhana Latif, Columbia University


Abstracts

This presentation will focus on three important aspects in the management of cerebrovascular disease. The first part will address emerging and established concepts in patients with recent onset TIA’s, asymptomatic carotid stenosis and atrial fibrillation. Recent advances and better identification and appropriate use of newer therapies will be highlighted.

Multimodal imaging, including CT (CT. CT angiography, CT perfusion and CT ve-nography) and MRI, are essential in the management of patients who present with acute ischemic stroke. These imaging techniques need to be completed as soon as possible after the patient presents to emergency and are becoming extremely useful in appropriate identification of patients who may benefit from reperfusion therapies. The classic ‘3 hour window’ has now moved into ‘tissue window’ which, not uncommonly, can be more than 6 hours in patients with good collateral circu-lation. The focus of this part of the presentation would be on how best to identify patients who have good collaterals and who may benefit from treatment including intra-arterial and endovascular treatment beyond the classic time windows that are being established in guidelines. The final component of my presentation will focus on patient selection for IV tPA within the time windows of 3 or 4.5 hours and perhaps patients who wake up with a stroke where imaging does not show significant ischemic changes in the brain tissue. An emerging treatment in acute stroke is the increasing use of endovascular devices, especially stentrievers, that are both safe and can be deployed and retrieved, opening the arteries within minutes of the initiation of the procedure. There is emerging data that such tech-niques can be used up to 12 hours or longer after the onset of symptoms in patients where the collateral circulation status is good.

Learning Objectives1. Identify the patient at the highest risk for suffering an ischemic stroke. Offer management strategies for the patient with asymptomatic carotid stenosis and acute transient ischemic attack.2. D”1scuss the importance of multi modal imaging in evaluation of acute stroke patients.3. Selection of patients for IV thrombolysis, lA thrombolysis and where stentrievers may be beneficial.

Recent Developments in Management of Stroke

Ashfaq Shuaib, University of Alberta


Abstracts

The metabolic syndrome, characterized by abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceri-demia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and high fasting glucose level, is a common disorder. The prevalence in USA is 23.7% of adults 20 years of age or older. In UAE the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome based on the modified ATP III criteria is 25.2%.

CKD has become an important public health challenge. The prevalence is 13% of adults 20 years of age or older according to data from NHANES III study. CKD is a major risk factor for ESRD (end-stage renal disease), cardiovascular disease, and premature death.

Recent studies found a significant relationship between the metabolic syndrome and risk for CKD and microalbuminuria. The risk for CKD and microalbuminuria increased progressively with a higher number of components of the metabolic syndrome. My talk will focus on the link between the metabolic syndrome and CKD, the specific glomerular pathological features ‘Obesity –Related Glomeru-lopathy”, the mechanism of renal injury, treatment strategy and effect of weight reduction on CKD related to metabolic Syndrome.

Learning objectives:

1. The relation between Metabolic Syndrome and CKD2. The Renal Pathology in Metabolic Syndrome3. Options for treatment of Kidney disease in Metabolic Syndrome.

Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

Kidney in Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity

THEME 2: Kidney Diseases

Abdul Karim Saleh, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Mohmad Hassan, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City


Abstracts

Lupus nephritis is an important cause of morbidity and even mortality in pa-tients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus nephritis has diverse morpho-logic manifestations with varying clinical presentations and consequences. The pathogeneses involve immune complexes, which can deposit anywhere in the kidney, and other mechanisms, including endothelial injury, podocytopathy, and tubulointerstitial injury. Renal biopsy plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of the specific form of lupus nephritis in any patient. Treatment and prognosis accord-ingly range from excellent even with only observation with minimal mesangial deposits, to kidney failure despite aggressive immunosuppression in patients with severe proliferative disease. The rate of fetal loss is increased in pregnant women with SLE, but it has improved in the past few decades. There are two is-sues related to therapy of women with lupus who become pregnant: monitoring of disease activity in both asymptomatic/symptomatic patients and treatment of active disease. We will review the current classification of lupus nephritis, the value of renal biopsy in the management of these patients, and summary of re-cent recommendations in therapy of diffuse or focal proliferative lupus nephritis. Also will discuss issues related to pregnancy in women with lupus nephritis and the safety of immunosuppressive drugs to treat active lupus during pregnancy.

Learning Objectives:1. Diagnosis and classification of renal disease in systemic lupus erythematosus2. Indications for renal biopsy in patients with lupus nephritis3. Recent recommendations in therapy of diffuse or focal proliferative lupus nephritis4. Pregnancy in women with lupus nephritis

Update on Lupus Nephritis

Maitha Al Ahmad, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City


Abstracts

Evaluation of the patient with thyroid disease should include a thorough history and physical examination in addition to specific tests of thyroid function and thy-roid gland imaging. The possibility of thyroid disease is considered when signs or symptoms suggest hyper- or hypothyroidism or some physical abnormality of the thyroid gland. Secretion of the thyroid hormones T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine) is regulated by pituitary thyrotropin (TSH) secretion, which, in turn, is controlled through negative feedback by thyroid hormones. There is a negative feedback relationship between serum free thyroid hormone levels and TSH concentrations.

During the past three decades, clinical thyroidology has witnessed the introduc-tion of an increasing array of diagnostic procedures in the form of laboratory blood tests and imaging studies. These procedures provide greater choice, sen-sitivity, and specificity which have enhanced the likelihood of early detection of occult thyroid diseases presenting with only minimal clinical findings or obscured by coincidental nonthyroid diseases. In addition they also assist in the exclu-sion of thyroid dysfunction when symptoms and signs closely mimic a thyroid disorder. Thyroid disorders my result from an abnormality in thyroid physiology leading to hypo- or hyperthyroidism and or an abnormality in thyroid anatomy resulting in goiters, nodules, or cysts. Patients may develop abnormality in both thyroid physiology and thyroid anatomy. Laboratory tests used to assess thyroid function mostly include serum TSH concentration, serum total T4 concentration, serum total T3 concentration, and serum free T4 (or T3) concentration. Several antibodies against thyroid antigens have been described in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. These antigens include Thyroglobulin (Tg, formerly known as the col-loid antigen), Thyroid peroxidase (TPO, formerly known as the microsomal anti-gen), and antibodies against the TSH receptor. Imaging studies of the thyroid gland include Thyroid ultrasonography, Thyroid scintigraphy. Histopathological evaluation of the thyroid gland is achieved by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA).

Evaluating the Patient with Thyroid Disorders

THEME 3: Diabetes and Endocrinology

Mahmoud Benbarka, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City


Abstracts

Since most thyroid diseases require prolonged periods of treatment, it is crucial that a firm diagnosis be established before embarking on such a program.

Learning Objectives:1. Understand the interpretation of thyroid function test results2. Comprehend the results of thyroid imaging studies3. Integrate the results of thyroid function test results and imaging studies to arrive at diagnosis of thyroid disease.

Advanced Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes: A focus on GLP-1 Therapy

Salem Beshyah, CSheikh Khalifa Medical City

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine abnormality in women in their reproductive life, and is the most common cause of hirsutism worldwide. Diagnosis is made when clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenemia, ovarian dysfunction, and polycystic ovary morphology exist to variable degrees with each other. Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), a hormone that is produced ex-clusively by the granulose cells of the ovarian follicles, has been recently intro-duced as a marker for follicular number. The role of AMH has been emphasized in the literature to support the diagnoses and prognosis of PCOS. Based upon the diagnostic criteria used, and the population studied, the prevalence of PCOS ranges from 4% up to 28%. Both insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia con-tribute to its complex pathophysiology. The significance of diagnosing PCOS lies in the co-morbidities that coexist with the syndrome. Recent evidence suggests that women with PCOS are at an increased risk of dyslipidemia, abnormal glu-cose metabolism, and cardiovascular disease, and endometrial cancer. In addi-tion to the reproductive complications that arise from dysfunctional ovulation. Treatment of PCOS is tailored to the clinical presentation. For the large majority, lifestyle measures, aiming for a modest weight loss of 5-10%, are optimal for both the reproductive and the metabolic effects. The role of oral contraceptive

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Clinical update

Huda Mustafa, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City


Abstracts

Although hypertension is considered to be idiopathic in most cases, secondary causes of hypertension are not uncommon if sought and screened for in the right clinical context. Clues that may suggest presence of a secondary cause of hypertension include unusual age of presentation, unusual severity of hyperten-sion, suggestive symptoms/signs of a specific disorder causing hypertension, suggestive laboratory or radiological findings, and presence of an adrenal in-cidentaloma. The value of identifying a cause of hypertension is the possible intervention that may lead to cure and relief of associated morbidity and mortality and long-term use of antihypertensive drugs.

Disorders that cause endocrine hypertension can be categorized in two main groups, those in which hypertension is not usually the main presenting clinical issue such as thyrotoxicosis, hypothyroidism, primary hyperparathyroidism, ac-romegaly and Cushing syndrome. In these situations, the presence of hyperten-sion is usually part of more characteristic symptoms and signs of the underlying disorder and the reason for hypertension is usually obvious. On the other hand, hypertension is usually the hallmark of pheochromocytoma, primary aldosteron-ism and rare genetic disorders causing hypertension. In these disorders, hyper-tension is usually the presenting clinical issue and active diagnostic work up and management are in order.

Endocrine Hypertension: Diagnosis and Management

Ali Al Zahrani, King Faisal Specialist Hospital

pills, Metformin, and antiandrogens for the management of hyperandrogenism and subfertility are elucidated. The recently published concerns about the risks of using Metformin in pregnancy, and the increased risk of thromboembolic phenomenon are further discussed.

Learning objectives:1. Review the definition of PCOS2. Identify the need for ovarian ultrasound and Antimullarian Hormone3. Review the scope of the metabolic derangements associated with PCOS4. Review the updated recommendation for the management of PCOS


Pheochromocytoma is a rare but important cause of hypertension. The classic symptom triad of headache. Sweating and palpitations is rare and patients may present with persistent or intermittent hypertension. The 24 hr urine excretion of fractionated catecholamines or fractionated metanephrines is the standard method to confirm the diagnosis. Plasma metanephrine is a highly sensitive but less specific test that might be useful in certain situations. With the wide spread use of plasma aldosterone:renin ratio, primary aldosteronism has become one of the most common causes of secondary hypertension. Serum potassium is not a sensitive screening test as up to 40% of cases of primary aldosteronism may have normal serum potassium. A high aldosterone: renin ratio (e.g. >20) in the presence of elevated plasma aldosterone is highly suggestive of the primary aldosteronism and entails confirmation by use of one of the salt loading tests and subtype classification using any of a number of tests, the most definitive of which is bilateral adrenal vein sampling.

Glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism is a rare autosomal dominant disor-der that usually affects young patients and is characterized by fluctuating blood pressure, normokalemia, high plasma aldosterone and low renin. Its diagnosis is established by measurement of urinary excretion of 18-oxocortisol and/or 18-hydroxycortisol or by molecular methods. A number of conditions present with hypertension and hypokalemia suggestive of mineralocorticoid-mediated hy-pertension but their plasma aldosterone is usually low. These include Liddle’s syndrome which is an autosomal dominant disorder due to activating mutations in the epithelial Na channels, apparent mineralcorticoid excess due to congeni-tal or acquired deficiency of type 2 18B-hydroxycorticosteroid dehydrogenase and cortisol resistance syndrome due to inactivating mutations in the glucocor-ticoid receptor. Conditions in which deoxycorticosterone (DOC), an aldosterone precursor, are elevated causes a similar picture. This includes DOC-producing tumors and some forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.


1. To learn when to suspect secondary causes of hypertension2. To review the changing epidemiology of endocrine hypertension3. To learn the diagnostic work up of endocrine hypertension 4. To review genetic basis of some rare but interesting causes of endocrine hypertension

Abstracts


Abstracts

Adult immunization has become an increasingly important tool for infectiousdiseases prevention in the United States. Traditional adult immunization in the U.S. has included vaccines for influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, and pneumococcal disease. More recently, new vaccines for prevention of zoster (shingles), human papilloma virus, influenza, meningococcal disease, pneumococcal disease, and pertussis have become available and are recommended for selected groups of adults. In addition, the use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in children has led to a dramatic decline in the incidence of invasive pneumococcal infections in adults through the mechanism of herd protection. The U.S. adult immuniza-tion schedule and epidemiology of selected vaccine preventable diseases will be reviewed.


1. The rationale for adult immunization2. The epidemiology of selected vaccine preventable infectious diseases3. The function of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization practices (ACIP)4. The U.S. adult immunization schedule

Immunization for Adults

Plenary 3:

Harrison Lee, University of Pittsburgh


Abstracts

U.S. national preparedness strives towards a secure and resilient nation capable of preventing, mitigating and responding to high-risk threats and hazards. Na-tional health security focuses on securing America from a range of public health threats including bioterrorist attacks, natural disasters, infectious disease epi-demics and others. Since 9/11, significant technical and operational progress in public health preparedness has been made. However, a challenging fiscal environment and newly evolving threats (domestic and global) continue to test national health security. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports emergency preparedness and response for communicable and non-communicable threats in the U.S. and worldwide. CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) establishes strategy and policy to support national preparedness, manages funding appropriated by Congress for state and local preparedness activities, and administers operational and regulatory preparedness programs. OPHPR oversees CDC’s Emergency Operations Center, which plays critical roles in emergency response including gathering information, establishing management structures and deploying assets. OPHPR also manag-es the Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity, which facilitates two-way communication between clinicians and the CDC about emerging health threats such as pandemics, natural disasters and bioterrorism. There is ongoing need to increase community focus in preparedness and response, expand multi-sectorial partnership, improve biosurveillance and strengthen links between domestic and global health security.

Learning Objectives:1. Recognize the major public health emergencies2. Describe the critical public health capabilities 3. Evaluate the level of preparedness of your organization

Role of Public Health in Ensuring National Security

Plenary 4:

Ali S. Khan, CDC, Atlanta


Abstracts

VTE remains a major cause of Morbidity and Mortality , many advances hap-pened in the therapeutics which includes new Novel anticoagulant.New Agents has its own challenges but also great benefits

Learning Objectives:1. Describe the cause of the apparent change in the epidemiology of deception2. Identify four types of deception seen in medical practice3. Name the three main ethical theories which address the ethics of deception

Venous Thromboembolism: From Leeches to Novel Agents

THEME 4: Hematology and Oncology

Bisher Mustafa, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

In last 15 years a lot of advances have been made in the treatment of lower GI cancers. Since the last 15 years, with new chemotherapeutic agents and tar-geted therapies, we have been able to double the median survival in metastatic colon cancers. These cancers are very preventable with lifestyle modifications and regular screening. This is very relevant in the UAE with the changed dietary habits and increased incidence of this disease. This talk will focus on screening and also provide an update on the state of the art systemic treatment for colon cancers.

Learning Objectives:

1. To understand the relevance of screening in colon cancers and the schedule2. To understand the improvement in survival of metastatic colon cancers due to more efficacious chemotherapeutic agents in the last 15 years3. To be able to know the main groups of biological agents that have improved survival in colon cancers

GI malignancies: An evidence based approach to screening, surveillance and treatment

Sathyarathnam Gokul, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City


Anemia is a common diagnostic and therapeutic challenge in the United Arab Emirates. The presentation will focus on the prevalent disorders, their recogni-tion, and management. Iron deficiency is present in 90% of women in the child-bearing years, with approximately one-third of these being anemic. The common background is lifelong dietary deficiency, multiparity, and menorrhagia. Mal-absorption is a rare factor. Bariatric surgery, which may lead to a need for iron supplementation, is increasingly being used. Other sources of blood loss must be excluded. Treatment should consist of oral supplementation, dietary advice and monitoring, and management of causes of blood loss. Compliance with oral therapy is a major issue, either due to side effects of oral iron or to simple lack of commitment. Intravenous iron therapy may be indicated, and is relatively safe using modern intravenous preparations. Male patients with iron deficiency must always be investigated for underlying causes of blood loss. Congenital hemolytic disorders are common, and include the thalassemias, sickle cell disease, and glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Combinations of these disor-ders are commonly seen. They are seen most commonly amongst populations who historically have resided in the coastal regions rather than in the desert environment, and parallel the relative incidences of malaria in the coastal areas of the Gulf countries, Pakistan and India. The incidences, diagnosis and manage-ment of the congenital hemolytic disorders will be summarised.

Learning Objectives:1. Understand the spectrum of anemia in the UAE2. Approach to Diagnosis3. Approach to Management

Diagnosis and Management of Anemia

David Spence, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Abstracts

The prevalence of diabetes and glucose intolerance is high and is on the rise among adults in the Middle East representing a major clinical and public health

Diabetes Update - The diabetes challenge in the Middle East

Hussein F Saadi, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi


Abstracts

problem. The most common explanation for this relates to the rapid economic development with abundant food and decreased opportunity and motivation for physical activity, acting on genetically susceptible individuals.

The screening strategy in such high-risk populations is not clear as to whether community screening should be recommended, or whether screening should only be carried out within the health care setting and targeting high-risk individu-als (opportunistic screening). Although community screening programs may de-tect a higher proportion of subjects with undiagnosed or at high-risk for diabetes than opportunistic screening, it is not yet known whether this strategy is more effective as people identified by community screening may not seek, or may not have access to, appropriate follow-up testing and care.

Studies using standardized measures to assess quality of care indicate that man-agement of patients with diabetes usually falls short of that advocated by current guidelines worldwide. We recently found that among 275 patients with diagnosed diabetes attending PHC clinics and a tertiary diabetes center in Abu Dhabi, UAE only 40.1% followed dietary recommendations, 12% reported seeing a diabetes educator, 28.2% walked for exercise, and 13.5% attained all 3 recognized tar-gets of HbA1c <7%, blood pressure <130/80 mmHg, and LDL cholesterol <2.6 mmol/L.

Community-wide prevention programs that raise public awareness of the impor-tance of lifestyle behaviors to prevent obesity and diabetes are needed. Lifestyle intervention strategies including increased physical activity and reduced dietary fat intake should be implemented in high-risk individuals identified by screening. The suboptimal care practices and low attainment of treatment targets in pa-tients with diabetes could be improved by structured multifaceted interventions that include patient education, psychological intervention, dietary education, self-monitoring, telemedicine, and other components.

Learning objectives:1. Review the prevalence and risk factors for diabetes in the Middle East.2. Discuss the strategies needed to reduce the burden of diabetes.


Abstracts

Learning Objectives:1. Discuss the definition and type of SSI.2. List and describe the variety of risk factors known to contribution to the incidence of nosocomial infections in general and SSI.3. Discuss preventive strategies and best practice that have been shown to decrease the rate of SSI.4. Apply knowledge regarding correct antibiotic selection, dosing, and the duration of use to prevent SSI.

Surgical Site Infections: How to Prevent and Treat?

THEME 5: Infectious Diseases

Muna Al Masalmani, Weill-Cornell, Qatar

Antibiotics have saved millions of lives and eased the suffering of patients of all ages for more than 60 years. This has earned them the title of being the ‘wonder drugs’ of medicine.

Paradoxically, it is this confidence in antibiotic efficacy that has fuelled an epi-demic of antibiotic prescription abuse. Concurrently, not enough time is devoted in the medical school curriculum on teaching about the human microbiome, its role in maintaining health and homeostasis, and antimicrobial therapeutics. Over time, bacteria have developed resistance to existing antibiotics, making infec-tions more difficult to treat. In spite of the pressing need for new drugs to treat resistant infections, there simply are not enough new antibiotics in the pharma-ceutical pipeline to keep pace with demand. Infectious diseases physicians are alarmed by the prospect that effective antibiotics may not be available to treat seriously ill patients in the near future. If we are to stem the tide of resistant bacteria, prompt concerted efforts need to be taken on a variety of fronts includ-ing infection control, hysician education on judicious prescription, elimination of antibiotics from animal husbandry, and new drug discovery.

Rational Use of Antibiotics

Rayhan Hashmey, Tawam Hospital


Special Guest Lecture: Emerging Public Health Infectious Diseases Threats

Ali S. Khan, CDC, Atlanta

Abstracts

Learning Objectives:1. Identify the key emerging infections for the Middle East2. Explain the key factors that drive disease emergence3. Apply the key prevention and control measures for emerging infections

Learning Objectives:1. Understanding the role of the human microbiome in preserving health and homeostasis, and the impact of antibiotics on it.2. Understanding the reasons behind irrational use of antibiotics by examining and debunking several popular myths about these agents. 3. Understanding the importance of preserving our current antibiotic armamentarium through antimicrobial stewardship and rational use.


Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common preventable and treatable disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and the lung to noxious particles or gases. Exacerbations and comorbidities contribute to the overall severity in individual patients. COPD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The burden of COPD is projected to increase in coming decades due to continued exposure to COPD risk factors and the aging of the world’s population. Increase awareness of COPD among health professionals, health authorities, and the general public is manda-tory to improve diagnosis, management and prevention of this disease and sub-sequently to decrease morbidity and mortality In this presentation we will review the latest update in the assessment and management of COPD

Learning Objectives:1. Definition and Burden of COPD2. Diagnosis and assessment of COPD, the new guidelines3. Update on Management of COPD

Recent Advances in Management of COPD

THEME 6: Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine

Wagih Djazmati, Shiek Khalifa Medical City

Abstracts

Interventional pulmonology (IP) provides comprehensive care to patients with structural airway disorders and pleural diseases. A growing armamentarium of diagnostic and therapeutic tools has expanded the interventional pulmonologist’s ability to care for pulmonary patients with complex abnormalities. Innovative tech-nologies promise to have an impact on diseases and clinical entities not tradition-ally treated by invasive pulmonary interventions, such as asthma, COPD, and the solitary pulmonary nodule. The lecture explains different procedures included in

When to Call an Interventional Pulmonologist?

Yaser Abu El Sameed, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City


Learning Objectives:1. Understand the differential diagnosis of adults with chronic interstitial lung disease2. Understand a diagnostic algorithm of adults with chronic interstitial lung disease3. Know the treatment options for interstitial lung disease

the common practice of IP, with evidence-based review of such procedures.

Learning Objectives:Define Interventional pulmonology and explain different procedures practiced commonly using the most recent literature on the topic.

Interstitial Lung Disease and Lung Fibrosis

Jeffrey Chapman, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abstracts


Abstracts

There is a rich literature about the deceptions of patients (malingering), and now a small but growing literature about the deceptions of doctors. This presentation will not discuss criminal misconduct (like billing fraud), but focus on the softer deceptions practiced by doctors. We will explore:

Definition: what deception is, and what it is not, thus separating deception from its imposters

Epidemiology: how common is deception, and is it “normal” to deceive

Methods: the most common methods of deception

Nosology: two commonest types of deception, and two exotic types of deception

Examples: I will give examples of doctors’ deceptions from my practice

Ethics: Is deception right or wrong? We will review some ethical theories which address this

Paradox: by the end of the presentation, I will show you that doctors deceive all the time; Yet, they plead “Not Guilty” to the charge that they are Liars! How can that be? The answer will be revealed at the end of this presentation.

Learning Objectives:1. Conceptual issues – what is depression ?2. a. old controversies: endogenous / exogenous b. old resolutions : DSM III a-theoretical polythetic3. new controversies: a. Changing epidemiology – why ? b. New constructs:

“Deceptions in Medical Practice: are doctors Liars?”

Plenary 5:

Ansar Haroun, UC, San Diego


is depression a - mental state (symptom or sign ?) - mental deficit (ability / disability to feel good)4. Distinctions between capacity / actuality5. Distinctions between pleasure / Happiness6. Pathways to pleasure7. Pathways to Happiness8. Proper / improper use of anti-depressant medications

Abstracts

Hypercoagulability can be defined as being at increased risk of venous thrombo-sis. A variety of risk factors in the blood are responsible for inherited hyperco-agulable states. These included factor V Leiden, prothrombin mutation 20210, antithrombin deficiency, protein S deficiency and protein C deficiency. Acquired (non-hereditary) conditions, such as the lupus anticoagulant and antiphospholipid antibodies as well as conditions such as pregnancy and oral contraceptive use, also can increase the risk of thrombosis. Even more risk factors for thrombosis are now being recognized including sedentary behavior, height, increased body mass index and cigarette smoking. Choosing the right laboratory tests is chal-lenging, as is what to do with the data once the test results are obtained. The use of laboratory testing and patient history and life-style will be discussed in the context of choosing the proper treatment regimen. Learning Objectives:1. Participants will learn when to test for, and when not to test for, inherited risk factors for venous thrombosis.2. Participants will learn to optimize test selection for hypercoagulable states.3. Participants will appreciate the interaction between hereditary and environmental risk factors for venous thrombosis.

Hypercoagulable States: Diagnosis and Management

Philip C. Comp, University of Oklahoma

Plenary 6:


The interpretation and evaluation of abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) has be-come a common problems with the widespread use of routine biochemical as-says. The most common etiologies for persistently elevated liver function tests are alcohol use and viral hepatitis. Other etiologies include autoimmune liver diseases, hereditary or metabolic liver diseases, certain medications, and fatty metamorphosis of the liver. This lecture will describe initial clinical assessment of patients with abnormal LFTs. Each LFT will be discussed and their characteristics described. The causes of abnormal LFTs will be discussed together with a useful mechanism of approaching evaluation in a clinically meaningful way that incorpo-rates prevalent guidelines. In addition emphasis will be placed on understanding the principles of and management of abnormal LFTs.

Learning Objectives:1. List and describe LFT characteristics2. Describe initial clinical assessment of patients with abnormal LFTs3. Describe causes of abnormal LFTs4. Understand principles of and management of abnormal LFTs

Evaluation of Patients with Abnormal Liver Enzymes

Nigel Beejay, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

THEME 7- Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Abstracts

Liver transplantation is the definitive treatment of acute and chronic liver failure. In the US, hepatitis C disease is the commonest indication for liver transplant followed by alcohol and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis induced disease. Indica-tions for transplantation include Child’s B cirrhosis as manifested by intractable ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and compromised hepatic synthetic functions. Other indications include spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, recurrent variceal hemorrhage, malnourishment, poor quality of life and early hepatocellular car-

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease – Far More Common Than Appreciated

Obaid S. Shaikh, University of Pittsburgh


Abstracts

Irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS ) is a chronic disorder characterized by relapsing episodes of abdominal pain or discomfort associated with altered bowel habits in the absence of any organic pathology. It is a common clinical presentation in both primary care as well as gastroenterology clinics. IBS tends get worse with exposure to stress and different food and improves after a bowel movement. Exact etiology and pathophisiology is unknown but an interaction between genet-ics, environment, psychological status, GI infection, gut motility disorder, visceral hypersensitivity and abnormal brain –gut interplay is believed to be responsible

Evaluation and Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Urooj Ahmad, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

cinoma. Transplant is contraindicated in patients actively abusing alcohol or illicit drugs, and among those with extrahepatic malignancy, active infection and se-vere co-morbid conditions. Transplantation is managed by a multidisciplinary team that includes transplant hepatologist, transplant surgeon, transplant coordinators, social worker, psychologist, pharmacist, anesthesiologist, intensivist and other professionals. In the US, organ allocation is based on Model for Endstage Liver Disease (MELD) score that ranges from 6-40. Most organs are retrieved from deceased donors while a small proportion is from living donors. Graft rejection is no longer a major issue in view of the availability of potent immunosuppressive agents. Post-transplant morbidity generally results from recurrent disease, mainly hepatitis C and steatohepatitis, and from medical complications of immunosup-pression that include hypertension, diabetes, renal failure and malignancy. Organ shortage is a significant problem and that may be partially alleviated by the devel-opment of bioartificial liver and hepatocyte and stem cell transplantation.Learning Objectives:Upon completion of this activity, the participant intends to incorporate the follow-ing objectives into their practice of medicine:

1. Appropriately select patients for liver transplantation according to established guidelines2. Develop an understanding of the multidisciplinary nature of liver transplant team and be able to work collaboratively3. Counsel liver transplant candidates and recipients regarding immunosuppression4. Advise transplant recipients regarding management of transplant related surgical and medical complications


Abstracts

Background:Type 2 DM and obesity are two faces of the same coin. In addition, morbid obesity increases the risk of death from cancer and CAD. Bariatric sur-gery leads to weight loss, improvement in obesity related comorbid conditions and lower risk of death. Type 2 DM has traditionally been a medical disease treated by medications for 200 years. In 1995, Walter Pories suggested for the first time that an operation could treat type 2 DM. Bariatric surgery has long beenknown to introduce weight loss. However, does it also treat type 2 DM. Methods: Review of the literature of the metabolic effects of bariatric surgery Results: The largest prospective non randomized study (SOS study) shows that bariatric surgery is durable for more than 20 years and leads to lower mortal-ity. Three recent RCT have shown that bariatric surgery (LAGB, LSG, RYGB and BPD) is superior to intensive medical therapy for the treatment of type 2 DM. In addition, bariatric surgery improves the other components of the metabolic syndrome (HTN, Dyslipidemia, etc...). Long term results of the Swedish Obesity Subject study has shown that the overall mortality rates, the rates of fatal andnon fatal heart attacks, and the prevalence of type 2 DM is lower in the surgical arm of the study after 20 years. In addition, bariatric surgery leads to more than 80% chance in preventing type 2 DM in the surgical arm in patients who were obese but did not have type 2DM.Conclusion: Bariatric surgery is not cosmetic surgery, it can save lives and hassignificant important metabolic components on type 2 DM, risk of heart attacks and death.Learning Objectives:1. Obesity is a silent Killer and Bariatric Surgery Saves lives. 2. Bariatric Surgery improves Type 2 DM better than medical therapy.3. Bariatric Surgery needs a Multidisciplinary team approach it is not a one man show.

Surgical Procedures for Weight Loss: What is Right for You?

Abdelrahman Nimeri, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

for its development and manifestation. It is important to look for ‘red flags’ be-fore making a diagnosis of IBS. History and physical examination of the patient along with limited workup is required before making the diagnosis. Successful management of IBS requires patient education and reassurance. The role of specific treatment including medication is limited.Learning Objectives:1. Review epidemiology and pathophysiology of IBS2. Diagnosis and Work-up of IBS3. Management


Abstracts

Management of Chronic Intractable Pain

Rida Baruni, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

THEME 8 - General Medicine

Evidently chronic pain presents a huge challenge to various governments and health care systems across the world due to the fact that the magnitude of the impact of the socio-economic factors including cost of care for chronic pain patients is astronomical. This presentation provides an overview of chronic pain management starting with addressing some of the basic concepts related to better understanding of important definitions, care models, approach to clinical management of different chronic pain patients.

Learning Objectives:1. Learn the ISAP Definition of Pain 2. Discuss what Pain means to different stake holders3. A word about Prevalence of Chronic Pain / Lack of accurate Local Data4. Clarify the concept of: Disease VS Illness5. Explain the Bio-psycho-social Model of Pain6. Highlight the Current state of knowledge about Pain7. Discuss the Realities regarding Chronic Pain and Pain Services8. Learn about Types of Pain

In the modern west, the last century witnessed two phenomena:- huge advances in the bio-medical understanding of depression as a brain dis-ease, and resultant advances in bio-medical interventions, and yet:

- epidemiological studies showing continued increases in the prevalence of de-pression, with resultant increases in the prescribing of antidepressant treatments

Islamic vs. Western Approaches to Depression

Ansar Haroun, UC, San Diego


Abstracts

! Is this changing epidemiology true or apparent? If there has been little genuine change in the epidemiology of depression, and the noted change is not true but only apparent, one explanation may lie in the changing nature of “depression”.

The epidemiology of depression (as a brain disease) differs from that of depression (as a feeling state). While “feeling depressed” is a state of mind, it is not necessar-ily a disease of the brain, requiring bio-medical interventions. In fact, throughout recorded history, opinions about the causes and cures of “feeling depressed” have come from scholars of the mind (philosophers) and the soul (theologians) more than from students of the brain (physicians);In the modern west, medical school courses on depression emphasize neuro-chem-istry more than philosophy (secular or religious).

The Islamic world made rich contributions to the study of happiness, including Farabi (the Attainment of Happiness) and Ghazali (the Alchemy of Happiness).

Learning Objectives:1. clarifying whether the problem is a brain disease, requiring bio-medical interventions, or a mental condition, requiring other (life-style) interventions2. the separation of pleasure from happiness, as contributing to the depression3. the teaching of pathways to happiness, including mastery, eudemonia, attachment, nurturance, productivity, dignity, slavery (yes!, slavery)

Learning Objectives:1. Reinforce the association between systemic disease and skin manifestations2. Describe common skin findings in patients with systemic diseases3. Recognize when to refer patients with skin and systemic disease to the dermatologist

Common Dermatologic Manifestations of Medical Diseases

Abrar Qureshi, Harvard Medical School


Abstracts

The audience will be expected to elicit the key warning signs in a patient’s history and physical exam that put the patient at risk for particular categories of life or limb threatening back pain.

Back pain is very frequent but usually benign reason for visits to primary care provider and emergency departments. It is also has huge societal impact, being the number one cause of work related disability costs in the U.S. and the UK, ef-fectively costing billions of dollars to the healthcare systems of these countries. The differential diagnosis can be exhausting with dozens of potential causes of back pain. There are certain conditions that are potentially life-threatening that at times may present as back pain. Vascular condition such as aortic aneurysms, pulmonary embolisms and acute coronary syndromes. Certain cancers, remote from the back may present with back pain due metastatic lesions. Cord compres-sion syndromes may result from abscess due to local infection, seeding from another site, tumor, hematoma, or from direct compression on the cord or it’s fibers from a herniated lumbar disk, or narrow spinal canal.One or two cases will also be presented as examples

“My Back is Killing Me” -- Don’t let the Patient Die from that Back Pain

Broderick Frankilin, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City

Learning Objectives:1. Review current standard initial management of poisoning2. Review current position papers of US/European toxicologists for gastric decontamination of poisoned patients3. Observe the trend in use of gastrointestinal decontamination and antidote use in poisoned patients

Management of Acute Poisoning in the Emergency Room

Robert Hoffman, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

THEME 9 - Medical Emergencies


Abstracts

A substantial number of patients present through the emergency room with neurologic symptoms. Early recognition and timely intervention in diagnosing and further management planning is of utmost importance. The presentation is geared towards educating audience about the common neurologic emergencies like stroke, status epilepticus, and severe headache, myelopathy and muscle diseases. Brief introduction of the condition followed by signs and symptoms, di-agnostic procedure and therapeutic interventions will be discussed for the more common neurologic diseases encountered in emergency room.

Learning Objectives:1. To discuss the pathophysiology of the neurologic emergencies.2. Recognize the clinical features.3. And discuss the management of emergent neurologic conditions.

Learning Objectives:1. Learn what causes of backt are: Potentially life threatening A threat to the spinal cord A sign of more serious disease elsewhere in the body2. Learn what information in the patient’s history or physical determines that the patient is at risk for a more serious cause of back pain3. Learn what steps to take for more definitive diagnosis of back pain in the high risk patient

Neurologic Emergencies

Numan Amir, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City


Social Program & Tours

About the times and the tours.

Event Time Date Price/Person Min Persons Required

14:00 - 18:00

09:00 - 16:00

11:00 - 15:00

11:00 - 15:00

Orientation Tour In Abu Dhabi

Day at Ferrari World

Modern Dubai Tour

09:00 - 13:00

13:30 - 20:30

11:00 - 15:00

AED 200 10

10

15AED 350

AED 400


Modern Dubai Tour 10

15AED 350

AED 400

Orientation Tour In Abu Dhabi


AED 200 10

15AED 350

13/02/2013Wednesday

14/02/2013Thursday

15/02/2013Friday

The origins of Abu Dhabi city can be traced to the mid-1700s. Legend has it that Sheikh Dhiyab of the Bani Yas tribe ordered his son, Sheikh Shakhbut, to establish a settlement on the site of a rare fresh water spring that had been discovered by gazelle hunters. The name Abu Dhabi means ‘Father of the Gazelle’.

Located on an island separated from the mainland by a slender channel of water, the new settlement changed little over the following two centuries. A fort was built, and the few hundred palm or ‘barasti’ huts were slowly replaced by more permanent buildings. Unlike the desert the interior, where life was sustained by nomadic herding of camels, goats and sheep, together with date farming and the limited cultivation of other crops around the scattered oases, the people of Abu Dhabi island looked to the sea. Fishing, dhow trading, various traditional crafts and, above all, pearl diving were the main activities of the sparse population.



Heritage Village:

Located at the Breakwater in the middle of Abu Dhabi, Heritage village is designed as a living museum. It exhibits Bedouin tradition and lifestyle detailing a variety of lo-cal traditions, as well as those of other cultures employed in agriculture, fishing and trading. It features tents, courtyard houses, an ancient irrigation system, workshops where craftsmen ply their trades, a museum and much more. A visit inside the Herit-age Village is not possible during Fridays.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque:

The third largest mosque in the world. This mosque is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who was the founder and the first President of the United Arab Emirates. He is also buried there. The mosque acquires large area between Mussa-fah Bridge and Maqta Bridge. Non-Muslims cannot enter mosques in UAE but Sheikh Zayed Mosque will be an exception. Mosque is closed to visitors during Fridays.

Day At Ferrari World Ferrari World is a Ferrari themed amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The park is situated under a 200,000 square metres (2,200,000 sq ft) roof making it the largest indoor amusement park in the world. Ferrari World officially opened on November 4, 2010. The theme park is home to Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster.

It is the first Ferrari theme park on earth and largest amongst its kind. The park has more than 20 rides which are inspired by the Ferrari automaker. The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has a varied range of rides for people of different age group with a lot


Tour Option (Dubai) - Modern Dubai Tour

of fun and thrill. The theme park is also provided with a number of Italian delicacies along with coffee joint.

It doesn’t end there, as the theme park also gives us a unique scope to shop un-limitedly from the inside shops of Ferrari. The huge collections of rides over here are designed to attract people from different interest which specially tells the story of Ferrari through the exciting fun. One can get the sensation of the variable rides from the world’s fastest roller coaster to the advanced racing rides experiencing the scenic beauty and the driving forces of a real Ferrari race out.

Dubai is known to be the fastest growing country in the Middle East and is known worldwide for its architectural wonders like the Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa, the tall-est building in the world. It is also known for the Palm Island and The World projects. we offer you a paranormic tour of the modern Dubai with explanation from your guide on those multi-million projects.

We would drive past the Dubai Marina which is a marina which is actually man made marina which covers for approximately 25 acres. Next on the list would be a drive through the Palm Jumeirah - a multi billion dollar land reclamation project. Already hailed as a new wonder of the world, The Palm is formed in the shape of a palm tree with a crown of 17 fronds surrounded by a crescent reef. No building in modern history has aroused so much curiosity and intrigue as has Burj Khalifa. From the vantage point on level 124 of the world’s tallest building, you will experience first-hand this modern architectural and engineering marvel and know at last what it is like to see the world from such a lofty height. At The Top, Burj Khalifa visit begins in the reception area on the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall. Here and throughout your journey, you will be entertained and informed by a multi-media presentation that chronicles Dubai’s exotic history and the fascinating story of Burj Khalifa.



About Abu Dhabi

Climate

Year-round sunshine, pristine beaches, spectacular sand dunes and pulsating cos-mopolitan lifestyle await every guest in Abu Dhabi. These, combined with distinctive Arabian hospitality, mystique and world-class infrastructure make Abu Dhabi an en-chanting destination for experienced and novice travellers. The emirate hosts the United Arab Emirates’ capital – Abu Dhabi city. This island capital is characterised by its signature Corniche, which fronts the amazing turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf. In Abu Dhabi city you’ll find all the conveniences of 21st century capital living with some surprising additions along with the adventure of a unique Arabian experi-ence. It is a fascinating emirate with beautiful buildings, excellent restaurants and nightlife as well as white sandy beaches, culture and history that you can feel as you visit the souks, shopping malls, museums and historic buildings and sites.

Whatever you choose to do, you will meet with a welcome which has been extended to travellers throughout the ages.

Tropical, semi-dry climate. Sunshine can be expected year round. All though sum-mer, from June to September, the weath-er is hot and humid, with temperatures typically averaging above 40 ؛C. From October to May temperatures average a pleasant 28 ؛C – 20C. Air-conditioning is present in all vehicles and buildings in-cluding hotels, conference and exhibition halls and shopping malls.


About Abu Dhabi

Clothing

Culture & Lifestyle

Abu Dhabi is generally conservative but tolerant when it comes to dress code. The attitude to dress is relaxed, but visitors (both men and women) are advised not to wear excessively revealing clothing in public places, as a sign of respect for local culture and customs. This also applies to public beaches, where swimmers should avoid excessively revealing swimming suits. Most nightclubs require their guests not to wear shorts, caps or sport shoes on their premises. Unless otherwise indicated, official events usually require non-locals to wear formal dress; a suit and tie for men and an evening dress for women.

As for the weather requirements, lightweight summer clothing is suitable for most of the year (summer, spring and autumn), though a light sweater or cardigan could be handy when visiting a shopping mall, hotel or restaurant where the temperature might be kept too low to counter the outdoor heat. Slightly warm clothes are needed for the short winter season, especially in the evening.

Abu Dhabi’s culture is firmly rooted in the Islamic traditions of Arabia. Courtesy and hospitality are among the most highly prized of virtues, and the visitor is sure to be charmed by the genuine warmth and friendliness of the people. Abu Dhabi society is marked by a high degree of tolerance for different lifestyles. Foreigners are free to practice their own religion, alcohol is served in hotels and, provided reasonable dis-cretion is shown, the dress code is liberal. Women face no discrimination and may drive and walk around unescorted. Despite rapid economic development in recent years, Abu Dhabi remains close to its heritage. Local citizens dress in traditional robes and headdress. Arab culture and folklore find expression in poetry, dancing, songs and traditional art. Weddings and other celebrations are colorful occasions of feasting and music. Traditional sports such as falconry, camel racing and dhow racing at sea continue to thrive.


Photography

Language & Religion

Currency

The official language is Arabic but English is widely spoken and understood. Both languages are commonly used in business and commerce.

Islam is the official religion of the UAE and there are a large number of mosques throughout the city. Other religions are respected and Abu Dhabi has two Christian churches, St Mary’s (Roman Catholic) and Holy Trinity (inter-denominational).

Normal tourist photography is allowed, however it is considered offensive to photo-graph Muslim women. It is also courteous to request permission before photograph-ing men.

The monetary unit is the dirham which is divided into 100 fils. The dirham is linked to the Special Drawing Right of the International Monetary Fund. It has been held constant against the US dollar since the end of 1980 at a mid-rate of approximately US$1= Dh3.67.

About Abu Dhabi


Notes

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