Assessment of knowledge towards first aid skills of epilepsy among undergraduate health students in Riyadh province of Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Applying proper first-aid measures to patients with seizure episodes plays a vital role in preventing the adverse consequences of seizures. Most previous data focused on teachers, healthcare providers and the general public. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of seizure first-aid measures among undergraduate health students. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between May 16 and 31, 2023, with 493 undergraduate health students of Riyadh Province who answered online surveys. The data were collected using the descriptive information form. The chi-square (χ2) test was employed to compare knowledge of seizure first aid between demographic variables. The relationship between knowledge score and independent variables was evaluated using multiple linear regression technique. RESULTS: Only 1.6 % of participants demonstrated good knowledge scores toward seizure first-aid measures. The skill most frequently reported was to remove all harmful objects from their vicinity and loosen the tight clothes around the neck during a seizure; 68.7 % of the participants correctly answered with agreed. Conversely, the skill that received the lowest knowledge score among participants was putting a piece object such as a cloth, wallet, or spoon between the teeth to prevent tongue biting during a seizure; only 37.3 % of the participants correctly answered with disagree. Moreover, participants in the advanced age group, medicine and fifth-year, were found to be significant predictors of knowledge and exhibited better knowledge scores toward seizure first aid measures than their peers (p < 0.001). Furthermore, lectures and books were identified (69.6 %) as the most common source of information about seizure first aid. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that most undergraduate health students demonstrated poor knowledge scores in delivering seizure first aid. This finding suggests that introducing epilepsy education from the first year in all health-related courses is crucial to improving overall awareness and skills in providing seizure first aid.

Influence of Spiritual Coping and Social Support on the Mental Health and Quality of Life of the Saudi Informal Caregivers of Patients with Stroke.

The research explored the influence of spiritual coping and social support on mental health and quality of life (QOL) of informal caregivers of stroke survivors in Saudi Arabia. The respondents were frequently using religious coping strategies than existential coping strategies. The respondents received higher support from significant others and lowest support from friends. The majority of the respondents had mild to moderate depression, while more than one-third had mild to severe anxiety. Psychological health received the highest QOL, while physical health received the poorest QOL. Spiritual coping and social support significantly influenced the informal caregivers' mental health and QOL.

Oral Antispasticity Drugs and Non-Progressive Neurological Diseases: A Meta-Analysis on Safety and Efficacy.

Background: Spasticity is a pathophysiological outcome of impaired muscle motor activity, primarily the muscle tone. Muscle tone problems are signs of several neurological conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, movement disorders, spine damage, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Antispasticity therapeutics belong to a class of treatments that restore motor function and muscle tone. There are several routes of therapeutic administration of antispastic medications; among them, the oral drug delivery system plays a significant role. Objective: The purpose of the study was to present a complete synthesis of the scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of antispasticity medicines used orally for the management of nonprogressive neurological disorders. Materials and Methods: In order to carry out a comprehensive meta-analysis, the most pertinent scientific studies on the use of oral antispasticity medications to treat non-progressive neurological illnesses were identified. A search was conducted across a number of databases, including SciELO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and PubMed. MedCalc statistical software was used to perform a meta-analysis in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards for odds ratio across the studies, relative risk, and risk factor analysis. Results: In the present study, a total of 252 original records were retrieved from different predefined databases on oral antispasticity drugs and their association with non-progressive neurological disorders. After several screening steps, 12 studies were found to be eligible for meta-analysis. These studies represented different antispasticity therapeutics that were administered via the oral route. Based on the meta-analysis, oral antispasticity drugs were found to be moderately effective (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings of the meta-analysis showed that the interventions of tizanidine, diazepam, dantrolene, baclofen, and gabapentin were more effective in tackling spasticity than the control. Therefore, in the treatment of non-progressive neurological diseases, oral antispasticity medications are only modestly effective.

Horizontal Gaze Defect as a Result of Subcortical Stroke: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Gaze palsies are commonly observed in the setting of acute stroke; such strokes are nearly always localized to either cerebral cortical or brainstem areas. Much less common are lesions localized at the subcortical pathways involved in the control of eye movements. We report a patient with subcortical white matter ischemic stroke who suffered horizontal gaze defects.

Quality of life and social support: Perspectives of Saudi Arabian stroke survivors.

Given that stroke is an indispensable health burden in Saudi Arabia and around the world, great importance has been attached on studies of social support and other factors that could improve the quality of life of stroke survivors. Perceptions of quality of life and social support may vary depending on patients' cultural and societal background. This research assessed the quality of life and social support of community-dwelling Saudis who survived stroke. A quantitative study was performed among 123 Saudi stroke survivors. Questionnaire-guided interviews measuring social support and quality of life were performed, and the multivariate effects of predictor variables on the four domains of quality of life were determined through multivariate multiple regression analysis. Among the dimensions of social support, support from family members had the highest average, whereas support from friends had the lowest. The environmental domain of quality of life was perceived to be the best aspect, whereas physical health was perceived to be the poorest. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, gender, employment status, monthly family income, type of community, education, type of stroke, side of stroke and support from significant others had multivariate influences on the domains of quality of life. Several sociodemographic and disease-related variables and social support influence patients' quality of life. The study adds critical knowledge as to how Arab stroke survivors perceive their quality of life and social support. Ensuring that stroke survivors receive adequate social support is imperative because it can improve their quality of life.

Knowledge, attitude, and believes of epilepsy in local communities of Saudi Arabia.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To assess public knowledge, attitude, and believes toward the epilepsy among local community populations in Shaqra Area, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: An organized 14 questionnaire was prepared to analyze public knowledge attitudes and believes about epilepsy. Study was conducted randomly in common public places in Shaqra City, Saudi Arabia, during the months of April and May 2016. Sample size includes 155 males and 130 females from Shaqra City of Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: The study analyzed the 285 local public including 155 male and 130 female contributors. About 68.38% male contributors and 63.07% female contributors studied Diploma or Bachelor education program. Female contributors (71.53%) were aware about epilepsy as compared with male contributors (58.70%). Maximum number of female contributors (82.30%) believes that epilepsy is treated by medication as compared with male contributors (58.70%). CONCLUSION: The knowledge, awareness, and attitudes of the epilepsy are found to be much improved in local community of Saudi Arabia. In the modern era, people assume that epilepsy is still due to evil spirit. Many contributors think there should be restrictions on driving and getting jobs in epilepsy patient. Public awareness and educational campaigns should be included in modern methods of education to develop well-knowledged community, which will improve the quality of life of epileptic patients.

A reappraised meta-analysis of the genetic association between vitamin D receptor BsmI (rs1544410) polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis risk.

BsmI (rs1544410) polymorphism located in intron 8 at the 3'-end of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is known to be involved in the regulation of mRNA stability. Many studies evaluated the possible correlation between VDR BsmI polymorphism and the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and reported conflicting results. In the present study, an updated meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the above-said association. PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar web-databases were searched for the relevant studies and a meta-analysis was performed by calculating pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for all the genetic models. A total of 19 studies comprising 3644 controls and 2635 cases were included in the present study. Overall no association of PTB in allelic contrast (b compared with B: P=0.285; OR =0.909, 95% CI =0.762-1.083), homozygous (bb compared with BB: P=0.881; OR =0.975, 95% CI =0.700-1.359), heterozygous (bB compared with BB: P=0.834; OR =1.017, 95% CI =0.872-1.185), dominant (bb compared with BB + Bb: P=0.451; OR =0.954, 95% CI =0.843-1.079) and recessive (bb + Bb compared with BB: P=0.983; OR =1.002, 95% CI =0.868-1.156) genetic models in comparison with wild-type allele and genotype BB were observed. However, variant allele (b compared with B: P=0.001; OR =2.289, 95% CI =1.661-3.154) showed increased risk of PTB in Asians. In conclusion, VDR BsmI polymorphism is not a risk factor for PTB in overall population. However, this polymorphism may be interrelated to an increased risk of PTB amongst Asians.

Central fever due to hypothalamic lesion in a patient with tuberculous meningitis.

Abnormalities of body temperature are perhaps the most common features in many systemic pathologic processes. Such pathologic alterations are nearly always the result of extrinsic factors (for example, systemic pyrogens) which affect the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center by way of circulatory system. Much less common is alterations in temperature regulation resulting from intrinsic lesions of the thermoregulatory center in the hypothalamus. We report a patient with tuberculous meningitis who continued to have persistent fever despite the satisfactory treatment of her tuberculosis. A central thermoregulatory defect was documented and was attributed to a small structural lesion in the anterior hypothalamus.