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BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are predisposed to an increased risk of infection signifying the importance of vaccination to protect against its potentially severe complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (CDC/ACIP) issued immunization re-commendations to protect this patient population. AIM: To assess the adherence of patients with DM to the CDC/ACIP immunization recommendations in Saudi Arabia and to identify the factors associated with the vaccine adherence rate. METHODS: An observational retrospective study conducted in 2023 was used to collect data on the vaccination records from 13 diabetes care centers in Saudi Arabia with 1000 eligible patients in phase I with data collected through chart review and 709 patients in phase II through online survey. RESULTS: Among participants, 10.01% (n = 71) had never received any vaccine, while 85.89% (n = 609) received at least one dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, and 34.83% (n = 247) had received the annual influenza vaccine. Only 2.96% (n = 21), 2.11% (n = 15), and 1.12% (n = 8) received herpes zoster, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap), and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, respectively. For patients with DM in Saudi Arabia, the rate of vaccination for annual influenza and COVID-19 vaccines was higher compared to other vaccinations such as herpes zoster, Tdap, pneumococcal, and HPV. Factors such as vaccine recommendations provided by family physicians or specialists, site of care, income level, DM-related hospitalization history, residency site, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, and health sector type can significantly influence the vaccination rate in patients with DM. Among non-vaccinated patients with DM, the most reported barriers were lack of knowledge and fear of side effects. This signifies the need for large-scale research in this area to identify additional factors that might facilitate adherence to CDC/ACIP vaccine recommendations in patients with DM. CONCLUSION: In Saudi Arabia, patients with DM showed higher vaccination rates for annual influenza and COVID-19 vaccines compared to other vaccinations such as herpes zoster, Tdap, pneumococcal, and HPV. Factors such as vaccine recommendations provided by family physicians or specialists, the site of care, income level, DM-related hospitalization history, residency site, HbA1c level, and health sector type can significantly influence the vaccination rate in patients with DM.
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Venous air embolism (VAE) is a rare but potentially lethal condition. It has numerous clinical and physiological causes. We present a case report of a 72-year-old Saudi male, known case of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and ischemic heart disease. The patient came to the emergency room (ER) complaining of the heaviness of the tongue that resolved spontaneously within a few hours. He underwent percutaneous coronary angiography three months ago. The patient with the previously mentioned neurological symptoms, who had been misdiagnosed as having transient cerebral ischemia, was, after a computerized tomography (CT) scan result, diagnosed with venous air embolism. Venous air embolism can occur in situations other than those in which patients are traditionally thought to be at risk, making diagnosis difficult. Any sudden change in mental status and hemodynamic alterations during minimally invasive procedures should raise the physician's suspicion of VAE. Because VAE is an uncommon complication, few cases have been recorded in Saudi Arabia.
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Background The skin is the largest organ of the body. Burns are important health issues that significantly affect a variety of population groups. Skin grafting is still regarded as the gold standard in surgical burn treatment. The availability of skin for grafting is one of the main challenges in burn surgical therapies. Thus, this study aimed to assess the public perception and attitude regarding skin donation in Saudi Arabia. Method The study was a cross-sectional study that included the general population in Saudi Arabia (≥ 18 years old). A self-administered survey was distributed online. Statistical analysis was carried out using RStudio (R version 4.1.1). Categorical data were presented as frequencies and percentages, while continuous data were expressed as the median and interquartile range (IQR). Results A total of 8515 were included in the study. Most participants (71.5%) were females. Among the respondents, 64.9% were between the ages of 18 and 30. Females had a higher knowledge level of skin graft donation compared to males. Participants aged >30 years had lower knowledge levels compared to younger participants. Lower knowledge scores were also observed among married, widows, as well as uneducated participants. Five thousand two hundred and seven (61.1%) participants support skin donation. The most reported barrier to skin donation was religious reasons (52.4%), while the main motives for supporting skin donation were humane-related factors (73.2%). The influence of close relatives on participants' decisions to donate was evident in 52.6% of the instances. Conclusion It was found that most participants support skin donation in Saudi Arabia. Religious reasons were the most common hindering factors against skin donation. Females and young-aged groups were found to have a higher knowledge level. Further studies are recommended to shed light on this subject allowing for appropriate solutions implantation.
