RESUMEN
Background Nowadays, radiology is considered one of the most important disciplines of medicine as it guides physicians to reach the proper diagnosis by using many types of medical imaging modalities, such as x-ray radiography, computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These modalities are used to create dynamic images of different parts of the human body, which are being used to accurately diagnose and follow up on a variety of medical conditions. Moreover, in recent decades, radiology has experienced substantial growth and transformation, establishing itself not just in diagnostics but also in the domain of medical interventions, which includes the increasingly recognized discipline of interventional radiology. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) in Makkah from October 2022 to April 2023. The population size of medical students from the fourth to sixth year at Umm Al-Qura University is about 820 students. Results The total number of participants was 359, but two did not fill out properly. Hence, data was analyzed for (n=357), whereas more than half of them were female, 195 (54.6%). About 133 (37%) of the students were in their sixth year, while 106 (29%) were in their fourth year. Regarding their grade point average (GPA), 209 (58%) had >3.5, and 119 (33%) had 3.0-3.5. The maximum number of females 77 (57.9%) students were in the sixth year. Regarding knowledge, 291 (81.5%) had heard about interventional radiology before, while 66 (18.5%) had never heard about interventional radiology before. Moreover, 270 (75.6%) believe that the years in radiology residency are the same as other specialties. Regarding perceived knowledge about radiology, 183 (51.3%) said it is adequate. Conclusion This study showed that medical students at Umm Al-Qura University have a positive attitude towards radiology. However, the majority of the students do not have adequate knowledge regarding radiology as well as radiation hazards. We can improve this by increasing radiology experience in our institutions. Also, courses should be designed and incorporated into the curriculum to increase the knowledge of medical students about ionizing radiation.
RESUMEN
Background Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), which is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder, experience a broad range of symptoms and complications such as acute chest syndrome, infections, strokes, seizures, etc. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among SCD patients and determine the impact of sociodemographic factors and genotypes on depressive symptoms in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among SCD patients aged 18 and above in the outpatient clinics in Makkah's four main hospitals (Al Noor Specialist Hospital, King Faisal Hospital, King Abdulaziz Hospital, and Hera General Hospital) from December 2021 to April 2022. A total of 222 patients used a self-administrative questionnaire with an Arabic version of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess for depression. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 26, and the chi-square (χ2) test was applied to examine the relationship between the variables. A p-value of less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results The overall prevalence of depression was 85.6%, and multivariate analysis showed that age between 18 and 30 had a significant statistical value for the prevalence of depression (p-value = 0.029). Univariate analysis also indicated that low levels of education (p-value = 0.037) and low monthly income (p-value = 0.017) had a significant association with depression prevalence. Conclusion There is a high prevalence of depression among SCD patients in the Makkah region. Therefore, we recommend establishing a regular regional screening program and psychiatry referral for this patient population.
