Types of Glaucoma and Associated Comorbidities Among Patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah.

Aim To identify the types of glaucoma and associated comorbidities among patients attending the ophthalmology clinic at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Jeddah. Methods A cross-sectional study that included all glaucoma patients at KAMC in Jeddah between June 1st, 2016 and November 30th, 2020. Data were collected through retrospective chart review from the electronic medical record system (BestCare) and utilized a structured data collection sheet. Results A total of 283 patients met the inclusion criteria. The most common type was primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG; 53%) followed by secondary glaucomas (SG; 26.5%) then childhood glaucoma and primary angle-closure glaucoma (CG, PACG; 7.4%). The majority of secondary glaucoma cases were due to neovascular glaucoma (NVG; 44.9%), followed by phacomorphic glaucoma (17.9%) and phacolytic glaucoma (10.3%). Hypertension (60.8%) and diabetes (58.3%) were the most prevalent systematic comorbidities, and cataract (49.1%) was the most prevalent ocular comorbidity. Conclusion POAG was the most common glaucoma type, followed by SG, CG, and PACG. Among secondary glaucoma types, neovascular glaucoma was found to be the most common subtype. Hypertension was the most prevalent comorbid condition.

A Community-Based, Cross-Sectional Study Assessing the Level of Awareness and Insight Related to Cardiovascular Diseases.

Objective The disease outcome had been shown to improve with improving patient knowledge. The study had two objectives, firstly to assess the level of knowledge about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the general population, and secondly, to provide written educational material regarding the risk factors, major symptoms, and the prevention of CVDs. Method The target population was the residents living in the Western region of Saudi Arabia, aged 18 years and above. All were invited to participate voluntarily. A pre-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data related to age, gender, marital status, education level, occupation, lifestyle habits, and a history of heart diseases, as well as cardiac symptoms, and risk factors. The educational material was provided after the questionnaire. Results The majority of the participants were female (74.8%). The risk factors most frequently identified were lack of exercise, stress, and obesity. Chest pain was recognized as a major symptom (87.6%). Other symptoms included dyspnea, syncope, and excessive sweating. The level of knowledge regarding the risk factors for cardiovascular disease was poor. Only 18.5% were knowledgeable about the risk factors. The majority (60%) could identify the preventable factors, including smoking cessation (92.2%), a high level of cholesterol (88.6%), and hypertension (78.7%). The majority (83.7%) read the educational material and 99% reported that the lecture increased their knowledge about cardiovascular disease. Conclusion Although cardiovascular risk factors are common, there is a big gap in the knowledge in our population. Further, alarming symptoms that bring the patients to medical care are also deficient. A call for action at different levels is urgent. Simple educational material in a basic language and virtual education are useful and cheap tools that must be practiced wherever possible. Education is welcomed by the participants.

Knowledge, attitudes, and understanding of probiotics among pediatricians in different regions of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit upon the host. Knowledge and attitudes of health professionals have been reported to be at a medium level for probiotics. The objective was to evaluate the knowledge and practice styles about probiotics among pediatricians working in different regions of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at pediatric hospitals in Saudi Arabia. A national survey of 550 pediatric providers (PPs) was conducted between January and March 2020 anonymously on their knowledge and practice styles regarding probiotics, and it was completed by pediatric residents (PRs), pediatric specialist (PSs), pediatric consultants (PCs), and pediatric gastroenterologists (PGs). RESULTS: The survey had a response rate of 82%. Among the respondents, 57.7% were aware of the probiotic's definition. There were significant differences in the percentage of participants who had little knowledge of probiotics (P < 0.05), with the highest being PRs and the lowest being PGs. The most common probiotic used by all participants was Lactobacillus acidophilus (63.3%), and Mycobacterium avium was prescribed the least often (8.6%). Most PRs and PSs correctly reported that probiotics reduce the risk of antibiotic-induced diarrhea (74.9 and 80.2%, respectively), but there were no significant differences among them. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in knowledge and practice patterns exist for probiotics. Identification of knowledge gaps may be useful to develop educational materials to improve the proper definition, knowledge, and use of probiotics.