Assessment of the Knowledge and Practice of Infection Control among Radiographers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Effective control of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) involves a collaborative effort among various healthcare stakeholders, including healthcare workers, patients, and professionals. Radiographers, as essential members of the healthcare team, play a crucial role in HAI prevention by diligently adhering to standard infection control precautions (SICP) and maintaining a high level of knowledge regarding infection control procedures. The study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of radiographers concerning infection control in radiology departments in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia in the period from February to May 2022, with data collected using an online survey in the form of a google forms questionnaire disseminated through social media as an electronic link and including the patient's demographic characteristic such as age, gender, education level, experience, and prior infection control training and multiple closed ended questions to assess knowledge of standard infection control precautions and the practice of infection control. Overall, 113 participants responded to the survey and entered their responses directly, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS (statistical package for social science). RESULTS: The study revealed that the mean score of knowledge and awareness of the practice of infection control among radiographers in Saudi Arabia was (63.0 and 61.9, respectively), which were considered moderate levels. Females were significantly more knowledgeable about infection control and more aware of the practice than males (p-values = 0.019). The participants who previously attended courses of infection control training had a significantly higher score with a mean rank of (60.9) than those who had not (43.4), (p-value = 0.013). The radiographers' level of experience, age, and academic qualification had no significant influence on overall knowledge and practice of infection control (p-values > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In Saudi Arabia, radiographers have a moderate level of knowledge and practice of infection control. There is a need for an ongoing training and education program for practicing radiographers to ensure they perform better in infection control measures.

Investigation of Vitamin D Status, Age, and Body Mass Index as Determinants of Knee Osteoarthritis Severity Using the Kellgren-Lawrence Grading System in a Saudi Arabian Cohort: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and disabling condition affecting millions worldwide. This cross-sectional study endeavors to investigate the relationship between vitamin D status, age, body mass index (BMI), and knee OA in a cohort of individuals in Saudi Arabia. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we assessed vitamin D serum levels, conducted knee radiographs, and evaluated the severity of knee OA using the Kellgren-Lawrence grading system (KLGS). The analysis incorporated both descriptive and inferential statistics, including chi-square tests and a regression model to investigate the relationship between KLGS grades as indicators of knee OA severity and vitamin D levels, considering demographics as covariants. Results The study included 93 participants with suspected knee OA, of which a substantial portion of the sample population presented with knee OA (58 [62.4%]). Knee OA exhibited a higher prevalence among females, comprising 47 (50.54%) of the total, while 11 (11.83%) were male. The largest age group with knee OA was those older than 58 years, 27 (29.03%), followed by the age group of 48-58 years, 19 (20.43%). Obesity was a prevalent factor among knee OA patients (36 [38.7%]), with grade 2 (17 [18.3%]) and grade 3 (24 [25.8%]) being the most frequent. Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in 54 (58%) of patients. Among knee OA cases, bilateral involvement was predominant in 46 (79%), with a substantial portion, 36 (62%), presenting deficient vitamin D levels. The regression model revealed that age (95% CI: 0.54-1.03, p < 0.001) and BMI (95% CI: 0.01-0.60, p = 0.04) significantly predict higher KLGS grades, indicating that increasing age and higher BMI are associated with higher KLGS grades. However, Vitamin D levels did not show a significant impact on the severity of knee OA. Conclusions The findings from this study highlight the importance of monitoring and maintaining adequate vitamin D levels to potentially reduce the risk of knee OA and the need for early detection and intervention to manage knee OA, particularly in females, older poplulation, and obese adults. They may guide healthcare providers in developing comprehensive approaches to reduce the risk of this condition.

Utility of Ultrasound Imaging Features in Diagnosis of Breast Cancer.

Background Currently, breast cancer (BC) is considered one of the most prevalent cancer worldwide in women and represents a global health challenge. Early diagnosis is the keystone in the management of BC patients. This study aims to assess the utility of ultrasonography (US) features of malignancy in the diagnosis of BC. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study involved the electronic records of 326 female patients who were diagnosed with BC. A cross-tabulation test was performed to identify the association between the presence of each US feature (yes/no), and the final US diagnosis (benign/malignant). The strength of association of each feature was measured using the odds ratio (OR) which was assumed to be significant when > 1, with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results The mean age of the female patients involved in this study was 45.36 ±12.16 years old (range, 17-90 years). Cross-tabulation test showed a significant association between the malignancy tumor and the irregular shape of the lesion (p < 0.001, OR=7.162, CI 2.726-18.814), non-circumscribed margins (p < 0.001, OR = 9.031, CI 3.200-25.489), tissue distortion (p < 0.001, OR = 18.095, CI 5.944-55.091), and the lymph node enlargement (p < 0.001, OR = 5.705, CI 2.332-13.960). Conclusion US imaging features of malignancy have a high sensitivity and positive predictive value for detection of the BC. However, the specificity of breast US imaging features is much lower because of the overlapping features in benign and malignant breast lesions. Breast lesions with an irregular shape, not circumscribed irregular or spiculated margins, hypo-echogenicity, tissue distortion, and those with lymphadenopathy have the highest likelihood of malignancy despite the low specificity. US is a highly valuable, safe, and affordable imaging modality with high diagnostic accuracy for BC.

Hydatid Disease: A Radiological Pictorial Review of a Great Neoplasms Mimicker.

Hydatid cyst is a common name for the larval stage of a tapeworm species of Echinococcus granulosus, which is transmitted from animals to humans via the fecal-oral route. Hydatid cysts predominantly affect the liver (75%), followed by the lung (15%), and they can affect many organs in the human body. Medical imaging modalities are the keystone for the diagnosis of hydatid cysts with high sensitivity and specificity. Ultrasound imaging with high resolution is the first choice for diagnosis, differential diagnosis, staging, establishing a role in interventional management, and follow-up, and it can differentiate Type I hydatid cysts from simple liver cysts. Unenhanced computed tomography (CT) is indicated where or when an ultrasound is unsatisfactory, such as with chest or brain hydatid cysts, when detecting calcification, and in obese patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior for demonstrating cyst wall defects, biliary communication, neural involvement, and differentiating hydatid cysts from simple cysts using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences. According to the phase of growth, hydatid cysts occur in different sizes and shapes, which may mimic benign or malignant neoplasms and may create diagnostic challenges in some cases. Hydatid cysts can mimic simple cysts, choledochal cysts, Caroli's disease, or mesenchymal hamartomas of the liver. They can mimic lung cystic lesions, mycetoma, blood clots, Rasmussen aneurysms, and even lung carcinomas. Differential diagnosis can be difficult for arachnoid cysts, porencephalic cysts, pyogenic abscesses, and even cystic tumors of the brain, and can create diagnostic dilemmas in the musculoskeletal system.

The impact of health volunteering of radiology students on improving their self-skills and practical capabilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Background: Volunteering is a beneficial activity with a wide range of positive outcomes, from the individual to the communal level. In many ways, volunteering has a positive impact on the development of a volunteer's personality and experience. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of health volunteering on improving the self-skills and practical capacities of students in the western region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional electronic web-based survey that was submitted on a web-based questionnaire; 183 students answered the survey, and then, the data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: This study shows that 95.6% of participants agree and strongly agree that the health volunteering experience was useful, 2.7% of the participants neither agree nor disagree, and 1.6% disagree and strongly disagree. Regarding the distribution of the participants on skills learned from volunteering experience, the largest proportion of student (36.1%) volunteers in the health sector acquired communication skills and the smallest proportion of student (14.8%) volunteers in the acquired time management skills. Regarding the disadvantages, 81.4% of the participants do not think there were any disadvantages to their previous health volunteering experience, while only 18.6% of them think there were any disadvantages to their previous health volunteering experience. Additionally, the study found that the type of the sector affects the skills acquired from health volunteering. Conclusion: Research revealed that the majority considered volunteering a great experience. Volunteering increased the self-skills and practical capacities of radiology students, which proved the hypothesis.

Risks of khat chewing on the cardiovascular, nervous, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems: A narrative review.

Khat is an evergreen plant and its fresh green leaves and buds are chewed for several hours a day for its psychostimulant response. This study aimed to review the effects of khat chewing on the body. PubMed was searched for literature on the different aspects of khat chewing to summarize its effects on different body systems. The major effects of khat chewing are those on the cardiovascular system including increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and increased risk of myocardial infarction. It causes insomnia, stress, depression, hallucination, and increased risk of brain stroke. It causes dental caries, bad oral hygiene, periodontitis, increased oral mucosal ulcers, and increased gingival bleeding and recession. Khat chewing causes loss of appetite, gastritis, constipation, and hemorrhoids, and increased risk of hepatotoxicity and liver cirrhosis. Ultimately, it causes weak micturition, decreased sperm motility and count, and low birth-weight offspring in khat chewing mothers. The published articles about khat chewing in journals indexed in the PubMed was reviewed. Inclusion criteria involved each article available with English language and have a reported new effect of khat chewing.

The Diagnostic Deceiver: Radiological Pictorial Review of Tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis; it is a public health problem worldwide and one of the leading causes of mortality. Since December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented health challenges and disrupted the TB health services, especially in high-burden countries with ever-increasing prevalence. Extrapulmonary and even pulmonary TB are an important cause of nonspecific clinical and radiological manifestations and can masquerade as any benign or malignant medical case, thus causing disastrous conditions and diagnostic dilemmas. Clinical manifestations and routine laboratory tests have limitations in directing physicians to diagnose TB. Medical-imaging examinations play an essential role in detecting tissue abnormalities and early suspecting diagnosis of TB in different organs. Radiologists and physicians should be familiar with and aware of the radiological manifestations of TB to contribute to the early suspicion and diagnosis of TB. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the common radiologic patterns of pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB. This article will be beneficial for radiologists, medical students, chest physicians, and infectious-disease doctors who are interested in the diagnosis of TB.