Neonatal Healthcare-Associated Conjunctivitis: A Descriptive Study from Saudi Arabia.

Healthcare-associated conjunctivitis (HAC) has been associated with serious ophthalmological complications in neonates, including blindness. This three-year retrospective, descriptive study was conducted between 2019 and 2021 to determine the most common bacteria associated with neonatal HAC at a tertiary-care hospital in Saudi Arabia. The inclusion criteria were defined based on the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) guidelines for the diagnosis of neonatal HAC. When HAC was clinically suspected, conjunctival swabs were obtained from neonates and sent to the microbiology lab following standard protocols. A univariate analysis was conducted on the included samples. A total of 79 cases met our inclusion criteria and were retrospectively studied. A descriptive analysis showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the leading cause of HAC, with 25% (20 cases), followed by Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia (11.5% for each). About 9% of the analyzed cases were positive for Staphylococcus aureus. Orogastric feeding was the most commonly (94%) associated factor with HAC, followed by respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and preterm birth, which were found in 70% and 64% of the cases, respectively. To conclude, HAC is an alarming healthcare problem, and bacteria, including Gram-negative bacteria, are common causes. Thus, physician awareness, effective communication with microbiologists, and the implementation of infection control recommendations, including hand hygiene, could minimize this problem and avoid the serious complications of HAC.

Knowledge and Attitudes towards Epidural Analgesia among Women of Childbearing Age in Jazan, Saudi Arabia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study to Identify Predictors through Multivariate Modeling.

Epidural analgesia (EA) is a central nerve blockade technique. It is linked to a significant reduction of labor pain and side effects. This study was designed to investigate the knowledge and attitudes towards EA among women of childbearing age (18-45 years) in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, and identify predictors through multivariate modeling. A random sampling technique (n = 680) was used for this cross-sectional, self-administered survey. A previously validated online questionnaire was distributed. After establishing a P value of less than 0.05 to denote statistical significance, SPSS was used to examine the data using descriptive analysis, the chi-square test of homogeneity, and multivariate logistic regression. Six hundred and eighty women were studied. Over 75% of the participants were university educated; less than half (46.3%) were 21-30 years old, students (42.2%), and had never been pregnant (49%). The previous mothers who had never had EA labor accounted for 64.6% (n = 347, 51.0%). "Family/friends" (39%), followed by "internet" (32%), were the most common sources of EA information. Those who correctly defined the EA accounted for 61.8%. Those who reported weak or no contractions after EA accounted for 32.2%. Those who said EA insertion hurt more than labor did accounted for 56.3%. Those women who said one should give consent to EA accounted for 83.1%. Those who believe EA is safe for the baby accounted for 50.1%. Those who knew about EA complications accounted for 24.34%. According to multivariate modeling, attitude score plays a significant role in determining the participant's knowledge level. This study found that childbearing women know a little about EA. Attitudes affected this knowledge level, and demographics did not. Cognitive intervention is needed to change these attitudes and spread EA-related knowledge.