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Introduction Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become integral across medical specialties globally, addressing clinical queries, guiding procedures, and bridging the gap between physical examination and advanced imaging. Early ultrasound training for medical students enhances clinical decision-making and reduces diagnostic errors. Aims To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of senior medical students towards POCUS and to assess knowledge gaps and difficulties encountered by senior medical students to assist in the development of future curricula. Methodology This is an observational, cross-sectional approach to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice of POCUS among senior medical students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted from January to September 2023. An electronic questionnaire was distributed through online platforms utilizing medical school databases across various regions. The survey encompassed sociodemographics, training methods, diagnostic indications, and participants' self-reported proficiency and attitudes toward POCUS. The data was chiefly collected using the Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the quantitative and categorical variables. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine correlations. Results A total of 359 senior medical students completed the survey. Most responders were females (57.9%) with the predominating age group being ≤ 24 years (83.6%). The students predominantly were from the Central region of Saudi Arabia (75.5%). Ultrasound training varied among responders; 31.5% received formal courses (median duration: two hours) and 23.4% informal courses (median duration: four hours). Around 17.3% practiced POCUS self-teaching (median duration: four hours). A total of 3.6% had formal POCUS accreditation. A gargantuan 82.2% never used POCUS in their attached hospital for a variety of reasons. Multivariable logistic binary regression analysis showed a positive correlation between students' self-teaching of POCUS and their perceived difficulty performing an ultrasound examination for patients in daily practice. Discussion A comparable study was done at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in 2022 surveying 229 senior medical students by Rajendram et al. In their study, 21.4% completed formal courses and 12.7% took informal courses. While many students in our study were not exposed to POCUS (82.2%), KSAU-HS reported a higher percentage reaching 94.8%. A study by Russel et al. demonstrated more than half of 154 surveyed medical schools in the United States have implemented POCUS into their students' curriculum. Conclusion POCUS stands as a valuable skill that can enhance the educational journey of undergraduate medical students. Considering that a significant number of participants haven't yet taken formal medical school courses suggests a lack of awareness about its significance in the medical field. Offering additional courses with practical components could enhance the proficiency, confidence, and outlook of medical students toward POCUS.
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BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas that may be life-threatening disease with high mortality rates, particularly in the presence of systemic inflammatory response and multiple organ failure. Oxidative stress has been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis. AIM: This study is designed to investigate the possible effect of mesna on an experimental model of cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis. METHODS: Animals were divided into five groups: Group 1 served as a control group given the saline; group II (mesna group) received mesna at a dose of (100 mg/kg per dose, i.p.) four times; group III (acute pancreatitis group) received cerulein at a dose of (20 µg/kg/dose, s.c.) four times with 1-h intervals; group VI, cerulein + mesna, was treated with mesna at a dose of (100 mg/kg, i.p.) 15 min before each cerulein injection. RESULTS: Animals with acute pancreatitis showed elevated serum amylase and lipase levels. Biochemical parameters showed increased pancreatic tumor necrosis factors-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) levels. A disturbance in oxidative stress markers was evident by elevated pancreatic lipid peroxides (TBARS) and decline in pancreatic antioxidants' concentrations including reduced glutathione (GSH); superoxide dismutase (SOD); and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Histological examination confirmed pancreatic injury. Pre-treatment with mesna was able to abolish the changes in pancreatic enzymes, oxidative stress markers (TBARS, SOD, GSH and GSH-Px), pancreatic inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1ß) as well as histological changes. CONCLUSIONS: Mesna mitigates AP by alleviating pancreatic oxidative stress damage and inhibiting inflammation.