Parental Knowledge of Appendicitis and Its Management Options Among Children of Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Despite decades of studies, appendicitis in children still presents several uncertainties regarding optimal treatment. OBJECTIVES: To assess parental understanding of appendicitis, along with its risks and treatment, and to determine attitudes to operative and non-operative treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. The current study has targeted all parents who visited the pediatric outpatient departments or clinics at three different hospitals in Makkah and Jeddah City, including Maternity and Children Hospital (MCH) in Makkah, King Fahad Armed Force Hospital (KFAFH), and Saudi German Private Hospital (SGH) in Jeddah. Data was collected via an online Google form and was analyzed by using SPSS. RESULTS: A total of 408 subjects were involved in this study. The majority of them were females (74.5%); 25.5% were males. Most of the study participants aged between 25 and 34 years. Our results found that the average knowledge score of the study population was 4.1±1.81 out of 11. Only 23.5% of them had good knowledge about appendicitis. More than half of the respondents identified the appendix as a part of the digestive system and most of the study population were aware of the current treatment for appendicitis, which is surgery (80.9%). Female participants and respondents who knew someone that has been treated for appendicitis were significantly associated with a better level of knowledge about appendicitis (P-values: 0.011 and 0.033, respectively). Moreover, we found that educational level significantly influenced preference for treatment with antibiotics and surgery if appendicitis happened again (P-value: 0.049). CONCLUSION: The study population had poor knowledge of appendicitis and its management options. The highlighted criteria of self-reported relevance to parents should be addressed in all appendicitis counseling and consent. We advocate for the establishment of national public awareness campaigns, as well as increased research and clinical trials. Understanding lay views of treatment alternatives and efficacy will influence future approaches to appendicitis therapy by analyzing the community's preference for emerging treatment modalities and identifying future directions for patient-centered clinical trials.

Epidemiology of pediatric trauma in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An observational cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the epidemiology and patterns of pediatric trauma in addition to length of hospital stay and outcome. METHODS: A single-center retrospective study of 605 patients aged 14 years and younger was carried out from January to December 2022. The study included all patients who experienced intentional or unintentional trauma aged 14 years or below in 2022 and excluded trauma that did not prompt an emergency room visit. RESULTS: Most pediatric trauma cases involved boys (69.1%, n=418), and girls comprised only 30.9% (n=187). Trauma was most common in children one to 5 years old (41.5%, n=251). Falling from a height was the most common mode of injury in both girls and boys (n=253, 41.8%). The most common body parts involved were the extremities (n=357, 59%), followed by the head (n=210, 34.7%). Most children were transferred to hospital via emergency medical services (n=234, 38.7%). In most cases, the child was admitted to the surgical ward (n=458, 75.7%), while others were managed in the emergency department without admission (n=93, 15.4%). Most patients were stable after receiving standard care (n=558, 92.2%). CONCLUSION: To reduce health care expenses and improve public health outcomes, prioritizing preventive measures is crucial. This includes increasing public awareness, implementing safety protocols, and enacting government regulations to prevent avoidable injuries.

Parents' Awareness and Knowledge of Testicular Torsion in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Testicular torsion (TT) is the most common urological emergency in children that requires immediate intervention. The prognosis of testicular torsion depends on the patient's time of presentation to the emergency department (ED), as well as on the time at which the diagnosis is established and treatment is initiated. Raising public awareness of testicular torsion, particularly among parents, plays a crucial role in preventing delay in presentation and reducing the frequency of orchiectomy. To this end, the study is designed to assess the level of awareness and knowledge of testicular torsion, as well as the response of parents to the scrotal pain of their children. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among parents in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Data was collected between the 23rd of November and the 22nd of December 2022. A simple random sampling technique was implemented. The data was collected and analyzed using SPSS software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results A total of 394 parents participated in this study. It showed that 13.5% of parents reported having a child with a previous experience of pain in the scrotum. Of them, only 25.4% previously heard about torsion of the testicles. Only 68.8% and 76.6% correctly reported that if the child complains of pain in the scrotum during working hours or over the weekend, they will drive him to the hospital immediately. Good knowledge about TT was significantly higher among children's fathers compared to mothers (66.7% vs. 33.3%) (p≤0.05).  Conclusion Testicular torsion (TT) represents significant morbidity among male patients and early identification is crucial to avoid the need for orchiectomy and all its prominent physical and psychological consequences. To improve children's well-being, we need to raise parents' awareness of TT and the potential future implications of this critical condition as it is not widely known in our community. Further studies evaluating the knowledge regarding testicular torsion among preadolescent and adolescent boys are warranted.

The Relationship Between Smoking and Multiple Sclerosis Severity in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that can be disabling to patients. Smoking has been proposed to be a risk factor for MS and to increase the risk of progression of the disease and its severity. However, it is still not clear how smoking affects people with MS (PwMS) regarding disease phenotype, symptoms, relapses, course, and disability. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of smoking on PwMS in Saudi Arabia. Methods This is an online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. PwMS were randomly contacted through different MS societies and associations to participate in the study. The questionnaire inquired about demographics, MS phenotype and severity, and smoking status of the participants. Data were collected between May 30, 2021, and July 5, 2021. Results Four hundred twenty-nine PwMS participated in the study. The mean age was 33.7, with a mean disease duration of 8.1 years. About 61.1% of the participants were female. About 62.2% did not know the specific MS phenotype they have. About 35.7% were current or previous smokers, with a mean smoking duration of 13.9 years. Smoking was significantly associated with the presence of multiple MS symptoms (p-value = 0.009) and their number (p-value = 0.050). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between pack-years smoking and the number of MS symptoms with a Pearson's r value of 0.165 (p-value = 0.001). No significant associations were found between smoking and recent relapses and disease progression, disability in terms of walking, needing a cane, or needing a wheelchair. Conclusion Smoking was shown to have a significant effect on the number of symptoms experienced by PwMS. Higher pack-years of smoking correlates positively and significantly with a higher number of MS symptoms. Further studies to examine these relations are hence warranted.