The impact of alcohol hand sanitizer use on skin health between healthcare worker: Cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: 2020 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global health crisis, so hand alcohol-based sanitizers have become essential to preventive measures. Previous studies reported that hand sanitizers could kill bacteria and viruses; however, using them excessively can lead to health problems if misused. In light of sanitizer overuse, the availability of various products and qualities in the market, and the absence of data on skin problems, we conducted a survey study about the impact of commonly used sanitizers on skin health, particularly on hands. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and the correlation between hand sanitizer and skin health during the COVID-19 pandemic at the National Guard Institute- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered online questionnaire by sending an invitation link to students and employees of the National Guard Institute- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2021. A chi-squared test was used to obtain differences concerning awareness of hand sanitizer use/type and hand skin health. RESULTS: In the total 216 participants, there were considerably more skin conditions reported by women (62.5%) and respondents ages 31-40 (36.6%). For the types of hand sanitizers, 89.8%, 40.9%, 30.2%, 4.7%, and 6% were recorded: gel, spray, wipes, foam, and others, respectively, and the survey applicants were filled by 60.6% of non-medical workers. According to the survey, 32.9% of participants experienced a hand crack, which was the most common hand side effect. The handwashing frequency was reported between 3 to 7 times per day during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 9.3% of participants used hand sanitizers more than 10 times daily. CONCLUSION: It was found that during the pandemic, skin changes were common among the NGHA population and healthcare workers. Consequently, the adverse health effects of these hand sanitizers on human health may result in multiple infections and toxicity. The present study provides appropriate knowledge on the types and ingredients of hand sanitizers as essential factors for skin health, preventing health risks during this pandemic.

The Prevalence of Atypical Antipsychotics, Antidepressants, and Benzodiazepines Use in Dementia Patients in King Abdulaziz Medical City.

Background Dementia is a major neuropsychiatric disease defined by a progressive decline in cognitive functions. Atypical antipsychotics, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines are mainly prescribed for dementia. Many dementia pharmacological management options are associated with serious health risks. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of antipsychotic, antidepressant, and benzodiazepine use in dementia patients in King Abdulaziz Medical City. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary hospital (King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah) between December 2016 and January 2019. The participants were patients over the age of 65 years diagnosed with dementia. Data were collected from the medical records of the hospital after acquiring ethical approval. Patients with psychiatric diseases preceding the diagnosis of dementia, or patients with dementia-like symptoms as a side effect of any medications were excluded. The variables included were demographics, dementia subtypes, medications, and the presence or absence of chronic diseases. Results This study included 139 patients of whom 51.1% were males. The mean age was 82.8 ± 8.8 years. Moreover, 34.53% of the patients were prescribed medications for dementia management. Importantly, medications prescribed for dementia were classified as the following: atypical antipsychotics (20.86%), antidepressants (17.3%), and benzodiazepines (5%). The most commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotics were quetiapine (93.1%), risperidone (13.8%), and olanzapine (3.44%). For antidepressants, the most commonly prescribed medications for dementia were mirtazapine (62.5%), citalopram (45.8%), amitriptyline (8.3%), and paroxetine (4.2%). Moreover, most prescriptions for benzodiazepine were divided between lorazepam (71.4%), clonazepam (14.3%), and diazepam (14.3%). Conclusions This study's results were consistent with previous epidemiological studies that have been conducted worldwide regarding the increase in the use of antipsychotics and antidepressants, with the exception of benzodiazepines. To our knowledge, there is a lack of research regarding the medications prescribed in the geriatrics age group with dementia. Therefore, the outcomes of this study recommend initiating awareness campaigns among physicians, regarding the harm of using antipsychotics, especially for this age group. Lastly, future studies should focus on increased surveillance and evaluation of drug safety warnings in dementia patients to improve the outcomes of the intervention.

A Retrospective Chart Review: The Prevalence of Hyponatremia Among Elderly Inpatients in a Tertiary Care Centre in Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Hyponatremia is commonly seen in inpatient care; however, the availability of data regarding the prevalence of hyponatremia in the elderly in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is insufficient. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of hyponatremia in a sample of older inpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review conducted in a tertiary care hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia included all patients 60 years and older who were admitted to the internal medicine department between January 2017 and November 2020. Patients with hyponatremia were identified by looking through the hospital's laboratory database of inpatients. Patients' demographics, serum sodium level, medication history, and disease history were recorded and those with pseudohyponatremia were excluded. RESULTS: During the study period, 322 out of a total of 2,893 elderly patients admitted to the internal medicine department were diagnosed with hyponatremia (11.1%). Of these patients, 183 (56.8%) were female and 139 (43.2%) were male. Hyponatremia was more prevalent in patients with cardiovascular diseases (84.2%), followed by endocrine diseases (73.3%). The most prescribed medications for the studied hyponatremic patients were proton pump inhibitors (38.8%), diuretics (29.8%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (22.4%), all of which are commonly known to be associated with hyponatremia. CONCLUSIONS: Hyponatremia has severe consequences if left untreated. Therefore, estimating the prevalence of this condition in the older population will direct more clinical attention to evaluate the serum sodium level on a regular basis. It is recommended that future studies focus on finding an association between hyponatremia and older patients with multi-drug usage as well as identifying the causes of hyponatremia.

Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Insulin Resistance in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah.

Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) and insulin resistance (IR) are common in the elderly. IR reduces the ability of insulin to work effectively on target tissues. This results in hyperglycemia, increased triglyceride levels, decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, elevated blood pressure, and central obesity, a condition known as metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS eventually affects cognition, but its relationship with AD is unclear. Therefore, we studied the association between AD and IR and the relation between AD and diabetic patients treated with insulin. Methods This was a record-based retrospective cohort study using data from King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Ministry of National Guards-Health Affairs. for all patients with dementia and AD, from 2009 to 2018. We examined 354 patient files. The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index was used for the assessment of IR. Results There was no significant association between patients' demographic data, glycated hemoglobin, and co-morbidities and developing AD. Statistical models showed that, after adjustment for age, patients with IR had a significantly higher likelihood of AD (adjusted OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.01-2.33). After multivariate adjustment, patients with IR still had a 20% higher probability of developing AD than others (adjusted OR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0-3.1). Conclusion These results suggest that AD is associated with IR. Moreover, the association may be confounded by many patient-related factors.

Common Types of Falls in the Elderly Population, Their Associated Risk Factors and Prevention in a Tertiary Care Center.

Introduction Falls in elderlies are one of the leading causes of emergency visits worldwide. It is also a major cause of morbidity and mortality and imposes a significant burden on health care costs. This study investigates risk factors in elderlies aged 65 and above that contribute to falls. Methodology This study is a cross-sectional study using a non-probability consecutive sampling technique. The records of 300 clinical data of elderly who underwent falls were collected from all confirmed cases of falls from January 2015 to January 2020, at National Guard Hospital in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Results Patients included in this study were ranged in age from 65 to 85 years with a mean age of 77.6 years (SD = 8.1 years). Among our population, 149 (53.4%) were males, and 130 (46.6%) were females. Some comorbidities were associated with our population such as diabetes mellitus (69.2%, n = 193), hypertension (75.3%, n = 210), smoking (6.1%, n = 6.1), and polypharmacy (18.3%, n = 51). Conclusion Understanding and evaluating risk factors can help to decrease or even prevent falls. Smoking and dementia are strongly related to increased mortality rate. Some outcomes of falls such as head injuries and ICU admission had a strong association to increased mortality. Physical therapy or occupational therapy found to be a strong factor to decrease fall recurrence.

Inappropriate Prescribing in Elderly Inpatients at a University Hospital in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Elderly populations usually use more medications than any other age group and are therefore more susceptible to potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP), drug-drug interactions, and the related health consequences. In this study, we aimed to determine PIP prevalence and explore the most common potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) prescribed. METHODS: This was a retrospective study involving elderly patients admitted at King Abdulaziz Medical City-Jeddah (KAMC-JD), between November 2014 and January 2015. We included all elderly patients aged 60 years and above admitted to KAMC-JD through the emergency department (ED), clinic, and direct admissions during the study period. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit, oncology department, and/or those who passed way in the ED before admission were excluded from the study. Prescriptions were assessed for PIP using the 2012 Beers Criteria, which categorizes PIMs to three classes: first class are medications to avoid in older adults regardless of their conditions; second class are medications to avoid with certain diseases or syndromes; and third class are medications that should be used with caution. RESULTS: Our study included 135 patients, of which 49.6% were males. The mean age was 71.26 ± 8.1 years. According to the 2012 Beers Criteria, 80% of patients were using at least one listed PIM. For the Criteria's first, second, and third classes, PIM prescription rates were 72.6%, 59.2%, and 37.7%, respectively. Regarding the most prescribed PIM in each class, insulin (sliding scale) was the most reported PIM in the first class, NSAIDs in the second class, and, lastly, vasodilators in the third class. CONCLUSION: PIP is a serious health issue threatening elderly patients. There is a need to develop evidence-based, context-sensitive, and user-friendly tools to assess PIP, as well as supportive training programs.

Use of social media in education among medical students in Saudi Arabia.

PURPOSE: Social media (SM), a virtual place where people can share, exchange, and communicate their ideas and knowledge, has become the new trend in communication and learning. This study aims to explore Saudi Arabian medical students' usage of SM and to discover the most common resources used in medical education. Furthermore, it aims to illustrate students' belief about the influence of SM on their learning. METHODS: This cross-sectional study administered validated questionnaires to medical students from different universities in Saudi Arabia, via emails, Twitter, Facebook, and short message service. A non-probability sampling technique was utilized and a sample size of 381 students was arrived at, using 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error, since the total number of medical students in Saudi Arabia is approximately 36,000. The total respondents were 657 students from 23 different Saudi Arabian medical schools (females: 60.5%, n=397; males: 39.5%, n=260). RESULTS: The questionnaires of 21% of the students (n=139) were excluded from the analysis since they were incomplete. The most common website used by both genders was YouTube (42.3%, n=185); however, males preferred using Twitter and Wikis (p=0.001). With regard to utilizing SM for learning, 95.8% (n=419) of the students believed that it is beneficial. Females stated that SM helps them link basic and clinical science (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: Medical schools need to improve the utilization of SM by their faculty and students by developing activities and encouraging the usage of SM in education.