ABSTRACT
A complete understanding of the rare neurosurgical phenomenon of co-occurring meningioma and intracranial aneurysm is important to improve the quality of life and decrease future complications in these patients. In this review, we searched the literature for cases of this rare phenomenon to highlight the most important historical, investigation, and treatment-related factors to improve the accuracy of intraoperative procedural decisions. We searched the PubMed database for case reports on this neurological rare phenomenon to create organized data for our review. Then, we extracted information from these cases and organized it in a table. We identified 19 cases in the literature. In the published studies, there was a predominance of the female sex (73.68%). The mean age of the patients was 54.11 years, with the cases relatively evenly distributed among patients in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. Posterior communicating artery aneurysm was the most common among the 19 cases. For meningioma, the frontal lobe and clinoid were the two most affected locations, and the meningothelial histopathology was the most common. Complete tumor resection and aneurysmal clipping were done for the majority of the cases (57.8%) unless there was a complication that deferred simultaneous intervention. Fortunately, most patients (78.95%) recovered completely after surgery. The coexistence of meningioma and intracranial aneurysm has a very high cure rate, postoperative symptom resolution, and a very low recurrence rate. For most cases, neuroimaging investigations are recommended for simultaneous management. This imaging can also highlight other potentially suspicious findings.
ABSTRACT
Background There is a worldwide shortage of organ donations. In the United States, 20% of people on transplant waiting lists pass away annually due to the lack of accessible organs. Patients with brain death can donate organs, which may save other patients' lives. The Saudi Ministry of Health endorses brain death as equivocal to whole-body death. A study conducted in Saudi Arabia showed that there was a mild to moderate level of awareness regarding brain death. This study aimed to investigate the awareness and knowledge level regarding brain death and the acceptance of organ donation among the general population in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Methodology An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,740 adults using an online questionnaire created and published in February 2023 to collect data from Saudi males and females aged 18 or older who were willing to participate in the study. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) after collecting and entering them using the Windows version of Microsoft Office Excel 2016. Results Overall, 85.6% of the study participants had heard about organ donation. Of them, about 42.4% were aware of brain death. Further, 40% of participants were in agreement with organ donation. According to the findings, the majority of participants (60.9%) believed that a person could donate his or her organs during their life, while only 42.6% were unaware that they could donate their organs during death. Only 10.8% of participants knew that blood can be donated. There was no significant association between factors associated with organ donation and gender, education level, or monthly income. Conclusions This study concluded that study participants had a low level of awareness about brain death. Understanding brain death is essential for persuading people to donate their organs. Thus, more has to be done to inform and educate people about brain death and how it affects organ donation.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: A major cause of death globally is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and heartburn are common symptoms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Chest pain is also the main symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Therefore, the differential diagnosis of chest pain can become more challenging when GERD and AMI coincide. This study evaluated and compared the knowledge of the signs, symptoms, and immediate action that must be taken regarding AMI among GERD and non-GERD patients. METHODOLOGY: An observational cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire was created and published between October and November 2022 to collect data from Saudi males and females 18 or older willing to participate in the study. Participants who were not Saudi had declined to complete the survey or had not fully completed it was excluded. The questionnaire contained three sections; after collecting informed consent, it made inquiries regarding respondents' GERD status, demographic information, and knowledge and attitudes regarding GERD. RESULTS: This study included 691 responses from 300 non-GERD participants and 391 GERD participants. The study showed a high level of awareness (75.5%) of GERD, with significant differences in the level of awareness according to marital status, education levels, and occupation status. There was no significant difference in the level of awareness according to gender and GERD diagnosis, where the p-value > 0.05. The most common source of information about AMI was the Internet, followed by health care professionals. The most commonly known symptoms of AMI were sudden pain or discomfort in the chest, followed by a sudden shortness of breath. Additionally, there was no significant association between the diagnosis of GERD and known risk factors. The association between GERD and other diseases (chi-square = 46.94, p-value 0.01). Obesity and smoking were the two main risk factors for heart attacks. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that there was no significant difference between GERD and non-GERD participants regarding the knowledge and awareness level of AMI. Moreover, it showed that there was a lack of general knowledge and awareness of AMI in Saudi Arabia. The authors recommend initiating more awareness programs in Saudi Arabia to inform people about AMI and cardiovascular disease. More research is required to determine whether other patients are aware of AMI.
