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INTRODUCTION: There is a continuous rise in the total number and percentage of elders globally, and as such, they are expected to utilize healthcare services more often. Therefore, this study aimed to determine doctors' and students' current knowledge and attitudes toward elders and compare those findings with other studies worldwide. The specific objectives of this study were to determine and compare the differences in attitudes between medical students and doctors regarding geriatrics. This comparison will focus on the following four key domains: social values, resource distribution, compassion, and medical care. Another objective was to assess the knowledge of medical students and doctors regarding geriatric topics. This assessment will help determine the necessity for interventions such as educational programs and workshops on geriatrics. METHODS: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted by disseminating a Google Forms survey to medical students and doctors. The survey included the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Geriatrics Attitudes Scale and the UCLA Geriatrics Knowledge Test. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 29.0.2.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). RESULTS: A total number of 126 medical students and 72 doctors filled out the survey. Both medical students and doctors demonstrated moderate scores on the attitudes scale, with overall average scores of 2.92 out of 5 and 2.93 out of 5, respectively. As for knowledge, medical students achieved an average score of 41%, while doctors attained an average score of 43%. CONCLUSION: This study provides significant insights regarding the knowledge and attitudes of students and doctors and attitudes towards geriatrics. The moderate attitudes score and poor knowledge score across both groups indicate the need for medical educators in Oman to further emphasize and teach about geriatrics in medical curricula.
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Staphylococcus epidermidis has been recently recognized as an emerging nosocomial pathogen. There are concerns over the increasing virulence potential of this commensal due to the capabilities of transferring mobile genetic elements to Staphylococcus aureus through staphylococcal chromosomal cassette (SCCmec) and the closely related arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) and the copper and mercury resistance island (COMER). The potential pathogenicity of S. epidermidis, particularly from blood stream infections, has been poorly investigated. In this study, 24 S. epidermidis isolated from blood stream infections from Oman were investigated using whole genome sequence analysis. Core genome phylogenetic trees revealed one third of the isolates belong to the multidrug resistance ST-2. Genomic analysis unraveled a common occurrence of SCCmec type IV and ACME element predominantly type I arranged in a composite island. The genetic composition of ACME was highly variable among isolates of same or different STs. The COMER-like island was absent in all of our isolates. Reduced copper susceptibility was observed among isolates of ST-2 and ACME type I, followed by ACME type V. In conclusion, in this work, we identify a prevalent occurrence of highly variable ACME elements in different hospital STs of S. epidermidis in Oman, thus strongly suggesting the hypothesis that ACME types evolved from closely related STs.
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OBJECTIVES: The prevalence and appearance of sesamoid bones in the foot vary considerably among different populations and ethnic groups. We sought to evaluate the prevalence and distribution patterns of foot sesamoid bones among Omani patients referred for radiological investigation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study among patients who had been referred for foot X-ray from January to December 2018. We used the chi-square test to determine the gender and age influence on the prevalence of sesamoid bones, and the Spearman's correlation coefï¬cient to assess the coincidence of speciï¬c distributions of sesamoid bones at the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints. RESULTS: A total of 774 foot radiographs composed of 442 right foot radiographs and 332 left foot radiographs were reviewed for the presence of sesamoid bones at MTP and interphalangeal (IP) joints of the foot. We observed a high prevalence rate of sesamoid bones at the fifth MTP joint (13.7%), and first IP of the great toe (9.9%). There were nine distinctive patterns of sesamoid bones. The coincidence of sesamoid bones at two or more MTP joints was 14.6%, with a high prevalence rate at first and fifth MTP joints (10.3%). Moreover, the prevalence rate of sesamoid bones increased with increasing age at the fifth MTP joint. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of sesamoid bones in the foot is considerably high in Omani subjects and needs further prospective studies. Meanwhile, our findings could be helpful for clinicians to consider ailments of sesamoid bones during differential diagnosis in Omani patients who present with foot pain and discomfort.
