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BACKGROUND: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune inflammatory condition affecting multiple systems. Cardiovascular morbidity is a significant concern, with around 25% of SLE patients experiencing cardiac complications. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity in SLE patients in King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODOLOGY: This retrospective record-based research was conducted at KFMC from January 2015 to October 2023. A review of the medical files of all SLE patients was accomplished. RESULTS: The vast majority of the patients (90.9%) were females. The mean age for the patients was 36.5 years. The most common comorbidities were lupus nephritis (34.6%), hypothyroidism (18.4%), and anti-phospholipid syndrome (9.2%). The most commonly used medications were hydroxychloroquine (81.8%), corticosteroids (prednisolone) (43.0%), and mycophenolate mofetil (27.9%). Around 45.2% (n= 176) of the patients with SLE developed cardiovascular complications. The most commonly reported cardiovascular diseases that developed after diagnosing patients with SLE were hypertension (22.4%), valvular heart diseases (13.2%), and dyslipidemia (9.2%). The study also found that anti-dsDNA antibodies can reduce the likelihood of developing hypertension by 40%. This research contributes to the medical literature on SLE and sets the stage for future research on personalized healthcare strategies for managing SLE and its complications. CONCLUSION: This study highlights that a considerable proportion of SLE patients(~50%) develop cardiovascular complications, with hypertension, valvular heart diseases, and dyslipidemia being the most common. We also discovered that anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid antibodies (Anti-dsDNA) reduce the likelihood of developing hypertension.
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Introduction: Leadership is increasingly recognized as a crucial competency in medicine, with physicians expected to provide leadership skills throughout their careers. This study explores the perceptions, attitudes, and interests of medical students and interns in Saudi Arabia regarding medical leadership. Medical graduates are expected to "provide leadership skills that enhance team functioning, the learning environment, and the healthcare delivery system", according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to July 2023, involving 519 medical students and interns in Saudi Arabia. An online survey covered demographic data, perceptions, attitudes, interests, and self-perceived leadership skills. A pilot study was conducted to ensure the questionnaire's validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26, employing descriptive statistics and inferential tests. Results: Most participants had a positive perception of leadership (38.3%), with higher scores associated with medical specialties as a career choice (p < 0.001). The majority expressed average interest in medical leadership (29.1%). Communication and organizational skills were highly self-rated leadership attributes. Barriers to leadership implementation included lack of interest (49.3%), inadequate training (45.1%), and time constraints (43.2%). Only 14.6% rated leadership education in medical school as "very good". Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of leadership in medical education. Integrating comprehensive and structured leadership programs into medical curricula, addressing barriers, and promoting awareness can foster future medical leaders. Continuous evaluation and adaptation are essential for ensuring the relevance and effectiveness of leadership training.
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BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disease characterized by exposure to threatened death or serious injury and directly experiencing or witnessing the event. Many healthcare professionals have had PTSD, but emergency physicians may be particularly susceptible. To our knowledge, no study has been performed in Saudi Arabia to identify the prevalence and associated risk factors of PTSD among emergency staff. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among emergency healthcare workers (HCWs) in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study will be conducted in emergency departments around Saudi Arabia in all regions. The study population will include healthcare workers in emergency departments who work and presently live in Saudi Arabia. The survey was divided into two sections. The first section focuses on the emergency personnel's demographic data; the second concentrates on screening for post-traumatic stress disorder using the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). RESULTS: Our population included 519 emergency healthcare staff, including males (51.4%) and females (48.6%). Most emergency HCWs worked in the Ministry of Health Hospitals (58%). The highest diagnosed psychological disorders among emergency staff were anxiety (19.3%) and mood disorders (10.2%). The prevalence of PTSD among emergency workers in Saudi Arabia was 14.1%. The prevalence of PTSD was significantly higher among emergency HCWs who had chronic diseases, emergency workers with anxiety or mood disorders, emergency staff who were using psychiatric medication (p<0.001), and those with psychotic disorders (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of PTSD among emergency healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be 14.1%, and pre-existing mental illnesses are associated with a higher risk of PTSD.
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The emergency room is the most likely location where victims of violent crime would be encountered by the healthcare system, as the emergency staff is the first to evaluate the victim or culprit, exposing them to a range of forensic evidence. Forensic evidence can help exclude, identify, and prosecute a suspect and is classified as informational or physical evidence. Emergency staff must be proficient and knowledgeable in gathering, preserving, and documenting forensic evidence in their practice. To our knowledge, this is the first study that assesses the emergency staff's level of practice in managing forensic evidence. The aims of this study are to assess the level of practice of emergency staff in managing forensic evidence and observe an association between emergency experience and the level of practice in managing forensic evidence, study a connection between forensic education/training and the level of practice in the management of forensic evidence. This observational cross-sectional analytical study in Saudi Arabia was conducted from January 2022 to December 2022. Participants completed a self-administered online survey. Measuring the level of practice was implemented through a researcher-designed questionnaire based on a paper that provided guidelines for forensic evidence collection in the emergency department. Most emergency healthcare workers had a good level of practice in managing forensic evidence (64.7%). Those with excellent practice scored the lowest in documentation, whereas participants in the poor practice category scored the lowest in the trace evidence and clothes domains. Emergency workers who encountered less number of forensic cases per month, i.e. less than two or three to five cases, were found to be more likely to have poor management of forensic evidence. Emergency personnel with no prior education or training are more likely to engage in poor practice in forensic evidence collection. Furthermore, those who had acquired forensic education/training had higher percentages of excellent forensic practice (56.52%) compared to poor practice (7.14%). Those who claimed that their institution had issued guidelines were more likely to have excellent practice (75.36%), whilst those who did not receive guidelines were more likely to have poor forensic evidence management (85.71%). More research is required involving local hospitals and utilizing consistently validated methods in evaluating forensic evidence collection. Key points: A national assessment of emergency staff level of practice in the management of forensic evidence was performed.Most emergency staff had a good level of practice in the management of forensic evidence.More training and education are needed for emergency staff in the field of forensics.National evidence-based guidelines for managing forensic evidence in the emergency setting should be established.
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Introduction Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. There is still debate about the pathophysiology of IBS. Symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain and alternating bowel movements, but the severity differs among the patients, which affects their quality of life. Our main aim in this study is to find the impact of work hours on the quality of life of adult employees with irritable bowel syndrome in Saudi Arabia. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered survey including employees over 18 years old in Saudi Arabia. The survey was designed in three different parts. The first part is demographics and personal information, The second concentrates on IBS using the Rome-IV criteria while the third part reviewed the participant's quality of life by utilizing the quality-of-life scale (QOLS). Results The total number of participants was 1800; most of the population were females (954; 53%) and there were 846 (47%) males. The study showed that 27.11% were diagnosed with IBS. Furthermore, the result revealed significant differences between working hours, with employees who work more than nine hours (33.7%) being more affected by IBS than others. Nevertheless, significant independent risk factors for IBS were QOLS (OR = 0.988; 95% CI (0.981, 0.995), p = .001), being an employee in free business (OR = 1.755; 95% CI (1.134, 2.714) p = .012), working between 6 and 9 hours (OR = 0.623; 95% CI (0.404, 0.961), p = .032). Conclusion The impact of work hours on adult employees with IBS in Saudi Arabia has been noticed; the results showed that the prevalence of IBS among females is higher; employees working more than nine hours with a medium to sedentary work nature are more vulnerable to developing IBS. We suggest that IBS patients should address their needs to their employers.
