Assessing Family Medicine Residents' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Confidence in Managing In-Flight Medical Emergencies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The global increase in air travel has led to a rise in in-flight medical emergencies (IMEs), posing significant challenges to global public health. In a significant number of instances, physicians are often called upon to respond to IMEs during flights. These emergencies are unique due to the cabin environment's constraints, including confined space, ambient noise, and reduced atmospheric pressure. Various proactive measures have been introduced to mitigate IME occurrences, but many healthcare professionals, including family medicine (FM) residents, feel inadequately prepared to respond effectively. This cross-sectional study was conducted among all family medicine (FM) residents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in January 2023. A self-reported questionnaire was used, including questions aimed at evaluating the sociodemographics, travel profiles, knowledge, confidence, and attitudes of FM residents toward IMEs and their ability to respond to such emergencies. A total of 189 FM residents participated in the study, revealing a young and diverse group of participants. Most were male (97 (51.3%)), averaging 27 years old. Nearly all held life support credentials (185 (97.9%)), particularly basic life support (BLS) and advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS). Despite frequent travel, the majority lacked in-flight emergency training and experience. Allergic reactions (28%), cardiovascular (24%), and respiratory emergencies (24%) were the most common IMEs encountered. While 109 (57.7%) would assist during an IME, 87 (46%) were unsure of their competence, and 109 (57.7%) had medico-legal concerns. Most, i.e., 176 (93.2%) agreed with the need for more IME training, but 138 (73%) lacked clarity about in-flight medical supplies. In conclusion, this research underscores the importance of preparing FM residents and healthcare professionals for IMEs, advocating for specialized training programs that enhance their readiness to respond competently to an IME.

The Prevalence of Thyroid Papillary Microcarcinoma in Patients With Benign Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration.

Introduction Thyroid nodules are a very common clinical finding in the general population. We use fine needle aspiration (FNA) as the gold standard workup test for a thyroid nodule, as it is capable of differentiating malignant nodules from benign in the majority of cases. Usually, FNA is done for nodules that are more than 1 cm; small malignant lesions that are less than 1 cm in size can be missed. That's why the risk of having undiagnosed microcarcinomas in an otherwise benign FNA needs to be explored. Aim To estimate the prevalence of thyroid papillary microcarcinoma in patients with benign FNA and evaluate and correlate the FNA cytological results with the final histopathological diagnoses. Methods This was a retrospective study of 1543 post-thyroidectomy patients who underwent FNA cytology, were classified according to the Bethesda scoring system, and were admitted to two tertiary care hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2010 to 2019. Results Six-hundred-seven (607) out of 1543 FNA cytology results were reported as benign, 215 as malignant, and 73 as suspicious of malignancy. On final histopathology diagnosis, 81/607 (13.34%) of benign cases and 35/215 (16.28%) of malignant cases did not meet the initial cytology and were confirmed as papillary microcarcinoma. In patients with microcarcinoma after initial benign FNA (89.2%) found to have benign multinodular changes, compared to only (31%) of initial malignant FNA patients. Conclusion  When non-surgical intervention is chosen in patients with benign FNA, the possibility of coexisting microcarcinoma with its variable prognosis should be taken into account and explained to the patient.

Comparison of the Outcomes Between Bilateral Thoracoscopic Maximal Thymectomy Versus Trans-Sternal Maximal Thymectomy for Non-Thyomomatous Myasthenia Gravis Patients: A Local University Hospital Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease characterized by excessive and intense weakness of both respiratory and skeletal muscles. Management of MG involves both medical and surgical treatment. The surgical management includes resection of the thymus gland by many approaches, either bilateral thoracoscopic maximal thymectomy (BTT) or trans-sternal maximal thymectomy (TS). We hypothesized that bilateral thoracoscopic maximal thymectomy is as effective as trans-sternal maximal thymectomy to treat and control the disease. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the two approaches (BTT and TS) and determine which is better in terms of outcomes. METHODOLOGY:  A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 50 myasthenia gravies patients; 30 patients underwent bilateral thoracoscopic maximal thymectomy (BTT) and 20 were operated by trans-sternal maximal thymectomy (TS). The study was conducted at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between 2007 and 2017. RESULT: The mean age of the MG patients was 32.6 years, ranging from 14 to 75. Thirty-four (68%) patients were females, and 16 (32%) were males. The BTT showed less operation time (P<0.0001) and less intubation time (anesthesia time), which was statistically significant (P<0.0001). Hospital stay and ICU stay were both reported to be less in BTT (4.03 and 0.37, respectively) with p-values of 0.006 and 0.0001, respectively. There was no significant association between all categorical study variables and the MG patients' outcome (BTT/TS) in terms of mortality, morbidity, complete stable remission, pharmacological remission, and complications. CONCLUSION: Bilateral thoracoscopic maximal thymectomy is as effective as trans-sternal maximal thymectomy to control and treat the disease.