Choroidal thickness measurements in young Saudi adult population: a cross-sectional study.

AIM: To determine the choroidal thickness (CT) in young healthy Saudi adults using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with an automated CT segmentation software. METHODS: Fifty-eight young adults (total of 116 eyes), 39 males and 19 females participated in this study between the ages of 18 and 38y (mean 22.65±3.9y). All participants underwent ophthalmic screening examination, including the SD-OCT for measurements of CT in each quadrant egmented into five eccentric regions starting from the foveal region up to 4.5 mm towards the periphery. RESULTS: The choroid was thickest in the foveal region (central 1 mm, 300±60 µm) and began to progressively thinner beyond the parafovea (1.5-2.5 mm, 284±67 µm) towards the peripheral region (3.5-4.5 mm from the fovea, 254±83 µm). The superior choroid showed the thickest profile (309±57 µm), while the nasal choroid exhibited the thinnest (229±76 µm). The rate of the thinning with increasing eccentricity was more predominant in the nasal choroid, which thinned from the foveal region (294±58 µm) to the peripheral region (158±55 µm). The superior and inferior choroid did not show a statistically significant thinning with eccentricity (all P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the CT between gender, age, and laterality of the eyes (all P>0.05). A significant association of myopia with thinner subfoveal choroid was observed (Pearson's, r=0.37), and regression analysis showed that a 10.3 µm choroidal thinning for each diopter increase of myopia. CONCLUSION: CT profile depends on eccentric and the quadrant. The CT profile across the measured area in the young Saudi adult population is comparable to other previous reports. Refractive error is critical for CT evaluation.

Correlation and Factors Influencing Knee Pain Status among Patients who Underwent Sleeve Gastrectomy in Saudi Arabia: A Cross Sectional Study.

Objective: The goal of this study was to see if there was a link between individuals who had a sleeve gastrectomy and their knee discomfort, as well as what factors could influence knee pain after a sleeve gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: The general population of Saudi Arabia was studied in this cross-sectional survey, which took place from August 2021 to February 2022. Only people who had had a sleeve gastrectomy and were experiencing knee discomfort were included in the research. Results: The results revealed that bariatric surgery had improved knee pain status in most of the participants (76%) while (12.1%) complained that the pain worsened after the surgery. The results also showed that nearly half of our participants (49.8%) that complain of knee pain have lost more than 35 kg after bariatric surgery, which illustrates the impact of a number of kilograms (kg) lost after bariatric surgery. Only (12.8%) of the participants considered physiotherapy as an intervention for their knee pain. Also, the results showed that severe pain was considerably more prevalent in the older age group and those with concomitant chronic disease. Conclusions: Our data revealed that a small percentage of participants had worsening knee discomfort, which might be connected to inactivity following sleeve gastrectomy surgery. As a result, we urge that further clinical studies be conducted to learn more about the exacerbation of knee pain after a gastrectomy.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder Symptoms: Prevalence and Risk Factors in an Arab Middle Eastern Population.

Background: The present study examined the prevalence of and risk factors for symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in the general population of Jeddah, a large port city in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed a convenience sample of 520 adults. We used a validated self-screening measure to assess BDD, the body dysmorphic disorder questionnaire (BDDQ). Results: The prevalence of significant BDD symptoms among the general Saudi population was 8.8% (ie, those scoring above the cut off for BDD on the BDDQ). Over half (52%) of all respondents reported concerns about the attractiveness of their body parts, and of those expressing such concerns, 66% were preoccupied with these thoughts. Only 3% of all respondents opted for cosmetic surgery because of these concerns, and most of those individuals (69%) had only one surgery. Nearly 9% of all respondents reported that these concerns affected their relationships with family and friends. Almost 15% of all participants spent an hour or more each day thinking about these concerns. Patients who reported a history of depression were 3.8 times more likely to have BDD. Other variables included in the model predicting high BDD scores (eg, age, job status, and marital status) did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusion: Significant symptoms of BDD (based on the BDDQ) are not uncommon among the general population of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Risk factors for this condition were female gender, younger age, being unmarried, and in bivariate and multivariate analyses, history of depression and female gender. These findings underscore the need for increased awareness by clinicians of this disorder, particularly when treating patients with depressive disorder, particularly among women.

Impact of Dry Eye Disease on Work Productivity Among Saudi Workers in Saudi Arabia.

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of dry eye disease (DED) on work productivity in Saudi Arabia and investigate its effect on daily activities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on male and female Saudi workers age 20 years or older. The data were collected via self-administered questionnaires distributed electronically through social media. We used the Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire to diagnose DED patients and assess their DED severity as mild, moderate, and severe. RESULTS: A total of 463 respondents qualified for the study. All patients in the DED groups reported a loss of work productivity. Most patients in the severe DED group (59%) reported difficulty focusing on work due to DED, whereas 17.1% of patients with mild DED and 22.7% with moderate DED reported the same. These findings indicate significantly worsening productivity as DED progresses in severity (p<0.05). Participants with severe DED reported significantly more affected work hours weekly (35.8%) than participants with moderate (6.1%) and mild DED (7.1%). CONCLUSION: DED has a significant impact on work productivity, with the most pronounced effect among office workers. It is essential to screen office workers for DED and enhance the awareness of its effect on work productivity among the workforce and healthcare providers.

Intraoperative and Postoperative Complications Following Open, Laparoscopic, and Hysteroscopic Myomectomies in Saudi Arabia.

Background The aim of this study was to broaden our knowledge regarding the complications of myomectomy to better understand how to prevent them from occurring. Another aim was to compare surgical approaches, especially with the current research limitations surrounding this topic in Saudi Arabia. Methods This retrospective study was conducted in a cohort of 263 women who underwent surgical myomectomy, without any exclusion criteria. We used our hospital electronic medical records program called Phoenix to obtain all the data regarding clinical presentation, intraoperative findings, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and hospital stay, and then statistically analyzed these findings. Results Results were divided depending on the type of surgery. The mean age of open, laparoscopic, and hysteroscopic myomectomy groups were 40.82 years, 42.05 years, and 44.43 years, respectively. There were 213 (80.98%) open, 34 (12.93%) laparoscopic, and 16 (6.09%) hysteroscopic myomectomies. The most common indication in all groups was bleeding. The mean estimated blood loss and duration of surgery for open, laparoscopic, and hysteroscopic myomectomy groups were: 576.13 mL and 103.05 min, 333.21 mL and 56.91 min, and 306.29 mL and 104.19 min, respectively. The total complication rate for each group was 10.8% in open, 2.94% in laparoscopic, and 6.25% in hysteroscopic myomectomies. Conclusion Laparoscopy is considered the more effective option for myomectomy than both laparotomy and hysterectomy in terms of surgery duration, hospital stay, and prevalence of complications. However, it is a technically challenging operation that requires experienced surgeons to perform. Based on the information we gathered, we recommend our institute to implement laparoscopy instead of laparotomy myomectomy, which is the current standard procedure in our hospital.

Illicit Stimulant Use among Medical Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This study aims to assess the prevalence of illicit use of stimulants and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among a sample of medical students at the main universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and their motivation for use. We examine the association between the use of stimulants and the students' academic performance. We also look into the possible adverse consequences of illicit stimulant use among students. The competitive nature of medical school might place the students at a higher risk of using stimulant drugs illicitly. Acquiring these stimulants illegally has become easier since the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD have risen. We are unaware of any other study exploring the prevalence of and motivation for illicit use of stimulants among medical students in Riyadh. A cross-sectional web-based survey was the study design we chose as we were targeting medical students in three governmental medical colleges in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The total sample population of 1,177 participants was divided into the three following groups: no previous use of stimulant drugs (Group 1), illicit use (Group 2), and medical use (Group 3). Of the 1,177 medical students, 29 (2.46%) were found to be using stimulants illicitly; 39 (3.31%) were using the stimulants medically as they had been diagnosed with ADHD. The ability to prolong study time was reported as the most common motive for illicit use by many students. The present study contributes to the literature by casting light on this serious issue in Riyadh. More educational effort is needed to promote awareness about the adverse effects of ADHD drugs and their illicit use among students.

Awareness of the first aid management of foreign body aspiration among students: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a life-threatening condition responsible for many deaths every year, especially among children younger than 2 years. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge among students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted between December and January 2018 at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia via a paper-based questionnaire survey of male and female high school and middle school students. The Chi-square test was used to compare frequencies, and the independent t-test was used to compare means. RESULTS: A total of 671 students participated in this survey. The second item, "It is possible for a child to choke on a small toy" had the highest rate of correct responses among both males and females (93.2% vs. 94%, respectively). The eighth item "Sudden cough is a sign of choking among children" had the lowest rate of correct responses among males (40.8%) and females (33%). Most female participants (74.2%) knew that batteries are the most dangerous items a child can swallow, which requires immediate medical attention (item 14), while only 56.2% of male participants knew that (P < 0.001). The only significant predictor on linear regression analysis was "Having treated anyone with FBA" (coefficient = -0.24, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: There is inadequate knowledge regarding FBA among middle and high school students, as is the case among mothers. Moreover, only a small percentage of participants had any first aid training.

Factors influencing the choice of otolaryngology (ORL) head and neck surgery as a future specialty for Saudi medical students.

AIM: To find out the factors and causes that motivate medical students to choose ear, nose, and throat (ORL head and neck surgery) as a specialty in Saudi Arabian medical universities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by distributing a self-administered questionnaire to 1,516 medical students across all medical universities. Chi-squared test and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between the participants' choices and factors motivating their choice of specialty. RESULTS: ORL head and neck surgery was chosen as a future specialty by 27% of the participants. Of these, 52% chose lifestyle as the most influential factor determining their choice of specialty. Further analysis of participant preferences revealed that 87.6% listed flexibility within medicine as their main reason for choosing a specialty, followed by reasonable hours of practice in 86%, while 15.9% considered a strong mentor relationship to be important. Students from King Abdulaziz University more frequently chose ORL head and neck, along with those from the eastern kingdom compared with other areas. Student preference for ORL head and neck did not vary significantly with gender, age, or duration of clinical rounds. CONCLUSION: Approximately 27% of students chose ORL head and neck, with lifestyle being the most influential factor, followed by flexibility within medicine. Among students who chose ORL head and neck, the highest percentage was from King Abdulaziz University.

Pattern and severity of sleep apnea in a Saudi sleep center: The impact of obesity.

AIM: The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of obesity on the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by assessing the relationship between OSA and body mass index (BMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 among patients who had been referred to the sleep center at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) for polysomnography between January 2012 and September 2017. The data were abstracted from the medical records of these patients at KAUH. Initial data analysis included descriptive statistics; Chi-square test, t-test, and one-way ANOVA as appropriate were used to assess the associations between the variables. RESULTS: The study included 803 patients; the average age of the patients was 45.9 years and 56.5% were male. About 70.4% were obese, 54% of whom were classified as having Class 3 obesity. Approximately, 75% patients had OSA. The prevalence of OSA was higher among obese patients (77.7%) compared to nonobese patients (22.3%). Moreover, the severity of OSA was higher in obese patients, with 85.3% of obese patients considered as having severe OSA. CONCLUSION: Obesity is a considerable risk factor for developing OSA and could play a major role in increasing the severity of the disease. We encourage further studies on the impact of sedentary lifestyle and its association with OSA in Saudi Arabia, with an emphasis on the evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and burden of the disease.