The extent of awareness of southern Jordanian people to thedifference between venous thrombosis and arterial thrombosis / El grado de concienciación de los habitantes del sur de Jordania sobre la diferencia entre trombosis venosa y trombosis arterial

Objective: Venous thrombosis (VTE) and arterial thrombosis are two different diseases. Although they differ in causes, types, and treatment, they share many risk factors. Many people are not able to differentiate between them. So assessing the awareness of people toward these two diseases and determining the variables that affect their awareness was the aim of the study. Methods: This is a cross-sectional validated questionnaire which was conducted on social media. It targeted the southern Jordanian public above 18 years between October and December 2022. Results: A total of 630 people participated in the current study. Only 42.2% knew the cause of arterial thrombosis compared to 58.7% in case of venous thrombosis. More than half (63.2%) of the participants knew that there is a difference between venous and arterial thrombosis. DVT (36.8%) and PE (23%) were correctly identified as types of VTE, while only myocardial infarction was identified as a type of arterial thrombosis by 52.2% of respondents. About 69.5% and 80.2% of respondents think that venous and arterial thrombosis are fatal, respectively. Regarding the socio-demographic variables that affect the awareness of the public, old age, high educational level, working, and earning at least 500 JD per month were significantly associated with better awareness of the study population about venous and arterial thrombosis with a p-value of 0.0027, < 0.001, 0.0017, and < 0.001 respectively. Conclusion: The current study reveals that there is a lack of awareness about VTE and arterial thrombosis and the difference between them among the southern Jordanian public. VTE and arterial thrombosis are preventable diseases, so more attention should be given by increasing the educational campaign and the initiatives of public health about the difference between them in terms of signs and symptoms, risk factors, and complications.(AU)

Assessment of the knowledge and practice of Jordanian family medicine practitioners regarding vitamin B12 screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients on metformin

Background: Metformin is one of the most important treatments for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Mostly metformin has a safe profile but in some cases, it may cause some serious long-term hematological and neurological side effects mainly due to vitamin B12 deficiency. It is proven that there is a strong association between B12 deficiency and hematological and neurological manifestations, especially for T2DM patients on metformin. Hence, the American Diabetic Association (ADA) recommends vitamin B12 screening for those on metformin for a long duration. Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge and practice of family physicians among diabetic patients on metformin, and to evaluate the factors that enhance and prevent vitamin B12 screening. Method: A validated questionnaire was designed and distributed online for family medicine practitioners between the period of in June and September 2022. 147 family physicians participated in the study. A scoring system was used to calculate the knowledge, practice, and total scores. Results: The results reveal a high total knowledge score among participants about vitamin B12 manifestations and screening in T2DM patients. However, only half of the participants follow the ADA recommendations routinely (53.06)%. The total practice score is low as most participants (87.7%) answer only 9 of 18 questions correctly. Moreover, the results show that those who follow ADA recommendations routinely have better knowledge and practice scores (p-value 0.00406). Conclusion: More awareness about ADA recommendations and the practice of vitamin B12 screening in T2DM patients who use metformin for family physicians is required, either by encouraging them to order B12 through workshops and continuous learning programs or by the availability of tools needed to test B12 (AU)

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Influenza Vaccination Among Jordanians Aged 18-64 Years with Chronic Diseases.

Objectives: Influenza is a frequent infectious disease that can be prevented and is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. The most economical way to prevent influenza is through vaccination, although this method is not widely used. This study aimed to assess the seasonal influenza vaccination rates and the knowledge and attitudes of Jordanian adults with chronic illnesses toward the influenza vaccine. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed. A 26-item online survey was used to gather data about patients' knowledge of and attitudes toward the influenza vaccine as well as their status as influenza vaccine recipients. Results: A total of 19% of the 564 study participants received an influenza vaccination. Most (81%) of individuals reported inconsistent vaccination uptake. The most important factor affecting vaccination is the belief that the flu is not a threat (39%) and that their doctors did not advise them about the vaccination (32%). Participants with no health insurance and those with public insurance had a lower level of vaccination than those with private insurance (p= 0.008). Conclusion: The adult population of Jordan with chronic diseases has subpar immunization rates. What is also revealed is a blatant misunderstanding about the value of routine influenza vaccination. These findings emphasize how urgently the public needs to be made aware of the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine.

Awareness and Perception of Thromboembolism and Thromboprophylaxis among Hospitalized Patients in Jordan.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Despite the established importance of thromboprophylaxis in patients with Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), a limited number of studies have assessed the awareness of VTE and thromboprophylaxis therapy among the affected patients. The aim of the current study was to assess awareness and to explore variables associated with awareness about VTE and its thromboprophylaxis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on hospitalized patients who received thromboprophylaxis (5000 units of heparin subcutaneously (SC) q8-12h, or 30-40 mg of enoxaparin SC once daily). In addition to the sociodemographic variables, awareness and perception of VTE and its thromboprophylaxis were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Multiple logistic regressions were conducted to build a model of variables significantly associated with VTE awareness. RESULTS: A total of 225 patients participated in the study, with only 38.2% and 22.2% of the participants being aware of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) respectively. Logistic regression showed that the participants with low educational level had 3.046 value, with the odds being not aware of DVT or PE compared with participants with high educational level. Participants without a personal history of VTE had 7.374 value, with the odds being not aware of DVT or PE compared with those who had a personal history of VTE. Participants who had a negative perception of VTE had 2.582 value, with the odds being not aware of DVT or PE compared with participants who had a positive perception and those who did not have any information about DVT or PE had 13.727 value, with the odds being not aware of DVT or PE. CONCLUSION: The findings reveal that there is a lack of awareness about VTE and its thromboprophylaxis among the study participants. Patients with lower educational level and those with no history of previous VTE need awareness improvement about VTE and its thromboprophylaxis. Clinical Pharmacists need to focus on providing information about VTE and improving patients' perception about VTE and its thromboprophylaxis with the aim of improving the awareness about VTE, and hence the better health outcome.