Assessing pre-eclampsia awareness among pregnant women in Syria: a cross-sectional study on knowledge and perceptions.

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in mothers worldwide. Adequate understanding of this condition improves treatment, control, and prevention. This study evaluated preeclampsia awareness among pregnant women in Syria, and the characteristics related to awareness adequacy. METHODS: This national cross-sectional study was conducted in Syria between 25 October and November 19, 2022. We included pregnant females of all age groups from all Syrian governorates. The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge of pre-eclampsia and its associated factors, symptoms, and complications. RESULTS: Overall, 706 participants were involved in this research, with a mean age of 38.22. Only 52.1% of them reported that they had heard of preeclampsia. Among the participants, 56.5% stated that they would not terminate a pregnancy if they were determined to be likely to develop preeclampsia, while nearly 55.2% agreed to continue the pregnancy rather than deliver prematurely even if their where a potential risk on their health risks. Participants who reported a family history of PE or had already experienced PE were more likely to have appropriate preeclampsia knowledge than those who did not (OR = 2.27, OR = 3.18, respectively). Respondents aged 25 to 35 years had the highest knowledge scores, and participants living in cities scored higher knowledge than rural residents. CONCLUSION: According to our findings, pregnant women in Syria have a awareness gaps regarding the PE topic. This highlights the need to enhance women's preeclampsia understanding for better pregnancy outcomes. Education through organizations, the media, and national programs is a significant aspect that promotes an adequate understanding of preeclampsia.

Challenges in diagnosing vaginal mass in a pregnant woman with an underlying duplex collecting system disease: a case report.

Congenital renal anomalies are a sequence of defective renal parenchymal or collecting system development and migration that may be discovered during the prenatal period or incidentally among adults. Duplex collecting system diagnosing in adults represents a challenge to physicians. Long-term history of urinary tract infections besides vaginal mass in pregnant women should raise the suspicion of underlying urinary tract malformation. Case presentation: In this case, a 23-year-old pregnant woman at 32 weeks came to the clinic for a routine check-up. A vaginal mass had been noticed during the examination and was punctured, revealing unknown fluid. Further investigations revealed left duplex collecting system consisted of an upper moiety opening with a ureterocele in the anterior wall of the vagina and a lower moiety ending with an ectopic orifice near the right ureter orifice. Therefore, the modified Lich-Gregoir procedure was done to reimplant the ureter of the upper renal moiety. Postoperative following-up investigations affirmed improvement without complications. Clinical discussion: The duplex collecting system disease may remain asymptomatic until adulthood or present with unexpected symptoms. The subsequent workup in the duplex kidney disease depends on the moieties' function and the ureter orifice opening site. Although the Weigert-Meyer rule is usually used to describe the typical pattern of duplex collecting system ureters opening sites, it has many expectations in the literature. Conclusion: This case shows how some common symptoms may lead to finding an unexpected urinary tract abnormality.

Assessment the awareness toward hypertension and diabetes mellitus: Syrian cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes and arterial hypertension are the two most common types of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) impacting people globally. There is no prior research on the Syrian population's knowledge and treatment of hypertension and diabetes. It is crucial to investigate how the Syrian public understands and perceives these disorders in order to address the increased incidence and prevalence of hypertension and diabetes. This research intends to assess the level of hypertension and diabetes-related awareness, knowledge, attitude, and practices among Syrian individuals. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted online between 1 August and 25 August 2022. The questionnaire for the study was developed based on previous research, and the inclusion criteria for the sample were Syrian residents older than 18 who presently live in Syria. The survey consisted four sections: sociodemographics information, WHO STEPS survey instrument on knowledge of and lifestyle determinants for hypertension and diabetes, respondents' knowledge of and comprehension of hypertension and diabetes, and respondents' awareness of these disorders. RESULTS: Among 976 participants, 65.8% were females. the most common causes for hypertension from the perspective of participants were (90.1%) for stress, (87%) High salt consumption, (82.1%) genetics, (78.2%) old age, (78%) obesity (69%) anxiety, and (38.6%) for drug usage. Primary and middle school educational status participants had greater hypertension knowledge (92.3%) than other educational levels. There was a statistical significant difference between the knowledge toward the hypertension and the drinking alcohol, which the nonalcoholic knowledgeable persons were the most common (819 / 976)(P < 0.05). Participants whose lifestyles did not include alcohol use had a higher hypertension knowledge level (90.3%). Participants who do not consume alcohol have shown better hypertension knowledge (90.3%) than those who do (81.9%). Almost age groups have shown good knowledge of diabetes, especially participants aged above 55 (93.8%). However, most individuals have examined blood pressure (82.3%), whereas fewer than half had screened for blood sugar (64.4%). About 82.2% of individuals check their blood pressure frequently, whereas 6.2% monitor their blood sugar. There were significant associations between hypertension knowledge and gender, education, employment, and economic position (P value < 0.05). Men (mean = 8.39, SD = 2.02, P-value < 0.05) have a higher hypertension knowledge than females, and knowledge of hypertension among participants was shown to be higher among those in good income status than other economic levels (mean = 8.34, SD = 1.98). Age, gender, education, employment, and marital status were all associated with diabetes knowledge. Participants between the ages of 40 and 55 showed better knowledge of diabetes compared to other age groups (mean = 11.32, SD = 2.54); also, men demonstrated greater knowledge of diabetes than females (mean = 10.76, SD = 2.79). CONCLUSION: We indicated that the Syrian population has a good to moderate understanding of hypertension and diabetes. However, there is still a shortage of standardized, regular screening practices. Since individuals remain involved in unhealthy lifestyle habits, it is vital to provide accurate information about hypertension and diabetes to encourage them to make healthy changes.