Air pollutants and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication administration in elementary schools.

Air pollution is considered a risk factor for several diseases, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. However, the effects of air pollution on neurobehavioral disorders have not been confirmed as of yet. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine whether there was an association between seven air pollutants and ADHD medication administration (ADHD-MA) in Pennsylvania-located elementary schools over a 3-year period. An ecological study design involving records of 168,825 children from elementary schools in 49 Pennsylvania counties was used. The number of children with ADHD-MA was extracted from an online software specifically designed for allowing nurses to record health conditions in schools. Daily measurements of air pollutants were obtained from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. The differences in the number of ADHD-MA among the four seasons, for all years, were statistically significant (P<0.001). Three air pollutants (SO2, CO, and PM2.5) were significantly associated with ADHD-MA; no interactions among air pollutants were significant. Air pollution was thus likely associated with ADHD-MA. Prospective epidemiological and biomedical studies should next examine the molecular relationship between air pollution and ADHD symptoms.

The psychosocial and clinical concerns of physicians treating patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the psychosocial and clinical issues affecting physicians who have been directly involved in treating patients with novel coronavirus (COVID-19). METHODS: We recruited physicians from four hospitals in Jordan. A structured 20-item, self-administered survey was used to gather data. Descriptive statistics were employed to represent the numbers and percentages of the participants' responses to the survey items. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the participants' traits and items related to the level of fear, the quality of care provided to patients, and social distancing among family members. RESULTS: A total of 135 physicians participated; 65.9% were men. More than half reported moderate to high levels of fear (55.5%). The majority (71.1%) were moderately to highly concerned about becoming infected with COVID-19 from the patients they treated. Most physicians practiced adequate social distancing. While most of them thought that COVID-19 patients received a high quality of care, they generally perceived a shortage of specialised physicians and personal protective equipment (PPE). The ratings for the quality of care and social distancing practices were significantly associated with the presence or absence of training related to COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of fear and concerns about COVID-19's impact on physicians and their families was high. There were also concerns about the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on medical services.

Determining the usage of social media for medical information by the medical and dental students in northern Jordan.

OBJECTIVES: Using social media to gain medical and dental information may have significant effects on the students' academic performance and career development. Therefore, we assessed the usage of social media for medical information among medical and dental students. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we administered a self-reported questionnaire to medical and dental students at the Jordan University of Science and Technology. RESULTS: A total of 856 students completed the questionnaire; two-thirds of them were medical students. Most students did not consider social media as a trusted source for medical information. In contrast, the source for treatment decisions for the majority (96.6%) was speciality physicians and not the management plans posted on social media. Females used more social media applications (p = .05) and spent more time on social media (p = .001) than males. The amount of educational information gained was directly associated with time spent on social media (p < .001). Those who completed more years of their medical or dental education were less likely to use social media for medical information and were more likely to follow medical online sites or forums. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed general reluctance among medical and dental students to use social media for medical information. This could be explained by cultural beliefs that social media is mainly for socialisation and entertainment. However, further research is needed to estimate the effects of social media usage on academic performance. This will help us decide whether to encourage students to use social media for education.

Outcomes of arteriovenous fistula creation: A Jordanian experience.

OBJECTIVE: The arteriovenous fistula is considered the preferred hemodialysis access due to its lower complication rate and longer patency. The aim of this study is to report the outcomes of arteriovenous fistula creation and to study the predictive factors for these outcomes. STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD: This is a retrospective study of all patients who underwent autogenous arteriovenous fistula creation procedure by a single surgeon during the period from October 2011 till December 2017. MATERIAL: All the procedures were performed at an academic referral center by a single surgeon. All patients who underwent arteriovenous fistula creation in the upper limb during the study period were included. All patients were diagnosed with end-stage renal disease and referred for arteriovenous fistula creation either before or after initiating hemodialysis. METHOD: Data were collected from the patients' charts. The primary outcomes were the primary failure and secondary patency rates. Secondary outcome was to find the factors associated with decreased patency. The Kaplan-Meier curve with the log-rank test was used to describe the patency while univariate and multivariate analyses were done to the factors considered relevant to the patency. RESULTS: The total number of procedures was 291; of which, 18 were lost to follow-up. The primary failure rate was 12%. Secondary patency rate at 1 and 5 years was 79% and 53%, respectively. Diabetes mellitus and fistulae placed on right side were associated with decreased patency. CONCLUSION: The primary failure rate was relatively low in this study but the long-term functionality of the arteriovenous fistulae needs to be improved.

Evaluation of Family Planning Counselling in North Jordan.

OBJECTIVES: Counselling plays a key role in enhancing reproductive services, providing contraception-related information and supporting long-term family planning for women of childbearing age. This study aimed to evaluate family planning counselling sessions in selected governmental and private clinics in northern Jordan. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and June 2016 in Irbid, Jordan. A total of 200 women attending two private clinics affiliated with the Jordanian Association for Family Planning and Protection (JAFPP) and six governmental clinics were invited to participate in the study. Counselling sessions were attended by an independent observer and evaluated with regards to their compliance with the standard Greet, Ask, Tell, Help, Explain, Return (GATHER) framework. RESULTS: A total of 198 women participated in the study (response rate: 99.0%), including 80 women (40.4%) from JAFPP clinics and 118 (59.6%) from governmental clinics. In total, 42.9% of the counselling sessions were deemed adequate, with providers applying 80% or more of the GATHER framework, while 26.8% of the sessions were deemed semi-adequate and 30.3% were considered inadequate. Counselling services provided in the governmental clinics were significantly less adequate than those provided in JAFPP clinics (P <0.001). CONCLUSION: The quality of counselling services in governmental family planning centres in Jordan needs to be improved to ensure that women receive the highest possible level of care. Healthcare policymakers should therefore focus on developing and supporting effective family planning counselling services in northern Jordan.