The utilization of social networking sites, their perceived benefits and their potential for improving the study habits of nursing students in five countries.

BACKGROUND: The abundance of easy and accessible information and the rapid development of social networking sites (SNSs) have proven that the world is small and within reach. The great implication of this interconnectivity is attributable to the change in the learning and sharing environment, which for the most part is something that classrooms are lacking. Considering the potential implications of SNSs in nursing education reveals the benefits of SNSs in allowing students to communicate and interact with a wider audience and beyond the classroom. The aim of this study is to identify the extent of SNS utilization, the perceived benefits of SNSs and the potential of SNSs for improving the study habits of nursing students in five countries (Israel, Iraq, Oman, the Philippines and Turkey). METHODS: This study is a quantitative cross-sectional study that determined the relationship between the utilization of SNSs, the perceived benefits of SNSs, and the potential of SNSs for improving the study habits of nursing students in the five participating countries (Israel, Iraq, Oman, the Philippines, and Turkey). This paper is based on carefully analysing the survey responses of a sample of 1137 students from an online hosting site. The online instrument focuses on the extent of the utilization and benefits of SNSs according to their accessibility, usability, efficiency and reliability. RESULTS: Based on the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) our findings, reveal a significant positive correlation between the extent of a possible improvement in study habits and the extent of SNS utilization in terms of the four domains, namely, accessibility (r = 0.246), usability (r = 0.377), reliability (r = 0.287) and efficiency (r = 0.387). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that there is a significant positive correlation between students' study habits and the extent of SNS utilization, meaning that the more students devote themselves to their study habits, the higher the level of SNS utilization. The use of SNSs by nursing students has positive and negative implications, and there is greater potential for further improving approaches to nursing education through the adaptation of curricula based on the proper utilization of SNSs.

A Pilot Study of a Topical Intervention for Treatment of Female Sexual Dysfunction.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Many investigators reported that pharmacological treatment of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) has been a promising field yet to be explored. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of a topical cream containing small concentrations of three vasodilators with different mechanisms of action in treating FSD. METHODS: In this randomized, controlled pilot trial, premenopausal (n = 30) and postmenopausal (n = 30) cases of 21- to 62-year age range with FSD were allocated randomly into 15 given placebo or 15 given active cream in each group. The women included had FSD for more than a 6-month duration and a total score of Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised of at least 15. Assessing sexual function by measuring female sexual function index (FSFI) during five clinic visits, one at the end of baseline week and at the end of each week of the 4-week treatment period. The primary end point was changed from baseline FSFI total scores to week 4 treatment. Secondary end point included the changes from baseline arousal, desire, orgasm, and satisfaction scores to week 4 treatment. FINDINGS/RESULTS: The sexual problem reported by patients was orgasmic or/and arousal disorders. In premenopausal cases, active cream led to a high significant increase in mean change FSFI total score from the baseline to week 4 compared with placebo (1.7 ± 1.886 vs 13.35 ± 4.646, respectively; P < 0.0001). Greater improvement of mean change of orgasm and arousal domain score was also observed (0.3 ± 0.45 and 0.35 ± 0.39 vs. 2.66 ± 0.63 and 1.87 ± 0.168, respectively; P < 0.0001). In postmenopausal cases, there were significantly greater improvements with active cream in all sexual functions compared with placebo cream (P < 0.0001). In triple cream, mean change of FSFI total score, orgasm domain score, and arousal score domain were 14.85 ± 6.33, 1.87 ± 0.168 and 2.66 ± 1.182, whereas in the placebo cream, they were 1.54 ± 2.1,0.7 ± 0.76 and 0.22 ± 0.44, respectively. Meanwhile, orgasm scores increased significantly after the use of placebo cream. No serious adverse effects were reported during treatment. IMPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: The results of the pilot trial suggest that topical cream containing small concentrations of three vasodilators may act synergistically, and was effective in improving arousal, orgasmic, and satisfaction disorder with a safer profile for premenopausal and postmenopausal women with FSD. Further studies are recommended to be conducted using a large number of nondepressive and depressive patients.

Audit for quality of care and fate of maternal critical cases at Women's Health Hospital.

Maternal deaths remain high, numbers at the facility level are relatively low. AIM: To evaluate effect of management guidelines on occurrence of maternal near miss in Women's Health Hospital. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: ICU of Women's Health Hospital's at Assiut Main University Hospital and Al-fayoum University Hospital. SUBJECTS: Convenient sample of 93 maternal near-miss cases including (Pregnancy or postpartum complications). TOOL: audit the applied critical care for severe condition related to obstetric complications and consist of three parts: Patient's demographic data, Audit of critical care and "Maternal near-miss" Fate. Data collected during a period of 1/3/2015 to 30/8/2015 for management guidelines and maternal outcomes. RESULTS: A statistical significant differences between the medical management and occurrence of sever maternal complications such as (severe postpartum hemorrhage, severe pre-eclampsia, Sepsis or severe systemic infection, uterine hemorrhage, ruptured uterus) (P=0.000, P=0.031, P=0.036, P=0.052, P=0.012 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The maternal management guidelines was a successful tool in recording the gap between the current received management and standards management guidelines in ICU. Also they measure the effect of current management in ICU on maternal mortality and morbidity.

A comprehensive health effects assessment of the use of sanitizers and disinfectants during COVID-19 pandemic: a global survey.

COVID-19 has affected all aspects of human life so far. From the outset of the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID-19 through the observance of health protocols, especially the use of sanitizers and disinfectants was given more attention. Despite the effectiveness of disinfection chemicals in controlling and preventing COVID-19, there are critical concerns about their adverse effects on human health. This study aims to assess the health effects of sanitizers and disinfectants on a global scale. A total of 91,056 participants from 154 countries participated in this cross-sectional study. Information on the use of sanitizers and disinfectants and health was collected using an electronic questionnaire, which was translated into 26 languages via web-based platforms. The findings of this study suggest that detergents, alcohol-based substances, and chlorinated compounds emerged as the most prevalent chemical agents compared to other sanitizers and disinfectants examined. Most frequently reported health issues include skin effects and respiratory effects. The Chi-square test showed a significant association between chlorinated compounds (sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine) with all possible health effects under investigation (p-value <0.001). Examination of risk factors based on multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that alcohols and alcohols-based materials were associated with skin effects (OR, 1.98; 95%CI, 1.87-2.09), per-chlorine was associated with eye effects (OR, 1.83; 95%CI, 1.74-1.93), and highly likely with itching and throat irritation (OR, 2.00; 95%CI, 1.90-2.11). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92-2.44). Furthermore, formaldehyde was associated with a higher prevalence of neurological effects (OR, 2.17; 95%CI, 1.92-2.44). The use of sodium hypochlorite and per-chlorine also had a high chance of having respiratory effects. The findings of the current study suggest that health authorities need to implement more awareness programs about the side effects of using sanitizers and disinfectants during viral epidemics especially when they are used or overused.

The education of nurses in China and Egypt.

Despite wide disparities of political support, material resources, and systems of initial education, there exists an increasing global recognition that the level of nursing education has a close relationship with access to and quality of care. Still, individual nations also maintain alternative ways of educating nurses that are rooted in strong traditions. This paper explores the systems in China and Egypt. These countries have important differences. Education in China, for example, has been more heavily influenced by models from the United States, whereas Egypt has looked to those from Britain and France. Most striking, however, is what they now share. Both countries' systems of nursing education are now clearly located in an increasingly global world of health, and health care that recognizes that a more educated nursing workforce remains the critical component of any initiative to better meet health care needs.

Examining the impact of upright and recumbent positions on labor outcomes in Saudi Arabia: A quasi-experiment.

Background: Helping the woman to adopt a comfortable position during childbirth significantly affects labor changes and pain management. However, there is a lack of consensus on the impacts of different childbirth positions on labor outcomes. In addition, a scarce of studies have assessed the effects of the upright and recumbent positions on delivery outcomes, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Objective: This study aimed to examine and compare the influence of upright and recumbent childbirth positions on birth outcomes. Methods: The setting was the childbirth unit at East Jeddah Hospital from November 2020 to March 2021. The research design was quasi-experimental, including 300 women in labor under 18-45 years. The sample includes two equal groups of 150 women: upright (experiment) and recumbent (comparison) position groups. Three tools were used to collect data: a structured interviewing questionnaire, the modified WHO partograph, and the Wong-Baker FACES® pain rating scale. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, independent t-test, and paired t-test were used for data analysis. Results: Women in the recumbent position spent a longer duration in the first, second, and third stages of childbirth and had higher pain scores and less satisfaction with the assumed position than women in the upright position, with a highly significant difference (p <0.001). Conclusion: Laboring women in upright positions experienced faster progress of labor, shorter duration of childbirth, less pain, and higher satisfaction than those assumed recumbent positions. This study serves as an input for midwives and nurses to enable them to offer appropriate advice to improve intrapartum care. In addition, educational programs targeting pregnant women about the positive impacts of upright position on women's birth experience are encouraged.

The effect of warm compresses on perineal tear and pain intensity during the second stage of labor: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Warm compress is believed to reduce perineal tear occurrence and decrease pain intensity during the second stage of childbirth. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of warm compresses on perineal tear and pain intensity during the second stage of labor. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted between 28 September 2018 to 30 October 2018 in King Khaled Hospital (KKH), affiliated with the Ministry of National Guard Hospital Affairs, King Abdul-Aziz Medical City Western Region, Saudi Arabia. According to eligibility criteria, the sample randomly recruited through lottery included 100 primigravida pregnant women, with 50 in each intervention and control group. Data were presented in the form of frequency and percentages, standard deviation, and mean. Chi-square test was used for data analysis, with p-value significance at ˂ 0.05. Results: Sociodemographic data revealed no statistically significant difference in the age, education, occupation, and residence of both the control and experimental group. The perineum area's pain intensity after birth showed a statistically significant difference between the intervention and the control groups (p = 0.001). The perineal tear was also significantly different between both groups (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The applied warm compresses on the perineum area positively reduce second and third-degree perineal tear and pain intensity during the second stage of labor and after childbirth. Therefore, midwives and nurses are expected to actively provide effective planned in-service training programs regarding warm compresses' advantages in the second stage of labor and apply this procedure actively.

Assessing the Impact of Obesity on Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes among Saudi Women.

Background: The rising prevalence of obesity has a significant impact on obstetrics practice regarding maternal and perinatal complications includes recurrent miscarriage, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and prolonged labor. Objective: To assess the impact of obesity on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes among Saudi women. Methods: The study was conducted at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Jeddah. Design: A cross-sectional retrospective design. A total number of 186 participants were recruited from July to December 2018 according to eligibility criteria. The data were collected retrospectively by a review of the chart records of the labor and delivery department. Results: The mean (SD) age of participants was 31.94 (5.67) years old; two-thirds were in obesity class I. There was a significant association between obesity and pre-existing thyroid disease and induced hypertension class III. However, episiotomy showed that obesity class III was significantly different from obesity class II. Conclusion: This study concludes obesity affects the outcomes of pregnant Saudi associations between obesity and preeclampsia, perineal tears, and episiotomy variables, and other variables reflect no associations. Recommendations: Further studies are needed to generalize the results. This study endorses the pregnant women start the antenatal follow-up from 1st trimester so, the data will be available on the system for research.

Effectiveness of injecting lower dose subcutaneous sterile water versus saline to relief labor back pain: Randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a lower dose subcutaneous sterile water injection technique versus subcutaneous saline injection, on the relief of low-back pain for women during childbirth, and to explore the lasting effects of pain relief after administration (followed at 15, 30, 45, 90 and 120 minutes). METHODS: A prospective randomized controlled single-blinded study was conducted, with trial registration (NCT02813330). Women received one-time injections (sterile water or saline) and the effectiveness was observed at 15, 30, 45, 90 and 120 minutes after the intervention. RESULTS: The intervention group had statistically significant pain reduction. Assessment of subsequent pain, followed at 30, 45, 90 and 120 minutes, reflected an increasing change with a statistically significant difference. The intervention group had more burning sensations than the control group with a statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: The modified technique of double injections of subcutaneous 'water/ saline' resulted in significant relief of low-back pain during childbirth.

Quality of life of nursing students from nine countries: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing student life is stressful as a result of the work they exert to learn concepts ranging from basic to complicated issues and health concerns for maintaining overall human health. Hence, assessing the quality of life (QOL) of nursing students is important to determine if they have excellent well-being levels as they go through the learning process. OBJECTIVES: This study measured and compared QOL of respondents by country of residence, and identified the QOL predictors of students. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional design. SETTINGS: A multi-country study conducted in Chile, Egypt, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 2012 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire containing demographic characteristic items and the World Health Organization QOL-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to gather data from respondents. RESULTS: The highest overall QOL was recorded in the physical health domain, whereas the lowest was in the social health domain. The perceived highest and lowest QOL dimension varied between countries. Age, country of residence, and monthly family income showed statistically significant multivariate effect on the aspects of QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Considering their stressful lives, the present study underscores the importance of ensuring the highest level of well-being among nursing students. The maintenance of high levels of well-being among nursing students should also be prioritized to maximize their learning and ensure their satisfaction in their student life.