Saudi Med J
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To investigate pathology awareness in patients applying to a pathology laboratory. Method: This cross-sectional study included 150 patients and patients' relatives. A questionnaire, prepared by the researchers according to the literature, was administered at the Pathology Laboratory, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey on May 2018. ⋯ Of the participants, 79 (52.7%) were female and 71 (47.3%) were male. The mean age was 39.56±14.16 years old. Ninety-eight (65.3%) of them thought that patients do not have right to choose their pathologist. Of the participants, 24 (16%) did not know that the medical school had to be completed in order to become a pathologist and 73 (48.7%) of them did not know that 4 years postgraduate training was required. Fifty-nine (39.3%) of the participants did not know the pathologists were a medical doctor. While 89 participants (59.4%) had no idea what "frozen section" means, 66 people (44%) did not know that the pathologist uses microscope and 64 (42.7%) of them thought that all diseases could be diagnosed 100% by pathological examination. Forty-six (30.7%) of the participants thought that all specimens are not needed to be examined. Conclusion: The knowledge and awareness of the participants about the pathology discipline came out to be inadequate.
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To highlight and compare spectrum of hysterosalpingography (HSG) findings in primary and secondary infertility patients. Methods: This retrospective record-based cross-sectional study was performed in the Radiology Department, King Fahad Military Medical City, Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between August 2016 and 2018. All patients (N=303) who underwent successful HSGs were included, and grouped under primary and secondary infertility cases. Patients with failed, limited or incomplete studies were excluded. ⋯ Chi-square test was used to determine any association of HSG findings with type of infertility, and p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 303 patients, 166 patients (54.8%) had primary infertility while the rest had secondary infertility. Abnormal studies were found in less than one-third of patients (n=93, 30.7%). Primary infertility patients exhibited more congenital (C) malformations, while surgery (S) was seen more in secondary infertility patients (p=0.01). Conclusion: Congenital malformations are commonly found abnormalities on HSGs in primary infertility patients, while surgery related findings are seen in secondary infertility cases.
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To investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in burn patients. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study eliciting the risk factors in burn patients who developed thromboembolism. The study took place at the Adult Burn Unit, King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Charts of all patients admitted to the burn unit from January 2010 to December 2016 were reviewed. ⋯ All patients who developed VTE received prophylactic anticoagulation. Age, gender, body mass index, and degree of burn were not risk factors for VTE. However, electric burns were found to be an independent significant risk factor for developing VTE using a multivariate logistic regression. Conclusion: Electric burns were found to be the only independent significant risk factor of developing VTE.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of the efficacy of ShotBlocker and cold spray in reducing intramuscular injection-related pain in adults. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial.
To compare the efficacy of ShotBlocker and cold spray in reducing intramuscular (IM) injection-related pain in adults. Methos: A prospective, randomized, controlled study carried out between January 2018 and March 2018 at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. Adult patients receiving IM injection of diclofenac sodium (75 mg/3 ml) were included. The patients were randomized into 3 groups: ShotBlocker, cold spray, and control. ⋯ Visual analog scale scores of the patients were statistically analyzed. Results: Visual analog scale scores were lower in the ShotBlocker (11 mm) and cold spray (10 mm) groups than in the control group (31 mm) (p=0.001). There were no significant differences in VAS scores between the ShotBlocker and cold spray groups. The operators' responses revealed that ShotBlocker was more difficult to administer than cold spray. Conclusion: ShotBlocker is an effective non-pharmacological method that reduces IM injection-related pain and is similar in efficacy, to cold spray.
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Case Reports
Pancreatic tuberculosis in immunocompetent patients. At the University Hospital in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
To raise awareness of practitioners on benign treatable conditions such as pancreatic tuberculosis (TB). Methods: A retrospective study at King Khaled University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia of all patient charts presented with pancreatic mass for a period of 10 years (2007-2017) with a study duration of 4 years between 2013 and 2017. Patients with confirmed diagnosis of pancreatic cancer were excluded. A written ethical approval was obtained accordingly. Results: All adult patient charts were retrospectively reviewed with a pancreatic mass for a period of 10 years (2007-2017). ⋯ All patients were immunocompetent and screened for human immunodeficiency viruses before starting anti-TB treatment. Results were negative. All patients who underwent fine needle aspiration (FNA) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for suspicious pancreatic mass were provided trial of antibiotics as cases of pancreatic tuberculosis showed dramatic improvement during follow up and cured from the disease. Conclusion: The EUS and FNA are good tools to confirm malignancy and rule out benign treatable conditions like TB for any patient with a pancreatic mass suspicious for carcinoma.