Effect of Abdominal Massage on Gastrointestinal Complications and Intra-Abdominal Pressure of Critical-Enteral-Feed Patients: A Randomized Control Trial

Background: critically ill patient need a nursing practice that can enhance him to get all benefits of enteral feeding and overlapping the GI complications and maintain the intra-abdominal pressure.Objective: This work aimed to explore the effect of abdominal massage on gastrointestinal complications and intra-abdominal pressure of critical- enteral-feed patients.  Methods: A randomized controlled trial was applied on 74 eligibly enteral-fed patients at Trauma and General ICUs. Of these, the trail was completed on sixty patients who distributed randomly to equal intervention and control groups. The manipulation was two times for 15mins of abdominal massage for five days. The effect was measured on enteral feeding complications (GRV, abdominal circumference and distention, vomiting) and intra-abdominal pressure as compared with control group who didn't receive the massage.Results: the GRV difference between the massage group and control group subjects was statistically significant (P<0.001) in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th days indicating higher GRV among control group. The abdominal circumference between the five days was not significantly in the two groups. The difference between the two groups in relation to the distension was statistically significant (p < 0.05) in day 3, 4 and5. None of intervention patients were vomited along the study period (5days) in compared to 5% of control patients without statistical significant. Conclusions: The abdominal massage was significantly effective in lowering GRV, preventing distension and avoiding vomiting. Besides, the abdominal massage maintained the IAP without any statistical significant support. Therefore, it is recommended that this practice can be applied as a caring procedure in the daily ICU care program. Keywords: abdominal massage, gastrointestinal complications, intra-abdominal pressure, enteral-fed patients DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/64-05 Publication date:July 31st 201

Dietary Practices and Barriers to Adherence to Healthy Eating among King Faisal University Students

Proper dietary practices should be developed during the student years that will continue into the future. This study aimed to identify the eating habits and dietary practices among King Faisal University (KFU) students, explore the barriers to adherence to healthy eating, associate the understanding of healthy diets with students’ characteristics, and determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and awareness of the concept of healthy diets, academic discipline, and enrollment in a nutrition course. In this cross-sectional study, students were selected randomly and a questionnaire was distributed using an electronic platform through KFU email. Out of 564 students, nearly half (45.7%) reported eating snacks as their main food, and some (38.3%) reported eating with their family twice daily. The students rarely reported eating with friends (73%) or eating dates (48.8%). Furthermore, many reported that they were not consuming a balanced diet (42.6%). Some students (46.3%) reported taking breakfast daily, and 49.1% reported eating meals regularly. There was low consumption of vegetables (29.3%) and fruits (26.2%) among the students. The barriers to adherence to healthy eating were the availability of fast food (73.2%), high cost of healthy food (72.7%), limited time (59%), and laziness (57.1%). Statistically significant data indicated that the students with a normal BMI were more aware of the concept of healthy diets, studied medical and applied sciences, and were enrolled in KFU nutrition courses

Assessment of Knowledge, Practice and Attitude about Biomedical Waste Management among Healthcare Professionals during COVID-19 Crises in Al-Ahsa

Biomedical waste (BMW) management is an essential practice of healthcare professionals (HCPs) for preventing health and also environmental hazards. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic, posing significant challenges for healthcare sectors. A cross-sectional study was performed to assess the knowledge, practice, and attitude on BMW management among HCPs when taking care of patients with COVID-19 and associated with demographic variables. From Al-Ahsa healthcare sectors, 256 HCPs were selected randomly, of which 105 (41%) had excellent knowledge, 87 (34%) had good knowledge, and 64 (25%) had poor knowledge with a mean score of 13.1 ± 3.6. A higher mean score was (14.4 ± 3.2) obtained by physicians, and (13.6 ± 3.8) nurses than the other HCPs. Regarding practice, 72 (28.1%) HCPs used and discarded PPE while handling biomedical wastes. Additionally, 88 (34.4%) followed proper hand hygiene before and after each procedure and whenever needed. Physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists had a more favorable attitude than other HCPs. There was a statistically significant association found among knowledge level and educational qualification (p < 0.0001), gender (p < 0.001), and work experience (p < 0.05). Emphasis is needed to train all HCPs regarding proper BMW management during this pandemic to prevent infection transmission