Clinical Laboratory with the Cooperation of Pharmacist and Nurses in Delivering Propar Antimicrobial Drugs

One of the most significant factors that is regarded to be contributing to the rise of antimicrobial resistance is the usage of antimicrobials without proper consideration. Pharmacists, nurses, and clinical microbiologists are in a strategic position to encourage the sensible use of antimicrobial medications. Community pharmacies are the primary source of access to antimicrobials. Because of this, it is essential to be aware of the quality of the dispensing service. According to the findings of the evaluation, the quality of antimicrobial dispensing is unsatisfactory, which calls for enhancements in practice as well as diversified ways to encourage the professionals involved in the process to continue their education. In addition, it is necessary to perform awareness initiatives for the general community in order to encourage the responsible utilization of antimicrobials and to decrease the level of microbial resistance

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Sugammadex versus two doses of neostigmine for reversal of rocuronium in gastric sleeve surgery

Background and Aim: The aim of this prospective randomized trial is to compare the quality of reversal of rocuronium with either sugammadex (SUG) versus 2.5 mg or 5 mg neostigmine (NEO). Patients and Methods: A total of 110 patients with body mass index> 40 underwent elective gastric sleeve surgery were enrolled in this study. Exclusion criteria included patients with co-existing muscular and cardiovascular diseases. Patients were randomly allocated to one of the following groups: group A (SUG), Group B (NEO 2.5 mg), and Group C (NEO 5 mg). General anesthesia was induced in the three groups using propofol 2.0 mg/kg of corrected body weight (CBW) and fentanyl 3 mcg/kg of CBW. Anesthesia was maintained with O2/air/desflurane 1 minimum alveolar concentration. Remifentanil infusion started at 0.05–0.2 mcg/kg/min. Tracheal intubation was facilitated with rocuronium 1.2 mg/kg of CBW guided with PNS. When the train of four (TOF) reached zero, intubation was performed using a GlideScope. At the end of surgery, TOF ratio and posttetanic counts were recorded. SUG 2 mg/kg of CBW (Group A), NEO 2.5 mg (Group B), and NEO 5 mg (Group C) were administered according to the random envelope. The time to achieve 90% of TOF was recorded in seconds using a timer. ANOVA for repeated measurements was used for statistical analyses. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was a positive correlation (P < 0.05) between the duration of surgery and the time to reach 90% of TOF in all the three groups. The time to reach 90% TOF was significantly shorter with Group A versus Groups B and C (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Although SUG proved to be faster than NEO 5 mg in attaining TOF> 90%, the recovery pattern of both was similar

Intelligent Assessment of Pavement Condition Indices Using Artificial Neural Networks

The traditional manual approach of pavement condition evaluation is being replaced by more sophisticated automated vehicle systems. Although these automated systems have eased and hastened pavement management processes, research is ongoing to further improve their performances. An average state road agency handles thousands of kilometers of the road network, most of which have multiple lanes. Yet, for practical reasons, these automated systems are designed to evaluate road networks one lane at a time. This requires time, energy, and possibly more equipment and manpower. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) analysis and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) were employed to examine the feasibility of modeling and predicting pavement distresses of multiple lanes as functions of pavement distresses of a single adjacent lane. The successful implementation of this technique has the potential to cut the energy and time requirement at the condition evaluation stage by at least half, for a uniform multi-lane highway. Results showed promising model performances that indicate the possibility of evaluating a multi-lane highway pavement condition (PC) by single lane inspection. Traffic direction parameters, location, and lane matching parameters contributed significantly to the performance of the ANN PC prediction models

Prevalence of sleep disorders among medical students of Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: Sleep disorders are a common medical problem and can affect health and quality of life. There are multiple types of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs/periodic limb movement disorder, circadian rhythm disorders, sleepwalking and nightmares. Medical students appear to be more liable to develop sleep disorders due to their high academic load. Design and Methods: This study seeks to estimate the prevalence of sleep disorders among Umm Al-Qura University medical students and associated risk factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine of Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. A self administrated questionnaire was used to collect the data including socio-demographic data and sleep-50 questionnaire. Four hundred and thirty-eight (438) medical students from the second year to the sixth year were recruited to the study. Results: Three hundred and twenty-three participants (73.8%) complained of at least one sleep disorder. The most prevalent sleep disorder among students was narcolepsy at 226 (51.6%). Female students, second year students and students spending significant time watching television or on smartphones were more affected than others with p values of 0.001, 0.005, and 0.004, respectively. Conclusions: Sleep disorders are common among medical students. It is essential to detect and address them before their condition deteriorates

Healthcare adjustments and concerns: a qualitative study exploring the perspectives of healthcare providers and administrative staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundHealthcare systems have modified their strategies to manage their staff, supplies, and space to deal systematically with the COVID-19 pandemic. This research aimed to explore the nature of hospital adjustments and the concerns of healthcare providers and administrative staff working in Governmental and private hospitals throughout the Qassim Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during the pandemic.MethodsA qualitative phenomenological study using semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 75 purposively selected healthcare providers and administrative staff working at three main hospitals in the Qassim Region, KSA. The maximum variation sampling technique was utilized. Recruitment of participants was continued until data saturation was reached. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically.ResultsFour core themes were identified in this paper: (1) changes in hospital policy and procedures, (2) workforce management, (3) the well-being of the workforce, and (4) apprehensions and expectations of the workforce. The participants showed satisfaction with timely administrative decisions and new policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the psychological health of healthcare professionals was affected more than their physical state. Finally, the providers perceived the emergence of multiple concerns in the coming months.ConclusionAlthough healthcare providers were initially overwhelmed, they gradually accepted new administrative policies. Numerous innovative interventions effectively reduced their physical workload and increased their productivity, but they remained significantly affected by a wide range of psychological disorders, with a high prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder. There were some concerns about the new SARS-CoV-2 variant, but the majority were optimistic