Impact of An Educational Session about Foot Reflexology on Nursing Students’ Knowledge and Attitude: A Quasi Experimental Study

Introduction: Reflexology is a part of alternative medicine. Researches done around the world indicate the physiological and psychological positive benefits of foot reflexology. There are no courses about foot reflexology in nursing colleges and there are no researches done in Saudi Arabia about awareness of foot reflexology. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of foot reflexology awareness session on nursing students’ knowledge and attitude.Method: A quasi-experimental design was used to collect the data from a convenience sample of 41 female senior nursing students in king Saud bin Abdul-Aziz university for health science in Riyadh city. Two tools were developed to collect the data: knowledge assessment and opinion regarding foot reflexology questionnaire and evaluation sheet for the educational session. The educational session conducted in 40 minutes. Validity and reliability the questionnaire were ensured.Results: Forty-one students were included (30 level 7 and 11 level8). Mean age was 21.61 (±, 703) years and the majority of the student 68.3% did not hear about foot reflexology. There were significant differences regarding all topics included in the knowledge assessment tool (p=. 000). The mean and standard Deviation of overall knowledge in post-tests result (51.66±2.19) was higher compared to pre-test result (46.88±4.48). Regarding students' opinion of foot reflexology, the result revealed that 58.5% on a pre-test of nursing students agreed that therapeutic touch is an integral part of nursing profession whereas 92.7% agreed on post-test. Majority of the participants 63.4% believe in the effect of foot reflexology on the pre-test and 85.4%on post-test.Discussion and Conclusion: This study revealed that knowledge level in the post-session was high and better than in pre-session. Also, it showed that the participants’ attitude toward foot reflexology changed after the session. Keywords: Foot Reflexology, Awareness Session, Knowledge Level and Attitud

Preparatory Year Students’ Perception of Pharmacy Profession as a Career Choice: A Cross-Sectional Study

The study attempted to assess preparatory year students’ perception towards pharmacists and the pharmacy profession. This cross-sectional survey was conducted between December 2019 and March 2020. The students were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire via Google Forms®. In total, 244 students, of which 53.7% were female with the mean age of 19.2 ± 0.65, from 12 universities participated in this study. As per our findings, the majority of the respondents (91.8%) regard pharmacy as a well-respected profession, 82.4% thought pharmacists are important decision-makers, 68.4% disagreed that most pharmacists were unkind, and 60.7% did not agree that pharmacy was a low-status occupation. Meanwhile, 95.5% agreed that pharmacists must have a university degree, 88.6% agreed pharmacists must take responsibility for patients, and 82.8% believed pharmacists had to work too hard. Moreover, 62.3% did not think pharmacy was a low-skill occupation, 54.9% did not agree pharmacists must do unpleasant things, and 45.1% disagreed pharmacists only did what physicians requested of them. Lastly, 48.8% had low confidence in choosing pharmacy as a career. The students’ overall perception toward pharmacists and the pharmacy profession was favorable. However, only one-fourth of the students displayed a tendency to choose pharmacy as a future career

Perioperative lumbar drain utilization in transsphenoidal pituitary resection

ObjectiveTo evaluate lumbar drain (LD) efficacy in transnasal resection of pituitary macroadenomas in preventing postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, technique safety, and effect on length of hospital stay.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective data review of pituitary tumor patients in our institution who underwent surgery between December 2006 and January 2013. All patients were operated on for complete surgical resection of pituitary macroadenoma tumors. Patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 received a preoperative drain, while LD was not preoperatively inserted in group 2. In cases of tumors with suprasellar extension with anticipation of high-flow leak, LD was inserted after the patient was intubated and in a lateral position. Lumbar drain was used for 48 hours, and the drain was removed if no leak was observed postoperatively. In documented postoperative CSF leak patients with no preoperative drain, the leak was treated by LD trial prior to surgical reconstruction. Cases in which leak occurred 6 months postoperatively were excluded.ResultsOur study population consisted of 186 patients, 99 women (53%) and 87 men (47%), with a mean age of 50.3+/-16.1 years. Complications occurred in 7 patients (13.7%) in group 1 versus 21 (15.5%) in group 2 (p=0.72). Postoperative CSF leak was observed in 1 patient (1.9%) in group 1 and 7 (5%) in group 2 (Fisher exact test=0.3). Length of hospital stay was a mean of 4.7+/-1.9 days in group 1 and a mean of 2.7+/-2.4 days in group 2 (p<001). The most common reason to extend hospital stay was management of diabetes insipidus.ConclusionAlthough LD insertion is generally considered safe with a low risk of complications, it increases the length of hospitalization. Minor complications include headaches and patient discomfort

Integrating Blockchain with Artificial Intelligence to Secure IoT Networks: Future Trends

Recently, the Internet of Things (IoT) has gained tremendous popularity in several realms such as smart cities, healthcare, industrial automation, etc. IoT networks are increasing rapidly, containing heterogeneous devices that offer easy and user-friendly services via the internet. With the big shift to IoT technology, the security of IoT networks has become a primary concern, especially with the lack of intrinsic security mechanisms regarding the limited capabilities of IoT devices. Therefore, many studies have been interested in enhancing the security of IoT networks. IoT networks need a scalable, decentralized, and adaptive defense system. Although the area of development provides advanced security solutions using AI and Blockchain, there is no systematic and comprehensive study talking about the convergence between AI and Blockchain to secure IoT networks. In this paper, we focus on reviewing and comparing recent studies that have been proposed for detecting cybersecurity attacks in IoT environments. This paper address three research questions and highlights the research gaps and future directions. This paper aims to increase the knowledge base for enhancing IoT security, recommend future research, and suggest directions for future research

Perioperative lumbar drain utilization in transsphenoidal pituitary resection.

ObjectiveTo evaluate lumbar drain (LD) efficacy in transnasal resection of pituitary macroadenomas in preventing postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, technique safety, and effect on length of hospital stay.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective data review of pituitary tumor patients in our institution who underwent surgery between December 2006 and January 2013. All patients were operated on for complete surgical resection of pituitary macroadenoma tumors. Patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 received a preoperative drain, while LD was not preoperatively inserted in group 2. In cases of tumors with suprasellar extension with anticipation of high-flow leak, LD was inserted after the patient was intubated and in a lateral position. Lumbar drain was used for 48 hours, and the drain was removed if no leak was observed postoperatively. In documented postoperative CSF leak patients with no preoperative drain, the leak was treated by LD trial prior to surgical reconstruction. Cases in which leak occurred 6 months postoperatively were excluded.ResultsOur study population consisted of 186 patients, 99 women (53%) and 87 men (47%), with a mean age of 50.3+/-16.1 years. Complications occurred in 7 patients (13.7%) in group 1 versus 21 (15.5%) in group 2 (p=0.72). Postoperative CSF leak was observed in 1 patient (1.9%) in group 1 and 7 (5%) in group 2 (Fisher exact test=0.3). Length of hospital stay was a mean of 4.7+/-1.9 days in group 1 and a mean of 2.7+/-2.4 days in group 2 (p<001). The most common reason to extend hospital stay was management of diabetes insipidus.ConclusionAlthough LD insertion is generally considered safe with a low risk of complications, it increases the length of hospitalization. Minor complications include headaches and patient discomfort

Assessment of macular pigment optical density in Arab population and its relationship to people’s anthropometric data: a cross-sectional study

Background: Anthropometry facilitates the evaluation of risks associated with reduced macular pigment optical density (MPOD). Objectives: To investigate the predictors and anthropometric indices associated with MPOD in healthy adult in Arab population. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Methods: The MPOD was measured at 0.5° from fovea using a heterochromatic flicker photometer. Healthy participants aged between 20 and 40 years were recruited. The study evaluated the following data of the participants: height, weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, basal metabolic rate, visceral fat level, muscle mass, bone mineral content, and percentage of protein and body water. The correlation between MPOD with anthropometrics and demographic data was evaluated using Spearman’s correlation test. The differences among genders were investigated using the Mann–Whitney U test. The smoking effect on MPOD was analyzed using the Friedman test. Results: In all, 143 participants were recruited. The median ± interquartile range was calculated for age (23 ± 4 years), visual acuity (0.00 ± 0.00 logMAR), and MPOD (0.41 ± 0.18). The average MPOD was higher in males than in females but it was not statistically significant ( p  > 0.05); on the other hand, they were statistically significantly different in most of the anthropometric data. A significant relationship was found between MPOD and percentage of body fat, protein, and body water ( r  = 0.30, p  < 0.05). The observed median MPOD value was higher in this study than that found in previous studies in white populations, but lower than that found in studies investigating Asian populations. Conclusion: One of the most important risk factors of age-related macular degeneration is associated with a relative absence of macular pigment. This study brought into focus percentage of protein and body water for further studies as well as the well-established links with body fat and obesity. Unknown predictors of MPOD remain uncovered. The study also provided first report on normative values of MPOD for Arab population and confirmed the differences from other ethnicities

Vesicoureteral Reflux and Renal Scarring in Infants after the First Febrile Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in children. It is caused by bacteria and can lead to complications such as renal scarring in cases of late diagnosis and a lack of early treatment. Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) occurs when urine flows from the bladder to the ureter and kidney, and is more common in children with UTI. VUR predisposes patients to pyelonephritis and can cause renal scarring. This retrospective study aimed to determine whether VUR was associated with the evolution to renal scarring in 132 infants aged 9 days to 24 months admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the first episode of febrile UTI (mean age = 4.48 months [standard deviation = 5.48]; 82 [62.1%] males; 50 [37.9%] females). Data from their medical records were investigated[INLINE:1]for VUR and renal scarring. The VUR was related to renal scarring (P = 0.001). C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly higher in patients with VUR (P = 0.027) and renal scars (P = 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between VUR and renal scarring with the first UTI (P = 0.001). In conclusion, our study revealed a significant association of CRP with renal scarring (P = 0.05) and VUR and (P = 0.027)

Efficacy of curcumin for recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a systematic review

Background Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common ulcerative lesion of the oral mucosa. The management of RAS is quite challenging with no definitive cure. Objective The present systematic review aimed to summarize the available evidence regarding the efficacy of curcumin in the management of RAS. Methods PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched in June 2020 for all relevant studies. Clinical trials that assessed the efficacy of curcumin for the management of RAS were included. The primary outcomes were pain and/or clinical improvement. Results Eight studies involving 439 subjects were included. The efficacy of curcumin was compared with 1% triamcinolone in four studies, glycerin vehicle in one study, placebo in one study, and honey in one study. Overall, the included studies reported a good efficacy of curcumin in reducing pain and ulcers size in patients with RAS. Four studies found curcumin as effective as triamcinolone in relieving signs and symptoms of RAS. Three studies reported superior results with curcumin as compared with control groups. Conclusion The limited available evidence suggests that curcumin have potential benefits in alleviating pain and accelerating healing in patients with RAS. Further well-designed clinical trials with standardized curcumin formulations are highly recommended

Drug shortages in Saudi Arabia: Root causes and recommendations

Drug shortages are a multifaceted problem that has been recurring in Saudi Arabia over the past decade with its significant negative impact on patient care. However, there is a dearth of evidence about possible domestic reasons, if any, behind this recurring problem. Recently, the Pharmacy Education Unit at King Saud University College of Pharmacy has called for a meeting with multiple stakeholders from academia, pharmaceutical care, pharmaceutical industry, purchasing and planning, and regulatory bodies to unveil the root domestic causes of the drug shortages in the Kingdom. Four major topics were used to guide the discussion in this meeting, including: current situation of drug shortages in Saudi Arabia, major factors contributing to drug shortages, challenges and obstacles to improve drug supply, and stakeholders’ recommendations to manage drug shortages. The meeting was audio-recorded and transcribed into verbatim by five authors. The text was then reviewed and analyzed to identify different themes by the first and third authors. Multiple causes were identified and several recommendations were proposed. The main domestic causes of drug shortages that were explored in this study included poor medication supply chain management, lack of government regulation that mandates early notification of drug shortages, a government procurement policy that does not keep pace with the changes in the pharmaceutical market, low profit margins of some essential drugs, weak and ineffective law-violation penalties against pharmaceutical companies and licensed drug importers and distributors, and overdependence on drug imports. The participants have also proposed multiple recommendations to address drug shortages. Policy makers should consider these factors that contribute to drug shortages in Saudi Arabia as well as the recommendations when designing future initiatives and interventions to prevent drug shortages. Keywords: Shortage, Drugs, Patient safet