Awareness and Attitude of Physicians on the Role of Dentists in the Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background: Efforts to evaluate physicians’ awareness and attitude toward dentists’ comprehensive role in OSA management are relatively negligible. Therefore, this study aimed to assess physicians’ awareness and attitude toward the role of dentists in OSA management in Saudi Arabia. Methods: In a multi-center cross-sectional study, a total of 358 physicians in Saudi Arabia were subjected to an e-questionnaire composed of three sections: (1) physicians’ demographic data, (2) physicians’ general and specific knowledge of OSA and its management [using 29 factual statements to be responded by “True, False, or I don’t know” responses], and (3) physicians’ attitude towards dentists’ role in OSA management [using 12 attitude statements to be responded by a Likert scale of “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Usually, Always” responses]. A scoring system was applied for both knowledge and attitude, total and percentage mean scores (PMS) were calculated, and knowledge and attitude levels were categorized accordingly. Predictors of correct knowledge and favorable attitude were identified using multiple regression analyses. Results: Physicians had an overall average knowledge level (PMS = 56% ± 19.4%), with 35.5% and 5.9% reporting good general and specific knowledge levels, respectively (χ2 = 143.0, p < 0.001). Physicians had an overall neutral attitude level (PMS = 64.4% ± 17.5%), with about one-half reporting a neutral attitude level (48.9%) and only one-fourth reporting a positive attitude level (27.7%). Higher levels of knowledge were a significant predictor of favorable attitudes (t = 5.71, p < 0.001). Higher training levels were a significant predictor of correct knowledge (t = 3.60, p < 0.001) and favorable attitude (t = 3.15, p = 0.002). Conclusions: Physicians showed insufficient knowledge about OSA and a less than favorable attitude towards dentists’ role in its management. Enhancing medical curricula and clinical protocols and guidelines on the dentists’ role in OSA management is recommended

4. Database of dextrocardiac patients in KFSH & RC: Retrospective analysis of 360 patients over the past 20 years

Clinical research. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Introduction: Dextrocardia is the right-sided positioning of the human heart during embryological development. It may be isolated or associated with visceral dextroposition or malformations. It is usually discovered during infancy because of associated anomalies or incidentally during adulthood. There is limited information on the associated malformations and their clinical outcomes. Methodology: This is a retrospective study that describes patients with dextrocardia at King KFSH & RC. A total of 250,000 echocardiograms since 1990 were reviewed for demographics, associated anomalies, clinical outcomes, and mortality. Results: Three hundred and sixty patients were identified with dextrocardia. Males slightly outnumbered females with a ratio of 193 (53%) to 167 (47%). The majority of subjects (71%) were children and teenagers (2–18 years). Isolated dextrocardia was the most commonly presented type (48%) followed by situs inversus totalis (43%), situs ambiguous (7%), and situs inversus totalis variant with polysplenia or asplenia (2%), respectively. Cyanotic heart defects were present in more than half of the subjects (54%), while acyanotic heart defects accounted for 25%. Non-cardiac anomalies included Scimitar syndrome (8%), polysplenia (7%), and asplenia (4%). Kaplan Meier survival analysis showed highest death rates among patients with cyanotic heart defects in the first 5 years of life (Figure 1). The overall crude mortality rate is 61 per 1000 patients. Conclusion: The most common associated anomalies with dextrocardia are cyanotic heart defects, which also account for the majority of deaths in dextrocardiac patients. Scimitar syndrome was reported to be the most common non-cardiac associated anomaly in this population of interest