REVIEW ABOUT RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS: PREPARATION, RADIOACTIVITY, AND APPLICATIONS

In the recent few decades, there was a growth in the field of radioactive medicinal agents called radiopharmaceuticals. Radiopharmaceuticals are consisting of radioactive materials called radioisotopes. Radiopharmaceuticals were recently used in both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. More than 100 radioactive substances are used in nuclear medicine. According to the decay of radioactive substances, there are three types of radioactive decays, alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma radiations. Alpha particles consist of two protons and two neutrons with large mass and charge so it has no penetration power into the skin and has a destructive effect. Beta particles have less charge and less mass so, they can penetrate the tissue and have a less destructive effect than alpha particles and can be used in therapy. Gamma radiations have no mass or charge so they can penetrate the deep tissue of organs so used in diagnosis by imaging using a gamma camera. The radiopharmaceuticals were established in the diagnostic purpose and treatment of several diseases as thyroid gland cancer, hyperthyroidism, bone pain metastasis, kidney dysfunction, and myocardial and cerebral perfusion. The radioactive substance can also be used in the sterilization of thermo-labile substances as syringes, catheters, vitamins, hormones, and surgical dressing. The field of nuclear medicine has several advantages as localization of tumors, safe diagnosis, no accumulation of radiation, and high therapeutic efficacy. Nowadays, the branch of nuclear pharmacy is directed to introduce new radioactive pharmaceutical agents which will be important and effective in the treatment of cancer. The growth in the field of radiopharmaceuticals is important to help millions of patients suffering from tumors all over the world. The data of this review were collected by searching in Google Scholar and PubMed using the following keywords

Challenges and Opportunities in Community Nursing

Community health nursing is a comprehensive, holistic specialty. It is one of the ways through which the Health Department provides health care. Community health nursing not only focuses on the individual\u27s health needs, but the health of the collective population. By working with whole communities and the health care system, a community health nurse can greatly influence the health of a population. Community health nursing offers the nurse a unique opportunity to be involved with a changing area of health care. It is a rapidly evolving field. It is challenging, dynamic, and extremely rewarding. Because of changes in the health care system, shifts in disease patterns, a globalized world, and health disparities between populations, the role of the community nurse is more important than ever. As with any area of nursing, there are and will continue to be many challenges in this field. However, these challenges come with many opportunities. In the proceeding paper we will explore numerous facets of community health nursing, in addition to the aforementioned challenges and opportunities. We will begin with the history of community health nursing and how it came to be. We will also look at the definition of community, and the evolving roles of the community nurse. Then we will explore the various theoretical concepts common to the practice, including the social determinants of health, health promotion, and the epidemiological approach. Finally, we will focus on certain global issues in community health nursing, and the role of the WHO in the community

Impact of Sickle Cell Anemia on children growth and clinical parameters in Al-Ahsa region of Saudi Arabia

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a single gene mutation, leading to sickle-shaped red blood cells, causing many clinical complications. Resulting complications may affect the growth of the SCD patients that is a strong measure of severity of disease and helps in disease management strategies in any area.  Eastern province of Saudi Arabia has one of the highest SCD incidences. Nevertheless, no studies have been previously carried out of about clinical outcome of SCD in Al-Ahsa area of eastern province. Therefore, this study was conducted to find out the impact of SCD children at king Abdulaziz Hospital Al-Ahsa.Methods: All pediatric SCD patients were included in the study. Patient data was taken from hospital information system and analyzed using SPSS version 27.Results: A total of 53 patients were studied. The male to female ratio was 1.4:1 and mean age was 3.3 years (range: 1-9). Eighteen (34%) did not present with sickle cell crisis possibly due to ameliorating effects of high HbF and G6PD deficiency. Although growth parameters of SCD patients were not statistically different from international standards, there was significant difference between weight of SCD patients in recurrent sickle cell crisis group and non-crisis sickle cell (NC-SC) group at diagnosis and after clinical interventions (p= 0.04 and 0.03, respectively) that included hydroxyurea. The corrected reticulocyte (at diagnosis and after clinical intervention) and WBC counts were statistically significant between hydroxyurea and non-hydroxyurea groups (p-value < 0.05).Conclusions: Overall, one-third of SCD patients in Al-Ahsa region have mild disease and hydroxyurea can minimize the SCD severity through lowering corrected reticulocyte and WBC counts. Exact mechanisms of mild SCD and hydroxyurea in minimizing disease severity are needed to be elucidated.    Keywords: Salinity; Livelihood; Productivity; Farming experience; Farm size

The Main and Most Important Radiological Role in the Future of the Healthcare Management: A Systematic Theoretical Review

This study aimed at exploring the main and most important Radiological role in the future of the healthcare management through a systematic theoretical review.  As radiology plays the key role of jumping in to investigate dis­ease diagnosing, staging, monitoring and following it over time and offering expertise and consultation on disease states. And highlighting that this discipline is now in a stage of profound metamorphosis through out of building the value of radiology and the radiologist, to empower radiologists to be larger contributors to care teams. The study concluded that the current radiology model, though useful in many respects, needs to adapt to changing economic incentives and in one way or another align itself with those of the clinicians radiologists serve.

Melasma and Associated Factors in Arar City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Melasma is a common dermatological disorder characterized by irregular brownish patches with unclear etiology and a variety of factors may be associated with its occurrence. Melasma patients suffer significant emotional and psychological problems making assessment of their quality of life is increasingly necessary. Aim of the study: This study was conducted to identify the frequency and factors associated with occurrence of Melasma in in Arar, KSA and its effect on some determinant of quality of life in the affected patients. Subjects and methods: A population based cross sectional study was conducted from January 2016 to January 2017. It included 470 individuals attended five randomly selected primary healthcare centers in Arar city in the Northern Province of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and were selected by systemic random sampling. Data were collected by means of personal interview with the sampled population using a predesigned questionnaire. Results: Findings revealed that18.7 % of the studied population suffered from Melasma. Age and positive family history were significantly associated with the development of Melasma among the studied patients while gender, skin color, sun exposure and cosmetic use had no significant effect. Most of the studied determinants of quality of life were not affected by suffering from Melasma while lack of self-confidence was significantly associated with the presence of Melasma. Conclusion: less than on fifth (18.7%) of the studied patients suffered from Melasma. Age and positive family history are the most common associations. Melasma had a significant impact on self-confidence of the affected patients.Keywords: Melasma, risk factor, quality of life

The Effects of Stress on Surgeons and Surgical Performance: An Analytical Study

This study aimed at exploring the effects of stress on surgeons and surgical performance, as the researchers adopted the methodology of descriptive analytical statistics by conducting a semi structured interviews on fourteen surgeons in Jordan. The aim of this study also was to investigate surgeons’ perceptions of surgical stress, highlight key stressors and their impact on performance, and identify coping strategies. Stress poses a serious risk for training surgeons since their performance and well‐being in reflected in patients' health. This study focuses on measuring the stress on surgeons and at the same time evaluates prospectively the results of practices that uses alternative techniques to combat the effects of stress. The study concluded that these interviews provided valuable insights into stressors, stress responses, and coping strategies used by surgeons and allowed us to categorize sources of stress. Although surgeons characteristically enjoy the stimulating features of their work, high levels of stress can affect performance adversely

Portal Vein Thrombosis in a Patient with Type 1 Diabetes Presenting as Acute Pyelonephritis

Background: Few cases have been reported with respect to portal vein thrombosis in non-cirrhotic patients. Asymptomatic or non-specific symptoms of portal vein thrombosis may lead to misdiagnosis or may delay the diagnosis until complications develop. We report a case of portal vein thrombosis in a patient with type 1 diabetes presenting as acute pyelonephritis. Case description: An 18-year-old female with type 1 diabetes on an insulin pump presented with epigastric abdominal pain for 3 days associated with nausea and vomiting. She was a conscious, alert, young female who appeared to be in pain. Vital signs were stable with a random blood sugar (RBS) level of 179 mg/dl. Abdominal examination revealed a soft and lax abdomen with tenderness in the epigastric area and right renal angle, as well as no sign of rigidity or rebound tenderness. No signs of ascites, splenomegaly or hepatomegaly were noted. Investigations showed a WBC count of 10.2, neutrophils at 65%, urine microsopy analysis revealed WBCs between 30–50 per high power field, with culture showing >105 CFU/ml. All parameters of a thrombophilic screen were within normal values. Computed tomography (CT) revealed reduced enhancement of the right kidney, likely indicating acute pyelonephritis, and left portal vein oedema with complete occlusion. Local factors and prothrombotic disorders were ruled out. The patient was managed with ciprofloxacin, enoxaparin and warfarin. Follow-up imaging revealed complete resolution of thrombosis. Conclusions:Portal vein thrombosis is an uncommon condition in the absence of liver disease. Few case reports exhibit sepsis and portal vein thrombosis. Sepsis can create a predisposed environment for hypercoagulability. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of pyelonephritis with portal vein thrombosis

Pharmacist, Nurses and Physiotherapist and their Roles in Management of Osteoarthritis

Providing evidence-based therapy for older persons with Osteoarthritis (OA) through primary care physiotherapists and pharmacists led to immediate enhancements in health outcomes, decreased reliance on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, and high levels of patient satisfaction. Physiotherapy appeared to result in a change in consultation behavior, moving away from the conventional paradigm of treatment headed by general practitioners. Physiotherapists in community settings are well-positioned to provide a comprehensive care plan that integrates self-help advice into an exercise-focused treatment program. They can also help transfer the responsibility of managing chronic musculoskeletal issues from general practitioners. In addition, community pharmacists have been associated with a novel responsibility as "supplementary prescribers." This enables them to evaluate and, if needed, prescribe specific medications as part of a mutually agreed clinical management plan for patients whose condition has been evaluated by an independent prescriber, such as a general practitioner. Studies have demonstrated that interventions conducted by pharmacists and nurses have a positive impact on prescribing practices. These interventions help to decrease the occurrence of adverse drug responses, enhance the appropriateness of drug use, lower drug expenses, and improve patient compliance across various medical conditions

Risk and diagnostic factors and therapy outcome of neonatal early onset sepsis in ICU patients of Saudi Arabia: a systematic review and meta analysis

BackgroundNeonatal early onset sepsis (NEOS) is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition affecting newborns within the first few days of life. While the diagnosis of NEOS was based on clinical signs and symptoms in the past, recent years have seen growing interest in identifying specific diagnostic factors and optimizing therapy outcomes. This study aims to investigate the diagnostic and risk factors and therapy outcomes of neonatal EOS in ICU patients in Saudi Arabia, with the goal of improving the management of neonatal EOS in the country.MethodsThis method outlines the protocol development, search strategy, study selection, and data collection process for a systematic review on neonatal early onset sepsis in Saudi Arabian ICU patients, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) is a well-established guideline that provides a framework for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in a transparent and standardized manner. It aims to improve the quality and reporting of such research by ensuring clear and comprehensive reporting of study methods, results, and interpretations. The search strategy included electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library) and manual search of relevant studies, and data were extracted using a standardized form.ResultsThe systematic review included 21 studies on neonatal sepsis in Saudi Arabia, with varying study designs, sample sizes, and prevalence rates of sepsis. Group B streptococcus and E. coli were the most commonly isolated pathogens. Various diagnostic factors and risk factors were reported, including hematological parameters, biomarkers, and blood cultures. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Joanna Briggs Institute critical checklist.ConclusionsThe review identified a number of risk and diagnostic factors and therapy outcomes for neonatal sepsis. However, most of the studies were having small scale cohort groups. Further research with controlled study designs is needed to develop effective prevention and management strategies for neonatal sepsis in Saudi Arabia

COMMUNICATING EMOTIONS USING CLOTH COLORS, BODY POSES, AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ON STATIC VIRTUAL CHARACTERS

The aim of this study is to determine factors that influence people’s perceptions toward perceived emotion of virtual characters. In the experiment, two characters (male and female) were design in three different cases. The first case is in the facial expression (happy, sad and neutral). The second case is on the cloth color (positive, negative, and calm). The third case is in the body positions (happy, sad, and neutral pose). An online survey was developed after combining all variations of facial expression, body expression, and color of cloth with 54 images to evaluate the factors. The survey webpage link was sent via email to 100 graduate and undergraduate students, and workers at SIUC. A total of 30 students participate (18 females, 12 males), ages from 19-42 years in this study for a 30% response rate. Using ANOVA from SPSS, it was found that all the four factors (character gender, face motion, body emotion, and cloth color) are statistically significant predictors of peoples\u27 perception toward the virtual characters. However, the body motion factor was the strongest predictor from the three predictors