Amygdala and subregion volume are associated with photoperiod and seasonal depressive symptoms : A cross sectional study in the UK Biobank cohort

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource. This work was supported by the Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre with financial support from the Roland Sutton Academic Trust (RSAT-0039/R/16) and Jazan University and Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Radiation Dose Assessment for Nuclear Medicine Workers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Nuclear medicine (NM) is an essential radiology department in healthcare facilities. In NM procedures, radioactive isotopes are administered intravenously or orally to assess the molecular, metabolic, physiologic, anatomical and pathologic states of the body for diagnostic therapy and research applications. The personal radiation dose data of 269 NM technologists and 132 nurses, all with annual dose records, from 2016 to 2021 are collected in four major medical centres. Personal radiation doses in NM departments are monitored on a quarterly basis using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). The TLDs used have an approximate tissue equivalence of 8.14 and a density of around 2.64 g cm3. TLDs are read using WinREMS software and a Harshaw 6600 plus reader. In this study, only Hp (10), which estimates the effective dose, is included in the analysis. The result showed that the NMTs and nurses’ overall mean effective dose during the study period were 1.06±0.60 mSv (0.063.26 mSv) and 0.92±0.70 mSv (0.015.52 mSv), respectively. The result of our study found lower values of annual mean effective doses compared to previous studies conducted in Saudi Arabia. The mean effective dose among both workers were below the permissible dose limits, which suggest a safe work environment in term of radiation protection practices

Knowledge and Factors Associated with Breast Cancer Self-Screening Intention among Saudi Female College Students: Utilization of the Health Belief Model

Breast cancer (BC) screening is vital, as it is linked to a greater likelihood of survival, more effective treatment, and better quality of life. One of the most extensively applied models for conceptualizing probable barriers and facilitators to the adoption of desired health behavior is the health belief model (HBM). This study aimed to assess the impact of health perception and knowledge on breast self-examination intention (BSE) using HBM. HBM measures specific factors (perceived susceptibility, severity, barriers, benefits, cues to action, and self-efficacy) that impact one’s intention to use BSE. Data were collected from female undergraduate students (n = 680) using a cross-sectional design, stratified simple random sampling, and a self-administered structured online questionnaire. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate our assumptions for students who intended to self-examine for BC. For demographic factors, we modified the multivariate model. Most respondents (93%) were under the age of 24 years. Female students from health colleges (48.5%), in their fourth academic year (42.6%), and from the southern region (57.6%) accounted for the majority of the sample. Respondents with a family history of BC were 9.7% of the total. Categories for age, college, region, residency, and BSE intention showed significant differences in their average knowledge scores. The survey revealed that 72.4% were aware of abnormal breast changes. Three constructs of the health belief model (perceived benefit, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy) are good predictors of BSE intention. Theory-based behavioral change interventions are urgently required for students to improve their prevention practices. Furthermore, these interventions will be effective if they are designed to remove barriers to BSE intention, improve female students’ self-efficacy, and enlighten them on the benefits of self-examination

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Imaging Case Volumes in Aseer Region: A Retrospective Study

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on global health systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate how imaging volumes and imaging types in radiology departments have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across different locations. Methods: Imaging volumes in the Aseer region (in the south of Saudi Arabia) across main hospitals were reviewed retrospectively including all cases referred from different locations (outpatient, inpatient and emergency departments). Data for years 2019 and 2020 were compared. The mean monthly cases were compared using a t-test. Results: The total imaging volumes in 2019 were 205,805 compared to 159,107 in 2020 with a 22.7% overall reduction. A substantial decline was observed in both the April to June and the July to September periods of approximately 42.9% and 44.4%, respectively. With respect to location, between April and June, the greatest decline was observed in outpatient departments (76% decline), followed by emergency departments (25% decline), and the least impact was observed in inpatient departments, with only 6.8% decline over the same period. According to modality type, the greatest decreases were reported in nuclear medicine, ultrasound, MRI, and mammography, by 100%, 76%, 74%, and 66%, respectively. Our results show a statistically significant (p-value ≤ 0.05) decrease of cases in 2020 compared to 2019, except for mammography procedures. Conclusion: There has been a significant decline in radiology volumes due to COVID-19. The overall reduction in radiology volumes was dependent on the stage/period of lockdown, location, and imaging modality

Evaluation of Ultrasound Accuracy in Acute Appendicitis Diagnosis

Acute appendicitis it a quite common abdominal disorder and considered as a difficult diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis is essential to prevent any complication from delayed surgical intervention. Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in acute appendicitis cases in Saudi Arabia compared with histopathology. Moreover, to determine whether there is a correlation between the accuracy of ultrasound in acute appendicitis and the sonographers’ expertise. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted, including patients who admitted to the emergency room with clinical symptoms of suspected acute appendicitis and underwent ultrasound examinations. Diagnostic features, including diameter of the appendix ≥7 mm, free fluid, lack of compressibility, no appendix seen, normal appearance, and thick wall, were recorded for each patient. Results: Only 61 of the 132 patients in the study were accurately diagnosed with the use of ultrasound. Just 44 of them were diagnosed with appendicitis (true positives) and 17 without appendicitis (true negatives). However, 69 patients who had positive histopathologic results received a negative ultrasound diagnosis (false negatives), and 2 patients with negative histopathologic findings had a positive ultrasound diagnosis (false positives). There was no significant association between the accuracy of the ultrasound diagnosis and the years of experience of the sonographers. Conclusion: a low level of diagnostic accuracy was demonstrated when utilizing ultrasound to diagnose cases of acute appendicitis. In addition, no association was found between the years of experience of the sonographer conducting the examination and the diagnosis of acute appendicitis

Medical Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency: An Assessment Study in Selected Hospitals of The Ministry of Health Across Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to assess and improve the preparedness of selected hospitals in Saudi Arabia for nuclear and radiological emergencies. A team of experts developed and issued guidelines for radiation emergency response, selected 21 referral hospitals across the country, provided technical and logistical support, evaluated preparedness and provided recommendations for improvement. An evaluation process with four essential criteria (early detection of accidents, medical response team responsibilities, availability and accessibility of equipment and supplies, and training on the implementation of the emergency plan) and 50 sub-criteria was conducted, and hospitals' preparedness was assessed. The initial assessment showed that most hospitals had a moderate level of preparedness, with an average overall score of 67.5%. Interventions were implemented through training workshops, guidelines, checklists, and feedback. The follow-up assessment showed that the intervention was highly effective in enhancing the preparedness of all hospitals, with an average overall score of 99.1%. All hospitals achieved the benchmark of 80% or higher in all four aspects, with 14 hospitals scoring 100% and the remaining seven hospitals requiring further technical support. The study concluded that the intervention was successful in improving the preparedness of health facilities for nuclear and radiological emergencies and recommended continuous monitoring and evaluation to maintain the high level of readiness

Study of influence of metal ions in the diagnosis of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using ELISA technique

Objectives: Preliminary diagnosis of hepatitis B is performed by measuring the levels of serological markers using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Errors in diagnosis of the disease using serum markers might occur due to the presence of metallic salts in diagnostic samples. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of various metal ions on the diagnosis of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Methods: A simple step sandwich ELISA technique was used to evaluate the effects of metal ions on the diagnosis of HBsAg. Further, the zeta potential, electrical conductivity and redox potential of solutions with proteins and metal salts were measured to evaluate the interaction of these metal ions with the protein. Results: The results showed that recombinant HBsAg significantly interacted with the tested metal ions, with lithium ion showing the highest interaction, followed by barium, aluminium, and nickel as the percent decrease in the free HBsAg concentration in presence of these metal ions were found to be 95.5, 94.1, 93.5, and 91.6%, respectively. Zeta potential of the protein in reaction mixture also changed considerably and marked decrease in the concentration of free HBsAg was observed. This decrease in the concentration of free HBsAg resulted into error in the ELISA test which was negative in presence of these metal ions due to strong interaction with the HBsAg protein. Conclusions: The findings of this study clearly demonstrated that the presence of metal ions in pathological samples can result in interaction with the antigen leading to possible diagnostic errors