Knowledge and attitudes towards basic life support among health students at a Saudi women's university

Objectives: Awareness of basic life support [BLS] is paramount to ensure the provision of essential life-saving medical care in emergency situations. This study aimed to measure knowledge of BLS and attitudes towards BLS training among female health students at a women's university in Saudi Arabia

Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study took place between January and April 2016 at five health colleges of the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All 2,955 students attending the health colleges were invited to participate in the study. Participants were subsequently asked to complete a validated Englishlanguage questionnaire which included 21 items assessing knowledge of BLS and six items gauging attitudes to BLS

Results: A total of 1,349 students completed the questionnaire [response rate: 45.7%]. The mean overall knowledge score was very low [32.7 +/- 13.9] and 87.9% of the participants had very poor knowledge scores. A total of 32.5% of the participants had never received any BLS training. Students who had previously received BLS training had significantly higher knowledge scores [P <0.001], although their knowledge scores remained poor. Overall, 77.0% indicated a desire to receive additional BLS training and 78.5% supported mandatory BLS training

Conclusion: Overall knowledge about BLS among the students was very poor; however, attitudes towards BLS training were positive. These findings call for an improvement in BLS education among Saudi female health students so as to ensure appropriate responses in cardiac arrest or other emergency situations

Statin-associated muscle adverse events update for clinicians

Statins are potent medications which reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] levels. Their efficacy in cardiovascular risk reduction is well established and indications for their use are expanding. While statins are generally well tolerated and safe, adverse events are relatively common, particularly statinassociated muscle adverse events [SaMAEs], which are the most frequently encountered type of adverse event. Recent guidelines and guideline updates on SaMAEs and statin intolerance have included revised definitions of SaMAEs, incorporating new evidence on their pathogenesis and management. As SaMAEs emerge as a therapeutic challenge, it is important for physicians to be aware of updates on management strategies to ensure better patient outcomes. The majority of patients who are considered statin-intolerant can nevertheless tolerate some forms of statin therapy and successfully achieve optimal LDL-C levels. This review article discusses the recent classification of SaMAEs with emphasis on pathogenesis and management strategies

Spontaneous left main coronary artery dissection. A rare cause of acute coronary syndrome

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome and sudden cardiac death. Involvement of the left main coronary artery is uncommon accounting for 9% of all cases. The condition commonly affects premenopausal females with about one third of the cases occurring during pregnancy and the peripartum period. The diagnosis may occasionally be overlooked as the patients are often young and have no risk factors for coronary artery disease. The clinical presentation and interesting angiographic findings of a 42-year-old female patient with left main coronary artery dissection are described along with a brief discussion of the pathogenesis and management of the condition