Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients’ Knowledge Regarding the Modifiable Risk Factors of Heart Disease

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) is a condition of the heart that occurs when blood flowto the heart muscles is stopped abruptly. The disruption in blood flow to the heart muscles is usually caused by ablockage of one or several coronary arteries. Heart attacks can be fatal owing to the critical functions performedby blood in the heart. Fatalities arising from heart attacks are witnessed all over the world. The difference infatality rates of heart attacks is highly dependent on the exposure to risk factors such as smoking and obesity.Healthy living populations will rarely encounter high cases of a heart attack. This study was set out to assess anddocument the knowledge level of acute myocardial infarction patients regarding the modifiable risk factors of aheart attack in Saudi Arabia. Patients suffering from a heart attack are at great danger of fatality. Knowledge ofmodifiable factors can promote healthy living habits and behaviors among them. Methods: A cross-sectionalsurvey was developed to assess knowledge levels of acute myocardial infarction patients in the three cities ofRiyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. A total of 123 participants were recruited through convenient sampling across15 hospitals in the cities. The eligibility criteria for recruitment included a mandatory age of 18 years and SaudiArabian citizenship. Participants were issued with questionnaires containing different questions on modifiablerisk factors (fatty foods, vegetables, fruits, smoking, physical exercise, and obesity). Results: Five out of the sixmodifiable factors represented knowledge levels of less than 50%. Participants were only knowledgeable on therisk factor of obesity which saw 52.8% associating it with a heart attack. Conclusion: There is a need to boosteducation and awareness among acute myocardial infarction patients in Saudi Arabia.

role of sentinel lymph-node biopsy in managing lip squamous cell carcinoma patients without clinical evidence of nodal metastasis

Squamous cell carcinoma [SCC] of the lip is a common oral malignancy. Lymph node metastasis occurs lately in the natural history of the disease but it is associated with poor outcome. Sentinel lymph node biopsy [SLNB] is an option that determines the potentially affected lymph nodes especially in clinically negative-node patients. The study aims to determine the feasibility of SLNB as a reliable staging tool in N0 stage lip SCC patients. Eighteen patients with N0 stage lip SCC were enrolled in the study. They were subjected to SLNB using the injection of the radiocolloid material and the Blue dye. The procedure was followed by bilateral supraomohyoid neck dissection in all patients. The pathological results of the harvested sentinel lymph nodes [SLNs] were compared with that of the dissection specimen in each patient. The patent blue dye could localize the SLN in 15/18 patients whilst the radioisotope scanning could successfully identify it in 17/18 patents. On average, 1.8 SLNs were harvested from each patient. Two of seventeen patients with identified SLNs [11.8%] have positive nodal metastases. One of them has two SLNs and the other has only one. No false negativity was reported in the study as all the excised SLNs reflected correctly the status of the lymph node basin. Sentinel lymphadenectomy is a safe and feasible procedure in managing neck of patients with node-negative lip SCC. It can accurately stage these patients

Management of astigmatism post penetrating keratoplasty

Despite improvements in outcomes of penetrating keratoplasty, postoperative astigmatism remains a challenge. This review describes the various techniques used to minimize postoperative penetrating keratoplasty astigmatism. The advent of descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty for corneal disorders involving the endothelium has decreased the incidence of postoperative astigmatism. Spectacles, contact lenses, and refractive surgical techniques are used in various situations to manage high postoperative astigmatism and improve functional vision. Refractive surgical procedures discussed in this review include excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis, mechanical and femtosecond laser incisional keratotomy, wedge resection, and intraocular lens implantation