Assessing the perception of Parkinson's disease in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia among the visitors of a public campaign: before and after survey.

Introduction: Insufficient knowledge and beliefs hinder the early diagnosis and provision of adequate treatment and care for PD patients, causing socio-economic burdens. Raising public awareness and understanding the knowledge gap is crucial for effective educational programs and early detection. This study aims to assess the perception of Parkinson's disease (PD) among visitors of a public campaign conducted to raise PD awareness and knowledge to facilitate early detection and management. Methods: A before-and-after study was conducted from May to June 2023, to assess the perception of PD among a public PD campaign visitors in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The campaign included educational booths discussing PD symptoms, causes, diagnosis, management, and support. Participants completed a self-administered online questionnaire before and after the campaign. The data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: The study included 48 eligible individuals. The mean knowledge score was significantly enhanced following the campaign, rising from 12 to 17.77 points (p < 0.05). The symptoms of PD that showed a significant difference were slow movement, tremors, depression, memory problems, and sleep problems. The campaign had a beneficial effect on participants' general understanding of PD. Discussion: The study showed that public awareness campaigns successfully raised community awareness of PD. Participants' knowledge improved after the campaign, highlighting its positive effect. Further research could explore measuring the continuity of awareness over a longer period and its impact on improving patients' lives and could expand the sample size.

Knowledge of symptoms, risk factors, and treatment centers of stroke among the general population of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Background: In Saudi Arabia, stroke is a significant cause of illness and mortality progressively becoming more serious. Studies have indicated that modifiable cardiovascular risk factors are responsible for a significant portion of the burden caused by stroke, which could be targeted through public awareness. Objective: We evaluated the level of knowledge about stroke among the general population of the Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, association between stroke level of knowledge and sample characteristics was analyzed. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from February 22, 2023, to March 22, 2023, using a convenience sampling technique. An electronic Google Forms survey was distributed through social media, to reach the maximum number of participants. Results: This study included a total of 500 participants from Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Forty-three percentage of participants were male, while 57% were females. Most participants were of a younger age, where 66.6% were 18-39 years. The most recognized stroke symptom, risk factor, and stroke treatment center were dizziness/vertigo (91%), hypertension (97%), and King Fahad Hospital, respectively. Those with higher education possessed a greater level of stroke-related knowledge than other demographic groupings. Conclusion: The general public of Al-Ahsa demonstrated a high level of knowledge about stroke symptoms (82.6%), risk factors (90%), and treatment facilities (80%). However, it was evident that the general public failed to recognize the proper course of action in the event of a stroke.

Résumé Contexte: En Arabie Saoudite, les accidents vasculaires cérébraux sont une cause importante de maladie et de mortalité, qui s'aggrave progressivement. Des études ont indiqué que les facteurs de risque cardiovasculaires modifiables sont responsables d'une part importante du fardeau causé par les accidents vasculaires cérébraux, qui pourraient être ciblés par la sensibilisation du public. Objectif : Nous avons évalué le niveau de connaissances sur les accidents vasculaires cérébraux au sein de la population générale d'Al-Ahsa, en Arabie Saoudite. De plus, l'association entre le niveau de connaissance de l'AVC et les caractéristiques de l'échantillon a été analysée. Méthodes : Il s'agit d'une étude transversale menée du 22 février 2023 au 22 mars 2023, en utilisant une technique d'échantillonnage de convenance. Une enquête électronique Google Forms a été diffusée sur les réseaux sociaux afin d'atteindre le nombre maximum de participants. Résultats : Cette étude a inclus un total de 500 participants d'Al-Ahsa, en Arabie Saoudite. Quarante-trois pour cent des participants étaient des hommes, tandis que 57 % étaient des femmes. La plupart des participants étaient plus jeunes, 66,6 % ayant entre 18 et 39 ans. Les symptômes d'accident vasculaire cérébral, les facteurs de risque et les centres de traitement des accidents vasculaires cérébraux les plus reconnus étaient respectivement les étourdissements/vertiges (91 %), l'hypertension (97 %) et l'hôpital King Fahad. Les personnes ayant fait des études supérieures possédaient un niveau de connaissances plus élevé sur les accidents vasculaires cérébraux que les autres groupes démographiques. Conclusion : Le grand public d'Al-Ahsa a démontré un niveau élevé de connaissances sur les symptômes de l'AVC (82,6 %), les facteurs de risque (90 %) et les installations de traitement (80 %). Cependant, il était évident que le grand public ne reconnaissait pas la marche à suivre en cas d'accident vasculaire cérébral. Mots-clés: Al-Ahsa, neurologie, connaissance publique, Arabie Saoudite, accident vasculaire cérébral.

Impact of COVID-19 Vaccinations on Menstrual Bleeding.

INTRODUCTION: Vaccination has a fundamental role in protecting against and modifying the severity of several infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Several immune and non-immune adverse events have been reported post-COVID-19 vaccine. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the COVID-19 vaccine on women's menstrual bleeding. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 399 vaccinated women in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a direct interview-based questionnaire including four sections. RESULTS: A total of 399 women were recruited, with a mean age of 25.54 ± 6.177 years. More than half (53.9%) of the participants reported post-vaccination menstrual bleeding abnormality in terms of a heavy or irregular cycle. Out of the total number, 40 (21.4%) women reported having heavy menstrual flow, and 67 (16.8%) had non-menstrual bleeding after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Fully vaccinated women were at a greater risk of post-vaccination menstrual bleeding abnormality (p = 0.058). However, there was no correlation between booster shot type and menstrual bleeding abnormality (p > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant association between non-menstrual bleeding and the type of booster shot, the type of the first dose, and prior history of COVID-19 infection (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite vaccination being the most effective way to prevent COVID-19, it does have an impact on menstrual bleeding in terms of menorrhagia and metrorrhagia. Therefore, more studies are needed to understand the mechanism and the long-term impact of COVID-19 vaccines on the hemostatic system.

Electrocardiogram Interpretation Competency of Medical Interns in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective To determine the competence of medical interns in Saudi Arabia in interpreting common ECG abnormalities, explore limitations, and facilitate solutions to the development of ECG interpretation skills in Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from 11 June 2022 to 3 November 2022 using the convenience stratified sampling technique among 373 medical interns (54.4% male and 45.6% female) in 15 medical colleges within Saudi Arabia. Results Almost all (91.7%) of the participants recognized the basic ECG elements, as they correctly identified normal ECG patterns. The most well-understood ECG pathologies were ventricular fibrillation, atrial fibrillation, and acute myocardial infarction, which were accurately interpreted by 69.2%, 67.8%, and 61.9% of the participants, respectively. The least understood ECG result was a pathological Q wave, which only 20.9% recognized. Most (63.5%) participants attributed their challenges in ECG interpretation to their inadequate training in college, and 57.4% of them stated that practical case-based training could best facilitate the improvement of their skills in ECG interpretation. Conclusion Most of the participants showed unsatisfactory performance in ECG interpretation. Despite their completion of advanced cardiac life support courses, their overall performance did not improve significantly. Most of them believed that their colleges did not adequately train them to read ECGs. Thus, a majority think case-based training is a key strategy for improving their ECG interpretation skills.