Exploring faculty perception of simulation-based education: Benefits and challenges of using simulation for improving patient safety in cardiovascular diploma program.

Objectives: The study was conducted in a tertiary educational hospital based in Riyadh to explore faculty's perception of using simulation-based teaching as part of the Cardiovascular Diploma Program (CDP) to improve patients' safety. The study, also aimed to identify the benefits and challenges of utilizing simulation. Methods: Researchers used a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online with ten faculty-members. The interviews were performed between July and September in the year 2019. Authors used convenient sampling techniques for recruitment. Data were transcribed and analyzed using a framework analysis approach. Result: Data analysis showed four emergent themes, i.e., the concept of simulation (it is a risk-free environment for training), simulation for patients' safety (students first learn on the simulators and deal with patients), simulation as a safe learning environment (gives idea basic things about the working environment, knowing the symptoms of the patients, catheterizing the patient, knowing preparations for the procedure and post care), and the challenges of utilizing simulation (identify gaps between the theoretical and practical parts). Conclusion: Faculty has appreciated the role of simulation in improving patients' safety. Simulation was underutilized due to the limited time allotted for simulation and lack of adequate experienced faculty. It is recommended that simulation should be integrated into the CDP curriculum.

Different cellulosic polymers for synthesizing silver nanoparticles with antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

The use of cellulosic polymers as efficient reducing, coating agents, and stabilizers in the formulation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with antioxidant and antibacterial activity was investigated. AgNPs were synthesized using different cellulosic polymers, polyethylene glycol, and without polymers using tri-sodium citrate, for comparison. The yield, morphology, size, charge, in vitro release of silver ion, and physical stability of the resulting AgNPs were evaluated. Their antioxidant activity was measured as a scavenging percentage compared with ascorbic acid, while their antibacterial activity was evaluated against different strains of bacteria. The amount of AgNPs inside bacterial cells was quantified using an ICP-OES spectrometer, and morphological examination of the bacteria was performed after AgNPs internalization. Cellulosic polymers generated physically stable AgNPs without any aggregation, which remained physically stable for 3 months at 25.0 ± 0.5 and 4.0 ± 0.5 °C. AgNPs formulated using ethylcellulose (EC) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) had significant (p ≤ 0.05; ANOVA/Tukey) antibacterial activities and lower values of MIC compared to methylcellulose (MC), PEG, and AgNPs without a polymeric stabilizer. Significantly (p ≤ 0.05; ANOVA/Tukey) more AgNPs-EC and AgNPs-HPMC were internalized in Escherichia coli cells compared to other formulations. Thus, cellulosic polymers show promise as polymers for the formulation of AgNPs with antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

The positive impact of social media on the level of COVID-19 awareness in Saudi Arabia: a web-based cross-sectional survey.

In late December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread from Hubei province in China. Currently there are many affected countries worldwide, including Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess the use of social media as a source for COVID-19 awareness in Saudi Arabia. An online survey was conducted between 9 and 13 May 2020 and a total of 3,204 subjects participated in the survey. We used snowball sampling techniques through an online structured questionnaire. The data were cleaned, coded and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences SPSS version 25.0. A chi-square test was used to find the associations between variables. Of all participants, 75.4% had a high level of awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic. Saudi participants above 18 years old and medical practitioners showed a high level of awareness. All participants from all regions of Saudi Arabia showed a high level of awareness except for those from the northern region. The most common source of information was the official government social media, and 44.1% reported the use of Twitter. Our findings show that social media have a positive impact on the circulation of information about the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

Knowledge about COVID-19 and beliefs about and use of herbal products during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia.

The lack of treatment options for COVID-19 has raised many concerns among populations worldwide, which has led to many attempts to find alternative options to prevent the transmission of the disease or to alleviate the progression of the infection, including focusing more on preventive measures (to prevent transmission to other individuals) and the use of natural products and herbal extracts to increase immunity and decrease the probability of getting infected. This study explored the knowledge of the population of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) about COVID-19 preventive measures and their belief about the consumption of herbal products for the prevention of COVID-19 infection. A total of 5,258 individuals participated in this study. Participants' knowledge about the appropriate COVID-19 preventive measures in terms of handwashing procedures, self-quarantine and social distancing was moderate, with a mean score of 5.5 (SD: 1.7) out of 10 (representing around 55.0% of the total score). About 22.1% (n = 1,161) of the participants reported that they have used herbal products or nutritional supplements during the pandemic period, to protect themselves from the disease. Social media and the Internet (39.4%, n = 372) were the main motivators for the participants to try herbal products. Vitamin C was the most commonly used food supplement to increase immunity and reduces the chance of contracting COVID-19. Our study demonstrated that the general population in Saudi Arabia has a moderate level of knowledge about COVID-19 transmission and preventive measures. A considerable proportion of the population reported the use of herbal products or food supplements in order to protect themselves from the disease. Policymakers are suggested to provide further educational campaigns that increase population knowledge about the disease transmission routes and preventive measures. In addition, the use of herbal products should be evidence-based to ensure patient safety.