Evaluating the physical, psychosocial and ergonomic burden of lead aprons among Jordanian interventionists: a nationwide study.

Objectives. This study assessed the physical and psychological burden of lead apron use on Jordanian interventionists and investigated the attitudes and knowledge of interventional personnel toward ergonomic guidelines and practices. Methods. A cross-sectional investigation of a randomly sampled Jordanian cohort of interventional personnel was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire.Results. A nationwide sample of 130 practitioners with a mean 9.3 ± 8.1 years of experience in interventional procedures participated. Practitioners were aware of their apron's weight but not of its lead equivalence (71.5%). More than 60% of respondents complained of back pain. While 66.9% did not develop musculoskeletal pathologies, 64.3% of those with already established musculoskeletal pathologies experienced worse pain due to apron usage. Despite believing in the effect of lead aprons on muscular strain and work performance, 78.5% adhere to its usage. In terms of ergonomics, only 39.2% were aware of ergonomic guidelines; however, 90.0% believe that ergonomic practices are essential as 49.2% have experienced discomfort due to bad ergonomics. In terms of psychological burden, anxiety and depression were suggested in 16.4 and 21.6% of the sample.Conclusion. Jordanian interventionists portray positive attitudes toward lead aprons; nevertheless, their awareness of ergonomic practices warrants the implementation of evidenced-based interventions.

The Impact of War-Related Stress on Coronary Artery Disease Severity in War Survivors: A SYNTAX Study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the strong relationship between stress and heart disease, particularly acute myocardial infarction (MI), this study investigated the complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD) among Syrian refugee patients referred to Jordan University Hospital and its relation to war-related stressors. METHODS: This is a retrospective study that utilized the SYNTAX I score in order to evaluate all Syrian refugees that underwent coronary artery catheterization at Jordan University Hospital during the period between May of 2014 and December of 2017. RESULTS: There was a significant association between war-related stressors and high SYNTAX score (SX score), thus indicating a higher complexity of CAD in Syrian war survivors with higher stress scores. The strongest war-related correlation was observed with crossing green-lines, in which Syrian refugee patients who had crossed such lines had significantly higher SYNTAX scores. Regression analysis demonstrated that war stressors were positive predictors of increased SYNTAX scores even when adjusted for conventional CAD risk factors. Surprisingly, none of the CAD risk factors were significantly associated with SYNTAX score. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that exposure to multiple war-related stressors may increase the complexity and severity of CAD in Syrian war survivors. Thus, special attention, efforts, and resources should be allocated to screen for such vulnerable patients in order to provide them with the appropriate healthcare.

Nutritional Support of Very Low Birth Weight Infants in a Tertiary Center in a Developing Country.

BACKGROUND: Very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) are at high risk for nutritional deficiency. Enteral feeding is usually challenged by increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The nutritional needs of VLBWIs are usually dependent on parenteral nutrition during early postnatal life. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional service of VLBWIs at Jordan University Hospital. METHODS: This was a prospective follow-up study of VLBWIs with birth weight ≤ 1,500 g. Data were extracted from medical charts and laboratory database. RESULTS: In total, 43 VLBWIs met our inclusion criteria; of them, 21% were extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWIs). The mean gestational age was 29 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 1,218 g. The mean age of starting feeds was 3 days. Mean full feed age is 2 weeks. The most common side effect of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) was hypertriglyceridemia (35%). CONCLUSIONS: Nutritional care of VLBWIs is well established in our center. Initiating fortification earlier and working to increase mother's own breast milk supply is vital to improve growth in low resource setting.