Awareness of Anti-adhesive Barriers Among Surgeons in Saudi Arabia.

Introduction Post-operative adhesions present a number of difficulties, including intestinal obstruction and infertility, and they frequently require readmission due to adhesion-related problems. Notwithstanding these ramifications, there are surprisingly few thorough national surveys that address surgeons' awareness of adhesives. By assessing Saudi surgeons' knowledge of post-operative adhesions and their use of anti-adhesive medications, this study aims to close this knowledge gap. Methods This study is a cross-sectional observational research study aimed at Saudi Arabian surgeons utilizing a self-administered, semi-structured online questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to participants via social media and in-person email using basic random selection. It included adhesion morbidity and prevalence, pre-operative informed consent issues, adhesion preventive viewpoints, and anti-adhesive chemical use. Results There were 111 participants in total, of 41% were experienced surgeons with more than five years of experience. According to the survey, the majority of surgeons occasionally employed anti-adhesive compounds, especially during laparotomies (28%), and 38% never used them during laparoscopies. The study found that participants varied in what they informed patients regarding adhesion complications: 25% of participants informed 5%-10% of the patients about the possible adhesion complications in laparotomy procedures, whereas 26% of participants informed 10-25% of the patients in laparoscopic procedures. Compared with their specialist peers, general surgeons agreed more on the clinical significance of adhesions and prevention. Notably, three-quarters of participants were unclear about when to use anti-adhesive compounds. Conclusion While acknowledging the clinical significance of post-operative adhesions and recognizing the potential for prevention, most surveyed surgeons did not include adhesions as a post-operative complication in informed consent. The study underscores a belief in the efficacy of anti-adhesives yet reveals a widespread lack of clarity regarding specific indications for their use. Recommendations include implementing educational sessions during surgical training to heighten awareness of adhesions as a major post-operative complication and to encourage the appropriate utilization of available barriers and pharmacological anti-adhesive products.

Effects of orally administered Thymus vulgaris leaves on memory, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in university students: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of orally administering Thymus vulgaris leaves on memory performance, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in a sample of university students. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled trial included 106 students who were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group received 500 mg of Thymus vulgaris leaves twice daily, while the second group received a placebo. The intervention period lasted for one month. The participants' memory performance (both prospective and retrospective), levels of anxiety and depression, and sleep quality were assessed using the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) at the beginning of the study and after one month. RESULTS: The findings revealed significant reductions in the scores of all scales and subscales, with the exception of the sleep latency and sleep duration components of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory, among the group that received Thymus vulgaris leaves in comparison to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Thymus vulgaris leaves, a traditional food source, demonstrate potential for enhancing both prospective and retrospective memory, alleviating anxiety and depression, and improving sleep quality in university students.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of fisetin: a comprehensive study on its anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects.

OBJECTIVE: This study's primary objective was to explore and validate the pain-relieving and inflammation-reducing properties of fisetin, a flavonoid known for its antioxidant benefits, using different mouse models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed fisetin's pain-relieving effects using mouse models exposed to both heat-induced and chemical-induced pain. The inflammation-reducing capacity of fisetin was evaluated using the carrageenan-triggered paw swelling test, focusing on the influx of leukocytes in the peritoneal space. The air pouch test was utilized to determine fisetin's ability to counteract proinflammatory cytokines. The performance of fisetin, when paired with opioid blockers, was analyzed, and juxtaposed with results from conventional medicines. The muscle-relaxing potential of fisetin was assessed through the open field assessment. RESULTS: Fisetin consistently demonstrated marked anti-inflammatory actions across various models. It also proved to be effective in reducing pain in the pain-induced models. When combined with opioid blockers, fisetin's effects were on par with those of traditional medications. Noteworthily, fisetin displayed muscle-relaxing properties in the open-field assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The compiled data showcases fisetin as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent with significant pain-relieving capacities, positioning it as a promising contender for pain treatment modalities.

Diabetes Mellitus and Related Admission Factors Among Hospitalized Patients in King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a rapidly increasing serious health problem that affects the population all over the world. The increasing prevalence of DM in Saudi Arabia is reflected in our hospital admissions as well. This study aimed to assess the proportion of DM (including type 1 and type 2 diabetes) among hospitalized patients and the reasons for admissions to the medical unit at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods We conducted a hospital record-based cross-sectional study at KAUH from January to April 2021. The study included all adult patients admitted to the internal medicine wards and isolation unit but excluded patients in the coronary care unit and those with gestational diabetes. We reviewed the medical records to collect demographic data, causes of admission, laboratory results, and outcomes. Results Among the hospitalized patients, 49.9% had DM. The most common associated risk factors and causes of admission among patients with DM were hypertension (HTN; 73.2%) and dyslipidemia (43.1%). Other less common reasons for admission were heart failure (20.6%), coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19; 17.8%), chronic kidney disease (CKD; 14.5%), pneumonia (12.3%), and stroke (10%). Dyslipidemia, HTN, CKD, diabetic ketoacidosis, heart failure, and need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission were significantly higher in diabetic patients as compared to patients without diabetes. HTN, dyslipidemia, CKD, heart failure, stroke, acute abdomen, and malignancy were significantly higher in patients with type 2 diabetes. Among diabetic patients, those with non-Saudi nationality, low hemoglobin level, dyslipidemia, pneumonia, sepsis, and requiring ICU admission had a greater risk of death. Conclusions The high burden of DM on the secondary healthcare level in Saudi Arabia highlights the need for effective diabetes prevention and treatment strategies in primary care and hospital outpatient settings. Such measures would help reduce the hospitalization rate and ease the healthcare system's burden.

Isomer-selective adsorption of amino acids by components of natural sediments.

We present evidence that under circumstances of low pH and organic-free surfaces an ordinary estuarine sediment can exhibit strong optical isomer selectivity in its absorption of a number of amino acids. This selectivity can also be seen to a lesser degree in the minerals quartz, montmorillonite, and kaolin. Adsorption reactions were performed with racemic amino acid mixtures, and after equilibrium, deviations from a D/L ratio of 1 were measured and in many cases were found to be significant. This was particularly pronounced at pH 4.0, where selective removal of the L isomers by adsorption onto sedimentfractions was almosttotal. Changes in both the nature and degree of selectivity were also observable in different sediment size fractions. While we are at this stage unable to identify the mode of primary selectivity, adsorption experiments with these candidate sediment components, quartz, kaolin, and montmorillonite do exhibit some selective behavior. We believe that the existence of natural chirally selective components in sediment may indicate a new approach to the development of chiral catalysis and synthesis.