Physicians' Attitude and Perception Towards Social Media Medical Consultation.

AIM: Social media plays a major role in modern healthcare. However, little is known about physicians' experience as related to medical consultation through social media, such as Twitter. This study aims to characterize physicians' attitudes and perceptions toward medical consultations through social media and estimate the use of social media for medical consultation purposes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted through the distribution of electronic questionnaires to physicians from different specialities. A total of 242 healthcare providers responded to the questionnaire. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that 79% of the healthcare providers received consultations through social media at least "sometimes" and that 56% of them agreed that it is appropriate to have personal social media platforms that can be accessible by patients. They also agreed (87%) that it is appropriate to interact with patients on social media; however, most of them do not find social media platforms appropriate for diagnosis or treatment. CONCLUSION: Physicians think positively of social media consults, but do not consider it a proper method to manage medical conditions.

Maternal and Neonatal Complications Resulting From Vacuum-Assisted and Normal Vaginal Deliveries.

Background Operative vaginal delivery is a procedure that is performed using forceps or vacuum to extract an infant from the birth canal. It has many indications, one of which is prolonged second stage of labor. Although rare, vacuum extraction (VE) can lead to various neonatal and maternal complications. The objective of this study was to compare the rates of different neonatal and maternal complications between vacuum-assisted deliveries and spontaneous vaginal deliveries. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study that was conducted in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah (KAMC-J), Saudi Arabia. The data were collected from the Labor and Delivery Unit at KAMC-J. A total of 745 samples was included (586 delivered spontaneously and 157 delivered by VE). Analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 27.0. Results The median age was 30 years (IQR=36-34). Of all deliveries, vacuum was used in 21.1%. Perineal tear was the most frequent maternal complication (20.9%), while caput succedaneum was the commonest neonatal complication (11.8%). Post-partum hemorrhage was significantly higher among vacuum deliveries (RR=18.8; 95% CI: 5.5-64.15), as well as cephalohematoma (RR=28.9; 95% CI: 8.79-95.04) and caput succedaneum (RR=18.6; 95% CI: 10.99-31.49). The first-minute Apgar score was lower with VE (p < 0.001), and higher perineal tear degrees were reported with VE (p < 0.001). Conclusion The rates of maternal and neonatal complications were significantly higher among vacuum-assisted deliveries. The most serious neonatal complication was subgaleal hematoma, which is considered life-threatening. Further research is recommended to investigate subgaleal hematoma risk factors.