Public Perception in Saudi Arabia Toward Herpes Zoster and Its Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Herpes zoster (HZ) or shingles, arises from the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV), mainly affecting older and immunocompromised individuals. Despite the efficacy of vaccines, vaccination rates in Saudi Arabia are low. Thus, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the Saudi Arabian population toward HZ and its vaccination. Methods An observational cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the public perception in Saudi Arabia toward HZ and its vaccination, during the period from January to March 2024. Participants were selected using a non-probability, convenience sampling method, with recruitment facilitated through WhatsApp, a messaging app. Data has been analyzed using the statistical software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). A p-value of <0.05 has been used to report the statistical significance. Results The study's demographic profile included 1237 participants, predominantly younger than 30 years (65.5%), with a female majority (65.7%). Public knowledge about HZ was limited, only 29.6% of participants recognized the risk of HZ post-chickenpox. More than half of the participants were not aware that the vaccine is provided by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) for certain groups. However, over 75% are willing to receive the HZ vaccine upon physician recommendation. Conclusion This study shows a general lack of awareness about HZ and its vaccination in Saudi Arabia, including misconceptions about vaccination availability, recommendations, and the disease's complications. Gender differences in attitude and interest highlight the potential for tailored educational campaigns. Addressing these issues is essential for improving vaccination rates and mitigating HZ's impact.

Thymoquinone provides structural protection of human hemoglobin against oxidative damage: Biochemical studies.

Hydroxyl radicals (OH.) are one of the most active reactive oxidants recognized for their deleterious effects to cause protein oxidative damage. Thymoquinone, a monoterpene molecule abundantly present in black cumin and known for its pharmacological activities, but its activity against the OH.-induced protein oxidative damage has never been explored. This study determined the therapeutic potential of thymoquinone against OH.-induced oxidative human hemoglobin damage. Novel data demonstrated that thymoquinone provides structural protection of hemoglobin against oxidative damage. Treatment of hemoglobin with OH. induces hypochromicity at 280 and 405 nm, whereas thymoquinone reversed these hypochromic effects. In addition, OH. cause significant reduction in tryptophan fluorescence, however thymoquinone also reversed these damaging effects. Thymoquinone also reduces OH.-induced hydrophobicity and also reduces OH.-induced carbonylation. Moreover, it also inhibits thermal stabilization of OH.-hemoglobin complex. SDS-PAGE of unmodified hemoglobin showed four bands, which disappeared upon OH. treatment and these changes were also retained by thymoquinone. In conclusion, this is the first study that shows the therapeutic potential of thymoquinone against OH.-induced oxidative damage in human hemoglobin.

Factors associated with patients bypassing primary healthcare centres in Qassim Region, KSA.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the reasons for bypassing local primary healthcare centres (PHCs) by patients with minor illnesses in Qassim Region, KSA. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on 266 patients that visited emergency departments in public hospitals in Qassim Region. The patients were randomly selected and categorised as level five patients (LFPs) using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) for patient characterisation. RESULTS: Of the 266 patients, 85.7% had previous experience of visiting PHC facilities. The majority of these patients were not satisfied with their treatment in PHCs. Approximately 52.9% of the patients reported that the working hours at PHCs were not sufficient, 38.1% mentioned a lack of experienced staff, and 31.7% believed that PHCs were insufficient for diagnostic tests. Another 13.8% of the patients reported the unavailability of prescribed medicines. Interestingly, 17.7% of the patients reported that they never bypassed PHCs. In general, the data demonstrate that patients' gender, employment, and marital status have no significant role in their decision to skip PHCs in favor of emergency departments of public hospitals (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients bypassing PHCs without a referral form is a serious concern that have a deleterious effect on the healthcare system, particularly emergency departments. If bypassing continues, it will increase the burden on emergency departments, particularly on healthcare services for the general population.