Visual status among undergraduate students: Findings from an emerging university in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Refractive error is an important preventable cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. In adult life, reduced vision can potentially affect the academic performance, choice of occupation and socio-economic status. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of refractive errors and related visual impairment among undergraduate male students in Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was employed in the current work. After obtaining an informed consent; each eligible student was asked to fill a self-constructed survey and have screened in the college premises for visual acuity and refractive error. Candidates detected with defective vision have been referred for further examination at well-equipped ophthalmology clinic in the University Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 420 undergraduate students, with age ranged from 18 to 30 years, have participated in the current study. About 25.0% of the participants have used spectacles at the time of examination. Positive family history of spectacles use was found in 71.4%. Our study showed that visual acuity in the better eye was low in 34.76% of the participants. Seventy-eight students (18.6%) of the total participants reported defective vision and have fulfilled refractometric examination. Of the examined students 83.3% were found to have refractive errors. Astigmatism, 52.6%, was the most frequently encountered refractive error among the participants; followed by myopia, 26.9%; and hypermetropia 2.6%. CONCLUSION: The current study confirms that refractive error is an important preventable cause of visual impairment. Significant portion of the examined participants were found to have refractive errors recommending further work to improve visual status in undergraduate students.

Traumatic spinal injuries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a study of associated injuries, management and mortality.

INTRODUCTION: traumatic spinal fracture is a painful and disabling injury associated with poor long-term functional outcome. The objective of the present study was to assess the frequency of spinal fractures in road traffic accident (RTA) victims, their management, mortality rate and associated injuries. This study reveals and adds useful insights to the literature from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in terms of incidence of RTA-related spinal fractures, including their management and mortality rate. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was conducted at King Khalid Hospital and Prince Sultan Center for Health Services (KKH & PSCHS) in AlKharj, KSA from September 2016 to June 2017. A total of 120 patients suffering from spinal/vertebral fractures due to RTAs were included in this study. The data was collected from patients' charts, including age, gender, region or distribution of the spinal fracture, associated fractures, number of fractures, degrees of shock, admission to intensive care unit (ICU), treatment modalities, along with the management of spinal fractures, days of hospital stay, referral and discharges or deaths. RESULTS: the mean age of patients was 29.21. The most common anatomic region of the fracture was the cervical region (35%). Injuries associated with traumatic spinal fracture were predominated by clavicular fractures. More than half of the victims (58.30%) had a cervical brace applied before leaving the hospital. 29.20% patients required posterior stabilization with pedicle screws. Anterior corpectomy, grafting and plating was done to 4.30% patients. CONCLUSION: traumatic spinal fractures require prompt diagnosis and timely management in order to improve the outcome.

Associated head injuries and survival rate of patients with maxillofacial fractures in road traffic accident: A prospective study in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Every minute, an accident occurs in Saudi Arabia, causing 39,000 injuries and 7,000 deaths annually. Facial trauma or maxillofacial trauma (MFT) is a frequent presentation of road traffic accidents (RTAs), ranging from simple nasal fractures to gross or severe maxillofacial injuries. METHODS: A total number of 237 patients were included in this prospective study from May 2013 to January 2018. The following medical details were recorded for each case, gender, age, fracture location, the presence of scalp laceration, the presence of brain damage, type of brain damage, shock degree, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), number of units used for blood transfusions for documentation of patient survival rate. We followed up the patients in their first appointment after 21 days of patient discharge from the hospital. RESULTS: Majority of the patients were young male adults. A total of 59.1% of patients had cerebral damage, 38% (n = 90) of patients had at least, one scalp laceration, 43.5% (n = 103) of patients had some degree of shock, whereas 27.8% of the recruited patients needed at least 1 unit of blood transfusion. A total of 14.3% of the patients died as a result of their injuries, and the survival rate was 85.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is having a high incidence of RTAs leading to high mortality rate. Therefore, it requires a sound evaluation of the risk factors for RTAs and establishment of guidelines to decrease the incidence of road traffic injuries and reduce health-care burden. Road safety campaigns focused on young population can help reduce RTAs and subsequent mortalities. Prompt arrival at the hospital, early diagnosis, and timely management of maxillofacial fractures and brain damages by skilled physicians will lower mortality rate in KSA..