This issue of the year is a busy one with papers from the region covering various topic of interest to the health care professional. Hussein, et al., did a cross-sectional study to assess family practitioners' attitudes toward and awareness of evidence-based medicine in Egypt. There was a 100% response rate most of the participants were females 91 (68.9%), aged between 30-39 (73.3 %), and worked in mixed urban and rural settings (53.3%). Most physicians welcomed or strongly welcomed the use of EBM (54.1% and 38.2% respectively). Moreover, 97% of the respondents agreed that EBM is useful or extremely useful. The authors concluded that Egyptian family physicians generally have a good attitude towards EBM, however their general knowledge about it is still insufficient.

Zafar et al., did a systematic review of studies on progesterone's usage in the cure of nicotine craving was undertaken. The authors used the Boolean search approach and searching key terms (i.e. progesterone AND treat*, drug addiction AND withdrawal, smok*, nicotine), screened the title, abstract and full-text for data extraction during June 2021. A search in the PubMed, NIH, Elsevier, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases was performed. The authors concluded that in the majority of instances, 200mg was administered, and favorable outcomes were obtained. Although there were no major side effects observed, a few moderate side effects such as breast tenderness were reported in a few individuals. As a result, progesterone therapy helps to alleviate nicotine withdrawal symptoms, lowers smoking intensity, and treats smoking addiction in both men and women.

Alfaifi, et al., did a cross-sectional study among healthcare worker at Prince Mohammed bin Nasser Hospital. A total of 352 were included in the study. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire pertaining to socio-demographic characteristics and the depression anxiety stress scale 21-item questionnaire. The aim was to assess the prevalence and determinants of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers at Prince Mohammed bin Nasser Tertiary Hospital in Jazan City during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors concluded that there was a considerable prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among those who experienced the death of a relative from COVID-19 and those who had a chronic disease.

Alateeq, et al., did a cross-sectional study conducted among the Saudi adult population. The aim to determine the relationship between the number of hours spent daily on social media and the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms in Saudi adults. Eight hundred ten participants completed the survey (59.8% females vs. 40.2% males). The most common age group was 20 to 29 years (58.1%). The authors concluded that consistent with the literature, there was a high prevalence rate of IBS among the adult population living in Saudi Arabia. This study also demonstrated that the duration of social media use and the number of hours of screen time were not independently accounted for as predictors of IBS. Further research is needed to establish the link between IBS and the use of social media in our region.

Khalid et al., did a cross-sectional web-based study in Taif, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the participants' socio-demographic characteristics, employment status, medical history, awareness, and knowledge about VV. SPSS was used to analyze the results. ?This study aimed to investigate the ?prevalence & awareness of VV among teachers ?and ?the general population of Taif city and find out the correlation ?and differences between teachers and ?other Taif residents with ?VV along with socio-demographic characteristics.?
A total of 1754 individuals (993 females) participated in the study. The authors concluded that the prevalence of VV in the current study is comparable to previous studies. Many significant modifiable VV risk factors were identified. The participants' awareness and knowledge about VV reasons, symptoms, and prophylactic measures were not adequate in some aspects. Increasing the general population's awareness about VV using simple methods is warranted in an attempt to reduce the prevalence of VV and its complications.

Alsahafi , et al., did a cross-sectional study on surgeons of all specialties at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah city. The objective is to measure the knowledge and awareness of nutritional screening and support among surgeons in Makkah province, and to define their approach toward its implementation. Only 25.4% of the participants were screening all patients for their nutritional status, 39.8% were screening only who appear undernourished by inspection. The authors concluded that their findings indicated that the nutritional knowledge levels of surgeons, in the field of clinical nutrition was not satisfactory.To improve nutritional care in hospitals, effective nutrition training and ongoing education for all staff must be prioritized.

Mohsen et al., reviewed retrospectively the records of 40 consecutive patients with 40 displaced, supracondylar fractures of the humerus treated between January 2019 and December 2020, in Aden. To describe the patients' condition and to evaluate the treatment and the outcome.
The total study patients were 40 patients. Twenty-one (52.5%) were males and 19 (47.5%) were females. The age of the patients ranged between 2 to 10 years and the mean age was 6.6 ± 2.1 years. Twenty-four (60%) had the fracture on the right arm, and 16 (40%) had on the left arm. All the patients underwent surgery within 24 hours of injury. The mean time was 8.1 ± 4.5 hours.
There were 11 (27.5%) cases of once trial reduction, 14 (35%) of twice trial reduction and 15 (37.5%) of three times trial reduction. The average removal of K-wires was 3.55 weeks. Twenty-six (65%) patients were treated by III lateral K-wires fixation and 14 (35%) were treated by crossed K-wire fixation. The authors concluded that the delay in surgical treatment may cause a number of complications.

Saleh, et al., report a case of acute hemolytic anemia in a 30-year-old Saudi male after receiving Semaglutide injection. A 30-year-old Saudi male with G6PD deficiency presented to the Emergency Department of Aseer Central Hospital, Abha City, Saudi Arabia with acute onset of yellow discoloration of the eyes, palpitation, mild backache, fatigue, and dark urine. The symptoms started one day after receiving the second dose of Semaglutide injection. The authors concluded that G6PD deficiency should be considered in all clinical settings, and the hemolytic conditions that can possibly be precipitated by drugs not well known to cause hemolysis. Screening of newborn infants to early detect G6PD deficiency is highly recommended, especially in those with positive family history of G6PD.

Alturkstani et al., looked at the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Makkah City's Health Programs Performance. Coronavirus (covid-19) is an viral illness caused by a recently discovered coronavirus that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.(1) The impact of this globally pandemic affects all aspects of social, psychological, economic, and health.(1,2) The Saudi preventive health programs for Community health services to increase awareness and decrease preventable diseases. This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on key performance indicators of health programs at Makkah Al-Mukarramah City.

Alotaibi, et al., did a cross-sectional study to examine the public knowledge and their fears about using topical corticosteroids in 2022. A total of 1,889 people participated in the study. Around half of the study participants (46.2%) reported using topical corticosteroids. The vast majority (88.8%) reported that topical corticosteroids effectively managed their dermatological condition. Approximately half (47.1%) reported worrying about side effects when using topical corticosteroids. The authors concluded that phobia about topical corticosteroids is a common problem that warrants further investigation. It affects patients' compliance with corticosteroid therapy, which ultimately will result in worsening their clinical outcomes. Healthcare professionals should focus on education on topical corticosteroids and correct any misconceptions about this group of medications.

Abdulrahman, et al., did a cross-sectional study targeted medical students at the college of medicine of IMSIU. The study aimed to examine emotional intelligence and burnout and their associated factors and identify their predictors among medical students at Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU). The authors concluded that A significant correlation was found between medical students' emotional intelligence with burnout components, positively with academic achievement, and negatively with exhaustion and depersonalization burnout. Improving the student's ability to deal successfully with different situations (increasing emotional intelligence) is associated with a lower level of burnout and better academic achievement.

Alshurtan , et al., did a descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted among 1172 participants from the general population in Hail city. Using a self-administered questionnaire, the sample was selected at random from 18-60 years old. The aim was assessing the public awareness of cardiovascular risk factors and diseases is critical. A total of 1172 participants responded to the survey. Participants who responded were mostly males (69.1%) and (30.7%) were females. Participants managed to recognize that coronary heart disease (74.5%), congenital heart disease (53.4%) as types of CVDs. The overall knowledge on cardiovascular disease was poor with mean score of 12.24 out of 25.0. The authors concluded that the
available data indicate poor knowledge about cardiovascular diseases and associated risk factors, it's very important to establish more widespread awareness campaigns regarding CVDs awareness.

Alqahtani et al., did a cross sectional study in Aseer region of Saudi Arabia. Sample size of 350 was calculated by self-made questionnaire. Quantitative analysis was done on Social package of statistical sciences. The objective was to determine the prevalence of awareness of cast complications among fracture patients. Results showed a lack of awareness of cast complications; only half of the respondents knew that gypsum casts may cause skin ulcers (50.0%) and joint stiffness (48.0%). Most respondents were unaware that a cast may cause skin burns (74.3%) and ischemia (61.7%). The authors concluded that most of the participants were not aware of the complication of cast, so it is necessary to provide information of those patients who have fractures and will go for cast so that we should timely diagnose complications and treat on time.

Alfawaz, et al., reviewed whether Probiotics be used as an adjuvant thereby for diabetes, hope or hype, Narrative review of literature. As Probiotics have been demonstrated to be helpful for patients with diabetes mellitus, particularly at the cellular level, based on clinical trials and animal research, as well as their high tolerability. In preclinical investigations and human trials, probiotics have shown that they can lower insulin and fasting blood glucose levels in people with diabetes. Recently, probiotics have been used to treat a range of ailments, such as autoimmune conditions, allergic reactions, and inflammation. However, there was a lot of heterogeneity in these trials. Examples include the kind of species used, how many probiotics are used, and the level of effectiveness.

Alkeridy, et al., did a cross-sectional, descriptive study with a quantitative approach. The aim to understand the perspective of the caregivers towards the early signs of memory decline and cognitive impairment in their elderly relatives, and we aim to understand the impact of culture on their perspective. A sample of 101 participants enrolled in this study, of which about 60.4% (n=61) were males and 39.6% (n=40) were females. The authors concluded that some
Some cultural perspective could be identified that could help earlier detection of cognitive impairment in elderly people who rely largely on their caregivers. Caregivers are the first person to encounter the early changes in the behavior of the demented elderly, understanding their perspective can help providing more efficient health care

Alqahtani, et al., did a cross-sectional survey-dependent study at Security Forces Hospital in Riyadh,. Participants were selected using a non-randomized voluntary response sampling technique. The aim was to assess telemedicine consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic at primary care clinics for follow-up geriatric patients. A total of 518 respondents were included in the study. Results showed that the average attitude score of respondents was 6.5 ± 1.0 out of a total of 3, demonstrating that most participants revealed a good level of Attitude toward Telephonic consultation during the pandemic. The study concluded that geriatric patients had an excellent attitude toward telemedicine consultation during the pandemic at the Hospital's primary care clinic. Further studies are needed to address factors associated with attitudes toward telemedicine.

Shehata, et al., did a descriptive cross-sectional survey in Aseer region, targeting all medical students and interns at college of medicine. This study aims to assess awareness and perception of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy among medical student in Aseer region, Saudi Arabia. A total of 380 medical students and interns completed the study survey. Students ages ranged from 18 to 30 years with mean age of 22.6 ± 2.1 years old. Exact of 235 (61.8%) students were females and 212 (55.8%) were at their clinical study years. Exact of 106 (27.9%) of the students had good awareness level regarding DCM while 274 (72.1%) had poor awareness level. The authors concluded that the current study showed that medical students' awareness regarding DCM was poor especially male students and others who did not teach about the disease. Also, internet was the most prominent source of students' information rather than study lectures.

Al-Fawzan, et al., did a cross-sectional study among the students from 11 universities in Riyadh City. Convenience sampling was used, and the survey was not validated. The survey was distributed manually but collected electronically. It consisted of four sections: socio-demographics, risk factors, complications, and general statements. The aim was to determine the level of knowledge of hypertension and its associated risk factors among Saudi undergraduate students in the universities of Riyadh City.This study identifies some gaps in the knowledge of hypertension among undergraduate university students. Further research is advised to reach conclusive and more accurate data.

Alghtanie, et al., stressed that health care providers are expected to gain vital information regarding the patient, illness, and relationships from family members and the social network through therapeutic conversation. The involvement of family members within a patient's social network is essential for the development of an appropriate medical and nursing care plan. There is a pressing need to effectively use information obtained from family therapy interviews. Keeping an open communication channel with close family members during patient hospitalization is beneficial to the patient, family members and to healthcare providers. This will also offer a mutual understandings and a better adherence to the agreed healthcare plan.

Yaghmour , et al., did a cross-sectional study on 201 medical students in their last year to evaluate medical students' attitudes and views toward lower back pain. Responders who had a course outside the curriculum were 163 (81.1%) and who hadn't 38(18.9%). The mean number of correct answers were (4.1) and (3.8) for whom had a course and hadn't respectively, representing an insignificant difference. The authors concluded that most senior medical students debunked common misconceptions about lower back pain. This result shows how effective the curriculum is. Myths two and four had a high percentage of inaccurate responses. Seminars on myths two and four are also advised for the general public as well as medical students in order to improve the quality of the outcomes.

Dr Abdulrazak Abyad
Chief Editor
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