RESUMEN
Prevalence, sociodemographic patterns and medical co-morbidity of smoking among a cross-section of primary health care (PHC) clients in Saudi Arabia were examined. We used a 44-item semistructured questionnaire to collect data from 1752 patients at 25 randomly selected PHC centres. Percentage of smoking was 52.3%. Although 85% were adult smokers, 8.6% began smoking before age 12. Smokers gave overlapping reasons to smoke including peer pressure; non-smokers gave religious and health logics against smoking. Of all smokers, 92.8% wanted to learn cessation strategies, 11.8% were ignorant of hazards and 32.4% reported manifestations of nicotine withdrawal. Besides alcohol use (13.4%), 81.8% had co-morbid physical disease.
Asunto(s)
Actitud Frente a la Salud , Atención Primaria de Salud , Fumar/epidemiología , Fumar/psicología , Adolescente , Adulto , Niño , Centros Comunitarios de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Comorbilidad , Estudios Transversales , Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria , Femenino , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Necesidades y Demandas de Servicios de Salud , Encuestas Epidemiológicas , Humanos , Islamismo/psicología , Masculino , Motivación , Educación del Paciente como Asunto , Grupo Paritario , Prevalencia , Atención Primaria de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Factores de Riesgo , Arabia Saudita/epidemiología , Cese del Hábito de Fumar , Prevención del Hábito de Fumar , Factores Socioeconómicos , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
Prevalence, sociodemographic patterns and medical co-morbidity of smoking among a cross-section of primary health care [PHC] clients in Saudi Arabia were examined. We used a 44-item semistructured questionnaire to collect data from 1752 patients at 25 randomly selected PHC centres. Percentage of smoking was 52.3%. Although 85% were adult smokers, 8.6% began smoking before age 12. Smokers gave overlapping reasons to smoke including peer pressure; non-smokers gave religious and health logics against smoking. Of all smokers, 92.8% wanted to learn cessation strategies, 11.8% were ignorant of hazards and 32.4% reported manifestations of nicotine withdrawal. Besides alcohol use [13.4%], 81.8% had co-morbid physical disease
Asunto(s)
Actitud Frente a la Salud , Centros Comunitarios de Salud , Comorbilidad , Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Motivación , Grupo Paritario , Atención Primaria de Salud , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Factores de Riesgo , FumarRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The authors mainly focus on the initial observations of the implementation phase of a health project that aims to integrate mental health into primary care. METHODS: In the light of specific aims and objectives of both planning and curriculum development phases, 2- weeks of intensive psychiatric training consisting of basic theoretical and clinical concepts of psychiatry was imparted to a group of general practitioners and paramedical staff. In addition to assessing their pre-and post-training knowledge, attitude, and practice toward psychiatry, 2 internal Consultant Psychiatrists and participants evaluated the training course providing appropriate feedback to the organizers and trainers for modifying several adopted training methods, as well as a curriculum for subsequent courses. RESULTS: The 2-week psychiatric training of the medical personnel resulted in identifying several pros and cons of implementing this project at primary health care centers. Additionally, the immediate and the post-training evaluations of trainees by numerous methods were characterized by favourable changes in their attitude, knowledge and enhanced motivation to practice psychiatry at primary health care centers. CONCLUSION: The implementation of this project by training the first 3 groups of health personnel was successful, as evidenced both by the healthy encouraging comments of the evaluators and the post-training favourable positive responses of the trainees. The incorporation of mental health into primary care by offering condensed psychiatric courses to general practitioners should be the top training agenda as it is in line with the World Health Organization recommendations.
Asunto(s)
Prestación Integrada de Atención de Salud/organización & administración , Educación Médica Continua , Servicios de Salud Mental/organización & administración , Atención Primaria de Salud , Psiquiatría/educación , Implementación de Plan de Salud , Humanos , Salud Mental , Evaluación de Resultado en la Atención de Salud , Arabia SauditaRESUMEN
Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common child psychiatric disorder, the epidemiology and pathophysiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is variable in different studies. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and comorbid disorders in children aided both by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnostic criteria and assessment scales entails a comprehensive neuropsychiatric interview plus collection of information from different sources. Although psychosocial and behavioral therapies are of great therapeutic values, the psychopharmacological drugs are often used in the treatment of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. With a combined approach, a substantial proportion of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (90%) show good recovery. The patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder need careful evaluation and appropriate long-term treatment in order to prevent subsequent negative consequences. In rapidly developing countries, the researchers should carry out studies, which explore different aspects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, adolescents and adults.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad , Adolescente , Conducta del Adolescente , Adulto , Antidepresivos/uso terapéutico , Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/diagnóstico , Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/epidemiología , Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/fisiopatología , Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/terapia , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/uso terapéutico , Niño , Trastornos de la Conducta Infantil/diagnóstico , Trastornos de la Conducta Infantil/epidemiología , Trastornos de la Conducta Infantil/fisiopatología , Trastornos de la Conducta Infantil/terapia , Comorbilidad , Humanos , Entrevista Psicológica , PrevalenciaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: From different perspectives, psychiatric symptoms have special significance in psychiatry. This study comparatively describes the psychopathological symptoms as noted in primary care (402) and general hospital (138) referrals. METHODS: Five hundred and forty psychiatric referrals, retrieved randomly, were reviewed extensively for collecting relevant data. RESULTS: Both hospital and primary care referrals were observed to have a variety of psychological and somatic symptoms of variable frequencies, which were suggestive of several psychopathological domains. Functional psychotic (19.5% versus 10%), mood (27.5% versus 23%) and psychosomatic (7% versus 2%) symptoms were significantly noted in hospital referrals as compared to primary care referrals while the later were observed to have significantly more somatic (34.5% versus 22.5%) and neurological (8% versus 4%) symptoms. Only a small proportion of primary care referrals (33/402, 8%] have symptoms of childhood psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric symptomatology differs in primary care and general hospital referrals. Both the general practitioners and clinicians are expected to record psychiatric symptoms in a comprehensive manner. Hence, they need condensed training courses on psychiatric symptomatology.
Asunto(s)
Hospitales Generales/estadística & datos numéricos , Trastornos Mentales/epidemiología , Atención Primaria de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Derivación y Consulta/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Arabia Saudita/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The authors mainly focus on the initial observations of the implementation phase of a health project that aims to integrate mental health into primary care. METHODS: In the light of specific aims and objectives of both planning and curriculum development phases, 2- weeks of intensive psychiatric training consisting of basic theoretical and clinical concepts of psychiatry was imparted to a group of general practitioners and paramedical staff. In addition to assessing their pre-and post-training knowledge, attitude, and practice toward psychiatry, 2 internal Consultant Psychiatrists and participants evaluated the training course providing appropriate feedback to the organizers and trainers for modifying several adopted training methods, as well as a curriculum for subsequent courses. RESULTS: The 2-week psychiatric training of the medical personnel resulted in identifying several pros and cons of implementing this project at primary health care centers. Additionally, the immediate and the post-training evaluations of trainees by numerous methods were characterized by favourable changes in their attitude, knowledge and enhanced motivation to practice psychiatry at primary health care centers. CONCLUSION: The implementation of this project by training the first 3 groups of health personnel was successful, as evidenced both by the healthy encouraging comments of the evaluators and the post-training favourable positive responses of the trainees. The incorporation of mental health into primary care by offering condensed psychiatric courses to general practitioners should be the top training agenda as it is in line with the World Health Organization recommendations.
RESUMEN
This paper describes the measles immunization programme in Saudi Arabia and the change from the single-dose schedule with the Schwartz vaccine to the double-dose schedule with the Edmonston-Zagreb vaccine. The recent measles-mumps-rubella school campaign is also described.
Asunto(s)
Programas de Inmunización/organización & administración , Esquemas de Inmunización , Vacuna contra el Sarampión-Parotiditis-Rubéola/inmunología , Vacunación/métodos , Anticuerpos Antivirales/sangre , Preescolar , Estudios de Seguimiento , Política de Salud , Humanos , Incidencia , Lactante , Sarampión/epidemiología , Sarampión/prevención & control , Virus del Sarampión/inmunología , Evaluación de Necesidades/organización & administración , Innovación Organizacional , Desarrollo de Programa , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Seguridad , Arabia Saudita/epidemiología , Servicios de Salud Escolar/organización & administración , Vacunación/normasRESUMEN
Psychiatric and physical morbidities among patients referred from primary health care (PHC) centres and general hospitals (GH) in Al-Qassim region were compared. Thus, 540 psychiatric referrals (GH = 138; PHC = 402) were selected randomly. Fifteen GH patients but no PHC patients were referred for admission. Psychiatrists made more diagnoses of dementia, affective and anxiety disorders, mixed anxiety-depression and somatoform disorders than clinicians and general practitioners (GPs). Clinicians made significantly more diagnoses of acute psychoses and somatoform disorders than GPs. Physical morbidity was noted in 38.4% and 17.2% of GH and PHC referrals respectively.
Asunto(s)
Comorbilidad , Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria/estadística & datos numéricos , Hospitalización/estadística & datos numéricos , Trastornos Mentales/complicaciones , Trastornos Mentales/epidemiología , Atención Primaria de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Psiquiatría/estadística & datos numéricos , Derivación y Consulta/estadística & datos numéricos , Urgencias Médicas , Encuestas de Atención de la Salud , Humanos , Evaluación de Necesidades , Características de la Residencia/estadística & datos numéricos , Arabia Saudita/epidemiología , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
This paper describes the measles immunization programme in Saudi Arabia and the change from the single-dose schedule with the Schwartz vaccine to the double-dose schedule with the Edmonston-Zagreb vaccine. The recent measles-mumps-rubella school campaign is also described
Asunto(s)
Anticuerpos Antivirales , Preescolar , Programas de Inmunización , Esquemas de Inmunización , Sarampión , Virus del Sarampión , Evaluación de Necesidades , Desarrollo de Programa , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Vacunación , Vacuna contra el Sarampión-Parotiditis-RubéolaRESUMEN
Psychiatric and physical morbidities among patients referred from primary health care [PHC] centres and general hospitals [GH] in Al-Qassim region were compared. Thus, 540 psychiatric referrals [GH = 138; PHC = 402] were selected randomly. Fifteen GH patients but no PHC patients were referred for admission. Psychiatrists made more diagnoses of dementia, affective and anxiety disorders, mixed anxiety-depression and somatoform disorders than clinicians and general practitioners [GPs]. Clinicians made significantly more diagnoses of acute psychoses and somatoform disorders than GPs. Physical morbidity was noted in 38.4% and 17.2% of GH and PHC referrals respectively
Asunto(s)
Encuestas de Atención de la Salud , Hospitalización , Trastornos Mentales , Atención Primaria de Salud , Derivación y Consulta , PsiquiatríaRESUMEN
The goal of this article is to review childhood enuresis, which is a common behavioral condition reported in millions of children worldwide. An online computer search was made, and the literature up to 1997 was screened in order to include relevant data for this review. The prevalence of childhood enuresis varies across reviewed studies. This was attributed to a variety of sociodemographic and cultural dynamics of societies. Similarly, the pathophysiology of this ubiquitous symptom is determined by multiple risk factors including biological, psychological, social, and cultural, but the developmental/maturational delay influenced by genetics remains the most plausible explanation. Although a variety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment modalities are traced in the literature, there is yet no agreement on a single strategy. A general agreement about behavioral therapy as the first choice of treatment of this minor malady began to emerge. Additionally, tricyclic antidepressants are the most frequently prescribed drugs for the treatment of childhood enuresis. Enuresis is a pediatric public health problem and concerted efforts at all levels, ie, professional, promotional, educational and public should be made to address its multiple domains such as preventive, etiological and curative.
RESUMEN
The goal of this article is to review childhood enuresis, which is a common behavioral condition reported in millions of children worldwide. An online computer search was made, and the literature up to 1997 was screened in order to include relevant data for this review. The prevalence of childhood enuresis varies across reviewed studies. This was attributed to a variety of sociodemographic and cultural dynamics of societies. Similarly, the pathophysiology of this ubiquitous symptom is determined by multiple risk factors including biological, psychological, social, and cultural, but the developmental/maturational delay influenced by genetics remains the most plausible explanation. Although a variety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment modalities are traced in the literature, there is yet no agreement on a single strategy. A general agreement about behavioral therapy as the first choice of treatment of this minor malady began to emerge. Additionally, tricyclic antidepressants are the most frequently prescribed drugs for the treatment of childhood enuresis. Enuresis is a pediatric public health problem and concerted efforts at all levels, ie, professional, promotional, educational and public should be made to address its multiple domains such as preventive, etiological and curative.
Asunto(s)
Enuresis , Adolescente , Actitud Frente a la Salud , Terapia Conductista , Niño , Protección a la Infancia , Preescolar , Antagonistas Colinérgicos/uso terapéutico , Enuresis/epidemiología , Enuresis/fisiopatología , Enuresis/terapia , Antagonistas de los Receptores Histamínicos H1/uso terapéutico , Humanos , Pediatría/métodos , Prevalencia , Salud Pública , Fármacos Renales/uso terapéutico , Factores de Riesgo , Factores Socioeconómicos , Simpatomiméticos/uso terapéutico , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Although asthma in children constitutes a major health problem, there is a dearth of literature on different aspects of asthma in rapidly developing countries. This cross-sectional research aims to study the socioclinical profile of asthmatic children and the impact of asthma symptoms on their life style. METHODS: The sample of this study, drawn from pediatric clinics of a general hospital and primary health care centers during a period of six months, comprised of children under 13 years of age who met the operational diagnostic criteria for asthma. The data collected from multiple sources on a semistructured questionnaire was analyzed by using different statistical tests. RESULTS: The results showed that male children represented 69% of the sample and children under one year of age manifested significantly severe degree of asthma. The frequency of asthma symptoms decreased in most of the studied children with increasing age. Further, they have insignificant family history of asthma (48.5%) but a significant smoking at home in severely affected children (59%). Moreover, most of them (88%) were mainly characterized by a combination of asthmatic symptoms of variable severity that adversely affected their sleep pattern and significantly resulted in school absences and increased days stay in hospital. CONCLUSION: The revealed socioclinical profile of studied children with asthma has adverse impact on certain components of their life style, which shows the need for re-activating relevant treatment modalities including health education and changing certain habits like parental smoking at home, which adversely affects asthma.
Asunto(s)
Asma/epidemiología , Países en Desarrollo , Factores de Edad , Asma/genética , Niño , Preescolar , Femenino , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad/genética , Humanos , Lactante , Estilo de Vida , Masculino , Factores de Riesgo , Arabia Saudita/epidemiología , Contaminación por Humo de Tabaco/efectos adversosRESUMEN
Relevant papers published in peer reviewed journals in the past 2 decades were identified and screened to abstract pertinent information. Substance dependence/addiction, involving both a common brain reward mechanism and longer-lasting molecular and cellular changes, is a preventable chronic, relapsing brain disease and as such a public health problem. Physical and psychological dependence, characterized by withdrawal syndrome, are now given less weight compared with compulsive behaviour and uncontrolled use of drugs in the comprehension of addiction. The challenging components of drug addictions, including counteradaptation, sensitization, abstinence, craving and relapse need further neurobiological and non-neurobiological exploration and understanding, which may be possible through the use of advanced imaging and genetic techniques and animal models of drug addiction together with relevant human studies.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias , Adaptación Fisiológica , Animales , Enfermedad Crónica , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Predicción , Terapia Genética/tendencias , Humanos , Neurobiología , Salud Pública , Recurrencia , Investigación/tendencias , Síndrome de Abstinencia a Sustancias/diagnóstico , Síndrome de Abstinencia a Sustancias/etiología , Síndrome de Abstinencia a Sustancias/fisiopatología , Síndrome de Abstinencia a Sustancias/psicología , Síndrome de Abstinencia a Sustancias/terapia , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/diagnóstico , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/etiología , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/fisiopatología , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/psicología , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/terapiaRESUMEN
Relevant papers published in peer reviewed journals in the past 2 decades were identified and screened to abstract pertinent information. Substance dependence/addiction, involving both a common brain reward mechanism and longer-lasting molecular and cellular changes, is a preventable chronic, relapsing brain disease and as such a public health problem. Physical and psychological dependence, characterized by withdrawal syndrome, are now given less weight compared with compulsive behaviour and uncontrolled use of drugs in the comprehension of addiction. The challenging components of drug addictions, including counteradaptation, sensitization, abstinence, craving and relapse need further neurobiological and non-neurobiological exploration and understanding, which may be possible through the use of advanced imaging and genetic techniques and animal models of drug addiction together with relevant human studies
Asunto(s)
Adaptación Fisiológica , Enfermedad Crónica , Terapia Genética , Neurobiología , Investigación , Síndrome de Abstinencia a Sustancias , Trastornos Relacionados con SustanciasRESUMEN
Psychotropic drugs prescriptions for patients attending psychiatric outpatient clinics were studied. Of the 52,168 prescriptions written in 1996, 18,265 were systematically, randomly selected and evaluated. Incomplete prescriptions were found; the data missing included duration of treatment (18.75%), sex (9.25%), age (8.75%) and diagnosis (7.50%). Antipsychotics (33.1%), antidepressants (23.2%), anticholinergics (22.0%) and anticonvulsants (12.9%) were the most frequently prescribed drugs. Polypharmacy (85%) was the predominant mode of practice. The most common diagnoses were mood (23.1%), anxiety (17.7%) and schizophrenic (16.2%) disorders. Medical education and quality monitoring programmes are suggested to improve the quality of psychotropic prescriptions and modify multiple pharmacotherapy practice.