RESUMEN

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of stress for healthcare personnel. They are subjected to arduous and stressful working hours and may contract infection. The objectives of this study were to (i) assess the level of occupational stress and the prevalence of burnout among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic and (ii) to identify some sociodemographic characteristics and work-related factors that may influence the level of stress and burnout among such HCWs. An online survey was distributed on social media websites and groups of HCWs in KSA. The survey depended on the stress domain of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the work-related burnout domain of Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). Data were collected using a Google form and then analyzed. Among 478 respondents, 37.7% of studied HCWs reported mild to extremely severe stress, and 47.9% of them reported work-related burnout. Occupational stress and burnout were more prevalent among front-line HCWs (43.9% and 55%) than among second-line HCWs (31.2% and 40.8%). The mean scores of occupational stress and burnout were significantly much higher among frontline physicians and nurses particularly those who are females, of younger age (≤40 years), with few years of work experience (≤15 years), being married, having chronic disease, and those previously infected by COVID-19. HCWs reported a high prevalence of occupational stress and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Establishing policies and guidelines, enhancing working conditions, and providing continuous psychological support and assurance to HCWs are recommended to improve their resilience and increase their coping capacities toward pandemics.

Asunto(s)

Agotamiento Profesional , COVID-19 , Personal de Salud , Estrés Laboral , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/psicología , Arabia Saudita/epidemiología , Femenino , Masculino , Personal de Salud/psicología , Agotamiento Profesional/epidemiología , Agotamiento Profesional/psicología , Adulto , Estrés Laboral/epidemiología , Estrés Laboral/psicología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Prevalencia , SARS-CoV-2 , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Pandemias , Estudios Transversales

RESUMEN

Background: Internet addiction is increasing worldwide. Internet addiction (IA) refers to excessive Internet usage in an uncontrolled and time-consuming manner, causing loss of time and disruption of daily life. However, the prevalence of IA may vary according to age, sex, and ethnicity, and is more prevalent among college students. There is a strong link between problematic Internet usage and an increased risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD and depression symptoms. Medical students were chosen for this study due to their unique stressors, including rigorous academic demands, extensive study hours, and clinical practice requirements. It is critical to address behavioral addictions and their psychological effects in this group, as they are linked to the future quality of healthcare provision compared with their non-medical peers. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) in medical students and explore their correlation with the medical students' PTSD and Patient Health Questionnaire -9 (PHQ9) scores. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted including 506 medical students in the second year of medical school up to internship year at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University (IAU) between June 2021 and January 2022. The questionnaire consisted of consent forms, sociodemographic data, and screening tools for PTSD, the GPIU, and PHQ-9. Results: The prevalence of problematic internet usage (PIU) was 30.6% in the sample group. Students with moderate-to-moderately severe PTSD were 1.7 times more likely to have PIU OR (95% CI): 1.7 (1.091, 2.879). Students with moderate to severe depression were 2.2 times more likely to have PIU OR (95% CI); 2.2 (1.333, 3.950).Having a Saudi nationality, lower income, and being single was significantly associated with PIU. Conclusion: Single Saudi medical students with lower income are at risk of developing more problematic internet use. Especially those who score moderate to high on PTSD and PHQ-9 scales.

RESUMEN

Background: Pain is a subjective complaint that comprises a vast majority of emergency department (ED) visits. Owing to its subjectivity, pain reporting is prone to variations that could impact patient care. We aimed to determine the extent of differences in pain rating-scores between patients and their physicians in the ED and impact on patient satisfaction. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional sample of eligible patients was recruited from two centers in Saudi Arabia. Pain scorings were performed using validated online questionnaires during patients' ED stay. Results: Pain rating scores by physicians was lower than that by patients (6.3 ± 2.0 versus 7.0 ± 3.1, p = 0.004). Additionally, severe pain rating (8-10 rating) was given less frequently by physicians compared with that by patients (26.0% versus 48.1%, p = 0.004). Comparing the ratings by physicians with those by patients, underestimation was observed in 70.1%, overestimation in 16.9%, and matching rating in 13.0% cases. The most frequent analgesic medication administered was paracetamol (79.2%), followed by diclofenac (26.0%), morphine (10.4%), and ketorolac (9.1%). The medications were administered mainly intravenously (87.0%) and, to a lesser extent, intramuscularly (31.2%). Majority of patients (62.5%) reported not to have sufficient pain relief after treatment. Conclusion: Most physicians tend to underestimate the level of pain perceived by their patients, which often leads to under-treatment and lower patient satisfaction. The present study revealed a significant difference in pain ratings between patients and physicians.

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: This study assesses the attitudes (willingness) and preparedness of non-frontline physicians across different specialties in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) toward the management of hospitalized coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study conducted between April 15, 2020, and May 5, 2020, included 6209 physicians working in KSA. An electronic questionnaire was designed and validated for the assessment of 3 categorical outcome variables, namely, attitudes, confidence, and knowledge levels. Pearson's chi-square test was used for comparing the distribution of the proportions of these 3 categorical variables. RESULTS: Most participants (63.2%) were willing and prepared to treat COVID-19 patients. A significantly large proportion of participants specializing in anesthesiology (78.2%) had higher knowledge levels, followed by those from plastic surgery (71.1%), pediatrics (69.7%), and obstetrics and gynecology (69.1%) (P < 0.0001). Lower confidence levels were found for airway management skills (38.1%), particularly among dermatologists and radiologists. CONCLUSION: Higher knowledge levels about personal protective equipment (PPE) use and confidence in airway management skills were proportionally related to the level of willingness to participate in COVID-19 patient management. There is an urgent need to train doctors from certain specialties on PPE use and airway management to enable their frontline support of severely ill COVID-19 patients.

Asunto(s)

COVID-19 , Médicos , Humanos , Niño , Pandemias , COVID-19/epidemiología , Arabia Saudita/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Encuestas y Cuestionarios

RESUMEN

Parvovirus B19 (PB19) is a single-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the Erythrovirus genus within the Parvoviridae family. Clinical presentations associated with PB19 infection vary greatly, depending on the infected individual's age and hematologic and immunologic status. The limited data available regarding consensus on screening algorithms and indications in donors and recipients prior to kidney transplantation makes diagnosis and management challenging. We presented 3 cases of pure red cell aplasia due to parvovirus B19 after kidney transplant. These patients were diagnosed with severe normocytic, normochromic anemia (hemoglobin below 60 g/L) in the 1st 6 months posttransplant. A complete anemia work-up revealed low reticulocyte count and was otherwise inconclusive. All patients were diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia due to parvovirus B19. Two patients improved after receiving intravenous immunoglobulin 2 gm/kg given over 4 doses. Unfortunately, they relapse after few weeks and required additional doses of intravenous immunoglobulin in conjugation with reduction of their immunosuppressive medication. The third patient improved after holding mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and did not require intravenous immunoglobulin. Whereas PB19 infection is typically self-limiting and associated with positive IgM serology in immunocompetent hosts, these cases highlight the importance of considering PB19 infection in the differential diagnosis of persistent anemia in immunocompromised patients and the challenges in confirming the diagnosis. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) can be an effective treatment in immunocompromised patients with primary or relapsed PB19 infection in conjunction with minimizing immunosuppressive medication. Further research and consideration are required to determine appropriate and targeted screening in donors and recipients in the peritransplantation period.