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Abstract Background Vaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) is pivotal in decreasing the incidence of contagious infections in hospital settings. In this study, we assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding HCWs’ recommended vaccines among medical students and interns in Egypt. Methods A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured, pilot-tested, and self-administered questionnaire among Egyptian medical students and interns. We invited 1332 participants to our survey using a systematic random sampling that included participants across nine medical schools in Egypt during the 2021–2022 academic year. Results Out of 1332 participants, 1141 completed our questionnaire with a response rate of 85.7%. Overall, 43% of the participants had intermediate knowledge (knew 2–3 HCWs’ recommended vaccines). Furthermore, 36.7% had received a booster dose of at least one of the HCWs’ recommended vaccines over the last 10 years, with only 6.1% having received all recommended vaccines. Hepatitis B vaccine was the most widely known (71%) and received (66.7%). Interns were more likely to know, receive, and recommend HCWs’ recommended vaccines. The majority (> 90%) agreed that vaccination is beneficial and safe, with a median score of eight (interquartile range [IQR: Q25-Q75]: 7–9) out of ten for vaccine efficacy and eight (IQR: 7–8) for safety. However, the median score for hesitancy was five (IQR: 2–7). The most common influential and limiting factors for vaccination were scientific facts (60.1%) and fear of vaccine side effects (44.9%). Conclusion Although medical students in Egypt have good knowledge of and attitudes towards vaccination, there is a gap in their practices. Interventions are needed to improve vaccination uptake among medical students in Egypt.

Abstract Background COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift toward e-learning, particularly in medical education. Mobile medical applications (apps) have become integral tools for e-learning due to the prevalence of smartphones among medical students. Therefore, we aim to assess the usage and attitude of undergraduate Egyptian medical students towards mobile medical apps during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods This is a two-phase repeated cross-sectional study using an online, pilot-tested, and self-administered survey conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Egypt. Phase 1 was during the academic year 2019–2020 (during lockdown), and phase 2 was during the academic year 2021–2022 (after lockdown). Out of the 4800-target population for each phase, a sample size of 140 medical students was randomly selected from each study year, resulting in a total sample size of 840 students for all six academic and clinical years for each phase. Results A total of 566 students in phase 1 and 616 students in phase 2 responded to the survey, with response rates of 67.62% and 73.33%, respectively. In phase 1, 55.7% of students reported using medical apps, with no significant difference between males and females (60.1% vs. 53.8%; p = 0.17) or between academic and clinical years (56.3% vs. 54.7%; p = 0.7). In phase 2, the percentage increased to 70.9%, with a significant difference between males and females (80% vs. 62.9%; p

Abstract Background Current guidelines advocate for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in adults who are at risk by using direct visualization methods such as colonoscopy. However, in Egypt, there is a paucity of data regarding the current practice of colonoscopy screening. Moreover, more information is needed about the knowledge and attitudes of potential participants regarding the procedure and possible barriers that can limit their participation. Methods We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study using an interview-based survey of patients aged 45 years or above who presented to outpatient clinics of nine university hospitals throughout Egypt. Participants were surveyed to assess their compliance with CRC colonoscopy screening guidelines, their knowledge of and attitude towards colonoscopy screening, and their perspective on potential barriers to colonoscopy screening. Results A total of 1,453 participants responded to our survey in the nine study centers. Only a minority of participants (2.3%) were referred for CRC screening. Referral rates were higher among those who knew someone with a history of CRC (5.3% vs 1.5%, p

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has revolutionized the treatment of early stage gastrointestinal cancers. However, ESD can be associated with increased postprocedural pain and higher complication rates. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of local anesthesia. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of local anesthesia in ESD procedures. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess study quality. A meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4, with summary measures expressed as pooled odds ratios (OR) or mean differences with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Four randomized controlled trials with 296 patients undergoing ESD procedures were included. The use of local anesthesia did not significantly impact procedural time (mean difference = −2.05, 95% CI = −9.29, 5.18, I2 = 30%, P = 0.58). Lastly, the use of local anesthesia did not increase the risk of bleeding or other adverse events (P > 0.05) and decreased the incidence of bradycardia (OR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.95; I2 = 0%; P = 0.04). Conclusion: Our study found that the use of local anesthesia did not significantly affect the procedural time of ESD. However, it effectively reduced postoperative pain in some trials with no risk of increased incidence of adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has revolutionized the treatment of early stage gastrointestinal cancers. However, ESD can be associated with increased postprocedural pain and higher complication rates. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of local anesthesia., Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of local anesthesia in ESD procedures. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess study quality. A meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4, with summary measures expressed as pooled odds ratios (OR) or mean differences with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI)., Results: Four randomized controlled trials with 296 patients undergoing ESD procedures were included. The use of local anesthesia did not significantly impact procedural time (mean difference = -2.05, 95% CI = -9.29, 5.18, I 2 = 30%, P  = 0.58). Lastly, the use of local anesthesia did not increase the risk of bleeding or other adverse events ( P  > 0.05) and decreased the incidence of bradycardia (OR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.03, 0.95; I 2 = 0%; P  = 0.04)., Conclusion: Our study found that the use of local anesthesia did not significantly affect the procedural time of ESD. However, it effectively reduced postoperative pain in some trials with no risk of increased incidence of adverse events., Competing Interests: The authors report no funding or conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Baylor University Medical Center.)