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Abdullah Alghamdi,1 Abdulmalak Abdullah Alsaleh,2 Omar Abdulaziz Alfozan,2 Rayan Qutob,1 Abdullah Alaryni,1 Abdullah Bukhari,1 Osamah A Hakami,1 Bassam Abdulaziz Alhusaini,2 Saad Abdullah Alzmamy,2 Fadhah Saud Alhudayris,2 Lama Khalid Alshuaibi,2 Ahad Marei Alenazi,2 Lama Shaya Alhosaini,2 Najd Khalid Aljarba,2 Shahad Hameed AlShammari2 1Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Faculty of medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Bassam Abdulaziz Alhusaini, Faculty of medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, 7544 Othman Bin Affan Road Al-Nada, Riyadh, 13317, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966557818206, Email Bam.h98s@gmail.comBackground: Organ donation is a lifesaving option to rescue many patients with end-stage organ failure from possible morbidities and mortalities. Unfortunately, due to a shortage of donors, many patients suffering from their illnesses are waiting for an organ. This study aimed to determine the awareness, attitude, and beliefs toward organ donation among the Saudi population.Patients and Methods: This is an online cross-sectional survey that was conducted in Saudi Arabia between July and September 2022. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the general public using an online platform. The questionnaire consists of two sections: the first is about demographic data, and the second is about questions to assess awareness, attitude, and beliefs regarding organ donation. The Chi-squared test was used to examine the differences in participants’ awareness, attitude, and beliefs towards organ donation. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of a positive attitude towards organ donation.Results: A total of 3507 individuals participated in this study. Around 68.1% were aged between 18 and 30 years. Twenty-four percent of them knew of the legislative body for organ donation; 58.5% believed that organ donation should be promoted; and 66.1% had a positive attitude toward donating body organs. Younger age (31– 50 years), male gender, being unemployed or working in a government job, and being married were factors that decreased the likelihood of having a positive attitude towards organ donation.Conclusion: Although there was a positive attitude and belief about organ donation, awareness was suboptimal. Younger age, male gender, being unemployed or working in a government job, and being married were factors that decreased the likelihood of having a positive attitude towards organ donation. It is necessary to address the gaps in knowledge, and social media as well as mass media may have an important role in bridging the gaps.Keywords: organ donation, attitude, knowledge, belief, public

Introduction Herpes zoster (HZ) is a viral infection that occurs due to the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Reactivation of the latent virus causes a painful dermatomal rash that is typical in HZ, which is frequently accompanied by post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Although HZ negatively impacts individuals' quality of life, vaccination has been shown to reduce the incidence of HZ and PHN and reduce the severity of the disease in the event of a breakthrough. Nonetheless, several studies have shown a low level of knowledge and poor practices regarding HZ and its vaccine. However, only two studies on this issue have been conducted in the Middle East. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward HZ vaccinations among the Saudi population aged 50 years and older. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from December 2022 to July 2023 involving citizens aged 50 years and older in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an online, validated, close-ended structured questionnaire distributed through social media. Linear regression analysis was used to assess independent predictors of knowledge regarding HZ, knowledge regarding the HZ vaccine, and attitudes toward HZ. Categorical variables were dummy-coded. Binary logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with the willingness to receive the HZ vaccine. Results A total of 368 respondents completed the questionnaire. The mean knowledge scores (%) regarding HZ and its vaccine were 28.6% and 37.1%, respectively. While 51.6% (n = 190) claimed to be aware of the HZ vaccine, only 31.6% (n = 60) had a knowledge score of 80% or higher. Multivariate analysis showed that knowledge was positively associated with female gender, prior chickenpox infection, and higher education. Only 54.4% of the respondents were willing to get the HZ vaccine, and 28.8% were willing to pay out of pocket for the HZ vaccine. Conclusion The results suggest that educational campaigns on HZ and its vaccine targeting at-risk groups are required to raise awareness and increase the public's knowledge. Additionally, healthcare personnel's recommendation of the HZ vaccine to the target population should be encouraged, as it is an important factor in vaccine acceptability., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Alleft et al.)

Objectives: Cerumen production is a protective process for the ear canal. Cerumen impaction causes unpleasant symptoms. There are various cerumen removal practices. These include irrigation, application of softeners/solvents, mechanical removal, and micro-suction. However, during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, some patients opted for some procedures, such as ear candling, which are not evidence-based. This study aimed to explore the awareness of ear candling among otolaryngology doctors and record cases with complications of such practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was developed after an extensive literature search, and distributed to otolaryngology residents, fellows, and consultants of different hospitals across the country. A total of 80 respondents agreed to participate in the study., Results: A total of 16 doctors reported seeing cases of ear candling, of which 13 patients had different complications, of which ear pain was the most commonly reported. The majority of participants (42.5%) thought the lack of medical access during lockdown enhanced the practice of alternative medicine for ear-related complaints in society compared to 35% of participants who had a neutral response regarding this idea and 22.5% who disagreed., Conclusions: Although the practice of ear candling is not widely spread in KSA, different types of ear complications were recorded by the otolaryngologist. We would like to encourage the doctors to report such complications, especially after the lockdown period., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)