43 results on '"Bohsas, H."'
Search Results
2. Syrian Women Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Hepatitis B Prevention
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Bohsas, H, primary, Alibrahim, H, additional, Swed, S, additional, Nour Nasif, M, additional, Hossam El Din Moawad, M, additional, Albakri, K, additional, Badr Almoshantaf, M, additional, Kazan, L, additional, Hafez, W, additional, and Bakkour, A, additional
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- 2023
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3. Syrians' awareness of cardiovascular disease risk factors and warning indicators : a descriptive cross-sectional study
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Swed, S., Alibrahim, H., Bohsas, H., Hafez, W., Rais, M. A., Shoib, S., Albazee, E., Elsayed, M. E. G., Sawaf, B., Farwati, A., Seijari, M. N., Battikh, N., Shaheen, N., Ibrahem, N., Alsaleh, A., Lee, Ka Yiu, Rakab, A., Swed, S., Alibrahim, H., Bohsas, H., Hafez, W., Rais, M. A., Shoib, S., Albazee, E., Elsayed, M. E. G., Sawaf, B., Farwati, A., Seijari, M. N., Battikh, N., Shaheen, N., Ibrahem, N., Alsaleh, A., Lee, Ka Yiu, and Rakab, A.
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The awareness of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) contributes to the complications and fatality rates from these diseases among individuals; however, no previous study in Syria was conducted on this topic; thus, this study aims to assess Syrians' awareness of CVDs warning symptoms and risk factors. This online cross-sectional study was performed in Syria between the 1st and 25th of August 2022. The inclusion criteria for the sample were citizens of Syria over 18 who currently reside in Syria. The questionnaire included open- and closed-ended questions to assess the awareness of CVDs. A total of 1201 participants enrolled in the study with a response rate of 97.2%; more than half of the participants (61.4%) were aged 18–24. The most recognizable risk factors and warning signs when asking close-ended and open-ended questions were smoking (95.2%, 37.1%) and chest pain (87.8%, 24.8%), respectively. Overall knowledge scores for risk factors and warning signs were (61.5%). Regarding knowledge score of CVDs risk factors and warning signs, participants aged 45–54 scored higher than other age groups, and respondents with a university education level had a higher score than other educational levels (15.7 ± 0.3), (14.5 ± 0.1), respectively. Participants aged 45–54 have a higher probability of good knowledge of CVDs risk factors and warning signs than participants aged 18–24 (OR = 4.8, P value < 0.001), while participants living in the countryside were less likely to have good knowledge of CVDs risk factors and warning signs than city residents (OR = 0.6, P value < 0.05). According to our results, there is inadequate knowledge of the risk factors and warning signs of CVDs. Consequently, there is a greater need to raise CVD awareness and learning initiatives on the disease's risk factors and symptoms., Correction to: Scientific Reports 10.1038/s41598-023-35321-2
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- 2023
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4. Monkeypox in Syria : Highlighting an awareness issue
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Swed, S., Alibrahim, H., Bohsas, H., Aljabali, A., Almoshantaf, M. B., Sawaf, B., Shoib, S., Patwary, M. M., Albazee, E., Lee, Ka Yiu, Farwati, A., Seijari, M. N., Hafez, W., Rakab, A., Swed, S., Alibrahim, H., Bohsas, H., Aljabali, A., Almoshantaf, M. B., Sawaf, B., Shoib, S., Patwary, M. M., Albazee, E., Lee, Ka Yiu, Farwati, A., Seijari, M. N., Hafez, W., and Rakab, A.
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Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) verified 780 cases of monkeypox across 27 countries between 13 May 2022 and 2 June 2022. The aim of our study was to assess the level of awareness of human monkeypox virus among Syrian medical students, general practitioners, medical residents, and specialists. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was performed in Syria between May 2 and September 8, 2022. The survey consisted of 53 questions within the following three categories: demographic information, work-related details, and monkeypox knowledge. Results: In total, 1257 Syrian healthcare workers and medical students were enrolled in our study. The animal host and incubation time for monkeypox were correctly identified by just 2.7% and 33.3% of responders, respectively. Sixty percent of the study sample thought that the symptoms of monkeypox and smallpox are identical. No statistically significant associations were found between predictor variables and knowledge regarding monkeypox (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: Education and awareness regarding monkeypox vaccinations are of paramount importance. It is essential that clinical doctors are adequately aware of this disease, in order to avoid an uncontrolled situation, as experienced with COVID-19.
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- 2023
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5. Prevalence and knowledge of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and health-related practices among women of Syria: a cross-sectional study.
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Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Swed S, Abouainain Y, Aljabali A, Kazan L, Jabban YKE, Mehmood Q, Sawaf B, Eissa N, Alkasem M, Edrees Y, Cherrez-Ojeda I, Fathey S, Rashid G, Hafez W, AbdElrahim E, Osman H, Emran TB, Khan Pathan R, and Khandaker MU
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- Female, Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Syria epidemiology, Prevalence, Surveys and Questionnaires, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome diagnosis, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome epidemiology
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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent metabolic and hormonal disorder affecting women of reproductive age. Limited data exists on Syrian women's PCOS awareness and health behaviors. This study aimed to gauge PCOS prevalence, knowledge, awareness, and health-related practices among Syrian women. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from 11 February to 27 October 2022, targeting Syrian women aged 18-45. Collaborators from specific medical universities distributed a questionnaire adapted from a Malaysian paper through social media platforms. Out of 1840 surveyed Syrian women, 64.2% were aged 21-29, and 69.6% held bachelor's degrees. Those with a bachelor's degree exhibited the highest mean knowledge score (12.86), and women previously diagnosed with PCOS had a higher mean knowledge score (13.74) than those without. Approximately 27.4% were confirmed PCOS cases, and 38.9% had possible cases. Women with PCOS were 3.41 times more likely to possess knowledge about the condition. The findings suggest a moderate level of PCOS knowledge and health-related practices among Syrian women, emphasizing the need for increased awareness. Consistent local PCOS screening programs, in collaboration with obstetrics and gynecology professionals, are crucial for improving understanding and clinical symptom recognition of this condition among Syrian women.
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- 2024
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6. Triglyceride-Glucose Index as Predictor for Hypertension, CHD and STROKE Risk among Non-Diabetic Patients: A NHANES Cross-Sectional Study 2001-2020.
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Sawaf B, Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Dave T, Nasif MN, Hafez W, Tashrifwala FAA, Jabban YKE, Al-Rassas S, Saleh HH, Zaidi ARZ, Alghalyini B, Mohamed SA, Mohamed WF, Farwati A, Seijari MN, Battikh N, Elnagar B, Iqbal S, Robles-Velasco K, and Cherrez-Ojeda I
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- Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Male, Middle Aged, Retrospective Studies, Adult, United States epidemiology, Risk Factors, Aged, Risk Assessment methods, Predictive Value of Tests, Stroke epidemiology, Stroke blood, Stroke etiology, Hypertension epidemiology, Hypertension blood, Hypertension diagnosis, Coronary Disease epidemiology, Coronary Disease blood, Coronary Disease diagnosis, Nutrition Surveys, Triglycerides blood, Blood Glucose analysis
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Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of global mortality. Early intervention and prevention of CVD depend on accurately predicting the risk of CVD. This study aimed to investigate the association between the TyG index and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), congestive heart failure (CHF), heart attack (HA), stroke, and hypertension (HTN) among patients without diabetes in the United States., Methods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, we used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001 to 2020. We conducted several regression analysis models and calculated the sensitivity and specificity of (TyG) index for predicting the onset of CHD, CHF, HA, stroke, and HTN., Results: A total of 10,937 individuals without diabetes participated in our study. Individuals with a TyG index greater than 8.96 displayed significant increasing in various parameters, including BMI, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL, and Apo-B levels (p < 0.001). Almost all regression models ensured that a higher TyGI value was associated with higher odds of having CHD, CHF, HA, stroke, and HTN, which patients with a TyGI value higher than 8.96 have odds ratios of 2.24-5.58 for CHD, 1.68-4.42 for stroke, 2.45-3.77 for HA and 1.75-3.93 for HTN comparing than patients with a TyGI value lower than 8.11 (p-value < 0.05).We evaluated the predictive value of the TyG index for each endpoint, obtaining the following area under the curve (AUC) values: 54.75% for CHF (95% CI: 0.542-0.614), 52.32% for stroke (95% CI: 0.529-0.584), 55.67% for HA (95% CI: 0.595-0.646), 55.59% for HTN (95% CI: 0.574-0.597), and 50.31% for CHD (95% CI: 0.592-0.646)., Conclusion: The TyG index showed a strong correlation with cardiovascular risk factors in individuals without diabetes, however it was a poor predictor of almost studied cardiovascular diseases., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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7. Assessment the awareness of vitamin D deficiency among the general population in Syria: an online cross-sectional study.
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Alibrahim H, Swed S, Bohsas H, Abouainain Y, Jawish N, Diab R, Ishak A, Saleh HH, Nasif MN, Arafah R, Abboud WA, Suliman AH, Sawaf B, and Hafez W
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- Humans, Adolescent, Young Adult, Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Syria epidemiology, Pilot Projects, Vitamin D, Vitamins, Vitamin D Deficiency epidemiology, Rickets complications, Students, Medical
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Background: Vitamin D deficiency is an importance preventable problem in the global and associates with lack levels of awareness about vitamin D. According to prior studies, in the Arab world, there is low of knowledge and awareness toward vitamin D deficiency. The target of our study is evaluating the knowledge level about vitamin D deficiency and determining the associated factors with levels of awareness of its., Method: This online cross-sectional study was performed in Syria between 25 February to 29 March 2023 to assess the levels of knowledge about vitamin D deficiency among general Syrian population. The study's survey was obtained from previously published research and we conducted a pilot study to assure the validity and clarity questionnaire. All Syrian individuals aged 18 or older who were able to read and write and willing to participate were included, while, non-Syrian nationality individuals and all medical staff (doctors, nurses, and medical students…), as well, those under 18 age were excluded. The questionnaire consisted of 23 questions separated into four categories. The first section was sociodemographic information of the study population. The second section measured the level awareness of the study population regarding the benefits of vitamin D. In addition, the third and fourth part evaluated knowing of the respondents about sources of and toxicity consequences of vitamin D. The data were analyzed by utilizing multivariate logistic regression in IBM, SPSS V.28 version., Results: Overall, 3172 of the study population accepted to participate in this research and 57.9% the majority of them were aged in the range among 18 and 28. While, the average age of the respondents were 30.80 ± 11.957. Regarding with the awareness toward knowledge of advantages and source of vitamin D and outcomes of vitamin D toxicity. Most of the participants mentioned that vitamin D is used to treat bone disease and rickets and contributes in maintaining calcium and phosphates (91.4% and 84.6%, respectively). Whereas, more than half of them reported that sun exposure does not cause vitamin D poisoning and that vegetarians are more likelihood to have vitamin D than non-vegetarians, (54.1% and 54.9%, respectively). Only, age and occupation out of nine predictors variables were significantly correlated with adequate knowledge of Vitamin D (p-value < 0.05). The respondents aged more than 60 years were high probability to have good recognition of Vitamin D than participants aged between 18 and 28 years. (OR = 7.95). Retired participants have shown lower aware of Vitamin D 0.38 times than students., Conclusion: Our research revealed that most of the participated individuals have sufficient comprehension about vitamin D, despite, there were significant gap. Health education via programs by government health-care agencies, NGOs and social workers is necessary to increase the awareness and knowledge toward benefits, source, deficiency and toxicity of vitamin D to avoid injury several diseases such as rickets., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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8. Assessing pre-eclampsia awareness among pregnant women in Syria: a cross-sectional study on knowledge and perceptions.
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Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Swed S, Abouainain Y, Aljabali A, Masoud S, Saleh HH, Aldawoud T, Taleb F, Alsheikh RA, Fawaz H, Mourad D, Mohamed WF, Aboushady R, and Hafez W
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- Female, Pregnancy, Humans, Adult, Pregnant People, Cross-Sectional Studies, Syria, Mothers, Pre-Eclampsia diagnosis, Pre-Eclampsia epidemiology, Pre-Eclampsia prevention & control
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Background: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in mothers worldwide. Adequate understanding of this condition improves treatment, control, and prevention. This study evaluated preeclampsia awareness among pregnant women in Syria, and the characteristics related to awareness adequacy., Methods: This national cross-sectional study was conducted in Syria between 25 October and November 19, 2022. We included pregnant females of all age groups from all Syrian governorates. The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge of pre-eclampsia and its associated factors, symptoms, and complications., Results: Overall, 706 participants were involved in this research, with a mean age of 38.22. Only 52.1% of them reported that they had heard of preeclampsia. Among the participants, 56.5% stated that they would not terminate a pregnancy if they were determined to be likely to develop preeclampsia, while nearly 55.2% agreed to continue the pregnancy rather than deliver prematurely even if their where a potential risk on their health risks. Participants who reported a family history of PE or had already experienced PE were more likely to have appropriate preeclampsia knowledge than those who did not (OR = 2.27, OR = 3.18, respectively). Respondents aged 25 to 35 years had the highest knowledge scores, and participants living in cities scored higher knowledge than rural residents., Conclusion: According to our findings, pregnant women in Syria have a awareness gaps regarding the PE topic. This highlights the need to enhance women's preeclampsia understanding for better pregnancy outcomes. Education through organizations, the media, and national programs is a significant aspect that promotes an adequate understanding of preeclampsia., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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9. Knowledge and Attitude of Healthcare Providers Regarding Palliative Care and Related Factors: An Online Cross-Sectional Study.
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Swed S, Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Albakri K, Rais MA, Almoshantaf MB, Hafez W, Abouainain Y, Sawaf B, Alshareef L, Othman ZAA, Elbialy I, Manad H, Faheem Y, John S, Alshareef J, Sheet L, and Rakab A
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Background: Palliative care alleviates pain and enhances the quality of life of patients with life-threatening illnesses. Training programs are required to provide patients with proper care and advance their health because the expertise of healthcare personnel in palliative care is inadequate., Aim: We aimed to assess healthcare professionals' knowledge of palliative care because palliative care programs are infrequently used in Syria., Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted between July 24, 2022, and August 28, 2022, to assess palliative care knowledge and applications among Syrian healthcare workers. The study questionnaire was designed in accordance with a previous study, and the inclusion criteria included Syrian healthcare workers, physicians, and nurses, as well as medical and nursing students. The first section of the questionnaire included sociodemographic information, while the second, third, and fourth sections assessed healthcare workers' experiences, knowledge, and attitudes toward palliative care, respectively., Results: Of the 602 participants, 66.2% of the sample study were females. The majority of the respondents (72.9%) were medical students, with 18.8% residents and 8.3% nurses or nursing students. The majority of the participants (84%) correctly answered the question about pain treatment goals, while only a small percentage (5.3%) correctly answered the question about whether long-term opioid use was addictive. There were no statistically significant differences in the overall knowledge levels across demographic areas, genders, or specialties. Only 14 participants were considered knowledgeable about palliative care. Regarding attitudes toward palliative care, the three responses that received the greatest degree of agreement were "Pain relievers should be given as needed to terminally ill patients" (89.7%) and "Patients have the right to determine their own degree of psychosocial intervention" (81%). Residents in urban and rural areas scored markedly different in their attitudes. Students in their fifth year were 8.06 times more likely to have a positive attitude when compared to those in their first year., Conclusions: Our findings show that Syrian healthcare providers lack knowledge of palliative care. It is important to integrate palliative care into Syria's healthcare system to enhance the quality of life of patients who are approaching the end of their lives and to provide care for those who require it., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Swed et al.)
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- 2024
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10. Evaluation of the General Population's Knowledge Concerning Liver Health: A Cross-Sectional Study.
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Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Swed S, Albakri K, AbdeQadir YH, Ramadan S, Kazan L, Haj Saleh H, Tashrifwala FAA, Al Ibrahim M, Tayfour S, Abo Alsel T, Alnehlawi A, Khan U, Boktor ANB, Elbialy I, Manad H, Abazid RR, and Hafez W
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Introduction: Liver disease is among the leading causes of global mortality and morbidity. Given their substantial impact on public health, raising awareness about liver diseases is paramount for their prevention and effective management. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and behaviors of Syrians regarding liver health, chronic liver disorders, and their associated serious and irreversible complications., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study encompassing the adult Syrian population between August 25 and September 29, 2023, excluding non-Syrians and individuals below the age of 18 years. A validated questionnaire, adapted from a previous study, was employed, consisting of 31 questions that covered topics related to knowledge and awareness of liver health and diseases (3-point Likert scale), attitudes towards liver screening, diagnosis, and treatment, and awareness of treatment options and vaccination. Statistical analysis including logistic regression was conducted using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS, version 28; IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Armonk, NY), with statistical significance set established at pp-values below 0.05., Results: This study included 941 participants, with an average age of 26.5 years. While two-thirds of respondents demonstrated awareness of hepatitis B and C as viral diseases (663 (70.4%) and 612 (65.4%), respectively), approximately 66 (7%) were unaware of the potential for hepatitis to induce chronic liver inflammation or lead to liver failure. Over half of the participants were knowledgeable about the non-genetic nature of hepatitis B and C, and 579 (61.7%) were informed about the transmission risks associated with these infections. The most common reason cited for not participating in health screening tests was the perception of being in good health (219, 77.4%), and prescription medication was the most frequently sought treatment for hepatitis (543, 83.9%). Bivariate analysis revealed correlations between participant knowledge and sex, socioeconomic status, educational level, and occupation (P < 0.05). Similarly, the study identified significant associations between participant attitudes and age, gender, economic status, job, and educational level (P < 0.05). Moreover, the multivariate analysis demonstrated that gender, occupation, and educational level significantly influenced both participants' knowledge and attitudes. Specifically, males exhibited lower knowledge and less favorable attitudes than females (P = 0.041 and P < 0.001, respectively)., Conclusion: The Syrian population possessed moderate knowledge of liver health and liver disorders. To bridge this knowledge gap and enhance preventive measures, it is recommended that additional health programs and awareness initiatives be implemented, involving healthcare providers and leveraging their expertise., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Alibrahim et al.)
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- 2024
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11. Emergency Contraception Knowledge, Attitudes, and Barriers Among Men: A Cross-Sectional Study.
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Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Swed S, Nasif MN, Siddiq A, Msallam H, Jabban YKE, Almoshantaf MB, Jawed HA, Aswad M, Hallak N, Kasem R, Sawaf B, Elbialy I, Gabr IGM, Abazid RR, Munawar F, Ahmed AB, Elsaadouni NM, Shalaby NY, and Hafez W
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Background Emergency contraception (EC) plays a pivotal role in the prevention of unintended pregnancies following unprotected sexual intercourse. Men's awareness regarding emergency contraception is pivotal for informed decision-making and for enhancing reproductive health in this context. This study investigated Syrian men's awareness and perspectives on emergency contraception to inform diverse reproductive health initiatives. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in Syria, from June 2022 and April 2023. Our study included male participants aged 18 years or older who held Syrian nationality and volunteered to participate. The data collection involved administering a questionnaire comprising three sections (knowledge, attitude, and barrier assessment), encompassing a total of 30 questions. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY). Results Most participants were aged 18-25 (65.7%) and single (75.4%) and held a university degree (79.3%). The knowledge of emergency contraception was low (36.1%), with the Internet and social media (77.5%) being the primary sources of information. While 89% held positive attitudes toward emergency contraception, only 37.3% supported nonprescription availability. Age, income, and desire for children were associated with knowledge, attitudes, and the use of emergency contraception. Men aged 26-35 exhibited the highest positive attitude (8.11±1.83). Those desiring no children showed higher attitude scores (7.42±2.04). Income was positively associated with knowledge (adjusted odds ratio {AOR}=1.75 and confidence interval {CI}=1.02-2.99) and emergency contraception use (AOR=2.87 and CI=1.27-6.48). Conclusion This study underscores the knowledge gap regarding emergency contraception in Syrian men. Despite positive attitudes, awareness remains limited, particularly among those of childbearing age. Targeted education and improved accessibility to emergency contraception can enhance its use among men, particularly in those with low socioeconomic status and younger age groups., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Alibrahim et al.)
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- 2024
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12. Assessing social accountability perspectives among Syrian medical students: a cross-sectional study.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Nasif MN, Abouainain Y, Jabban YKE, Ali E, Almoshantaf MB, Alnajem RA, Reslan R, Majzoub T, Sawaf B, and Hafez W
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- Female, Humans, Male, Cross-Sectional Studies, Syria, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Responsibility, Students, Medical
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Background: Social accountability (SA) within medical education signifies a commitment to address critical regional, societal, and national issues through educational, research, and service activities. In resource-limited regions, marginalized communities face barriers to accessing quality healthcare, and the concept of SA is often poorly understood by students. This study aims to investigate the perspectives, awareness, and comprehension of Syrian medical students regarding the concepts and principles of SA., Methods: This cross-sectional online study was conducted in Syria from June 1st to July 25th, 2023, to assess the perspectives on SA among medical students enrolled in pre-clinical and clinical phases from the 3rd to the 6th year, encompassing both stream I and stream II. The questionnaire included three parts: consent and introduction, socio-demographic data, and a 12-item survey assessing social accountability. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 24 (SPSS 24)., Results: A total of 1312 medical students (62.3% females vs. 37.7% males) participated in our analysis. Less than half of the participants (45.7%) reported that their institution had a limited social mission statement regarding the communities they serve. However, only 39.6% reported that their curriculum partially reflected the needs of the population they serve. A mere 7.5% and 6.8% of respondents indicated that their school had excellent community partners and stakeholders shaping their institution, and they learned significantly about other cultures and social circumstances in the medical context through their curriculum. About 24.1% reported that their institution required them to engage in a substantial amount of community-based learning, and 37.4% believed that their class reflected a good representation of socio-demographic characteristics of the reference population. A significant portion of the participants (44.3%) stated that their school did not encourage them to pursue generalist specialties, and 12.7% felt that their institution did not have a positive impact on the community. Among the included participants, 45.8% had some level of SA status, while 37.7% indicated good SA status. Age, gender, and the phase of study were the only sociodemographic characteristics statistically associated with SA status (p-value < 0.05). The association between the 12 items determining SA and the year of study was statistically significant for seven items (p-value < 0.05). However, adjusted logistic regression revealed no significant correlation between predicting SA status and sociodemographic factors (p-value > 0.05)., Conclusion: This study underscores the significant influence of clinical experience and gender on Syrian medical students' perceptions of SA. To enhance these perceptions, medical institutions should tailor support services for different stages of training and target initiatives to engage male students., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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13. Cimex (bedbug) infestations in France: A call for action.
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Hafez W, Farouk Mohamed W, Al-Obeidat F, Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Sawaf B, Rashid A, and Rodriguez-Morales AJ
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Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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- 2023
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14. Evaluating physicians' awareness and prescribing trends regarding proton pump inhibitors: a cross-sectional study.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Ibrahim ARN, Siddiq A, Jawish N, Makhoul MH, Alrezej MAM, Makhoul FH, Sawaf B, Hafez W, Makram Elsayed S, Soliman R, and Wahsh EA
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Introduction: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly used to treat acid-related disorders. Their appropriate use depends on the correct indications from the clinician. Owing to the high incidence of use and misuse, PPIs have been identified as an essential pharmacological class for developing deprescribing recommendations. Therefore, assessing physicians' knowledge and practice regarding PPI usage is critical for paving the way toward targeted recommendations and efforts. Objective: This study aimed to assess Syrian physicians' perceptions of proton pump inhibitors adverse effects, their benefit in upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) prophylaxis, and how these perceptions are related to PPI prescription practice. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a web-based questionnaire distributed among Syrian physicians in internal medicine between 28 November and 23 December 2022. The questionnaire assessed perceptions and experiences of PPIs, concerns about specific adverse effects, and their effectiveness for UGIB prophylaxis, in addition to the different scenarios used to determine the best practice for appropriate treatment to manage minimal, mild, moderate, and high-risk UGIB patients. Results: A total of 473 participants completed the questionnaire, with median age ±SD was (28.46 ± 4.58), and most participants (83.3%) were residents. Approximately half of the participants (45.5%) agreed that discussion assistance was provided to continue or terminate PPIs properly. Only 8.9% were very familiar with published evidence of PPI adverse effects. Bone weakening and vitamin B12 deficiency were the most frequently reported side effects (81.8% and 79.7%, respectively). However, dementia (0.4%) and mortality (1.9%) were the least reported adverse effects. More than half of the participants (64%) perceived using PPIs to prevent upper GI bleeding. Non-trainee physicians were less knowledgeable about appropriate GERD management than resident physicians ( p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study showed a gap between Syrian physicians' perceptions and practices regarding PPI use, which necessitates spreading awareness of updated guidelines for PPI usage and their side effects., Competing Interests: Authors FM and BS were employed by Hamad Medical Corporation. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer AG declared a shared parent affiliation with the authors FM and BS to the handling editor at the time of review., (Copyright © 2023 Swed, Alibrahim, Bohsas, Ibrahim, Siddiq, Jawish, Makhoul, Alrezej, Makhoul, Sawaf, Hafez, Makram Elsayed, Soliman and Wahsh.)
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- 2023
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15. Knowledge, attitudes and intentions of the Syrian pregnant women toward labour analgesia, and its associated factors: a cross sectional study in Syria (2022).
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Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Swed S, Abouainain Y, Nasif MN, Jawish N, Almarja MB, Aldarwish S, Ghareeb C, Sawaf B, and Hafez W
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- Child, Pregnancy, Female, Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Pregnant People, Syria, Intention, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Analgesics, Labor Pain, Analgesia, Obstetrical methods, Labor, Obstetric
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Background: During the reproductive period among pregnant women, the worst pain a woman can experience is labour pain. Untreated labour pain has many detrimental effects on the mother and the fetus. Then, the inadequate levels of awareness and attitudes toward labour analgesia among pregnant women are considered a serious concern that influences no-healthy results for both the mother and the baby. Therefore, this research aimed to define the degree of Awareness, Attitude, and intent to use labour analgesia among pregnant women in Syria., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from 7 September to 23 October 2022, in which we included Pregnant Syrian women aged 18 and above. The questionnaire was based on a prior study that included verified and validated scales, which consisted of 23 questions separated into four sections. The sample size was calculated using Fisher's formula; however, our study included 638 participants. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 28.0, using descriptive and binary logistic regression methods., Results: Among those who had previous deliveries, 39.4% performed a caesarian delivery, and only 1.9% had a delivery at home. Nearly half of the study participants (50.4%) reported adequate knowledge about analgesia for obstetric pain. The inquired pregnant women who had children had more odds of knowledge than participants who had not. Respondents who were childbearing at the health center were more likely to have a good attitude (Adjusted Odds ratio = 4.728, P-value < 0.05, 95%CI: 1.035-21.589) than those who were childbearing at a national referral hospital. Also, the respondents above 31 years were less likely to desire labour analgesia than those aged 18-24., Conclusion: Our results revealed that Syrian pregnant women have a moderated awareness, attitudes, and desire regarding labour analgesia, indicating a serious health problem among this population group. It is recommended that local and global health organizations address the current condition relevant to this issue by implementing healthy educational programmes for Syrian women through coordination with obstetric and gynaecological professionals., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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16. Awareness, knowledge, attitude, and skills regarding telemedicine among Syrian healthcare providers: A cross-sectional study.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Aljabali A, Hamouda HM, Sawaf B, Albuni MK, Battikh E, Ahmed SM, Sharif Ahmed EM, Motawea KR, Abdelazeem B, Shoib S, Rakab A, and Hafez W
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Background: After the widespread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) around the globe, it was imperative to establish preventative measures to restrict the virus's transmission. The purpose of this research was to present an overview of the awareness, knowledge, attitude, and abilities of Syrian physicians about telemedicine technology., Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1 to May 15, 2022. The questionnaire was taken from published study, and the inclusion criteria consist the Syrian doctors who worked in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly those who had direct contact with patients., Results: Among 385 responses, 52.72% of them were females, 83.9% of them were aged less than 30 years old, and 66% were working in the governmental sector; 66% of participants have moderate knowledge about using computers and the internet, 80% have heard about telemedicine. Despite that, 95.1% of participants have not attended any training workshop on telemedicine, and most of them have reported no availability of a telemedicine unit in their department. Only 31.7% participants have shown high awareness of telemedicine. Furthermore, no significant correlation was identified between the academic level with the age and telemedicine awareness, knowledge, attitude, or computer skills. Despite that, there was an obvious correlation between age and computer skills ( P -value < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the medical specialty and awareness, and computer abilities, especially the anesthesiology (88.5 ± 5.2), (84 ± 8.7), respectively. Spearman's rho test showed mild positive significant association in various subscales (awareness and experience, experience and skills, knowledge and attitude, knowledge and skills, and attitude and skills)., Conclusion: The study results demonstrate that most of the participating clinical doctors have a neutral view of telemedicine, even though they do not know much about it and do not have considerable experience with it. It is practical to educate and train academic staff, practicing physicians, residents and medical students within the clinical stages about telemedicine., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)
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- 2023
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17. Cryoprecipitate and platelets-rich-plasma as a combined assisted therapy for burns: A promoted case series for future trials.
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Barazi W, Swed S, Almoshantaf MB, Alibrahim H, and Bohsas H
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Introduction: In this paper, we present the first application of split-thickness skin autografts soaked in a combination of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and cryoprecipitate for four cases of second and third-degree burns., Case Presentation: We describe four cases of second and third-degree burns in males aged 35, 10, 24, and 5 years, respectively. The total body surface area (TBSA) affected in these cases ranged from 10 % to 35 %. The burn areas included the entire upper and lower back, the lower limbs, and the head, with involvement of the outer table of the calvarium according to Harrison's classification. To expedite wound healing, we applied split-thickness autografts soaked in a mixture of cryoprecipitate and PRP. Additionally, we covered the grafts with dressings soaked in the same mixture, resulting in successful graft acceptance and improved burn healing., Discussion: Skin wound healing involves increased angiogenesis, re-epithelialization, and modulation of inflammation. PRP has been shown to enhance re-epithelialization, a crucial process in skin wound healing. However, there is a lack of studies on the role of cryoprecipitate in re-epithelialization. Therefore, we propose the use of autologous skin grafts soaked in a combination of cryoprecipitate and PRP to expedite healing., Conclusion: This case series demonstrates that the use of split-thickness autografts soaked in a mixture of cryoprecipitate and PRP significantly improves and accelerates burn healing while contributing to acceptable graft outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None Declared., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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18. Knowledge of mpox and its determinants among the healthcare personnel in Arabic regions: A multi-country cross-sectional study.
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Swed S, Bohsas H, Patwary MM, Alibrahim H, Rakab A, Nashwan AJ, Hafez W, Hassan NAI, Shoib S, Elsayed M, Sawaf B, Albuni MK, Battikh E, Mohamed GMK, AlBozom A, Shaddad E, Fathey S, Nu Htay MN, Sah S, Cherrez-Ojeda I, Mohanty A, Padhi BK, Rodriguez-Morales AJ, Gandhi P A, and Sah R
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Background & Aim: The monkeypox virus (MPXV), an Orthopoxvirus family member, is the zoonotic agent that causes mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). The ongoing mpox pandemic has caused cases across continents involving 110 countries. This study aimed to assess mpox knowledge and its determinants among healthcare personnel., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 6 to June 25, 2022, among 17 Arab countries. The self-administered questionnaire consists of 53 questions assessing the knowledge about the monkeypox virus., Results: In total, 5874 medical students and clinical doctors from 17 Arab countries participated in this study. Only 13.8% (n = 812) of respondents have ever received information about mpox during their studies in medicine. The mean knowledge score was 13.84, and the median score was 15 (range 1-34). More than half (51.3%, n = 3012) have heard about mpox before. A low proportion of the participants had a good level of knowledge on mpox. Only 11.7% of respondents had correctly identified the natural host and the incubation period of mpox. More than half (58.9%) were aware of the signs and symptoms of mpox. Few respondents (28%) believed that mpox and smallpox have similar signs and symptoms. Specialist doctors had higher knowledge of mpox (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI = 2.24-3.92, p < 0.001) than other cadres., Conclusion: Mpox awareness among Arabic medical students and practitioners is low; hence immediate action in creating awareness among arab healthcare professionals is the need of the hour. This is crucial in the mpox early detection and prevention of its spread., Competing Interests: None for all other authors., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
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- 2023
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19. Knowledge toward ovarian cancer symptoms among women in Syria: Cross-sectional study.
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Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Swed S, A El-Sakka A, Alyosef M, Haitham Sarraj H, Sawaf B, Baraa Habib M, Fathey S, Rashid G, Thabet Daraghmi A, Thabet Daraghmi A, and Hafez W
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Background: Ovarian cancer is the second most prevalent malignancy in women over 40, especially in low-income nations. For every 100,000 women in Syria, 473 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed. This study aims to investigate the knowledge of ovarian cancer symptoms among Syrian women and determine the factors associated with good knowledge., Methods: An online cross-sectional was performed between July 29 and August 17, 2022. The inquired participants in the study were Syrian females above 18 years. The questionnaire consists of 41 questions organized into three sections: sociodemographic information, Confidence in recognizing ovarian cancer symptoms, and women's Awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer., Results: This research included 557 Syrian women, and the average age was 23. Only 20.5% of involved women demonstrated a good knowledge of the symptoms of ovarian cancer. The participants who agreed that abdominal pain and pelvic pain are ovarian cancer symptoms formed (36.8%), and (63.9%), respectively. Regarding the additional presenting symptoms of ovarian cancer, "extreme generalized fatigue" was the most often reported symptom (66.1%). Divorced women showed greater knowledge scores than other marital status groups (7.13 ± 3.31, P-value<0.05), while public sector participants scored higher than other occupational groups (6.38 ± 2.5, P-value<0.05)., Conclusion: Our findings indicate that Syrian females have inadequate knowledge regarding ovarian cancer symptoms. More ovarian cancer awareness programs for Syrian women of all ages are needed to increase the early identification of this illness., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Hidar Alibrahim reports was provided by University of Aleppo. Hidar Alibrahim reports a relationship with University of Aleppo that includes: non-financial support. Hidar Alibrahim has patent pending to NA. None., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
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- 2023
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20. Attitude of Syrian medical specialty trainees toward providing health care services to patients with mental disorders.
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Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Swed S, Abouainain Y, Othman ZA, Jabban YKE, Rakab A, Hafez W, Fathey S, Almoshantaf MB, Al Ibrahim M, Sawaf B, Shoib S, Reslan R, Saoud NAA, Abodest R, Schönfeldt-Lecuona C, and Elsayed ME
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Background: The stigma associated with mental diseases in the healthcare system and among healthcare professionals has been identified as a significant barrier to treatment and rehabilitation and to the provision of substandard physical care for persons with mental illnesses. The goal of this study is to assess the attitude of physicians in Syria towards individuals with mental health disorders., Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among phyisicians in Syria to evaluate their attitudes toward patients with mental health disorders and their provided treatment in the time period between August 16 and October 1, 2022. The questionnaire for the study was developed based on previous research, and the inclusion criteria for the sample were all medical specialist trainees from all specialties and residents who had direct contact with people suffering from mental health disorders. The questionnaire was divided into two sections; the first included sociodemographic data on the participants and the second assessed physician's attitudes toward mental illness patients. With the IBM SPSS V. 28.0 package tool (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA), descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data., Results: 539 medical residents participated in this research; their average age was 26.11 (+- 1.74) years, and 50.27% were males. City residents had the highest stigma score on the third question (2.66 ± 1.06, P value < 0.05) in the 'social distance' domain. The mean stigma scores for these three items in the recovery area were (2.76 ± 1.15, 2.51 ± 0.92, and 3.73 ± 0.83), respectively, for city residents. In the 'social distance' domain, the stigma score of two questions (the first and fourth questions) was associated with the resident's specialty, with dermatology residents having the highest mean score in both questions (mean = 3.6 ± 1.12, 3.43 ± 1.19, respectively). Only the second item in the 'Detection' domain was scored higher (mean = 3.850.81) by surgery residents than other residents. The stigma in the 'Recovery' domain was greatest among dermatology residents (mean = 3.710.94) than among other residents. There was a statistically significant relationship between residency and the Detection stigma scale (p = 0.03, Adj R2 = 0.008). There was a moderate correlation (Adj R2 = 0.048) between the Recovery scale and three of the six predictors (location, marital status, and the number of years living in the current residence). Two demographic factors (country of residence and marital status) were significantly correlated (p0.05) with the Social Responsibility Scale, and the Adjusted R-Squared Value was 0.006., Conclusion: Our findings indicate substantial stigma among resident physicians who treat patients with mental illnesses, which might negatively impact both the efficacy of therapy and the phyisician's mental health. It is important to educate medical residents on mental health issues so that they can treat their patients appropriately. It is suggested that mental health concerns be included in the curriculum of residency programs for physicians so that they have adequate perspectives and attitudes about treating these patients., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)
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- 2023
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21. Publisher Correction: Syrians' awareness of cardiovascular disease risk factors and warning indicators: a descriptive cross-sectional study.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Hafez W, Rais MA, Shoib S, Albazee E, Elsayed MEG, Sawaf B, Farwati A, Seijari MN, Battikh N, Shaheen N, Ibrahem N, Alsaleh A, Lee KY, and Rakab A
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- 2023
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22. A multinational cross-sectional study on the awareness and concerns of healthcare providers toward monkeypox and the promotion of the monkeypox vaccination.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Jawish N, Rais MA, Nasif MN, Hafez W, Sawaf B, Abdelrahman A, Fathey S, Atef Ismail Ahmed Ibrahim I, Almashaqbeh SHA, Yousef Aljawarneh RM, Rakab A, El-Shafei EHH, Hurlemann R, and Elsayed MEG
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- Humans, Young Adult, Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Vaccination, Health Personnel, Mpox, Monkeypox epidemiology, Mpox, Monkeypox prevention & control, Smallpox Vaccine, COVID-19 epidemiology, COVID-19 prevention & control
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Background: The aim of this study was to explore potential healthcare workers' (HCWs) concerns about the monkeypox virus in order to create practical solutions to manage this disease., Methods: Online cross-sectional research was conducted in 11 Arabic countries (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, and Sudan) from 2 August 2022 to 28 December 2022., Results: Approximately 82% of respondents felt the need to acquire further information. The acceptability of the vaccine against monkeypox has been indicated by more than half of the participants (54.5%). Furthermore, we state that 45% of the participants are knowledgeable about the monkeypox virus, and 53.1% of the participants have never been affected with COVID-19 before are more worried about COVID-19 than about monkeypox. Participants diagnosed with COVID-19 were 0.63 times less likely to worry about monkeypox than those who were not diagnosed with COVID-19. A greater willingness to get the monkeypox vaccination was seen among the age group 21-30 years (42.4%) compared to the other age groups., Conclusion: Most healthcare professionals have a moderate knowledge of the monkeypox virus. Furthermore, they demonstrated a low willingness to get the vaccination against the monkeypox virus., Competing Interests: BS was employed by Hamad Medical Corporation. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Swed, Alibrahim, Bohsas, Jawish, Rais, Nasif, Hafez, Sawaf, Abdelrahman, Fathey, Atef Ismail Ahmed Ibrahim, Almashaqbeh, Yousef Aljawarneh, Rakab, EL-Shafei, Hurlemann, Elsayed and Data Collection Group.)
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- 2023
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23. Assessment the awareness toward hypertension and diabetes mellitus: Syrian cross sectional study.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Hafez W, Surma S, Rais MA, Abuelsaoud HM, Elshazly RM, Shoib S, Sawaf B, Farwati A, Seijari MN, Battikh N, Sleman S, Mourad D, Sakkour KJ, Alklani T, and Rakab A
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- Male, Female, Humans, Aged, Adult, Middle Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Syria epidemiology, Blood Glucose, Prevalence, Hypertension drug therapy, Diabetes Mellitus epidemiology
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Background: Diabetes and arterial hypertension are the two most common types of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) impacting people globally. There is no prior research on the Syrian population's knowledge and treatment of hypertension and diabetes. It is crucial to investigate how the Syrian public understands and perceives these disorders in order to address the increased incidence and prevalence of hypertension and diabetes. This research intends to assess the level of hypertension and diabetes-related awareness, knowledge, attitude, and practices among Syrian individuals., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted online between 1 August and 25 August 2022. The questionnaire for the study was developed based on previous research, and the inclusion criteria for the sample were Syrian residents older than 18 who presently live in Syria. The survey consisted four sections: sociodemographics information, WHO STEPS survey instrument on knowledge of and lifestyle determinants for hypertension and diabetes, respondents' knowledge of and comprehension of hypertension and diabetes, and respondents' awareness of these disorders., Results: Among 976 participants, 65.8% were females. the most common causes for hypertension from the perspective of participants were (90.1%) for stress, (87%) High salt consumption, (82.1%) genetics, (78.2%) old age, (78%) obesity (69%) anxiety, and (38.6%) for drug usage. Primary and middle school educational status participants had greater hypertension knowledge (92.3%) than other educational levels. There was a statistical significant difference between the knowledge toward the hypertension and the drinking alcohol, which the nonalcoholic knowledgeable persons were the most common (819 / 976)(P < 0.05). Participants whose lifestyles did not include alcohol use had a higher hypertension knowledge level (90.3%). Participants who do not consume alcohol have shown better hypertension knowledge (90.3%) than those who do (81.9%). Almost age groups have shown good knowledge of diabetes, especially participants aged above 55 (93.8%). However, most individuals have examined blood pressure (82.3%), whereas fewer than half had screened for blood sugar (64.4%). About 82.2% of individuals check their blood pressure frequently, whereas 6.2% monitor their blood sugar. There were significant associations between hypertension knowledge and gender, education, employment, and economic position (P value < 0.05). Men (mean = 8.39, SD = 2.02, P-value < 0.05) have a higher hypertension knowledge than females, and knowledge of hypertension among participants was shown to be higher among those in good income status than other economic levels (mean = 8.34, SD = 1.98). Age, gender, education, employment, and marital status were all associated with diabetes knowledge. Participants between the ages of 40 and 55 showed better knowledge of diabetes compared to other age groups (mean = 11.32, SD = 2.54); also, men demonstrated greater knowledge of diabetes than females (mean = 10.76, SD = 2.79)., Conclusion: We indicated that the Syrian population has a good to moderate understanding of hypertension and diabetes. However, there is still a shortage of standardized, regular screening practices. Since individuals remain involved in unhealthy lifestyle habits, it is vital to provide accurate information about hypertension and diabetes to encourage them to make healthy changes., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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24. Syrians' awareness of cardiovascular disease risk factors and warning indicators: a descriptive cross-sectional study.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Hafez W, Rais MA, Shoib S, Albazee E, Elsayed MEG, Sawaf B, Farwati A, Seijari MN, Battikh N, Shaheen N, Ibrahem N, Alsaleh A, Lee KY, and Rakab A
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- Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Syria, Risk Factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Awareness, Cardiovascular Diseases diagnosis, Cardiovascular Diseases epidemiology, Cardiovascular Diseases etiology, Stroke diagnosis
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The awareness of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) contributes to the complications and fatality rates from these diseases among individuals; however, no previous study in Syria was conducted on this topic; thus, this study aims to assess Syrians' awareness of CVDs warning symptoms and risk factors. This online cross-sectional study was performed in Syria between the 1st and 25th of August 2022. The inclusion criteria for the sample were citizens of Syria over 18 who currently reside in Syria. The questionnaire included open- and closed-ended questions to assess the awareness of CVDs. A total of 1201 participants enrolled in the study with a response rate of 97.2%; more than half of the participants (61.4%) were aged 18-24. The most recognizable risk factors and warning signs when asking close-ended and open-ended questions were smoking (95.2%, 37.1%) and chest pain (87.8%, 24.8%), respectively. Overall knowledge scores for risk factors and warning signs were (61.5%). Regarding knowledge score of CVDs risk factors and warning signs, participants aged 45-54 scored higher than other age groups, and respondents with a university education level had a higher score than other educational levels (15.7 ± 0.3), (14.5 ± 0.1), respectively. Participants aged 45-54 have a higher probability of good knowledge of CVDs risk factors and warning signs than participants aged 18-24 (OR = 4.8, P value < 0.001), while participants living in the countryside were less likely to have good knowledge of CVDs risk factors and warning signs than city residents (OR = 0.6, P value < 0.05). According to our results, there is inadequate knowledge of the risk factors and warning signs of CVDs. Consequently, there is a greater need to raise CVD awareness and learning initiatives on the disease's risk factors and symptoms., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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25. Assessment of the competence in electrocardiographic interpretation among Arabic resident doctors at the emergency medicine and internal medicine departments: A multi-center online cross-sectional study.
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Rakab A, Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Abouainain Y, Abbas KS, Khair Eldien Jabban Y, Sawaf B, Rageh B, Alkhawaldeh M, Al-Fayyadh I, Rakab MS, Fathey S, Hafez W, Gerbil A, and El-Shafei EHH
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Background: This study aims to assess the electrocardiographic interpretation abilities of resident doctors at internal medicine and emergency medicine departments in eight Arabic countries., Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted between October 7, 2022 and October 21, 2022 in eight Arabic countries. The questionnaire consisted of two main sections: the first section included sociodemographic information, while the second section contained 12 clinical case questions of the most severe cardiac abnormalities with their electrocardiography (ECG) recordings., Results: Out of 2,509 responses, 630 were eligible for the data analysis. More than half of the participants were males (52.4%). Internal medicine residents were ( n = 530, 84.1%), whereas emergency medicine residents were ( n = 100, 15.9%). Almost participants were in their first or second years of residency (79.8%). Only 36.2% of the inquired resident doctors had attended an ECG course. Most participants, 85.6%, recognized the ECG wave order correctly, and 50.5% of the participants scored above 7.5/10 on the ECG interpretation scale. The proportions of participants who were properly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, third-degree heart block, and atrial tachycardia were 71.1, 76.7, and 56.6%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was defined between the internal and emergency medicine residents regarding their knowledge of ECG interpretation ( p value = 0.42). However, there was a significant correlation between ECG interpretation and medical residency year ( p value < 0.001); the fourth-year resident doctors had the highest scores (mean = 9.24, SD = 1.6). As well, participants in the third and second years of postgraduate medical residency have a probability of adequate knowledge of ECG interpretation more than participants in the first year of residency (OR = 2.1, p value = 0.001) and (OR = 1.88, p value = 0.002), respectively., Conclusion: According to our research findings, resident doctors in departments of internal medicine and emergency medicine in Arabic nations have adequate ECG interpretation abilities; nevertheless, additional development is required to avoid misconceptions about critical cardiac conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Rakab, Swed, Alibrahim, Bohsas, Abouainain, Abbas, Khair Eldien Jabban, Sawaf, Rageh, Alkhawaldeh, Al-Fayyadh, Rakab, Fathey, Hafez, Gerbil and El-Shafei.)
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- 2023
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26. Monkeypox in Syria: Highlighting an awareness issue.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Aljabali A, Almoshantaf MB, Sawaf B, Shoib S, Patwary MM, Albazee E, Lee KY, Farwati A, Seijari MN, Hafez W, and Rakab A
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Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) verified 780 cases of monkeypox across 27 countries between 13 May 2022 and 2 June 2022. The aim of our study was to assess the level of awareness of human monkeypox virus among Syrian medical students, general practitioners, medical residents, and specialists., Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was performed in Syria between May 2 and September 8, 2022. The survey consisted of 53 questions within the following three categories: demographic information, work-related details, and monkeypox knowledge., Results: In total, 1257 Syrian healthcare workers and medical students were enrolled in our study. The animal host and incubation time for monkeypox were correctly identified by just 2.7% and 33.3% of responders, respectively. Sixty percent of the study sample thought that the symptoms of monkeypox and smallpox are identical. No statistically significant associations were found between predictor variables and knowledge regarding monkeypox ( p -value > 0.05)., Conclusion: Education and awareness regarding monkeypox vaccinations are of paramount importance. It is essential that clinical doctors are adequately aware of this disease, in order to avoid an uncontrolled situation, as experienced with COVID-19., (© 2023 The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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27. Monkeypox Post-COVID-19: Knowledge, Worrying, and Vaccine Adoption in the Arabic General Population.
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Swed S, Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Rakab A, Hafez W, Sawaf B, Amir RM, Motawei AS, Aljabali A, Shoib S, Atef Ismail Ahmed Ibrahim I, Ahmad Almashaqbeh SH, Qaid Shaddad EA, Alqaisi M, Abdelrahman A, Fathey S, Hurlemann R, Elsayed MEG, Barboza JJ, Mohanty A, Rodriguez-Morales AJ, Padhi BK, and Sah R
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Background: The outbreak of monkeypox was declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization on 23 July 2022. There have been 60,000 cases reported worldwide, most of which are in places where monkeypox has never been seen due to the travel of people who have the virus. This research aims to evaluate the general Arabic population in regard to the monkeypox disease, fears, and vaccine adoption after the WHO proclaimed a monkeypox epidemic and to compare these attitudes to those of the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in some Arabic countries (Syria, Egypt, Qatar, Yemen, Jordan, Sudan, Algeria, and Iraq) between 18 August and 7 September 2022. The inclusion criteria were the general public residing in Arabic nations and being older than 18. This questionnaire has 32 questions separated into three sections: sociodemographic variables, prior COVID-19 exposure, and COVID-19 vaccination history. The second portion assesses the knowledge and anxieties about monkeypox, while the third section includes the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD7) scale. Logistic regression analyses were performed to compute the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and their confidence intervals (95%CI) using STATA (version 17.0)., Results: A total of 3665 respondents from 17 Arabic countries were involved in this study. Almost two-thirds ( n = 2427, 66.2%) of the participants expressed more worry about COVID-19 than monkeypox diseases. Regarding the major cause for concern about monkeypox, 39.5% of participants attributed their anxiety to the fear that they or a member of their family may contract the illness, while 38.4% were concerned about monkeypox becoming another worldwide pandemic. According to the GAD 7 score, 71.7% of the respondents showed very low anxiety toward monkeypox and 43.8% of the participants scored poor levels of knowledge about monkeypox disease. Participants with previous COVID-19 infection showed a 1.206 times greater acceptance to receive the monkeypox vaccine than those with no previous infection. A 3.097 times higher concern for monkeypox than COVID-19 was shown by the participants who perceived monkeypox as dangerous and virulent than those who did not. Participants who have a chronic disease (aOR: 1.32; 95%CI: 1.09-1.60); participants worried about monkeypox (aOR: 1.21; 95%CI: 1.04-1.40), and perceived monkeypox as a dangerous and virulent disease (aOR: 2.25; 95%CI: 1.92-2.65); and excellent knowledge level (aOR: 2.28; 95%CI: 1.79-2.90) have emerged as significant predictors., Conclusions: Our study reported that three-fourths of the participants were more concerned about COVID-19 than monkeypox disease. In addition, most of the participants have inadequate levels of knowledge regarding monkeypox disease. Hence, immediate action should be taken to address this problem. Consequently, learning about monkeypox and spreading information about its prevention is crucial.
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28. Public Attitudes Towards COVID-19, Antibiotic Resistance, Preventive Measures: A Multi Center Cross-Sectional Study in the Arab Countries.
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Swed S, Motawea KR, Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Rakab A, Hafez W, Shaheen N, Almoshantaf MB, Ahmad S, Safdar S, Khairy LT, Bakkour A, Muwaili AHH, Muwaili DHH, Abdelmajid FAA, Ahmad EMS, Patwary MM, Ghaith HS, Albuni MK, Battikh E, Sawaf B, Elsayed M, Elkalagi NKH, and Shoib S
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- Humans, Cross-Sectional Studies, Pandemics prevention & control, Arabs, Drug Resistance, Microbial, Surveys and Questionnaires, Middle East, Anti-Bacterial Agents therapeutic use, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, COVID-19
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Background and Aim: COVID-19 has shown how crucial awareness of the need to protect public health is to global security. Antibiotic resistance due to antibiotic misuse is seen as a worldwide health issue. Antibiotic use was significant during the COVID-19 epidemic, according to several nations. This research aims to investigate public attitudes on COVID-19, antibiotic resistance, and preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East., Methods: An online quantitative cross-sectional study in 17 Arabic nations was carried out between January 3 and March 4, 2022, using a structured questionnaire to evaluate participants' knowledge of COVID-19, their attitudes toward the new standard during the pandemic, and their use of antibiotics, and their resistance to them. The research was available to all Arabic people over 18 nations in the middle east. A convenient snowball sampling technique was used. SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze the data. To analyze the results, binominal logistic regression was utilized. Statistical significance was defined as a p value of 0.05., Results: Of the 6145 responders, 24.1% believed COVID-19 might spread to asymptomatic people, whereas 13.6% thought using antibiotics would accelerate recovery from any illness. Moreover, half of the respondents said antibiotics only work against bacteria (64.6%). 70.8% of participants adopted the necessary safety measures. More than a third of respondents strongly supported placing foreign immigrants in quarantine (33%). However, more than 50% of those surveyed (52.5%) firmly supported using face masks in all public settings. Individuals with a medical education background had 2.6 times more appropriate understanding of antibiotic resistance than others. Furthermore, participants in the 30-49 age range had a better handle on the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance than other respondents by 1.1 times., Conclusion: Arab Health authorities should reconsider this health issue as soon about the inadequate level of awareness toward antibiotic use, resistance, and preventative practices during COVID-19. Many suggested strategies, especially solving the irregular antibiotic prescriptions during a COVID19 pandemic, should be implemented to increase public awareness of COVID19., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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29. Mental distress links with physical activities, sedentary lifestyle, social support, and sleep problems: A Syrian population cross-sectional study.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Nashwan AJ, Elsayed M, Almoshantaf MB, Kadri SA, Sawaf B, Albuni MK, Battikh E, Elkalagi NK, Ahmed SM, Ahmed EM, Hasan MM, Patwary MM, Shoib S, and Hafez W
- Abstract
Background: Mental diseases are very widespread and difficult to treat, affecting around 12% of the global population in 2019. Since social interaction is crucial to human existence and loneliness has been proven to be a significant predictor of depressive symptoms, it stands to reason that social connection problems would also contribute to depression. Physical inactivity seems to weaken and aggravate insulin tolerance alterations, glucose homeostasis, and plasma triglyceride levels, thereby influencing one's mood and happiness. This suggests that physical inactivity may be a significant risk factor for mental illness. This research contributes to our understanding of the mental health situation in Syria by exploring associations between a set of measurable characteristics that may be adjusted., Methods: An online quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted between March and April 2022 in Syria, using a structured questionnaire that assesses data on behaviors of health, health in general, wellbeing, and adult population quality of life., Results: Among 1,224 respondents (371 men and 853 women), women have shown higher levels of mental distress, sleep issues, low engagement in structured activities, and a difficult work environment than men. Women experiencing mental anguish have reported being more sedentary, participating in less scheduled activities, and receiving less social support., Conclusions: There are observable connections between high sedentary time and women experiencing mental distress. The mental health of Syrian women in distress was associated with a lack of participation in both organized activities and physical exercise in their free time. Furthermore, sleep issues and financial troubles were seen in persons with mental diseases of both males and females., Competing Interests: AN was employed by the company Hamad Medical Corporation. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Swed, Alibrahim, Bohsas, Nashwan, Elsayed, Almoshantaf, Kadri, Sawaf, Albuni, Battikh, Elkalagi, Ahmed, Ahmed, Hasan, Patwary, Shoib and Hafez.)
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- 2023
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30. Assessing Syrian women's knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, warning signs, and barriers to preventive measures: A cross-sectional study.
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Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Swed S, Khan U, Al Ibrahim M, Nashwan AJ, Hodaifah S, AlAli A, Alhalaky N, Sawaf B, Habib MB, Fathey S, Rashid G, and Hafez W
- Subjects
- Female, Humans, Adult, Middle Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Breast Self-Examination, Syria, Risk Factors, Breast Neoplasms diagnosis, Breast Neoplasms prevention & control, Breast Neoplasms pathology
- Abstract
Background: This study aims to investigate the knowledge of Syrian women about breast cancer risk factors, warning signals, and barriers. Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death among women. It develops when cells in the breast tissue grow uncontrollably, forming a tumor that can spread to other parts of the body., Materials and Methods: This survey was conducted online from September 3 to September 27, 2022, and focused on Syrian women over the age of 18. It was divided into two sections, one focusing on sociodemographic characteristics and the other on breast cancer risk factors, warning signals, and barriers., Results: This study found that the majority of the 1305 participants had inadequate knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, warning signs, and barriers. Those with higher levels of education, such as Ph.D. students, had the highest overall scores. The sample was mostly made up of housewives, married women, and women with moderate monthly incomes., Conclusion: This research found that Syrian women have inadequate knowledge about breast cancer, including risk factors, warning signs, and barriers. To reduce mortality rates, increase survival rates, and improve early diagnosis, local health organizations should provide awareness courses to emphasize the importance of annual breast exams., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
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- 2023
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31. Health-care provider burnout in Syria during COVID-19 pandemic's Omicron wave.
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Swed S, Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Hafez W, Shoib S, Sawaf B, Rais MA, Aljabali A, Shaheen N, Elsayed M, and Rakab A
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- Male, Humans, Female, Syria, Cross-Sectional Studies, Pandemics, Burnout, Psychological epidemiology, Health Personnel, Surveys and Questionnaires, COVID-19 epidemiology, Burnout, Professional epidemiology
- Abstract
Health-care workers (HCWs) have dealt with various psychological problems during the COVID-19 epidemic, including sadness, mental discomfort, anxiety, and poor sleep. Burnout is a state of prolonged work-related psychological, emotional, and physical stress brought on by emotional weariness, depersonalization, and decreased professional success. This study aimed to determine how many HCWs burned out during the Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and determine what factors put them at risk for this psychological effect. This cross-sectional research was performed in Syria during the current Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to evaluate the burnout experienced by Syrian physicians who treat COVID-19 patients. The inclusion criteria were all Syrian HCWs who treated COVID-19 patients during the current Omicron wave of COVID-19. The data was collected between April 3 and March 20, 2022. We investigated whether the questionnaire used was valid and understandable to the participants. A total of 729 health-care providers were inquired in our study; however, 30 participants were disqualified because their answers were not fully completed. The overall age of the participants was 31 ± 9, and the ratio of males to females was almost equal. The majority (47.5%) of the sample study's participants are residents, and 72.8% who cared for COVID-19 patients. The prevalence of high levels of burnout in the sample study was 41.6%. Compared to men (22.3%), women were much more likely (27.9%) to report experiencing a high degree of emotional exhaustion; also, the participants who cared for COVID-19 patients were much more likely (30.1%) to report experiencing a high degree of emotional exhaustion compared to others, which individuals who cared for COVID19 patients were 1.76 times more likely than participants who did not care for COVID19 patients to experience severe burnout (odds ratio: 1.766, 95% confidence interval:1.2-2.4, P value < .001). Our research found severe burnout among Syrian health-care providers during the omicron wave of COVID-19, with clinicians caring for COVID-19 patients being considerably more likely to express high burnout than others., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)
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- 2022
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32. An asymptomatic giant extra-renal retroperitoneal angiomyolipoma: Case report.
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Ayoub K, Rakab A, Shibani M, Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Swed S, Rais MA, Sawaf B, and Mahli N
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- Humans, Female, Adult, Retroperitoneal Space pathology, Abdominal Pain, Angiomyolipoma diagnostic imaging, Angiomyolipoma surgery, Retroperitoneal Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, Retroperitoneal Neoplasms surgery, Retroperitoneal Neoplasms complications, Kidney Neoplasms diagnostic imaging, Kidney Neoplasms surgery, Hamartoma complications
- Abstract
Rationale: Angiomyolipoma is a benign mesenchymal tumor that consists of adipose tissue, muscle cells and blood vessel. Renal angiomyolipomas represent almost one percent of all renal tumors., Patient Concerns: We reported a case of a 42-year-old woman complaining of mild abdominal pain with no other symptoms and no remarkable medical history., Diagnosis: Clinical examination was inconclusive and revealed a large, smooth, non-tender, and immovable mass in the right abdomen. Ultrasound examination confirmed the existence of a large, homogeneous, hyperechoic tissue mass. Abdominal multi-slice computed tomography (CT) scans also confirmed the presence of a well-rounded mass in the right abdomen. The histopathology tests confirmed the diagnosis of a large retroperitoneal mass., Interventions: The patient underwent a traditional laparotomy without complications to remove the tumor., Outcomes: The open surgery was the best option, and the patient's condition improved due to the following-up., Lessons: Retroperitoneal extra-renal angiomyolipomas are extremely rare, and in this case, we document a case of retroperitoneal angiomyolipoma manifested with only mild abdominal pain in Syrian women., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)
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- 2022
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33. Pena-Shokeir syndrome's first case report from Syria.
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Almoshantaf MB, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Alabdo S, Nashwan AJ, and Swed S
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Pena-Shokeir syndrome is considered to be a fatal congenital condition that is rarely diagnosed in neonates. We present the first-ever reported case of Pena-Shokeir syndrome from Syria. Clinical assessment and early prenatal diagnosis are both needed to give the mother and baby more realistic options., Competing Interests: All authors declared no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Clinical Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
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- 2022
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34. Parents' acceptance to vaccinate children against COVID-19: A Syrian online survey.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Bohsas H, Shoib S, Hasan MM, Motawea KR, Albuni MK, Battikh E, Sawaf B, Elkalagi NKH, Mohamed Alsharief Ahmed S, Mohammed Sharif Ahmed E, Khairy LT, Bakkour A, Hadi Hussein Muwaili A, Abubaker Abdalla Abdelmajid F, Hadi Hussein Muwaili D, Elsayed M, Ahmad S, and Lee KY
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- Child, Humans, Adolescent, Young Adult, Adult, Syria, Cross-Sectional Studies, Parents, Vaccination, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 prevention & control
- Abstract
After the widespread of COVID-19 virus worldwide, vaccination targeted reducing spread of cases and mortality rates. However, vaccination hesitancy was observed among the communities worldwide. Vaccination hesitancy involved parents regarding the decision of vaccinating their children- After obtaining ethical approval, an online cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 March to 22 April 2021 to evaluate the parents' acceptance of vaccinating their children against the COVID-19 virus in Syria. Data were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analysis in IBM, SPSS V. 28.0 package program (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). Among 283 participants, 105 participants agreed to vaccinate their children, and 178 were not. A significant correlation between age and vaccine willingness was found ( P -value < 0.0001
* ), especially in the age group between 18 and 30 years old (45.2%). Parents who accepted vaccinating themselves were more willing to vaccinate their children (34.6%). According to our results, there is a greater need to enhance awareness and knowledge programs about the vaccine's effectiveness and encourage parents to accept giving the vaccine to their children., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Swed, Alibrahim, Bohsas, Shoib, Hasan, Motawea, Albuni, Battikh, Sawaf, Elkalagi, Mohamed Alsharief Ahmed, Mohammed Sharif Ahmed, Khairy, Bakkour, Hadi Hussein Muwaili, Abubaker Abdalla Abdelmajid, Hadi Hussein Muwaili, Elsayed, Ahmad and Lee.)- Published
- 2022
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35. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to COVID-19 infection, related behavior, antibiotics usage, and resistance among Syrian population: A cross-sectional study.
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Swed S, Shoib S, Almoshantaf MB, Hasan W, Dean YE, Tanas Y, Bohsas H, Alibrahim H, Hasan MM, Ezzdean W, Ghaith HS, Khairy LT, Bakkour A, Hadi Hussein Muwaili A, Abdelmajid FAA, Albuni MK, Battikh E, Hadi Hussein Muwaili D, Qattea R, Motawea KR, Sawaf B, Kamal Hamdy Elkalagi N, Ahmed SMA, and Aiash H
- Abstract
Background and Aims: Antibiotic resistance is seen as a worldwide health risk as a result of the overuse of antibiotics. Many countries noted that antibiotic usage was high during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to evaluate Syrians' knowledge, attitudes, and practice about the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance during the COVID-19 epidemic., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire to collect the data from the Syrian population from February 5 to March 4, 2022. Syrians 18 years or older all over the world were able to participate in this study. A convenience snowball sampling method was used. SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze the data. To examine the results, binominal logistic regression was used. Statistical significance was defined as a p < 0.05., Results: Out of 2406 respondents, 60.2% knew that transmission of COVID-19 could occur even if the patient has not developed any symptoms, and 91.6% were able to recognize the main clinical symptoms of COVID-19. There was a statistically significant difference between male and female knowledge of COVID-19 ( p = 0.002), with males having 3.78 ± 2.1 (2.7-3.87) and females scoring 3.93 ± 2.3 (3.7-4.1). Newly graduated students have more knowledge of COVID-19 than other subtypes of Job ( p = 0.0001), and those with medical practice are more knowledgeable than those without ( p = 0.0001). Only 16.6% answered that taking antibiotics would not speed up the recovery from all the infections. 65.3% answered correctly that misuse of antibiotics could cause antibiotic resistance., Conclusion: Our study concluded that the Syrian population demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19 and moderate acceptance of the new norm. Knowledge regarding antibiotic use and resistance and practice of preventive measures was poor, which can encourage the health authorities to develop community education programs to increase public awareness of the usage of antibiotics and safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
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- 2022
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36. Rare case of pneumoperitoneum in nonintubated COVID-19 patient.
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Bohsas H, Alzabibi MA, Kashkash F, Swed S, Alibrahim H, Sawaf B, Ahmad S, Motawea KR, and Ahmed EMS
- Abstract
We report a rare case of a 50-year-old female patient with COVID-19 presented to the emergency department where supplementary oxygen is delivered via noninvasive face mask ventilation. X-ray imaging confirmed the existence of pneumoperitoneum. CT scan was not applicable due to the advanced status of the patient., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2022 The Authors. Clinical Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
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- 2022
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37. Knowledge and attitudes about influenza and the common cold in Syria post COVID-19: A qualitative study.
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Swed S, Alibrahim H, Alzabibi MA, Shibani M, Hasoon M, Bohsas H, Raslan H, Alholiby S, Channiss L, Alsakka SA, Alkassab R, Barou SA, Kelzia A, Al-Abboud H, Naal F, Jarrous AM, Jawish N, Suliman SM, Dashan S, Esmaeel W, Shebli B, Ezzedean W, Kashkash F, Khouri A, Sawaf B, Kakaje A, Kearney RM, and Ghozy S
- Abstract
Background: The common cold and the influenza are common infections that are frequent in the community. In this study, we estimate the level of knowledge regarding those diseases among the Syrian population in the COVID era as it is important to have this knowledge for future health planning and policies., Methods: A qualitative study was conducted from November to December in 2021. A structured self-administered questionnaire was distributed as Google Forms on social media platforms and hard copies of the questionnaire to patients, their companions, or workers in public hospitals. Chi-square test and Mann Whitney test were used to study the associations between categorical groups., Results: This study included 13013 participants, 7856 (60.4%) were females, 78.4% were younger than 31 years old, only 3518 (27%) knew that the common cold and the influenza were caused by viruses, 6146 (47.2%) reported that runny nose was the most annoying symptom, 75.6% of the participants believed that antibiotics could kill viruses, and 7674 (58.9%) had fears from symptoms of common cold and influenza because of covid-19. Females were statistically significantly more knowledgeable and had more fears from the infection compared with males., Conclusion: This study showed a low level of knowledge among the Syrian population. The view of influenza and common cold have changed after COVID as they are now taken more seriously. Many efforts should be made to spread awareness, effective management, and reducing antibiotic misinformation., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)
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- 2022
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38. Massive retroperitoneal cyst impersonating ovarian tumor: A case report.
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Alibrahim H, Al Ali A, Bohsas H, Ahmed SMA, Ahmed EMS, and Swed S
- Abstract
Introduction: The retroperitoneum is the anatomical compartment positioned behind the peritoneal cavity. It is separated into three primary spaces: the anterior pararenal, perirenal, and posterior pararenal spaces. Retroperitoneal cystic mass is a rare surgical problem that is often wrongly identified before surgery., Case Presentation: We report a case of a 27-year-old female presenting with abdominal swelling and pain starting from 9 months. An abdominal computed tomography scan showed a right adnexal mass with a high probability of a serous ovarian. The patient was diagnosed with ovarian tumors before surgery, but it was identified with a retroperitoneal cyst during surgery., Discussion: A retroperitoneal cyst's clinical signs and symptoms vary, and the diagnosis can often be challenging. Computed tomography scans are appropriate for assessing retroperitoneal pathology because they produce separate sectional images and couldn't find the correct diagnosis in previous cases., Conclusion: This paper shows the rare case of primary retroperitoneal lesions, which can be hard to diagnose before surgery, even though medical imaging has come a long way., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
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- 2022
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39. A National Cross-Sectional Survey of Bullying in Syrian Graduate Medical Education.
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Swed S, Shoib S, Almoshantaf MB, Bohsas H, Hassan ASEM, Motawea KR, Hassan NAIF, Ahmad EMS, Sheet L, Khairy LT, Bakkour A, Muwaili AHH, Muwaili DHH, Abdelmajid FAA, Ahmad S, Hasan MM, and Elkalagi NKH
- Subjects
- Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Education, Medical, Graduate, Female, Humans, Male, Schools, Syria, Bullying
- Abstract
Bullying is defined as unpleasant behavior that causes someone to feel disturbed or embarrassed, affecting their self-esteem. Based on this premise, we set out to investigate bullying among Syrian graduate medical education residents and fellows, estimate its prevalence among specific subgroups, and give recommendations to help validate the findings and enhance the graduate medical education training experience. A sample of 278 residents and fellows in Syrian graduate medical school were recruited for the study in a national cross-sectional survey, with 276 participants completing a Bullying survey in 2021 and two people refusing to participate. Participants in the survey were asked to provide basic demographic and programming information and three general Bullying and 20 specific bullying behavior items. Differences across groups were compared for demographic and programmatic stratifications. About 51% of participants had experienced one or more bullying behaviors, 69% said they had been bullied, and 87% said they had witnessed Bullying. Residents and supervisor-attendings were the most common sources of perceived Bullying (~67 and 62%, respectively), followed by patients (58%), nurses (46%), and pharmacists (46%) (33%). More specific bullying behaviors have been recorded by female Arabic Syrians who are shorter than 5'8, have a body mass index (BMI) of 25, and are 30 years old or younger who were -compared to males- more likely to report attempts to minimize and devalue work (55 vs. 34%, P ≤ 0.01) and criticism and work monitoring (56 vs. 33%, P ≤ 0.01). In addition, general medical graduates and PGY-2-PGY-6 respondents reported more specific bullying behaviors than private medical graduates and post-graduate participants in the first year (PGY 1), respectively. For example, a significant difference is noticed when reporting unreasonable pressure to perform work (83 vs. 6%, P ≤ 0.01). Except for physical violence, which does not differ statistically between groups, most bullying behaviors were reported by participants with statistically significant differences between study groups-many residents and fellows in Syria's graduate medical school system report being bullied. Anti-bullying rules and a multidisciplinary strategy including all players in the medical system are essential to eradicating these pervasive practices in healthcare., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Swed, Shoib, Almoshantaf, Bohsas, Hassan, Motawea, Hassan, Ahmad, Sheet, Khairy, Bakkour, Muwaili, Muwaili, Abdelmajid, Ahmad, Hasan and Elkalagi.)
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- 2022
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40. Peritoneal effusion as unusual complication post COVID 19 infection.
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Alhamad A, Bohsas H, Mohammed Sharif Ahmed E, Bakkour A, Kashkash F, and Khouri A
- Abstract
Introduction: COVID 19 is a new virus appeared in the late of 2019, and spread widely through the world, causing respiratory symptoms and sometimes could cause digestive manifestations., Case Presentation: We reported a case of a 72 years old women presented with a complaint of dry cough, dyspnea and swollen abdomen, which she diagnosed with COVID19 and her medical history showed type 2 diabetes mellitus and acute kidney injury one month prior to her presentation. CT-abdomen showed Ascites and slightly hepatomegaly then we performed prednisolone antibiotics medication. After a week the Ascites decreased and her condition was good and stable., Discussion: Few similar cases have been reported in the literature as case reports, but our article reports the first case report from Syria, which may increase the clinical awareness towards rare complications of COVID19 infection among Syrian clinical doctors, especially pulmonologists., Conclusion: The peritoneal effusion consider as s rare digestive manifestation of COVID19 that Clinical doctors should take aware off., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)
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- 2022
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41. Isolated humeral tuberculosis lymphadenitis in healthy woman: Case report.
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Bohsas H, Sharif Ahmed EM, Bakkour A, Kashkash F, Khairy LT, and Alibrahim H
- Abstract
Introduction: Pulmonary tuberculosis is a disease that may effect on many organs such as the lung, peritoneum and spread to adjacent lymph nodes in advanced stages, but it is rarely to be as an isolated lymph node without accompanying pulmonary or extra pulmonary tuberculosis in healthy persons., Case Presentation: A 40 -Years-female presented with a chief complaint of Pain in the lateral side of the Right humerus above the elbow, with no medical history, on clinical examination there was a painful palpable mass in mentioned place. The mass was removed surgically under local anesthesia and sent for pathological autopsy. The result of the pathological autopsy was tuberculosis lymphadenitis. After that, the patient has been sent to a specialized center for tuberculosis to receive the suitable treatment., Discussion: More studies should be done to investigate the potential causes of these unusual cases and finding the accurate physiological mechanisms that inhibit the usual manifestations of tuberculosis in these patients to avoid advanced complications., Conclusion: Isolated tuberculosis lymphadenitis in healthy persons is unusual case in the literature, which the clinical doctors should be careful in examination the patients who admitting with abnormal lymph nodes and unknown history exposure to tuberculosis. ., Competing Interests: All authors declared no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)
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- 2022
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42. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among people in Syria: An incipient crisis.
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Swed S, Baroudi I, Ezzdean W, Sawaf B, Bohsas H, and Patwary MM
- Abstract
Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest.
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- 2022
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43. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among indigenous people in Sudan: An incipient crisis.
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Swed S, Mohamed T, Sakkour R, Motawea KR, and Bohsas H
- Abstract
Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Published
- 2022
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