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Background and Objectives: Medication errors significantly impact patient safety, potentially causing adverse drug events (ADEs), increasing morbidity and mortality and prolonging hospital stays. This systematic review aimed to identify common medication errors in Saudi hospitals, their contributing factors, and effective prevention strategies. Materials and Methods: Following PRISMA-P guidelines, a comprehensive review of the literature published after 2019 was conducted. Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed articles in English addressing medication errors in Saudi hospitals. Exclusion criteria eliminated reviews, opinion pieces, and non-peer-reviewed sources. A narrative synthesis identified common themes, and a descriptive analysis organized the data. Results: Searches yielded 22 articles from Embase (n = 4), PubMed (n = 10), and Web of Science (n = 8). After removing duplicates and one review article, twelve studies remained. Hand-searching references added 16 more, totaling 28 articles. Of the 28 included studies, 20 (71.4%) reported the types of medication errors observed. Wrong dose and improper dose errors are among the most frequently reported across multiple studies, while prescribing errors remain consistently high, indicating a critical area for intervention. Although less frequent, omission errors still hold significance. Conclusions: This review emphasizes the importance of comprehensive, proactive approaches to preventing medication errors. Integrating evidence-based strategies, fostering a safety culture, and continuously monitoring and evaluating interventions can significantly enhance medication safety and improve patient outcomes in Saudi Arabian hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has revolutionized cervical cancer prevention. Clinical trials confirm that the quadrivalent (HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18) and bivalent (HPV types 16, 18) vaccines effectively prevent HPV infections and cervical neoplasia. The latest HPV vaccine protects against nine virus types responsible for 90% of cervical cancer cases globally. Despite their undoubted effectiveness in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with HPV infections, challenges in vaccine coverage and uptake persist. The current study aimed to identify the primary challenges associated with HPV vaccination, propose effective strategies to improve vaccination uptake, and compile relevant evidence into a comprehensive overview to inform policy and practice. A systematic review protocol, following PRISMA-P and PRISMA guidelines, was established. Articles were sourced from the Web of Science using keywords from a comprehensive review of HPV vaccination challenges and strategies. Studies published between 1 January 2020, and 1 May 2024, including RCTs and observational, qualitative, and cross-sectional studies, were included, while reviews, protocols, and commentaries were excluded. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened per PRISMA guidelines. The review identified five key strategies to improve HPV vaccination uptake: parental and school engagement, use of technology and multimedia tools, healthcare providers' role, multicomponent interventions, and targeted interventions for immigrant groups. This review emphasized the need for a multifaceted approach to improving vaccination rates, offering a robust foundation for policy and stakeholder initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a highly contagious virus that is linked to cervical cancer and is a major public health issue. Saudi Arabia national efforts aimed to have females aged 9-25 years to receive the available vaccine. Objectives: This study aims to explore parental knowledge, views, and perceptions around HPV in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional online questionnaire was used through direct interview to collect information from a group of parents attending King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire comprised items including demographics, knowledge, views, and perceptions of HPV infection and vaccination. Results: Of the 500 parents who participated in this study, only 54 (11%) had heard about HPV being associated with cervical cancer. The majority of the participants reported being from the middle social class (n = 472, 94.4%). The vast majority (n = 483, 96.8%) had never heard of the HPV vaccine and (n = 470, 94%) were unwilling to vaccinate their daughters. The primary reported reason behind refusing the vaccine was the lack of information on the importance of HPV vaccination (n = 426, 85.2%). The majority (n = 419, 83.8%) believed that there was insufficient information regarding vaccine safety and efficacy. Participants suggested ways to increase vaccination acceptance like social media awareness (n = 369, 73.8%), educational seminars in schools (n = 254, 50.8%), and a governmental platform (n = 218, 43.6%) providing information on HPV infection and promoting vaccination. Conclusion: Parents in the present study demonstrated a substantial lack of knowledge about HPV infection and vaccination, which may necessitate the establishment of national awareness campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine virulence (severity of disease and/or symptoms) and response to therapy (medications, supportive measures) between confirmed cases of MERS-CoV animal-to-human transmission compared with cases resulting from human-to-human transmission. Methods: The records for laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV infections that were diagnosed at King Fahad Hofuf Hospital (Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia) from April 1, 2012 to November 30, 2016 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: There were 107 laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases. Transmission of the virus from animal-to-human was less common (21.4 vs 78.6 %). The human-to-human transmission group had a higher mortality rate (53.57 vs 39.13 %). Patients in this group also had higher APACHEE II (11.2 vs 23, p = 0.043), SOFA scores (10.9 vs 12.55, p = 0.076), and higher rates of sepsis (17.39 vs 26.19 %, p = 0.582) and septic shock (13.04 vs 20.23 %, p = 0.555). The infections were more severe in the humanto- human transmission group; patients had increased rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (43.47 vs 51.19 %), decreased time from symptom onset until ICU admission, and greater need for mechanical ventilation (8 days vs 4 days, p = 0.041, and 6 days vs 4 days, respectively), longer time to respond to antiviral treatment and resolve the infection (5 days vs 11 days and 7 days vs 13 days, respectively) and a shorter time from the beginning of symptoms until death (11 days vs 5 days, p = 0.048). Conclusion: MERS-CoV transmitted from human-to-human was more virulent, resulted in higher casemortality rates and required more ICU treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]