Background: Influenza is one of the infections in which a specific pattern is observed according to seasons which result in severe forms of disease. By providing regular and extensive quality in epidemiological studies, the surveillance system can help in reducing the threat to public health posed by influenza that eventually minimizes the effect of illness. They also help in reporting the health ministry about the relevant information as an aid to reduce the impact of disease on public health. Objective: To assess the incidence of seasonal influenza in Abha City, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This surveillance report conducted among citizens of Abha, Saudi Arabia, 2019. It is based on sentinel surveillance and case-based data collection of laboratory-confirmed cases through electronic health records. All data were obtained from the department of infectious diseases of public health department in Aseer health directorate. Results: The total reported positive cases for influenza viruses were 808 (22.30%) patients in the city of Abha for the year 2019, among them 435 males and 373 females (F= 9.5149; P=0.002038) which 665 (82.3%) were typed as influenza A and 143 (17.7%) as influenza B. (F= 674.46; P=0.001). The prevalence of the disease is commonly seen in the age group of 5-15 (42.35 %) with a mean age of 15.45±4.50 followed by 16 to 50 years age (37.45%) and 51-65 age group (10%). There was no death registered among these cases. In February maximum cases were found, whereas in June and July minimum cases were recorded. The influenza positivity rate showed one primary peak and three secondary peaks that were recorded in February and January, March and December. Conclusion: Importance of conducting effective epidemiological surveillance for influenza virus in various regions in Abha specially in winter season with a peak in the month of February.
Background: Medical professionalism is considered, in modern clinical practice as the basis of the social contract between physicians and their society. It encompasses a wide range of values such as altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, service, honor, integrity, and respect for others. It has been researched extensively in the Western world, but only a dearth of studies exist in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 157 physicians working in primary health care centers in Abha and Khamis-Mushayt cities of Saudi Arabia. The study tool was a self-addressed validated questionnaire. Results: Participants in the study were 157 general physicians, of whom 63.7% were males. The Saudis were 84.1%. The mean of experience of work in years was 3.5 years. Only, 50.3% had training in medical professionalism training, whereas 49.7% did not receive any training in professionalism (the mean number of training sessions was 3.1). The mean score of professionalism was 109.1 (out of a potential total of 130 points). Participants with High professionalism were 49%, while 49.7% were found to have moderate professionalism, and only 1.3%, was with poor professionalism. Factors related to a significantly positive association with professional behavior were; higher age, being married, being non-Saudi, higher qualifications (like Diploma/MSc), increased practice experience, and professional training one is involved in. Conclusion: The participant physicians reported high levels of professional behavior. However, there is a need to focus on addressing job satisfaction factors to improve participants’ practice attitude and subsequently increase professionalism.
Low back pain is a very common health issue treated in primary care and carries varying definitions. The European Guidelines for Prevention of Low Back Pain characterizes it as "pain and discomfort, localized below the costal margin and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without leg pain (sciatica)", whereas S. Kinkade defines it as "pain that occurs posteriorly in the region between the lower rib margin and the proximal thighs". Non-specific low back pain, meaning back pain that is "not attributed to any recognizable, known specific pathology", involves symptoms such as disability and pain. The considerable variation that exists in diagnostics and management of this issue around the world shows a net difference between different countries, whether it be by healthcare professionals, specialists, or general practitioners. The Medline, Pubmed, Embase, NCBI, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies of patients with CKD. Incidence, etiology, and management options were analyzed. Low back pain tends to increase in patients age 30 and above, and those numbers tend to rise steadily until age 65. No treatment has been developed that would eradicate it, thus rendering it one of the main reasons for patient visits to their physician. Opioids tend to be prescribed for pain management, alongside NSAIDs, both of which tend to have overwhelming negative side effects in the long term.
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