Introduction: The understanding of blood group phenotypes in Saudi Arabia is limited to the ABO and Rh blood groups. Data for the other major blood group phenotypes in different populations have been widely studied and used as a reference for identifying antigennegative blood in hospital blood banks. Such information is crucial for facilitating the challenging task of providing antigen-negative blood for patients with multiple antibodies. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of the major blood group phenotypes in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia and compare them to phenotypes in other populations. Methods: A total of 100 volunteer Saudi donors were included in this study. Red blood cells from the donors were subjected to antigen typing of the major blood group systems (Rh, Kell, Kidd, Duffy, MNS, Lewis, Lutheran, and P) using the gel microtube technique. Results: From the Rh blood group system, the e antigen was found in 97% of donors, followed by c at 86%. The Cellano (k) antigen of the Kell system was found in all donors, whereas the Kell (K) antigen was only found in 8 % of donors. The K+k-phenotype was not detected in our study. Unexpectedly, for the Duffy blood group system, the null phenotype Fy (a-b-) was found in 61% of donors. In the MNS blood group system, M+N-S+s+ was the most common phenotype at 24%. Conclusion: The frequency of blood group phenotypes in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia differs from that in other populations because of the diverse ethnic backgrounds of those living in that region. The findings of this study can be used to establish a local donor registry to help provide antigen-negative blood for patients with unexpected antibodies or to create an in-house antibody identification panel to add to the commercial panel that would be useful for confirming antibody identification results.

Adansonia digitata exhibits numerous beneficial effects. In the current study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of four different extracts of A. digitata (polar and non-polar extracts of fruit powder and fibers) on the proliferation of human colon cancer (HCT116), human breast cancer (MCF-7), and human ovarian cancer (OVCAR-3 and OVCAR-4) cell lines. RNA sequencing revealed the influence of the effective A. digitata fraction on the gene expression profiles of responsive cells. The results indicated that only the polar extract of the A. digitata fibers exhibited anti-proliferative activities against HCT116 and MCF-7 cells, but not ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, the polar extract of the fibers resulted in the modulation of the expression of multiple genes in HCT116 and MCF-7 cells. We propose that casein kinase 2 alpha 3 ( CSNK2A3) is a novel casein kinase 2 ( CSNK2) isoform in HCT116 cells and report, for the first time, the potential involvement of FYVE, RhoGEF, and PH domain-containing 3 ( FGD3) in colon cancer. Together, these findings provide evidence supporting the anti-cancer potential of the polar extract of A. digitata fibers in this experimental model of breast and colon cancers.

BackgroundA clinical professional has a challenging role during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in providing timely and accurate results with limited resources and a rapid increase in the number of samples to be tested. However, during the ongoing pandemic, the anxiety level of Medical Laboratory Professionals (MLT) has not been studied in Saudi Arabia within the hospital environment.AimTo determine the associated factors related with anxiety level of MLT at King Fahd Hospital of the University (KFHU) during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThe study design was a cross-sectional quantitative study. Data were collected by administering a paper-based questionnaire that was distributed among MLT at KFHU. The questionnaire consisted of three sections. The first two sections were prepared by the researchers and included participant demographics and questions related to COVID-19. The third section used the Hamilton Anxiety Scale to assess anxiety levels.ResultThe study revealed that 70.4% of MLT showed no signs of anxiety, while 19.2% showed mild/moderate anxiety levels, and approximately 10.4% showed severe to extreme anxiety levels. In addition, a significant association between the anxiety level and difficulty breathing among MLT wearing personal protective equipment was observed. Moreover, a significant association between sex and anxiety level was identified. Females MLT had higher percentages of severe anxiety (12.8% vs. 5.1%) and mild/moderate anxiety (24.4 vs. 7.7%) than males.ConclusionsProtecting the mental health status of MLT is an essential part of public health measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Phlebotomy is a medical procedure that is performed frequently in the blood collection activities of medical institutions. The procedure involves close interaction with different types of patients—some of whom are cooperative and others, who, for many reasons, are not (for example, patients who have a fear of needles). Blood extraction is an essential skill in several medical specialties, such as in laboratory sciences. Lesson planning in phlebotomy education is mainly focused on procedural skills, and very little attention is given towards teaching communication skills despite the close patient interaction in phlebotomy. In this paper, I propose a lesson plan for teaching communication skills to medical laboratory sciences and nursing students based on Gagne’s instructional design. Methods: The training session included two main parts: training session using Gange’s instructional design and at the end of the session, the participants were surveyed for the effectiveness of the training session. Results: 17 participants were included in the study. Overall, the majority of the participants were highly satisfied with the effectiveness of the training session in teaching communication skills with all seven survey questions receiving a mean score of 4.58 on a Likert scale of 1-5. Conclusion: We demonstrated the effectiveness of Gange’s instructional beyond theoretical lesson planning to teach communication skills through role-play in phlebotomy education.

Background: Tracheostomy is among the oldest and most common surgical procedures for critically ill patients. Over the past decade, tracheostomy practice has changed regarding its indication, timing, technique, decannulation, and follow-up procedures. A systematic assessment tool for tracheostomy could maximize the quality of care and improve patient outcomes. This study develops a tool for systematically evaluating tracheostomy-related practices, assesses its validity and reliability, and conducts pilot testing of the tool. Methods: The questionnaire development process involved three rounds using the Delphi technique with eight experts in airway management. The experts were selected from multiple healthcare specialties and workplace backgrounds. There was a two-week interval between each discussion round. In February 2019, the questionnaire themes and statements were identified through qualitative content analysis. Subsequently, in March 2019, the developed tool was emailed to 31 heads of tracheostomy care teams at multiple national hospitals for further validity and reliability assessment. Results: The developed tool demonstrated reliability of 0.975. Tracheostomy-related practices showed acceptable levels in all 31 assessed hospitals with areas for improvement in the long-term follow-up domain. Conclusion: This study designed a tool for the comprehensive assessment of tracheostomy-related practices. It can be used to monitor institutional outcomes, which can reduce costs. Moreover, this tool can be employed to track the improvement or deterioration of tracheostomy-related procedures and long-term follow-up to facilitate institutional progress. In addition, this tool could be used for formative and summative assessments of tracheotomy practices at national and international levels.