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The prevalence and possible risk factors for anaemia were investigated in 744 pregnant Sudanese women attending the antenatal clinic of New Halfa teaching hospital, eastern Sudan between October 2003 and April 2004. Of those, 466 (62.6%) had anaemia (haemoglobin [Hb]: <11 gm/dl); 52.4% had mild anaemia (Hb: 9.0-10.9 gm/dl); 8.1% had moderate anaemia (Hb: 7.0-8.9 gm/dl); and 2.2% had severe anaemia (Hb: <7 gm/dl), respectively. The prevalence of anaemia (73.2%) was significantly high in grandmultigravidae. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that age and parity were not significantly associated with anaemia. Malaria (OR = 4.5, 95% CI 2.5-8.1; P < 0.0001) and pica (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.05-2.6; P = 0.03) were the risk factors for anaemia. Thus, preventive measures against malaria (chemoprophylaxis and insecticide-treated bednets) may be needed for all pregnant women irrespective of their age or parity.

Background COVID-19 continues to impact the dental community worldwide. The authors conducted a cross sectional electronic study to examine dentists’ knowledge, attitudes and professional behavior towards COVID-19 and the impact on their livelihood through a multi-site survey. Methods A questionnaire was circulated by electronic mail and social media platforms to dentists in North America, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific regions. It covered demographic characteristics and questions on COVID-19 outbreak related to dentists’ level of comfort on preventive and safety measures, provision of treatment, impact on work and financial implications. Responses were tabulated and analyzed by chi-square or exact Fisher test. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare means. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results A total of 1,251dentists responded. General dentists represented (63.9%) of the population and (62.5%) worked in private practice. On the level of comfortable with the preventive measures and provisions of treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, the global score was low (14/30), and the differences between regions were significant (P <0.01), dentists working in private practice and general dental practitioners were less comfortable (P<0.01). Conclusions and Practical Implications Respondents surveyed demonstrated a lack of preparedness to confront a highly infectious respiratory disease. A new level of protective armamentarium in the dental operatory and updated operational guidance and policies are required, necessitating educators and regulators to ensure the delivery of knowledge and skills to oral healthcare providers. Dentists need to address the sustainability of their practices and have a robust business plan.

Introduction: Few reports about the prevalence and genetic basis of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are available from Saudi Arabia. We sought to determine the prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a university hospital in eastern Saudi Arabia and to characterize the ESBLs produced by these isolates at the molecular level. Methodology: All clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Proteus spp. collected over two years were evaluated for susceptibility to a panel of antimicrobials and were analyzed for the ESBL phenotype using screening and confirmatory tests. ESBL-positive isolates were then screened for the presence of genes encoding CTX-M, SHV, and TEM beta-lactamases by PCR. Results and conclusions: The overall prevalence of ESBL-producing isolates was 4.8% (253/5256). Most isolates (80%) were from the inpatient department. The ESBL phenotype was more frequently detected in K. pneumonia. CTX-M genes were the most prevalent ESBL genes, detected in 82% of the studied isolates. The ESBL producers demonstrated a high multidrug resistance rate (96.6%). In transconjugation assay, the same ESBL gene pattern was transmitted from 29.7% of K. pneumoniae donors to the recipient strain, and the latter exhibited concomitant decreased aminoglycosides and co-trimoxazole susceptibility. We observed the presence of ESBL screenpositive but confirmatory-negative isolates (8.9%). Phenotypic tests for the production of AmpC β-lactamase tested positive in 52% of these isolates. Further studies are needed for appropriate detection of concomitant ESBL and AmpC enzyme production among such isolates. Continued surveillance and judicious antibiotic usage together with the implementation of efficient infection control measures are absolutely required.

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Caries in the primary dentition in the GCC States was high both in terms of mean (5.14) and prevalence (80.95%).

Background: Pregnant women are more susceptible to malaria, which is associated with serious adverse effects on pregnancy. The presentation of malaria during pregnancy varies according to the level of transmission in the area. Our study aimed to demonstrate the prevalence and risk factors for malaria (age, parity and gestational age) among pregnant women of eastern Sudan, which is characterized by unstable malaria transmission.

BackgroundThe evolution of an undergraduate medical student into an adept physician is perpetual, demanding, and stressful. Several studies have indicated medical students have a higher predominance of mental health problems than other student groups of the same age, where medical education acts as a stressor and may lead to unfavorable consequences such as depression, burnout, somatic complaints, decrease in empathy, dismal thoughts about quitting medical school, self harm and suicidal ideation, and poor academic performance. It is imperative to determine the association between important psychoeducational variables and academic performance in the context of medical education to comprehend the response to academic stress.ObjectiveThe aim of this proof-of-concept study is to determine the relationship between resilience, learning approaches, and stress-coping strategies and how they can collectively predict achievement in undergraduate medical students. The following research questions will be addressed: What is the correlation between the psychoeducational variables resilience, learning approaches, and stress-coping strategies? Can academic performance of undergraduate medical students be predicted through the construction of linear relationships between defined variables employing the principles of empirical modeling?MethodsStudy population will consist of 234 students registered for the MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences distributed over 4 cohorts. Newly registered MBBS students will be excluded from the study. Various psychoeducational variables will be assessed using prevalidated questionnaires. For learning approaches assessment, the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students questionnaire will be employed. Resilience and stress-coping strategies will be evaluated using the Wagnild-Young resilience scale and a coping strategies scale derived from Holahan and Moos’s Coping Strategies Scale, respectively. Independent variables (resilience, stress-coping strategies, and learning approaches) will be calculated. Scores will be tested for normality by using the Shapiro-Wilk test. An interitem correlational matrix of the dependent and independent variables to test pairwise correlation will be formed using Pearson bivariate correlation coefficients. Regression models will be used to answer our questions with type II analyses of variance in tests involving multiple predictors. Regression analyses will be checked for homogeneity of variance (Levine test) and normality of residuals and multicollinearity (variance inflation factor). Statistical significance will be set at 5% (alpha=.05). Effect sizes will be estimated with 95% CIs.ResultsPsychoeducational instruments in the form of validated questionnaire have been identified in relation to the objectives. These questionnaires have been formatted for integration into Google forms such that they can be electronically distributed to the consenting participants. We submitted the proposa...