Dental extractions may be safely performed for patients on anticoagulation therapy provided the INR level is kept <3.0 and effective measures of local haemostasis are administered. The decision to suture should be made on case-by-case basis, as the trauma associated with soft tissue handling might outweigh its advantages in certain situations like simple extractions.

Purpose This study aims to measure the knowledge levels toward retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among pediatricians covering neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the major hospitals in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. To our knowledge, this is the first report to assess the awareness level of ROP in the NICU pediatricians in the region. Patients and Methods This is a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive study using self-administered electronic questionnaires to assess the knowledge level among NICU pediatricians at the main hospitals of Tabuk city. We used a self-administer online validated knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) questionnaire. A scoring system was implemented in the data analysis, depending on the correct chosen answers on the KAP questionnaire, to present the ROP knowledge level in the participants. Results The study included 41 NICU pediatricians. Most of the participants’ age exceeded 40 years (51.2%). The majority were recruited from either King Salman Military hospital (34.1%) or King Khalid hospital (31.7%). The average frequency of preterm infants seen per month exceeded 15 infants among 41.4% of the respondents. Most pediatricians recognized the important treatment modalities available for ROP (92.7%); however, only 24.4% of them could recognize that 32 weeks or less is the gestational age of the screening criteria for ROP. The overall knowledge score ranged between 4 and 10, out of a possible maximum of 12 with a mean ± SD of (6.68±1.47). The majority (75.6%) believe that the ROP treatment can successfully prevent blindness. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that the NICU pediatricians have good knowledge about the treatment modalities of ROP. However, their knowledge about the inclusion criteria of ROP screening was insufficient. Thus, we highlighted the necessity of raising the awareness level and the strict application of the clinical guidelines among NICU pediatricians and healthcare workers involved in managing ROP.

Amblyopia is a reduced best-corrected visual acuity of one or both eyes that cannot be attributed to a structural abnormality; it is a functional reduction in the vision of an eye caused by disuse during a critical period of visual development. It is considered the leading cause of visual defects in children. With early diagnosis and treatment, children with amblyopia can significantly improve their vision. However, if it is neglected and not treated during childhood, unfortunately, it permanently decreases vision. Therefore, prevention, detection, and treatment largely depend on parents. This article explores parents’ perspectives on amblyopia and routine examination of their children’s eyes. A cross-sectional study used an electronic questionnaire consisting of five main sections to assess the level of awareness of amblyopia among parents. As a result, a total of 325 participants were included in our analysis. 209 (64.3%) were mothers, and 116 (35/7%) were fathers. The age groups were 35–50 years of age (61.5%), 20–34 years (23.4%), and older than 50 years (15%). Participants with a history of amblyopia numbered 23 (7.1%), and 39 had an amblyopic child (12%). A good awareness level of amblyopia among parents was found in only 10 (3%) participants, a fair awareness level in 202 (62%), and 113 (35%) participants were classified as having a poor awareness level of amblyopia. Only 13.8% of the parents took their children for yearly routine eye exams, while the majority (72%) took their children only if they had a complaint, and 14.2% took them for eye checkups only before school entry. In conclusion, parents’ awareness of amblyopia in Tabuk City, KSA, was low. In addition, a limited proportion of parents reported consistently taking their children for routine eye exams. Therefore, raising awareness should be considered in public education regarding the disease.

Purpose: Assessing diabetic retinopathy (DR) risk factors and daily nutrition habits are vital for prevention. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between diet soda cans, nonnutritive sweetener consumption, and diabetic retinopathy. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 patients attending a diabetes center in Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia, from September 2019 to July 2020. A structured questionnaire was used to collect patients' demographic factors, and DR risk factors including the use of diet soda, non-nutritive sweeteners, and exercise habits. Dilated fundus eye examination was done to detect any diabetic retinopathy. A blood sample was taken for measuring glycated hemoglobin to assess the degree of glycemic control. Results: The participant's age was 50.74 ±13.51 years, and the duration since the diagnosis of diabetes was 9.99 ±6.97 years, body mass index was 27.28 ±4.68, and HbA1c %, 8.50 ±1.61), the patients used to consume 1.31 ±1.57 diet soda cans/week, and 1.06±1.39 artificial sweeteners/sachet/day. DR was found in 33%. Diet sugar-free carbonated soda beverage was associated with poor glycemic control and retinopathy, while non-caloric flavor consumption was associated with obesity (P-value<0.05). No association was evident regarding other factors (P-value>0.05). Conclusion: Diet sugar-free carbonated soda beverage was associated with higher HbA1c and retinopathy, while non-caloric flavor consumption was associated with obesity. No association was evident regarding other factors. Further larger multicenter studies are needed.

RESEARCHPlease cite this paper as: Albalawi HB, Alali NM, ALEnezi SH, Mirghani HO. The relationship between periodontitis and diabetic retinopathy: A cross-sectional longitudinal study. AMJ 2020;13(2):50-54. ABSTRACT BackgroundPeriodontal disease is regarded as the sixth complication of diabetes mellitus. The association of periodontitis with diabetic retinopathy is controversial. AimsThe study aimed to assess the association of periodontitis with diabetic retinopathy.