Aims and Objectives : The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among clinical laboratory workers. Materials and Methods : This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study included the clinical laboratory departments of six governmental tertiary and secondary hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The selected instrument was a self-administered adapted standardized questionnaire. The sample comprised 306 laboratory workers, and the selected sampling technique was a non-random convenient method. Results : The overall prevalence of WMSDs in any body region was 82% in the last 12 months; it was mainly linked to lower back pain (61%). In the logistic regression, age <30 years, working in specific laboratories and working in hematology/flow-cytometry laboratory divisions were all found to be significant risk factors ( P < 0.05). Conclusion : Clinical laboratory workers are at a high risk for WMSDs; it is essential that we take preventative action to address this.

Background This study aimed to determine the impact of pulmonary complications on death after surgery both before and during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Methods This was a patient-level, comparative analysis of two, international prospective cohort studies: one before the pandemic (January–October 2019) and the second during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (local emergence of COVID-19 up to 19 April 2020). Both included patients undergoing elective resection of an intra-abdominal cancer with curative intent across five surgical oncology disciplines. Patient selection and rates of 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications were compared. The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative mortality. Mediation analysis using a natural-effects model was used to estimate the proportion of deaths during the pandemic attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results This study included 7402 patients from 50 countries; 3031 (40.9 per cent) underwent surgery before and 4371 (59.1 per cent) during the pandemic. Overall, 4.3 per cent (187 of 4371) developed postoperative SARS-CoV-2 in the pandemic cohort. The pulmonary complication rate was similar (7.1 per cent (216 of 3031) versus 6.3 per cent (274 of 4371); P = 0.158) but the mortality rate was significantly higher (0.7 per cent (20 of 3031) versus 2.0 per cent (87 of 4371); P &lt; 0.001) among patients who had surgery during the pandemic. The adjusted odds of death were higher during than before the pandemic (odds ratio (OR) 2.72, 95 per cent c.i. 1.58 to 4.67; P &lt; 0.001). In mediation analysis, 54.8 per cent of excess postoperative deaths during the pandemic were estimated to be attributable to SARS-CoV-2 (OR 1.73, 1.40 to 2.13; P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion Although providers may have selected patients with a lower risk profile for surgery during the pandemic, this did not mitigate the likelihood of death through SARS-CoV-2 infection. Care providers must act urgently to protect surgical patients from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien–Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P &lt; 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk.

No abstract

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher in developed countries than in developing countries of all ages (data from 2013). This study is aimed at assessing the knowledge and attitudes of people in Saudi Arabia toward bariatric surgery. To do this, the specific objectives sought to determine the satisfaction of people who underwent bariatric surgery and to determine the importance of bariatric surgery among the community. Methods: The study is a cross-sectional, community-based study conducted among the Saudi adult population. The final sample size was 891 respondents from different regions of Saudi Arabia. Data collection was through online questionnaires that consisted of 26 questions to assess the perceived knowledge and attitudes toward obesity and bariatric surgery adopted from Abouhamda (2016). Results: More than 70% of the study participants were aged between 18 and 25 years. There were more males than there were females 76.0% versus 24.0%, while most of the respondents were living single. The proportion of respondents across listed regions of Saudi Arabia significantly varied at a 5% level ( P = 0.000). Sixty percent of the study respondents were within the normal weight range (BMI 18.5–25), 9% were marked as obese (BMI >30). Age group was not significantly associated with knowledge of quantization and perceived the knowledge that quantization can cause death ( P > 0.05 in both cases ). Conclusion: The knowledge about obesity in Saudi Arabia is generally good and most Saudis would rather take the approach of proper diet as opposed to surgery, with the bigger percentage being in the normal range (BMI 18.5–25).