BackgroundDiabetes mellitus with comorbid complications constitute a major public health problem worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of comorbid complications with glycosylated hemoglobin levels and diabetes duration. Also assessed were patients’ diabetic foot-care knowledge and practices.Patients and methodsThis was a quasiexperimental study. A total of 360 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients were interviewed at a government health care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Diabetic complications and HbA1c-level data were collected from hospital records. A standard questionnaire was used to assess their diabetic foot-care knowledge and practice.ResultsOf the type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, 32.5% had highly uncontrolled glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (≥8.6%) and 62.8% had had diabetes >10 years. The patients had comorbid complications, such as hypertension (61.4%), dyslipidemia (58.6%), retinopathy (23.3%), heart disease (14.4%), and severe foot complications (3.9%). The majority of highly uncontrolled HbA1c-level patients had retinopathy (OR 8.90, P=0.0001), foot complications (OR 8.09, P=0.0001), dyslipidemia (OR 2.81, P=0.010), and hypertension (OR 2.0, P=0.028) compared to the controlled HbA1c-level (<7%) group. Patients with diabetes >10 years also had higher prevalence of foot complications (OR 2.92, P=0.0001), retinopathy (OR 2.17, P=0.011), and hypertension (OR 1.67, P=0.033). From patient responses, physicians examined only 34.2% of patient feet and 36.7% of patients received physicians advice for foot care. About 70% of patients had knowledge of diabetic foot care; however, only 41.7% of patients always examined their feet, 41.4% washed feet with warm water, 31.4% carefully dried between the toes, and 33.1% were using foot-moisturizing substances.ConclusionThe prevalence of comorbid complications was higher in the Saudi population compared to other international studies. Also, foot-care practice was not satisfactory. Therefore, there is need of improvement and increased awareness among physicians and patients to check regularly for proper care of the diabetic foot to avoid diabetic foot-related complications.

Background: There is a risk of infection in surgical wounds healing by secondary intention (SWHSI) that may affect its treatment. There have been very limited clinical studies done on SWHSI, thus the current study was aimed to assess the prevalence of SWHSI and to characterize its etiology and management in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross&#8208;sectional survey was conducted by collecting data from patients who had at least one SWHSI receiving treatment in primary, secondary, and community settings in Saudi Arabia. After 2 months, a follow up was performed on the patients based on their SWHSI, clinical, and treatment details. Results: A total of 100 patients participated in the study with at least one SWHSI. The majority of patients were males (65%), while 35% were females. The majority of patients had one SWHSI, 40 patients had two SWHSI, 13 patients had three SWHSI, while only 7 patients had four SWHSI. The most common SWHSI, according to the type of surgical specialty, were colorectal (50%) and orthopedic (40%) followed by plastics (25%), vascular (22%), and upper GI (20%). SWHSI wounds that were planned to heal by secondary intention were for nearly two&#8208;thirds of SWHSI in colorectal (0%), and more than half of vascular (12%) surgeries. The partially dehisced wound was commonly found in plastic surgery (12%) and upper GI (10%). However, the fully dehisced wound was most common in orthopedic (11%). Conclusion: This study was the first of its kind to look into the extent, nature, and treatment of SWHSI in Saudi Arabia. The study concluded that SWHSI was common in men more than women and were associated with colorectal and orthopedic surgeries.

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Background: Musculoskeletal disorders are a common cause of physical and emotional distress among healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to see the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in healthcare professionals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 health care professionals working in King Saud University Hospital, Riyadh. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to the healthcare staff who attended the occupational health clinic. The questionnaire was based on Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire to assess the prevalence and severity of musculoskeletal disorder along with the enquiry on demographics, working hours, work experience, nature of the job, coping strategies, and pattern of WRMSD’s. Results: In the present study, 62% of participants reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders including neck, shoulder, lower body joint pains and backache. It was found that an abnormal work posture, prolonged working hours and individuals with more years of work experience had a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders increase with abnormal posture, increased working hours and a prolonged working career. Hence, individuals need to follow adequate ergonomic practices at work to avoid work-related musculoskeletal injuries and their consequences.