Measurement of the awareness of venous thromboembolism in the Saudi population

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) causes significant morbidity and mortality. International studies have suggested poor public awareness of VTE, with a few data from Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and awareness of VTE in the Saudi population. Awareness of other important diseases was also investigated to allow contextualization. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted throughout Saudi Arabia from April to June 2021. A nonprobability, purposive, social media-driven, snowballing sampling technique was used to distribute a validated online questionnaire to Saudi adults (aged over 18 years) from the general population. RESULTS: Of 1226 respondents, 214 were excluded as they were health-care professionals. The majority of the participants were unaware and unconcerned about VTE. They were more aware of other medical conditions such as hypertension. Immobility and old age were frequently recognized as risk factors for VTE. While less than half of the participants were aware that thrombosis is the cause of VTE, most participants correctly identified leg pain and tenderness as symptoms of deep venous thrombosis. The majority of the participants identified chest pain and breathlessness as symptoms of pulmonary embolism. However, leg paralysis and slow, shallow breathing were frequently identified as symptoms of VTE. The majority of subjects disagreed with the statement, “having a blood clot is not considered a medical emergency.“ Awareness of VTE varied significantly with age. CONCLUSION: In Saudi Arabia, the public awareness of VTE is poor. To improve outcomes, public health initiatives must increase awareness, introduce preventive measures, encourage early diagnosis, and ensure compliance with treatment.

Awareness and Knowledge of Venous Thromboembolism Among Saudi Adults in the Dawadmi Province: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…where n is the sample size, Z is the level of confidence (95% confidence interval =1.96), P is the prevalence of VTE (1-2 per 1000 adults worldwide) [ 1 , 3 ], and e is the margin of error.…”

“…To upsurge global awareness of the thrombosis-related disease burden, starting in 2014, the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) declared 13 October as the World Thrombosis Day [ 13 ]. A few studies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have shed light on community awareness of VTE [ 2 , 3 , 14 ]; hence, people must be aware of this disorder as it may be a life-threatening disease [ 13 ]. This study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of VTE risk factors, manifestations, prevention, and treatment options among the general adult population of Dawadmi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.…”

“…It affects thousands of patients worldwide and is a cause of annual hospitalizations [2]. The annual incidence of VTE is one to two per 1,000 adults worldwide [1,3]. Several risk factors are associated with thrombosis, including older age, obesity, smoking, history of thrombosis, surgery, hospitalization, varicose veins, thrombophilia, oral contraceptives, and pregnancy [4][5][6][7].…”

The risk of venous thromboembolism and blood hyperlactatemia is associated with increased mortality among critically ill patients with Covid‐19

“…Given these few studies that identified various risk factors for mortality among critically ill Covid‐19 patients admitted to ICU in various countries, it remains necessary to investigate the association between the risk of VTE, blood hyperlactatemia and ICU mortality among these patients in Saudi Arabia. Because public awareness about VTE has been reported as poor in Saudi Arabia 13 . Therefore, this study investigated the association between VTE, blood hyperlactatemia and ICU mortality risk among critically ill patients with Covid‐19 in Saudi Arabia.…”

“…Because public awareness about VTE has been reported as poor in Saudi Arabia. 13 Therefore, this study investigated the association between VTE, blood hyperlactatemia and ICU mortality risk among critically ill patients with Covid‐19 in Saudi Arabia.…”