Background: Pain is one of the most common presenting symptoms at the emergency department (ED). Timely and effective analgesia is a key indicator of emergency medical care efficiency. Despite the significant improvement in pain management over time, insufficient pain control still occurs in various emergency care settings.Objective: Development and implementation of a standardized ED pain management strategy based on the pain assessment, intervention, and reassessment (AIR) cycle to improve timely analgesia and enhance the consistency and reliability of pain relief delivery.Methods: A prospective, single-center, quality-improvement study was conducted over 8 months from January to August 2025. Data from all eligible patients were collected, including baseline characteristics, pain intensity, triage category, and mean medication administration time (MAT).Results: The mean MAT was reduced from 25 minutes in January to 8 minutes in August, with 100% compliance across all aspects of the AIR cycle.Conclusion: This study highlights the significant value of a standardized... Continue Reading

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) require structured detoxification and rehabilitation. Patients often adapt to treatment environments by observing and responding to staff behaviors and institutional routines, described as Behavioral Manipulation Patterns (BMPs). Understanding these patterns is important for optimizing patient–provider interactions. Methods: A qualitative observational study was conducted at the ReLib Center, including 78 patients admitted between January and March 2025. Data from clinical notes, incident reports, multidisciplinary meetings, and staff feedback were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurrent behavioral patterns. Results: Patients rapidly developed awareness of institutional routines, often within the first 72 hours, enabling anticipatory and adaptive behaviors. Common patterns included adjustment of communication styles based on staff dynamics, use of emotionally expressive strategies, and repeated boundary testing. Behavioral complexity varied according to cognitive functioning. Conclusions: Patients actively adapt to structured treatment environments through observable behavioral strategies. Recognizing these patterns can improve staff preparedness, promote consistent clinical... Continue Reading

Background: Breastfeeding is important for both the baby and the mothers as it enhances the health of both. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended till six months of age, but there is a decline in breastfeeding rates globally, including in Saudi Arabia. Breastfeeding clinics are clinics that offer quality care to mothers with breastfeeding difficulties. However, little is known about its impact on the rates of exclusive breastfeeding. Aim: To evaluate the effect of attending the hospital’s breastfeeding clinic on exclusive breastfeeding rates at 6 weeks postpartum. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study that was conducted at Care Medical Malaz Antenatal clinics, Postpartum wards, and Breastfeeding Clinic. The study was conducted on mothers and categorized them into two groups: the first involved those who attended the breastfeeding clinic, and the other group included controls who didn't attend the clinic. A questionnaire was used to investigate the demographics, satisfaction, and data related... Continue Reading

Background: Internal medicine wards receive patients with heterogeneous and often multisystem presentations, and the reason for admission may not predict the final diagnosis. Describing admission reasons can support service planning and diagnostic pathways. Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive single-center study in an internal medicine department. We included all adult hospitalizations with an analyzable medical record between January 1, 2022 and October 31, 2024. We collected demographics, comorbidities, length of stay, admission reasons, investigations, and discharge diagnoses. Analysis was descriptive. Results: We analyzed 190 hospitalizations (mean age, 54.1 years; 55% women). Mean length of stay was 16.9 days. Twenty-four admission reasons were identified; the most frequent were anemia syndrome (30/190, 16%), unilateral leg swelling (23/190, 12%), polyarthralgia (20/190, 11%), general health deterioration (19/190, 10%), abdominal pain (15/190, 8%), and dyspnea (15/190, 8%). The first 8 reasons accounted for 75% of admissions. Complete blood count was performed in all patients, and... Continue Reading

Background: Burn injuries remain a significant global public health concern, and prompt, appropriate first aid is essential for reducing burn severity and improving outcomes. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a critical role in providing early burn care and educating the public; however, their knowledge and practices regarding burns first aid may be suboptimal. This systematic review aimed to synthesize available evidence on HCWs’ knowledge and practices related to burns first aid, assess participation in burn first-aid training, and identify factors associated with knowledge levels. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for cross-sectional studies. Results: Six cross-sectional studies involving 3,123 healthcare workers from Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, India, and Jordan were included. Overall, HCWs demonstrated inadequate to moderate knowledge of burns first aid, with consistent gaps in burn size estimation, fluid resuscitation, and recognition of burn-related complications. Participation in formal burn first-aid training was limited, ranging, Scopus, and Web of Science... Continue Reading

Driving is a job that requires proper interaction with the vehicle and environmental conditions at the same time. Professional drivers, including taxi, bus, and long-haul truck drivers, experience greater rates of health issues compared to other occupations due to the nature of their occupation. Here, we highlighted and discussed professional driving as an occupational disease. The literature related to the current subject, especially that from Saudi Arabia, was obtained through an online search process. The eligible articles were reviewed and discussed under specific titles to cover our current subject. Due to the sedentary nature of driving occupation and other job characteristics, professional drivers are most exposed to several health-related risks and diseases. Actually, professional driving was found to be associated with physical diseases and psychological conditions, including musculoskeletal diseases, sleep disorders, and depression. Such conditions can put the drivers under increased risk of road traffic accidents. Therefore, the management of... Continue Reading

Background: Work-related asthma (WRA) is a significant occupational health concern, and healthcare workers (HCWs) are routinely exposed to respiratory hazards such as disinfectants, cleaning agents, and aerosolized medications. Despite this, the overall burden of asthma and the contribution of specific work-related tasks among HCWs have not been clearly quantified. This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of asthma among healthcare workers and to summarize key occupational exposures and risk factors associated with work-related asthma. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for observational studies published up to December 2025. Cross-sectional or cohort studies reporting asthma prevalence and/or occupational exposures among HCWs were included. Pooled prevalence estimates were calculated using random-effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic, and publication bias was evaluated using Doi plots and the Luis Furuya-Kanamori index. Results: Eight cross-sectional studies involving 16,019... Continue Reading

More young adults are being diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions, which makes people worry that the burden of disease is starting earlier in life. This brief communication contends that this phenomenon signifies a transition toward earlier detection rather than an actual acceleration of disease onset. Improvements in screening, diagnostics, and risk stratification have made it possible to identify subclinical and early-stage conditions that would have gone undiagnosed until complications arose. The psychological effects of accumulating diagnostic labels are substantial; however, early identification signifies a chance for preventive intervention rather than an indication of premature physiological deterioration. Continue Reading

Background: Brucellosis, caused by Brucella spp. It is a common zoonotic bacterial infection worldwide, with significant concern in Saudi Arabia. of symptoms, including fever, fatigue, sweating, and muscular and joint pain, the diagnosis of Brucellosis is typically confirmed using blood tests. Rifampin, Doxycycline, or Streptomycin are basic treatment drugs. Case Presentation: We report a family cluster of three people with brucellosis: a 16-year-old boy who drank unpasteurized milk, his 53-year-old mother with no chronic illnesses, and his 56-year-old father with prediabetes. All had fever and joint pain. All were diagnosed by blood test. The son's Brucella titer was highest (1:5621), the mother’s was 1:1280, and the father’s was 1:320. The son had the most severe case and received doxycycline (100 mg twice daily) and rifampicin (900 mg once daily) for 12 weeks. The mother and father had milder cases and were treated with rifampicin (600 mg daily) and doxycycline (100... Continue Reading