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Objectives: To assess the quality and quantity of Saudi publications in oncology over a 10-year period. Methods: A systematic PubMed search was conducted between January 2008 and December 2017 to retrieve all Saudi oncology publications. Data about the articles was collected. The level of evidence (LOE) was independently assessed by 2 authors. Two 5-year periods (2008-2012 and 2013-2017) were compared using the relevant parameters. Clinicaltrials.gov was also searched for all oncology trials registered in Saudi Arabia. Original Article Results: A total of 839 publications met our inclusion criteria. The most common type of research was case series, totaling 32% of all publications. Clinical trials formed less than 2% of the total. The LOE was I, II, III, and IV in 0.3%, 2.1%, 58.4%, and 39.3% of the included publications, respectively. The LOE was the same in the 2 periods. There were more publications in international journals (p=0.004), more international collaborations (p=0.001), and higher journal impact factors (p=0.037) in 2013-2017 than in 2008-2012. Only 76 registered clinical trials were found in the Clinicaltrials.gov registry. Conclusion: Despite an increase in the number of Saudi publications in the field of oncology over time, the LOE did not change. There were, however, some improvements in the international collaboration and journal impact factor, as well as an increase in the number of studies published in international journals. These observations call for a national strategy to improve oncology research in Saudi Arabia.

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on global health systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate how imaging volumes and imaging types in radiology departments have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across different locations. Methods: Imaging volumes in the Aseer region (in the south of Saudi Arabia) across main hospitals were reviewed retrospectively including all cases referred from different locations (outpatient, inpatient and emergency departments). Data for years 2019 and 2020 were compared. The mean monthly cases were compared using a t-test. Results: The total imaging volumes in 2019 were 205,805 compared to 159,107 in 2020 with a 22.7% overall reduction. A substantial decline was observed in both the April to June and the July to September periods of approximately 42.9% and 44.4%, respectively. With respect to location, between April and June, the greatest decline was observed in outpatient departments (76% decline), followed by emergency departments (25% decline), and the least impact was observed in inpatient departments, with only 6.8% decline over the same period. According to modality type, the greatest decreases were reported in nuclear medicine, ultrasound, MRI, and mammography, by 100%, 76%, 74%, and 66%, respectively. Our results show a statistically significant (p-value ≤ 0.05) decrease of cases in 2020 compared to 2019, except for mammography procedures. Conclusion: There has been a significant decline in radiology volumes due to COVID-19. The overall reduction in radiology volumes was dependent on the stage/period of lockdown, location, and imaging modality.

Background: Patients with neck pain are frequently encountered in cervical spine (C-spine) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) practice. However, the exact distribution and prevalence of cervical abnormalities are not known. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between age, gender, and prevalence of abnormal cervical MRI findings. Methods: Records of 111 cervical MRIs were collected in 12 months from January to December 2019 from adults aged 20–89 years who were referred from neurosurgery, neurology, and orthopedic clinics. Findings were classified and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 24.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). The chi-square test was used to determine the association between demographics and abnormalities using a significance of p = 0.05. Results: The majority of patients were female (72.1%). The number of abnormal incidences increased with age until it reached a peak at ages 50–59. Spondylodegenerative changes were the most frequent finding, which was present in 52.2% of the total sample, and was followed by disc bulge (25.2%). Incidences increased in lower discs, with C5–C6 being the most frequent in 65% of the total sample. Younger males in their 20s had more injuries than females of the same age. However, this rate was reversed in patients over 40, as women were the dominant gender among patients in their 40s with cervical injuries, with a rate of 81.5%. Conclusion: In our study, we found that older patients developed more C-spine injuries. Gender may play a role in the rate of incidents. However, we did not find any significant differences between men and women or between different types of abnormalities.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become one of the most essential diagnostic medical imaging techniques. The most common disadvantage of MRI is that patients may feel anxious before the examination, which can negatively affect them, prevent them from attending or completing the examinations, and cause patient movement during the examination, which accordingly results in misinterpretation issues. Recently, several methods have been suggested to reduce MRI anxiety. Our study aimed to examine nurses' roles in reducing the levels of patient anxiety during pre-MRI scans by using informative video. Methods: A cross-sectional and interventional study was conducted among MRI patients in Tabuk City. A convenience sample of 16 patients as the case group and 28 patients as the control group was included. A 2-minute informative video clip containing comprehensive instructions about MRI was recorded by the research team in the MRI room and introduced to patients 30 minutes before the scan in the waiting area. An Arabic version questionnaire (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) was used to measure the pre-MRI-related anxiety of patients in the case and control groups. State-trait anxiety scores were analyzed and compared between groups. Median pulse, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure were also compared between the cases and control groups using a p-value of 0.05. Results:The state anxiety score was significantly higher in cases compared to controls. However, the trait anxiety score was not significantly different between cases and controls. Females showed significantly higher state anxiety scores in the cases than in the controls. Based on the previous MRI experience, the cases group who had undergone a previous MRI had significantly higher state anxiety scores than those in the control group. Based on the educational degree, cases with bachelor's degree had higher state anxiety scores than their counterparts in the control group. Conclusion:The present study showed that the self-made visual tool used by nurses 30 minutes before MRI scan did not reduce the level of anxiety significantly in patients. However, state anxiety scores increased in females, patients with previous MRI experience, and patients with a higher educational degree. Healthcare professionals may need to consider the negative effect of informative video before MRI.