A case of torsion of a large appendicular mucocele presenting as acute abdomen in a 38-week pregnant woman is reported. Ultrasound showed a localized cystic lesion with internal echoes on the right side of the abdomen. It was diagnosed preoperatively as twisted ovarian cyst. The patient was treated surgically with cesarean section and curative appendectomy.

A 25-year-old man was bitten in the neck by an aggressive camel, causing three small puncture wounds. The left carotid pulse of the patient was weakly palpated. Angiography showed irregular dissection of the distal part of the left common carotid artery. Neck exploration confirmed the findings. An interposition autogenous saphenous vein graft was performed successfully. The patient was discharged home in good condition. We have systematically reviewed the literature on this topic, and only four other similar cases were reported previously. Although camel bite wounds are small, they may penetrate deeply, causing serious injuries to the neck structures including the major vessels. Care should be taken when approaching male camels during the rutting season.

COVID-19 pandemic is the largest unprecedented viral pandemic of the 21st century. We aimed to study the COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among medical and health sciences students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We performed a cross-sectional study between 2nd June and 19th August 2020. The survey was developed using online Survey Monkey. The link was distributed via UAE University to all students and via WhatsApp© groups. The self-administered questionnaire was conducted in English and comprised of two parts: socio-demographic characteristics and KAP towards COVID-19. A total of 712 responses to the questionnaire were collected. 90% (n=695) were under-graduate, while 10% (n=81) were post-graduate students. Majority (87%, n=647) stated that they obtained COVID-19 information from multiple reliable sources. They were highly knowledgeable about COVID-19 pandemic but 76% (n=539) did not recognize its routes of transmission. 63% (n=431) were worried of getting COVID-19, while 92% (n=633)) were worried that a family member could get infected with the virus. 97% (n=655) took precautions when accepting home deliveries, 94% (n=637) had been washing their hands more frequently, and 95% (n=643) had been wearing face masks. In conclusion, participants showed high levels of knowledge and awareness about COVID-19. They were worried about getting infected themselves or their family members, and had good practices against COVID-19.

An opinion survey of a five-year postgraduate training programme in general surgery was conducted using a questionnaire. The residents who responded indicated that the use of learning objectives needed to be given greater emphasis. They felt that learning objectives should be more clearly defined and be communicated with the learners and the instructors at an early stage in the programme. While the opportunity for learning theoretical concepts in surgery was rated as a strong feature of the programme, learning practical skills, it was pointed out, needed augmenting.