Hybrid nanoparticles (HNPs) have shown huge potential as drug delivery vehicles for pancreatic cancer. Currently, the first line treatment, gemcitabine, is only effective in 23.8% of patients. To improve this, a thermally activated system was developed by introducing a linker between HNPs and gemcitabine. Whereby, heat generation resulting from laser irradiation of the HNPs promoted linker breakdown resulting in prodrug liberation. In vitro evaluation in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells, showed the prodrug was 4.3 times less cytotoxic than gemcitabine, but exhibited 11-fold improvement in cellular uptake. Heat activation of the formulation led to a 56% rise in cytotoxicity causing it to outperform gemcitabine by 26%. In vivo the formulation outperformed free gemcitabine with a 62% reduction in tumor weight in pancreatic xenografts. This HNP formulation is the first of its kind and has displayed superior anti-cancer activity as compared to the current first line drug gemcitabine after heat mediated controlled release.

Background A hospitalized patient’s length of stay (LOS) can have a significant impact on the performance and operating costs of a healthcare facility. Among pediatric patients, traumatic injuries are common causes of emergency room visits and hospitalizations. In Saudi Arabia, little is known about the burden of pediatric traumas on population health and the healthcare facilities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the associations between traumatic pediatric injury mechanisms and extended LOS in a trauma center. Methods Data was obtained from the trauma registry. From 2001 to 2018, trauma patients between the ages of 0 and 18 years old with LOSs of > 0 days were analyzed. The independent variable was the injury mechanism, which was classified as follows: falls, burns, drowning, motor vehicle collisions, motorcycle collisions, pedestrian, and intentional injuries. The dependent variable was an extended LOS defined as ≥21 days. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between the injury mechanisms and an extended LOS. Results A total of 5563 pediatric patients were included in this study. Of those, 774 (14%) had extended LOSs. Those patients with extended LOSs suffered more severe injuries than those with short hospital stays as measured by the Injury Severity Score (mean scores: 15.4 vs. 6.8, p < 0.01), the Glasgow Coma Scale score (mean scores: 10.4 vs, 14.0, p < 0.01), and the Revised Trauma Score (mean scores: 9.9 vs. 11.0, p < 0.01). Approximately one half of the patients with extended LOSs were admitted due to motor vehicle injuries. In addition, those patients were almost five times more likely to have extended LOSs than the patients who suffered fall injuries (odds ratio: 4.8, 95% confidence interval: 3.2–7.1). Conclusions Based on the study results, motor vehicle injuries were significantly associated with extended hospitalizations. Prevention is instrumental for reducing healthcare utilization; therefore, these findings call for public health professionals and policymakers to plan, design, and implement preventive measures to reduce the traffic injury burden. In addition, increased traffic law enforcement, such as the use of car restraints, is warranted to reduce the preventable injuries and improve the overall population health.

Awareness of the patients to the differences between ophthalmologists and optometrists has been recognized as an important factor influencing patient utilization of available eye care services. This study aimed at assessing the public's knowledge of the differences between ophthalmologists and optometrists among the residents of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was administered to adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January to February in 2018. The number of the respondents was 1579. Results show that 50% (n=789) of the participants had fair knowledge of the differences between ophthalmologists and optometrists, while 32% (n=505) had poor knowledge. After multivariate logistic regression analysis, there was a significant association between satisfactory knowledge and visiting an optometrist (odds ratio (OR): 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57–0.98), age older than 26 (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.17–1.19), higher level of education (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.54–2.4), and wearing spectacles (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.45–0.73). Given the low level of public knowledge regarding the differences in the duties between ophthalmologist and optometrists among a Saudi population, there is great potential for general population education through awareness campaign and social media regarding eye care provider's duties and practices.

Introduction Around half of the visually impaired population has uncorrected refractive errors (URE), and myopia constitutes a high proportion of them. URE should be screened and treated early to prevent long-term complications. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of myopia among all patients attending a pediatric outpatient clinic at Ohud Hospital in Medina, Saudi Arabia (KSA). Method This study was conducted using a convenience sample of all patients attending the clinic (1500 patients) aged between 3 and 14 years, and they were enrolled in the study during the period from May 2017 until September 2017. Result Of 1215 subjects, only 43 (3.54%) were diagnosed with myopia. Out of the study participants, 56.8% were female and the mean age was 9.7 ± 3.6. Myopia was more prevalent in male participants than female participants (n = 525, 4%, n = 690, 3.1%, p=0.5). Low myopia was the most common form among the screened individuals. The level of myopia was associated with the degree of the strabismus angle. Approximately 22% of patients with myopia had >25° strabismus angle. There was a statistically significant association with both near work indoor and outdoor activities on weekends and the level of myopia. Conclusion The prevalence of myopia among pediatrics patients in Medina is 3.54%. We hope that the results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of this public health issue in Saudi Arabia in order to implant a strict screening program for early detection and interventions to reduce the risk of further progression of visual impairment.

BACKGROUND: Falls are the leading cause of admissions for trauma emergency in Saudi Arabia. However, the scarcity of evidence of what the burden of falls is locally limits the understanding of the underlying risk factors and hinders planning of effective prevention. The objective of this study was to describe patients' characteristics and health outcomes after hospital admissions as a result of a fall injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using a trauma registry from a level-I trauma center in Riyadh. All patients admitted as a result of a fall between 2001 and 2018 were included ( n = 4825). Variables included were demographics, mechanism of fall, length of hospital stay, surgery, intensive care unit admission, intubation rate, and severity of the injury. For continuous variables, means and standard deviations were calculated, whereas, frequencies and proportions were used to describe categorical RESULTS: Majority of the patients (63.6%) were male and about 39% of the sample were children. The most common mechanism of falls was standing (52.6%) followed by slipping (23.0%). Overall, limb fractures were the most common injury (73.3%). While upper limb fractures were more common in children (44.5%; P < 0.01), lower limb fractures were more prevalent among the older patients (70.2%; P < 0.01). Fall injuries in the elderly were significantly associated with higher mortality (3.5%; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the significant burden fall injuries impose on population health. Prevention programs may use these findings to guide and tailor interventions for specific age groups. Furthermore, this study underlines the need for a national recording system for injuries to guide policymakers in evidence-based decisions.