Pressure ulcers (PU) are still a serious complication of immobility and a source of frustration for healthcare providers. Until now, the rate of occurrence and prevalence are alarmingly high. Nurses' knowledge and attitudes play a critical role in prevention of PU. The purpose of this study was to find out the level of knowledge and attitudes of final-year nursing students towards prevention of PU. A quantitative, exploratory cross-sectional design was used with fifty final-year students being recruited at random using a simple random sample technique. The tool had three sections: socio-demographic data of nursing students, PUKAT (Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Assessment Tool), and APuP (Attitudes towards Pressure Ulcers Prevention tool). According to the findings of this study, the average knowledge score of final year nursing students was 48.7% (Mean = 14.85; SD=6.01). Only 18 (36%) nurses got a score of 60% or above on the PUKAT assessment instrument, which is regarded as satisfactory. Though there was a positive attitude prevailed among final year nursing students on prevention of PU, only 44 % of responders (n = 22) attained the satisfactory score. Also, there was a moderate correlation between knowledge and attitude of the nursing students on prevention of PU. Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Nursing Students, Prevention, Pressure Ulcers

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health issue that considerably impacts mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc in diabetes management, too, like other spectrums of life. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was adopted to determine the effect of Social Support, Self-Care Behaviour and Self-Efficacy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D) during this COVID-19 pandemic. Two hundred T2D patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were chosen using a convenient sampling procedure. The tool consists of four sections, including socio-demographic characteristics, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), revised Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) Scale and modified Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale (DMS). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the obtained data. The mean and SD of diabetic management self-efficacy is 5.74 (1.95) and 4.37 (1.4), respectively, for patients with HbA1c < 6.5% and HbA1c ≥ 6.5%. The self-care activities of the patients who had good glycemic control were 4.31 (2.06) compared to 3.50 (1.73) who did not. The social support received by the patients was 6.13 (2.13) vs. 5.31 (1.67) among patients with glycemic control vs. no control. The results show that social support (p = 0.04), self-efficacy (p =0.01) and self-care activities (p = 0.001) were significantly related to the level of glycemic control of the T2D patients. A significant relationship was also identified between gender (p = 0.036), age (p = 0.001) and education status (p = 0.000) with HbA1c control of the participants. This study demonstrates a significant relationship between social support, self-care behaviours, self-efficacy and glycemic management in T2D patients. During this COVID-19 pandemic, interventions to enhance the self-care activities like exercise and social support to boost their self-efficacy; for better diabetes management, reducing diabetes complications or prolonging their onset are the need of the hour.

Several medicinal plants have the potential to be a promising alternative pharmacological therapy for a variety of human illnesses. Many insects, including mosquitoes, are important vectors of deadly pathogens and parasites, which in the world’s growing human and animal populations can cause serious epidemics and pandemics. Medicinal plants continue to provide a large library of phytochemicals, which can be used to replace chemically synthesized insecticides, and utilization of herbal product-based insecticides is one of the best and safest alternatives for mosquito control. Identifying new effective phyto-derived insecticides is important to counter increasing insect resistance to synthetic compounds and provide a safer environment. Solanum genus (Solanaceae family or nightshades) comprises more than 2500 species, which are widely used as food and traditional medicine. All research publications on insecticidal properties of Solanaceae plants and their phytoconstituents against mosquitoes and other insects published up to July 2020 were systematically analyzed through PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, EBSCO, Europe PMC, and Google Scholar databases, with focus on species containing active phytoconstituents that are biodegradable and environmentally safe. The current state of knowledge on larvicidal plants of Solanum species, type of extracts, target insect species, type of effects, name of inhibiting bioactive compounds, and their lethal doses (LC50 and LC90) were reviewed in this study. These studies provide valuable information about the activity of various species of Solanum and their phytochemical diversity, as well as a roadmap for optimizing select compounds for botanical repellents against a variety of vectors that cause debilitating and life-threatening human diseases.

Background: Pharmacists and other healthcare professionals (HCPs) are at risk of transmitting the lethal COVID-19 virus globally and increasing its prevalence. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among HCPs in the Asir region for the first time. Methodology: A cross-sectional analysis with 491 healthcare professionals was tested using a pre-tested questionnaire in a tertiary care facility. The association between research variables and questions was determined using Chi-square tests and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Results: Pharmacists and other HCPs exhibited good knowledge, a positive attitude, and a negative practice pattern regarding COVID-19. There was a strong association between knowledge and attitude (correlation coefficient: 0.17; p < 0.001). However, healthcare practitioners had a suboptimal practice score of 2.09 ± 0.62 regarding COVID-19. Conclusion: This study discovered that despite relatively insufficient practices for adherence to recommended techniques regarding COVID-19 prevention during the outbreak, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals have a high level of awareness and a positive attitude towards COVID-19 as a medical condition. There is a need for more involved HCPs, improved COVID-19 management training, and approaches to make healthcare providers feel less anxious.

Lower-limb varicose veins (VVs) are frequent, and they're known to be more common in persons who work in jobs that require a lot of standing. Because nursing demands physical labour and lengthy periods of standing, women in this profession are at a higher risk of getting varicose veins. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and practices on risk factors and prevention of varicose vein among operation room nurses of the selected hospitals. A cross-sectional research design was used among registered nursing staff working in operation rooms of the selected hospitals. The convenient sampling technique was used to select fifty nurses. A structured pre-tested, validated tool was developed by the investigators to collect data from the nurses which include demographic as well as knowledge and practice variables of varicose veins. The findings of the present study show that 26% of nurses had inadequate knowledge and 14% of operation room nurses had poor practices. Also, there was a positive correlation between the knowledge and practice of nurses (r = 0.71). There was significant association for practice skills score with education and years of experience at p=0.05. The study concludes that to prevent occupational hazards in nursing, periodic health education and health promotion initiatives must be implemented.