Background: Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are a widely used method of contraception, and use of OCPs is a well-known risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). This study aimed to assess the level of awareness of the association between OCP use and the risk of VTE and the level of knowledge of symptoms and signs of VTE among Saudi females who are users of OCPs. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the Saudi female population between October and November 2020. Knowledge about VTE risk with the use of OCPs and awareness of VTE symptoms and signs among Saudi females were assessed using a structured online questionnaire distributed through social media platforms. Results: Of 1173 participants, 726 used or had been using OCPs. Only 329 (45%) and 303 (41%) were aware of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), respectively, as a medical condition, while 312 (43%) were aware of the association of OCPs use with DVT risk. Leg swelling was the most commonly identified symptom of DVT in 297 patients (40%), while shortness of breath was the most common symptom of PE in 331 patients (46%). Conclusion: This study showed that the Saudi female population had a low level of knowledge and awareness of DVT and PE in OCP users. Efforts are needed to increase awareness of these preventable diseases in the Saudi female population.

Objectives: To assess communities' basic knowledge of palliative care by developing a questionnaire. Methods: This prevalence study, an anonymous online questionnaire, was answered by 326 individuals living throughout Saudi Arabia over one month. The questions concerned the basic principles and knowledge of palliative care. We collected the data between February and May 2019. Results: The results showed that 72% of the respondents had neither heard nor knew about palliative care. Those who know about palliative care assess their knowledge as the following: 17.8% of the respondents reported that they knew the meaning and could explain it to others. As well, 10.5% knew the meaning but could not explain it to others; 9.3% had heard of it but did not know the meaning, and 62.4% had never heard of it. Conclusion: The research showed that there is a lack of knowledge about palliative-care among the population of Saudi Arabia. Data shows that there should be more efforts toward providing the community with better knowledge about palliative care.

The coronavirus vaccine was developed to help overcome the COVID‐19 crisis. This study aimed to identify the cutaneous side effects secondary to Pfizer‐BioNTech and Oxford‐AstraZeneca COVID‐19 vaccines in the general population of Saudi Arabia and to list the risk factors for the development of cutaneous side effects. This cross‐sectional study was conducted in 2021, self‐administered surveys were distributed electronically through social media, and telephonic interviews were conducted with a sample size of 1000 participants. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. A total of 1021 patients (229 male and 722 female) aged 12 years or older were included. While 833 participants were medically free, 188 had chronic illnesses. While 802 participants were not taking any medications, 219 were taking medications regularly. Oxford‐Astra Zeneca and Pfizer BioNTech vaccines were administered to 319 and 702 participants, respectively. One‐hundred and twenty‐five participants previously had COVID‐19 infection and 407 were exposed to a PCR positive case of COVID. Six hundred and fifty‐nine patients (64.5%) reported experiencing injection site reactions: 606 (59.4%) had injection site pain, 168 (16.5%) had injection site swelling, and 107 (10.5%) had injection site redness. Only 51 patients (5%) experienced cutaneous side effects after injection. A significant association was found between chronic illnesses and cutaneous side effects post‐vaccine (9% vs. 4.1%; p value = 0.005). Patients on medications showed a higher rate of symptoms (8.2% vs. 4.1%; p value = 0.005). Age, gender, vaccine types, and history of COVID‐19 infection were not significantly associated with cutaneous side effects post‐vaccine.

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