Evaluation of preparedness of healthcare student volunteers against Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Makkah,Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Aim

To assess the knowledge and attitude of senior medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy students toward Middle East respiratory syndrome-corona virus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia.

Subjects and methods

A cross-sectional survey using a 21-item questionnaire was conducted for a 3-month period from November 2015–January 2016 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate students’ understanding and perception of MERS-CoV. An ANOVA test was used to determine the association of study discipline and academic year with the student knowledge score on MERS.

Results

A total of 364 students were assessed during the study. The majority (62%) of the participants were in the 20–22-year age group. More than half (53%) were pharmacy students followed by (22%) medical students. More than two thirds (71%) of the participants were aware that MERS is caused by the coronavirus. More than half (59%) of the participants believed that MERS can be transmitted through direct or indirect contact with infected camels. A statistically significant association was reported between the study discipline and mean knowledge score (p?<?0.0001) with medical students achieving an overall better knowledge score compared with students from other study disciplines.

Conclusion

Overall, students had good knowledge about MERS epidemiology, transmission and the recommended protective measures. However, students expressed their reluctance to work in healthcare facilities with inadequate MERS infection control isolation policies.

     

In vitro maturation of ovine oocytes using different maturation media: effect of human menopausal serum

Objective  

To compare the effect of human menopausal serum with estrous sheep serum, estrous goat serum, ovine follicular fluid and bovine follicular fluid on in vitro maturation, in vitro fertilization and embryo development of sheep oocytes     

Socio-Economic Status and Clinical Breast Examination Screening Uptake: Findings from the First Cohort Study among Iranian Kurdish Women

Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) is utilized as a screening modality in many low income countries without widespread mammography capability. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of socio-economic status (SES) on CBE screening rates in Iranian Kurdish women. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the western region of Iran. A sample of 5,289 Iranian Kurdish women aged 35-65 years old was analyzed. Data were collected from July 2014 to September 2018. The Concentration Index-CI and Concentration Curve were used to estimate the socioeconomic inequalities in CBE rate. The analysis of data was done by STATA software (Version 14). 12.3% of the women had received CBE at least once. CBE rates in the 46-50 age group were higher than in other age groups (OR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.56-2.71). Women with 6-9 years of education had higher odds ratio of receiving CBE (OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.02-1.94). Women living in rural areas were less likely to have received CBE compared to those living in urban areas (OR=0.54; 95% CI = 0.42-0.61). The overall concentration index for receipt of CBE was 0.188. In countries without widespread mammography programs, strategies for the promotion of CBE should focus on the lower SES population.     

Hysterectomy and kidney cancer risk: A meta‐analysis

Recent cohort findings suggest that women who underwent a hysterectomy have an elevated relative risk of kidney cancer, although evidence from past studies has been inconsistent. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of published cohort and case–control studies to summarize the epidemiologic evidence investigating hysterectomy and kidney cancer. Studies published from 1950 through 2012 were identified through a search of PubMed and of references from relevant publications. Meta‐analyses were conducted using random‐effects models to estimate summary relative risks (SRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for hysterectomy, age at hysterectomy (<45, 45+ years) and time since hysterectomy (<10, 10+ years). The SRR for hysterectomy and kidney cancer for all published studies (seven cohort, six case–control) was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.16–1.43), with no evidence of between‐study heterogeneity or publication bias. The summary effect was slightly weaker, although still significant, for cohorts (SRR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.11–1.42) compared with case–control findings (1.37; 95% CI, 1.09–1.73) and was observed irrespective of age at hysterectomy, time since the procedure and model adjustment for body mass index, smoking status and hypertension. Women undergoing a hysterectomy have an approximate 30% increased relative risk of subsequent kidney cancer. Additional research is needed to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying this association.