Frequency of ABO and Rhesus blood groups in Saudi healthy blood donors versus non-Saudi in a retrospective study in Makkah City

Purpose: to assess the frequency of ABO and Rh blood groups among Saudi and non-Saudi healthy blood donors and to compare between them. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted; in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. It included 15,365 participants of 44 nationalities who have attended the blood bank of King Abdul Aziz Hospital. The collected data were age, sex, nationality, ABO, and Rhesus blood groups. Results: 46.8 % of the participants were O, 28.8 % A, 19.5 % B, and 4.9% AB. The nationalities with a higher frequency of blood group O were Saudi, Mauritanian, Yemeni, Thai, Malian, Sudanese, Jordanian, Indian, Moroccan, Somali, Malaysian, Indonesian, Myanmar, Nigerian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Algerian, Djibouti, Burkinabe, Eritrean, Ghanaian, Bahraini, Bosnian, Canadian, Gambian, Iraqi, and Sri Lankan. Those with a higher frequency of blood group A were Turkish, Palestinian, Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Afghan, Chadian, French, Tunisian, Cameroonian, Ethiopian, and British. Those with a higher frequency of B were Nigerien, American, Nepalese, and two nationalities with higher AB frequency Filipino and Chinese. 91.6 % of all populations were Rh-positive, and 8.4% were Rh-negative. The Saudi participants were like some nationalities and differed from others. Conclusion: In Makkah city, the higher frequency of ABO blood group in Saudi and non -Saudi people is O followed by A, then B, and AB. The Rh-positive is predominant, and 8.4% of the participants are negative. The ABO and Rh blood groups' identifications are essential for providing suitable blood storage for individuals in need.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Self-ear Cleaning in Makkah Region, Cross-sectional Study

Background and aim: Cerumen or ear wax is a normal secretion from sebaceous and ceruminous glands found in the external auditory canal. Wrong self-ear cleaning attempts may lead to cerumen impaction, injuries, and otitis externa. we have concluded this study to assess the local community's knowledge about ear-cleaning, attitudes toward ear care, and self-ear cleaning practices. Methods: Cross-sectional online survey performed in May 2021 among general population to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of self-ear cleaning. We included all people aged between 18 to 90 years who live in Makkah region, also we excluded health care workers and who had previous ears, nose, and throat injuries. Results: A total of 544 participants responded to the survey, 351 (64.5%) were males and 193 (35.5%) were females, age between 18 to 55. Forty-four (8.1%) of participants thought that it is harmful to self-clean your ear. In contrast, 274 (50.4%) thought that we do not have to remove the wax from our ears constantly. About 32% of them clean to remove the dirt and 29.30% clean to improve their ear hygiene. Conclusion: Self-ear cleaning is a widespread practice, and most respondents showed a lack of knowledge regarding ear-cleansing mechanisms. In order to rectify the erroneous views, more public health education is needed to dissuade people from practicing self-ear cleaning and teach them about the function of cerumen and problems associated with self-ear cleaning.

Congenital Midline Cervical Cleft: A very rare clinical entity

Congenital midline cervical cleft is an extremely rare anterior neck defect. We describe a case of a male newborn with midline cervical cleft outlining aspects of diagnosis and stressing the importance of early diagnosis and surgical treatment.

Acceptance, Concerns, and Obstacles related to COVID-19 Vaccination among the General Society in Saudi Arabia

Background: The strongest COVID-19 control solution is an effective vaccine. Several factors affect COVID-19 vaccine acceptance by the general population. Public health officials and practitioners must recognize all obstacles that may discourage people from obtaining COVID-19 vaccines. The present study aimed to measure the extent of community acceptance of taking the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia, as well as to assess the limitations, concerns, and obstacles that is related to the vaccine. Methods: A cross-sectional study of a sample consisting of 1400 participants living in Saudi Arabia assessed socio-demographic characteristics, general characteristics of the vaccinated participants, and participants’ acceptance, concerns, and obstacles related to COVID-19 vaccination. Results: Most participants were females (63.1%) and from the western region of Saudi Arabia (81.2%). Nearly equal number was reported between vaccinated and non-vaccinated participants with COVID-19 vaccination (45% and 55% respectively). Exact of 324 participants reported obstacles that prevent them from getting the vaccine, in which the highly reported item was lack of information about the vaccine (21.6%). A total number of 1,796 participants reported few concerns, in which the most common item was health concern (43.4%), followed by misleading ideas and beliefs (35.4%). A recorded statistical significance p-value was determined between the participants who received COVID-19 vaccination and the gender, nationality, place of residence, and working in government sector (P=0.002, 0.002, 0.001, and 0.011, respectively). Conclusions: Awareness of COVID-19 vaccination is still lacking. Thus, a targeted health educational programs are needed to increase the individuals convince and reduce the fears about the vaccination.

Ingested Magnets: A health hazard and the Role of laparoscopy

Ingestion of magnets is becoming a common problem among children and teens and are known to be associated with serious complications that result from pressure necrosis and bowel perforation. We report a series of eight children with multiple magnets ingestion that resulted in complications including small bowel perforation and intestinal obstruction necessitating an emergency laparotomy and intestinal resection. The aim of this report is to raise awareness of the complications associated with magnet ingestion in children. The literature on the subject is also reviewed and early surgical intervention is recommended for multiple swallowed magnets. The role of laparoscopy in this regard is also stressed.

Introduction to the first issue of Saudi Medical Horizons Journal

Introduction to the first issue of Saudi Medical Horizons Journal