Academic literature on the topic 'HIV (Viruses) Nursing Saudi Arabia'

Hajj and Umrah are important events for our Muslim travellers. Mary Gawthrop provides an overview of the key considerations when providing travel advice to this group Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca), is one of the largest global gatherings of its kind, and this year it is expected to take place between 28 July and 2 August 2020. Umrah is a smaller pilgrimage that can be performed at any time of year. Both of these events pose specific risks for travellers. Crowded conditions increase the risk of exposure to infections and viruses, including meningitis, TB and, potentially, COVID-19. Travellers also need to consider food and water hygiene, and their physical fitness. Practice nurses giving travel advice need to stay up to date with the latest developments and regulations from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Introduction: Data on blood-borne viral infections in some regions in Saudi Arabia remain scarce. This study investigates the prevalence of serological markers and nucleic acid for blood-borne viruses among blood donors in Al-Baha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 2,807 donors who donated blood between January 2009 and November 2011 were investigated for blood-borne viral serological markers including HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, and anti-HTLVI/III in addition to viral nucleic acid. Results: All donors were males between 16 to 66 years of age (mean: 31.5 ± 9.3 years). Viral nucleic acid and/or serological markers were detected in a total of 36 (1.3%) donors; of them, 26 (72.2%) had nucleic acid concomitant with serological markers, 6 (16.7%) had only viral nucleic acid, while 4 (11.1%) had only serological markers. Of all donors, 22 (0.8%) had HBsAg, 227 (8.0%) had anti-HBc, 157 (5.0%) had anti-HBs, 2,577 (91.8%) had no HBV markers, 2 (0.07%) had anti-HIV, 1 (0.04%) had anti-HCV, and 1 (0.04%) had anti-HTLVI/II. The donors who were born during HBV vaccination era showed no HBsAg (0.0%; p = 0.052), lower rates of anti-HBc (1.5%; p < 0.001) and anti-HBs (0.7%; p < 0.001), while the majority had no HBV markers (98.5%; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Combined viral nucleic acid and serological testing of donated blood enhances blood safety. The absence of HBV markers among donors suggests susceptibility or declined anti-HBs levels. Thus, HBV revaccination or a vaccine boost among adolescents and adults might be indispensable.

Needle stick injuries (NSI) are the commonest route by which blood borne viruses and/or infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C are transmitted from patients to health care workers (HCW) dental students are also at risk of such infections and injuries due to accidental contamination during their practical occupational exposure. There is hardly any information regarding the knowledge and experiences of NSI among dental students in Saudi Arabia Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and prevalence of NSIs among dental students in Qassim university. Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting: dental clinics of Qassim University. The population included undergraduate students (3rd ,4th,5th year) and intern’s dentists/College of Dentistry /Qassim University. Result: In the present study. A total number of 98 student participated 56.1% were female and 43.9% were male. A total of 27.6% participants had an NSI during their clinical training. Also, 83% of the students considered hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV to be transmitted by NSIs. Conclusion: Although the level of knowledge on the risk of cross-infection from NSI was high, there was decreased awareness on the means of prevention and protocol. Keywords: NSI, Awareness, cross infection, prevalence, hazard.

Background and Aim: Nurses are the principal oral healthcare providers for hospitalized patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nurses at a mental health hospital in Saudi Arabia regarding oral health care of the hospitalized patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used in which 247 nursing staff completed a questionnaire that collected sociodemographic information, knowledge, and practices regarding oral health maintenance of patients and their attitudes toward oral health care of psychiatric patients. The chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to examine group differences. Results: A total of 247 (136 males and 111 females) nursing staff were involved in the survey with the mean age of 26 ± 32 years. Results showed significant gender differences in knowledge and practices, but no gender differences in attitudes. Male nurses were more likely to look at teeth and gums for signs of a healthy mouth (male = 97.8%, female = 95.5%, P = .04), used toothpaste to clean the patient’s teeth (male = 52.9%, female = 50.5%, P = .03), and believed that HIV/AIDS patients are at risk of developing oral health problems (male = 50.7%, female = 43.2%, P = .04). Nurses had more knowledge than nurse technicians regarding gum disease and dental abscesses ( P = .0001). Nursing staff with over five years of experience were more likely to agree about the need for the oral health care of hospitalized patients. Conclusion: The results emphasize the need for training of healthcare workers about the importance of oral health and considering oral health care as a patient’s rights rather than privilege.

Introduction Coronavirus (COVID) is a large family of RNA viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe symptoms. Objectives Determine nurses’ perceptions in Saudi Arabia regarding their risks, measures and coping mechanisms to prevent COVID-19 infection and transmission, and the significant associated factors for their anxiety. Methods This is a correlational cross-sectional study. A conveniencesampling method was used to recruit a total of 345 nurses. A valid and reliable questionnaire was adapted from a previous study and the generalized anxiety disorder-2items (GAD-2) scale was used to collect the data. Results The majority of the participants (75.7%)perceived that they were most likely at risk of getting COVID-19.In terms of preventative actions,84.3% said they were avoiding crowded places, 77.4% were adhering to protocols and recommended measures, about 73.0% of participants were taking nutritional supplements and vitamins, practicing exercises, and changing out of work clothes, 54.8% were taking a shower before going home, and 53.9% were temporarily staying away from home in alternative housing to prevent having COVID-19 or transmitting the virus to their relatives. Furthermore, significant association was found between the participants’ anxiety and the male gender (r=0.1, p=0.04), less nursing experience (r=0.41, p=0.02), number of children (r=0.35, p=0.03). Additionally, participants exposed to COVID-19 patients, who didn’t implement the measures and coping mechanisms to prevent COVID-19 were significantly associated with high level of GAD-2. Conclusion The majority of nurses perceived that they were at high risk of getting COVID-19, and were concerned that they could easily to transmit COVID-19 to their relatives. As a result, many implemented preventive measures to protect themselves and prevent transmission of COVID-19 to their families and relatives. The continued attendance of health educational programs about COVID-19 as well as the implementation of basic standard precautions is essential to protect health workers and their families.