Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a fundamental skill that should be acquired by all medical community members. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of junior doctors and medical students towards CPR and CPR training at Beni-Suef University Hospital in Upper Egypt, a representative region with conditions common to LMIC settings. Participants and methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 205 participants (60 junior doctors and 145 medical students) responded to a self-administered questionnaire assessing their knowledge regarding basic life support (BLS) and CPR techniques in neonates, children, and adults, in addition to attitudes towards the importance and necessity of CPR and CPR training. Results: Of the 60 junior doctors that participated in the study, only 31.7% had adequate knowledge of CPR, but up to 95% reported positive attitudes towards CPR training. Among the 145 medical student participants, only 6.2% had adequate knowledge of CPR, while 91% reported positive attitudes towards training. Deficiencies in CPR knowledge were more apparent in questions related to CPR in children and neonates. Junior doctors and medical students with previous CPR training demonstrated significantly better CPR knowledge than their counterparts without prior training. A statistically significant positive correlation was detected between CPR knowledge and attitude towards CPR training among medical students (r = 0.41, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate suboptimal and inadequate CPR knowledge among junior doctors and medical students in a representative hospital in Upper Egypt. However, participants reported overwhelmingly positive attitudes and eagerness towards the implementation of CPR training. Further research needs to be done to establish CPR skill proficiency as well as to investigate barriers to CPR training, effectiveness of available programs, and the potential implementation of such a program in Egypt and other LMICs.

Arab researchers encounter formidable obstacles when conducting and publishing their scientific work. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 Arab researchers from various Arab Middle East countries to gain a comprehensive understanding of the difficulties they face in research and publication. We analyzed the transcripts using reflexive thematic analysis. Our findings revealed several key challenges. First, Arab researchers struggle to conduct high-quality research due to limited resources, inadequate funding, and a lack of a supportive research infrastructure. Furthermore, a shortage of teamwork and mentoring diminishes research productivity. Perverse promotion policies, heavy teaching loads, and low salaries force many researchers to seek external income sources, leaving them with insufficient time for research. Regarding publishing in high-impact journals, Arab researchers confront challenges existing of insufficient scientific writing skills, underrepresentation on editorial boards, and unconscious biases against researchers from economically challenged areas. Finally, achieving research integrity is closely tied to lack of access to essential resources. To address these issues, our participants proposed targeted interventions at the institutional and external levels. For example, universities can implement mentoring programs, offer workshops on scientific writing and publishing, and foster a supportive institutional culture for research. Addressing the underrepresentation of Arabic researchers on editorial boards is crucial for equity in global scientific publishing. In conclusion, acknowledging and addressing these challenges will empower Arab researchers, elevate research quality, and promote equitable global scientific collaboration. Our findings provide guidance for universities, governments, and international donors seeking to enhance research and publication practices in the Arab Middle East.

Background The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health emergency that represents a challenge to psychological health. This study aimed to assess the psychological conditions among university students in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods During the period between the 4^th and 18^th of June 2020, the students of Umm AlQura University in Saudi Arabia were invited to complete an online survey. The survey assessed their sociodemographic characteristics, educational disciplines, and manifestations of psychological health problems including depression, anxiety, and stress as determined by the Arabic version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Results The study included 936 university students (56.4% women and 43.6% men). Of them, 41.1% had depressive symptoms (31.7% mild to moderate and 9.4% severe to very severe), 26.9% had anxiety symptoms (15.8% mild to moderate and 11.1% severe to very severe), and 22.4% had stress symptoms (15.2% mild to moderate and 7.2% severe to very severe). Students who reported having a friend or relative infected with or died of COVID-19, watching or reading news about the pandemic ≥2 hours/day, and not getting emotional support from family, university, and society were more likely to show psychological problems. Conclusion Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were common among Saudi university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological counseling and support should be provided to university students in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Childhood injuries are a significant and growing global public health problem, often with high morbidity and, at times, mortality. A large proportion of injuries in preschool children occur in or around the home. We aimed to identify socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with preschool children injuries in Egypt. Methods: Secondary data analysis were done for the Egyptian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS), 2014. Potential associated factors were measured from data on child welfare and questions on the prevalence of accidents and injuries of preschool children. These data were linked to the children demographic data, maternal age at marriage, working status of the mother, and questions on childcare arrangements. Results: Out of the 634 injured children, 520 (83.4%) children required medical care for their injuries. The most common reported injury was an open wound 288 (45.5%), followed by fractures 237 (35.7%), burns 124 (19.7%), electrical shock 12 (1.9%) and other unknown types of injury 15 (2.4%). There was a positive correlation between injury and child’s age, household wealth, mother’s age at marriage, and unsupervised children or children left in the care of a minor. Conclusion: Leaving children unsupervised or in the presence of other young children is significantly associated with the occurrence of child injuries.

Background and Objectives: This study aims to identify risk factors associated with MDRO infections and assess their impact on patient outcomes in Egyptian ICUs. Materials and Methods: The widespread overuse of antimicrobials has led to antibiotic multidrug resistance, posing significant challenges in intensive care units (ICUs) and leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. A prospective observational study was conducted over 12 months, including 113 adult patients admitted to the ICU with confirmed bacterial infections. Comprehensive medical assessments and routine investigations were performed, including multisource cultures based on clinical suspicion. Patient histories, underlying conditions, and disease progression were documented. Patients were classified into two groups: those infected with MDROs and those without MDRO infections. Results: Significant differences were observed between patients with and without MDRO infections regarding temperature, pH, PaO₂, HCO₃, serum creatinine levels, high-dose inotropes, and inotrope dependence (p-values: 0.01, 0.028, 0.036, 0.008, <0.001, 0.013, 0.029, 0.039, <0.001, and 0.003, respectively). Additionally, cerebrovascular stroke and renal failure were significantly more frequent in MDRO-infected patients (p-values: 0.048 and 0.007, respectively). MDROs accounted for 42% of infections. The most commonly detected MDRO was Klebsiella spp. (52%). Patients with MDRO infections showed significantly higher mortality (42.6%), increased incidence of ARDS, invasive ventilation, and longer ventilation durations. Independent risk factors included prior antibiotic use (OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.5–6.8) and invasive device presence (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.2–5.9). Conclusions: Cerebrovascular stroke and renal failure appear to be risk factors for MDRO infections. MDRO infections in ICUs are associated with poor clinical outcomes and increased complications. Improved antimicrobial stewardship and targeted prevention strategies are urgently required.

Trauma records in Egyptian hospitals are widely suspected to be inadequate for developing a practical and useful trauma registry, which is critical for informing both primary and secondary prevention. We reviewed archived paper records of trauma patients admitted to the Beni-Suef University Hospital in Upper Egypt for completeness in four domains: demographic data including contact information, administrative data tracking patients from admission to discharge, clinical data including vital signs and Glasgow Coma Scale scores, and data describing the causal traumatic event (mechanism of injury, activity at the time of injury, and location/setting). The majority of the 539 medical records included in the study had significant deficiencies in the four reviewed domains. Overall, 74.3% of demographic fields, 66.5% of administrative fields, 55.0% of clinical fields, and just 19.9% of fields detailing the causal event were found to be completed. Critically, oxygen saturation, arrival time, and contact information were reported in only 7.6%, 25.8%, and 43.6% of the records, respectively. Less than a fourth of the records provided any details about the cause of trauma. Accordingly, the current, paper-based medical record system at Beni-Suef University Hospital is insufficient for the development of a practical trauma registry. More efforts are needed to develop efficient and comprehensive documentation of trauma data in order to inform and improve patient care.