Aim. To assess incidence and characteristics of post-laparoendoscopic single-site donor nephrectomy (LESS DN) testicular pain. Materials and Methods. A prospective comparative study of all male donors post-left LESS DN (group A) vs. postopen nephrectomies (group B) was performed at our center. Patients demographics, perioperative data, and postoperative consultation reports were reviewed. Testicular pain, swelling, numbness, urinary symptoms, and sexual dysfunction were evaluated. Patients with a history of scrotal pathology or surgical procedure were excluded. Pain and tenderness were scored on a standard 10-point scale. Results. From September 2017 to December 2020, 85 and 35 male patients of groups A and B met the evaluation criteria. Ipsilateral testicular pain developed in 11 patients (15.3) and 2 patients (9.5) in groups A and B, respectively. In most instances, the pain was mild to moderate in severity, started after 6±2.1 and 4±1.1 days postoperatively in groups A and B, respectively. Six patients in group A were evaluated with transscrotal ultrasonography that showed no abnormalities. All patients in both groups responded well to medical treatment. Conclusions. Post-LESS DN ipsilateral testicular pain is usually mild and self-limited. Preoperative patient education and discussion of the possibility of development of testicular pain and its management should be an integral component of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy informed consent.

Due to changing lifestyles and socioeconomic status, obesity prevalence has been rising in Saudi Arabia, and community pharmacists often counsel patients about its management. The study aimed to evaluate practices of community pharmacists involved in dispensing products for weight control in four cities located in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving community pharmacists in Dammam, Dhahran, Khobar, and Al-Ahsa, using a Likert format questionnaire. Only those who consented to participate were handed the questionnaire. A total of 100 complete responses were analyzed. The median value for packs sold per month for tea containing products Al-Diafa Slimming Tea, Jamue Tea, and Green Tea was ≥6 while the same for orlistat and apple cider vinegar were ≤4. Moreover, >50% of pharmacists mentioned that orlistat and apple cider vinegar were effective while ≥35% mentioned that metformin and Jamue tea were effective. Furthermore, ≥25% mentioned that green tea and Al-Diafa slimming tea were effective. Excluding orlistat, >50% of pharmacists did not know about adverse effects for other products. The rate of dispensing of several weight loss products was significant for participants’ background characteristics, such as time duration of consultation, gender, and age of patients, and pharmacist work experience (p < 0.05). The tea products and orlistat were the most frequently sold products, and community pharmacists appeared most knowledgeable about the effectiveness and adverse effect of orlistat. The pharmacists seemed to be aware about the effectiveness of other weight loss products; however, their knowledge about their potential adverse effects was unsatisfactory.

Objective: To identify drug information (DI) resources commonly used by pharmacy students of King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia, and to assess their ability to determine the appropriate ones for different clinical situations. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2014 (n=92). A paper-based questionnaire was developed, validated, and administered to fifth-year Pharm.D. students and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) interns. It investigated the students’ DI sources preferences. Besides, it evaluated their competency in classifying DI resources and identifying the best resource to answer case-based multiple-choice questions. Moreover, the study aimed at assessing the impact of providing a case-based combined module of evidence-based practice (EBP) and DI for fifth-year students (new study plan) compared to delivering separate EBP and DI modules through theoretical lectures (old study plan–APPE interns). Results: The preferred resources to the students were online recourses (85.86%), soft copy books (26.08%), and mobile applications (25%). For the DI mobile applications, Medscape was the most common (63.4%), followed by Micromedex (53.5%), Lexicomp (42.3%), and Dynamed (16.9%). Fifth-year students’ scores were significantly higher than APPE interns for the case-based questions. Students’ GPAs were moderately correlated with their total scores. Conclusion: Study participants preferred using electronic DI resources to printed ones. The combined EBP-DI course could be a better option as it links the DI knowledge to clinical situations.

Background: Knowledge and attitudes of healthcare providers regarding opioid toxicity are significant concerns. Objective: Investigate the knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and comfort level regarding overdosing among a sample of healthcare providers working at the Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region (AFHSR). Methods: Anonymous surveys were administered to AFHSR staff to assess attitude, knowledge, comfort level, and fear of consequences using a 5-point scale. Participants were AFHSR primary care physicians/internists, surgeons, physician assistants/advanced practice registered nurses, and pharmacists. Results: Healthcare providers demonstrated a lack of knowledge, awareness, and fear of the consequences associated with opioid use, overdose, and the indications and administration of naloxone. This study’s findings indicate that healthcare providers are hesitant to engage in discussions with patients about preventative measures for opioid overdose, with the majority believing that doing so will make no difference in preventing opioid overdose incidence. Additionally, a distinct difference in knowledge and perceptions of opioid abuse and toxicity was found between nurses and physicians. Further, the findings indicate a difference in knowledge and awareness regarding opioid overdose and toxicity between nurses and pharmacists.