This study aims to assess the prevalence of illicit use of stimulants and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among a sample of medical students at the main universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and their motivation for use. We examine the association between the use of stimulants and the students' academic performance. We also look into the possible adverse consequences of illicit stimulant use among students. The competitive nature of medical school might place the students at a higher risk of using stimulant drugs illicitly. Acquiring these stimulants illegally has become easier since the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD have risen. We are unaware of any other study exploring the prevalence of and motivation for illicit use of stimulants among medical students in Riyadh. A cross-sectional web-based survey was the study design we chose as we were targeting medical students in three governmental medical colleges in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The total sample population of 1,177 participants was divided into the three following groups: no previous use of stimulant drugs (Group 1), illicit use (Group 2), and medical use (Group 3). Of the 1,177 medical students, 29 (2.46%) were found to be using stimulants illicitly; 39 (3.31%) were using the stimulants medically as they had been diagnosed with ADHD. The ability to prolong study time was reported as the most common motive for illicit use by many students. The present study contributes to the literature by casting light on this serious issue in Riyadh. More educational effort is needed to promote awareness about the adverse effects of ADHD drugs and their illicit use among students.

Purpose: Dry eye disease (DED) is defined as a disease of the tear film and ocular surface that leads to discomfort and visual disturbance. The diagnosis of DED mainly depends on the presenting clinical features. A delay in treatment may progress into chronic eye disease. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dry eye symptoms among eye cosmetic users in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved adult Saudi females using eye cosmetics. The Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire was used to assess DED. Results: A total of 207 responses were included in this study. DED symptoms were reported among those who used eye cosmetics suggesting their effect on the tear film and its stability. This study demonstrated that mascara is the most common cosmetic used, with a prevalence of 98.6%. The prevalence of dry eye syndrome (DES) was 71.6%, where 40.5%, 13.5%, and 17.6% had severe, moderate, and mild conditions, respectively. The frequency of using inner eyeliner significantly increased the prevalence of DES, in which those who used it daily accounted for 75%. In contrast, the results showed no correlation between the frequency of using mascara or external eyeliner and the prevalence of DES. Conclusion: The prevalence of DED among women who used eye cosmetics was much higher than its prevalence in the general population, which indicates that eye cosmetics are one of the risk factors in the development of DED. Also, the severity of DED was significantly higher in women who did not use a cleanser for removing cosmetics.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) refers to a variety of healthcare practices outside the domain of conventional medicine, which may be integrated with conventional medicine by many physicians. This study aims to assess the attitudes and beliefs of pediatricians toward the use of CAM on children and to evaluate their knowledge and experience regarding CAM therapies and their desire for additional CAM training courses. This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered electronic questionnaire consisting of 27 questions was distributed among pediatricians to assess the demographics, beliefs, experiences, and attitudes of pediatricians related to the use of CAM for children. Non-probability convenience sampling was used in selecting the sample of pediatricians. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). In this study, 140 participants completed the questionnaires. Most of the participants were of the male gender (83, 59.3%) and Saudi nationals (127, 90.7%). With regards to questions related to the experiences and opinions of participants regarding the use of CAM, 101 (72.1%) subjects reported the use of CAM among family members. Pediatricians cited affirmative encounters of use of CAM in 94 (67.1%) by parents. Pediatricians were not in favor of the use of CAM for end-stage (114, 81.4%) and chronic disease (108, 77.1%). The overall median self-reported CAM knowledge score was statistically higher for males in comparison with females [3 (IQR 1-5)] versus 2 (IQR 2-4), P = 0.030]. Also for nationality, median scores were significantly greater for the Riyadh region in contrast to other regions [[3 (IQR 2-5)] versus 2 (IQR 1-4), P = 0.041]. There was a significant difference in median scores for qualification of participants (P = 0.002). A multiple pairwise comparison revealed a statistically significant (P = 0.012) difference between participants with the qualification of residents and specialization. No differences in median CAM scores were found for responses related to the experiences, opinions, and attitudes of pediatricians towards the use of CAM therapies. Most of the pediatricians in Saudi Arabia don’t recommend the use of CAM treatment in their practice, but they acknowledge that learning more about CAM and imparting appropriate knowledge regarding it may incorporate its use in their routine clinical practices in a safe way.

BACKGROUND: Uncorrected refractive errors are a major global public health concern, responsible for approximately 50% of visual impairments. Surgical options such as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) are effective but can result in myopic regression, necessitating retreatment. To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and predictability of transepithelial PRK (Trans-PRK) for correction of myopic regression after previous refractive surgery. METHODOLOGY: Trans-PRK was performed in eyes with myopic regression after previous PRK or LASIK with a mean refractive spherical equivalent (SE) of − 1.92 diopter (D) ±0.96 (standard deviation). The mean preoperative logMAR uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) was 0.59 ± 0.38. Postoperative evaluation included UDVA, SE, epithelial healing, and haze formation at 1 week, 2 months, and 6 months. RESULTS: The study evaluated 26 eyes of 15 patients. At 6 months postoperatively, the proportion of eyes within ± 0.50 D and ± 1.00 D of the target refraction was 37.5% and 100%, respectively. After the enhancement, the percentage of eyes with Snellen UDVA of 20/20 or better was 80% at 6 months, while all of the eyes had a Snellen UDVA of 20/25 or better. The mean postoperative SE was − 1.01 ± 0.74, at 1 week, −0.61 ± 0.98 at 3 months, and − 0.38 ± 0.57 at 6 months. No significant complications were noted. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that Trans-PRK appears to be safe, effective, stable, and predictable procedure for the treatment of myopic regression after previous PRK or LASIK.

Aim: To evaluate ophthalmologists’ attitudes toward CAM and define their use and recommendations of CAM for their patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among ophthalmologists in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed electronically among ophthalmologists via social media. The questionnaire was pre-tested in a pilot study of 10 individuals. The questionnaire contained questions about socio-demographics and knowledge about, practices of, and attitudes toward CAM. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26. Results: A total of 102 ophthalmologists were involved in this study (68 men and 34 women). Of all the ophthalmologists, 40.2% do not ask their patients about the use of CAM, whereas only 11.8% of them ask their patients about it most of the time. Nearly 60% never recommended CAM to their patients. Most of the ophthalmologists (65.7%) think that CAM can negatively affect patients’ compliance to the conventional treatment and 61.8% felt annoyed when patients did not tell them about CAM use. When asked about their knowledge of CAM,54.9% and 37.3% indicated poor and intermediate knowledge, respectively. Most of the respondents (64.3%) were willing to take courses related to CAM, and only 3.9% of them did. Conclusion: In the time of increased use of CAM by the patients, most of the ophthalmologists demonstrated poor knowledge about CAM and do not regularly ask the patients about it. Keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine, ophthalmologist, attitudes, knowledge

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (trans-PRK) and conventional photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for the treatment of myopic regression after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Patients and methods: A prospective comparative study was conducted on patients who experienced myopic regression after LASIK. Patients were divided into two groups: trans-PRK and conventional PRK. Visual outcomes, refractive stability, and potential complications were assessed at 1 week, 2, and 6 months postoperatively. Results: A total of 39 eyes were included in this study. Both trans-PRK and conventional PRK demonstrated improvements in visual acuity and refractive error with no statistically significant differences between the groups. At the final follow-up, 16 (94.1%) eyes in the trans-PRK group and 21 (95.4%) eyes in the conventional PRK group achieved a Snellen uncorrected distance visual acuity of 20/30 or better (P=0.849), 11 (64.7%) eyes in the trans-PRK group and 16 eyes (72.7%) in the conventional PRK group were within±1.00 diopter (D) of the target refraction. The mean logMAR uncorrected distance visual acuity at 6 months postoperatively was 0.01±0.04 in the trans-PRK group and 0.03±0.04 in the conventional PRK group (P=0.464). Conclusion: Both trans-PRK and conventional PRK are safe, effective, and predictable treatment options for myopic regression after LASIK. No haze development, delayed epithelial healing, or any other complications were reported in any eye in either study group.