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Haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) is fundamental in monitoring glycaemic control during pregnancy. However, several conditions could affect this test's accuracy, including iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). Hence, this systematic review delves into the underexplored connection between IDA, iron replacement therapy (IRT), and haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) during pregnancy. An electronic search of the Cochrane, MEDLINE, and Embase databases was conducted by six authors. From a comprehensive search strategy, 968 records were obtained. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven studies were included, comprising 365 women selected for analysis. Six studies indicated a positive correlation between IDA and HbA1c levels, while one found no correlation. The average HbA1c level of the included studies in pregnant women was 5.64%. In comparison, it was found that non-pregnant women had lower HbA1c levels. Among the included studies, the mean HbA1c levels decreased from 5.1% to 4.89% after treating pregnant women with IRT. The review emphasises the complexity of interpreting HbA1c levels in pregnant women with IDA, highlighting the influence of pregnancy-induced physiological changes. In addition, this suggests that HbA1c should not be the sole criterion for diabetes management in pregnant women with IDA. Future research should focus on alternative glycaemic monitoring methods unaffected by IDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Difficulty falling or staying asleep are considered sleep disorders, and these are common among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. The presence of sleep disorders may cause poor glycemic control among this population. We therefore designed this study to assess sleep disorders among patients with T2DM and obesity. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of sleep disorders in 148 patients with T2DM and obesity at a hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia using a validated questionnaire. Results: Among those patients who have been involved in this study, we found a moderate level of sleep disorders and disturbances. The average sleep disorder assessment score for the patients with T2DM and obesity was 2.8 ± 1.4. Additionally, the average score for the sleep pattern assessment was 2.7 ± 1.3 and 2.9 ± 1.5 for symptoms of lack of sleep. Our study also revealed that those patients also had suboptimal weight and glycemic control. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that patients with T2DM and obesity are at a higher risk of developing sleep disorders. Therefore, these patients need to be screened for sleep disorders to avoid further diabetes-related complications and to have an early lifestyle intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Child abuse refers to any type of mistreatment of a child, perpetrated by a parent, caregiver, or another individual in a custodial capacity, which may lead to instances of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Physicians play a crucial role in identifying and managing this phenomenon in the healthcare setting, as the number of unreported cases increases globally., Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted between 2022 and 2023 among physicians practicing in Saudi Arabia to assess their knowledge, awareness, and attitude toward child abuse. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26 (Released 2019; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States)., Results: A total of 153 physicians were involved in this study, in which 65 participants (42.5%) indicated poor awareness of child abuse, while 79 participants (51.6%) indicated moderate knowledge of child abuse. Additionally, lack of knowledge was the most common barrier to reporting child abuse in 87 participants (56.9%). A positive significant correlation was identified between awareness and knowledge and between knowledge and attitude. Also, it was found that a higher attitude score was more associated with being male, having less experience, practicing in the emergency medicine department, and working in a governmental hospital., Conclusion: These results highlight the significance of implementing specialized training programs and workshops focused on identifying and reporting child abuse, as well as providing guidelines for recognizing signs of abuse and taking appropriate intervention measures., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, AlFaraj et al.)

Background: Acute abdomen in pregnancy (AAP) is defined as intensive abdominal pain lasting less than 24 hours that may require urgent surgery. It is a challenging situation to diagnose and manage, as it is associated with pain due to the normal anatomical and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy., Objective: Therefore, understanding these changes and their effect on almost every system, will help us appreciate the upcoming causes of AAP, mainly the non-obstetric surgical emergencies (e.g., appendicitis, cholecystitis)., Methods: This article highlights the importance of the well-rounded care that should be offered to every pregnant patient presenting to any center with a Non-obstetric Acute Abdomen. The causes are discussed separately (for surgical pearls), laparoscopic approach and radiologic modality decision-making in pregnancy, which is an academic and a practice-based helpful summary., Results and Discussion: This article highlights the importance of the well-rounded care that should be offered to every pregnant patient presenting to any center with a Non-obstetric Acute Abdomen. The causes are discussed separately (for surgical pearls), laparoscopic approach and radiologic modality decision-making in pregnancy, which is an academic and a practice-based helpful summary. Results and Discussion: In addition, the sequence of ideas and language used in the article was based to help the reader understand the topic, rather than inform them about it. In addition, the utility of laparoscopy in pregnancy remains a concern due to the possible risk of injury to the fetus and fetal acidosis. Although, trials showed that laparoscopy was associated with less blood loss and a shorter hospital stay. Moreover, in some cases radiographic imaging is necessary, posing a diagnostic dilemma., Conclusion: AAP is a major concern that requires early interventions to pinpoint the cause and manage the patient, properly., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2023 Humood A. Alsadery, Omar A. Bamalan, Hussain J. Aljubran, Lama J. Albaish, Basmah Z. Al Ghanim.)