Hanouf S. Bafhaid

Introduction: Household product poisoning is a common cause of emergency department visits and hospital admissions among children. Global variations reflect socioeconomic disparities and the presence of other contributing factors. This study evaluated caregivers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding household product safety and childhood poisoning management. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to caregivers across Saudi Arabia between December 2024 and March 2025. The survey collected demographic characteristics and evaluated caregivers’ KAP regarding household product poisoning. Total KAP scores and domain-specific scores ≥60% were considered satisfactory. Different respondent groups were compared using logistic regression analyses. Results: 1,917 caregivers completed the survey. Although satisfactory attitude (86%) and practice (87%) scores were high, only 37% of respondents demonstrated satisfactory knowledge about childhood poisoning risks. Higher total KAP and knowledge were associated with healthcare-related employment, higher educational attainment, and having ≥3 children. Conversely, lower KAP outcomes were observed among caregivers who were male or aged <25 years. Respondents reported potentially harmful interventions, indicating misconceptions regarding appropriate poisoning management. Conclusion: Despite positive attitudes and practices, deficiencies remain in caregivers’ understanding of household poisoning risk and appropriate management. A long-term approach for improving child safety that integrates behavior, education, technology, and regulation is needed to reduce household childhood poisoning across Saudi Arabia.

Vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity is associated with an increased risk of neonatal mortality and prolonged neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay. This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the incidence of vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity and its risk factors in neonates. The study included neonates admitted to the NICU of the Maternity and Children Hospital (Makkah, Saudi Arabia) from January 2018 to December 2020 who received intravenous vancomycin for more than 48 h. The primary outcome was the incidence of newly developed acute kidney injury (AKI) after the initiation of vancomycin therapy, defined according to the neonatal modified Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria. Analyses included AKI incidence, comparison of clinical parameters between neonates with and without AKI, and multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of AKI and mortality. Among 362 neonates treated with vancomycin, 11.3% developed AKI. Neonates with AKI had a lower postmenstrual age (31.3 vs. 34.1 weeks, p = 0.01) and higher rates of extreme prematurity (31.7% vs. 14.3%, p = 0.02) and extremely low birth weight (43.9% vs. 18.7%, p = 0.00). Vancomycin trough levels > 15 mg/L were more frequent in the AKI group (26.8%, 11/41) than in others (11.8%, 35/321) (p = 0.00). Only one-third of vancomycin trough measurements were obtained according to guideline-recommended timing. In multivariable analysis, each additional week of postmenstrual age was independently associated with a 10% reduction in the odds of AKI (OR 0.90; p = 0.00). Higher weight was associated with lower mortality (OR = 0.26; p < 0.001), while AKI incidence was associated with increased mortality (OR = 5.88; p < 0.001). Caffeine citrate use was associated with lower odds of mortality, but was not associated with AKI (OR = 0.21; p < 0.001). Lower postmenstrual age independently predicted vancomycin-associated AKI. Lower neonatal weight and AKI were associated with increased mortality, reinforcing the importance of individualized monitoring during vancomycin therapy.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition and a leading disability for which pharmacists play an important role in optimizing medication therapy, monitoring adverse effects, and counseling caregivers. Despite increasing awareness of ASD, evidence on ASD-related knowledge and clinical preparedness among pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia remains limited. This study aims to assess general ASD knowledge with selected pharmacotherapy content, professional attitudes toward pharmacist involvement in ASD care, self-reported confidence, counseling preparedness, and training needs among pharmacy students and recent graduates across Saudi Arabia. A multi-regional cross-sectional survey was conducted between December 2025 and January 2026 using a structured, self-administered online questionnaire adapted from previously published instruments and distributed via Google Forms. Multivariable regression models, including quasi-Poisson and linear regression, were used to identify factors independently associated with the study outcomes. A total of 412 participants completed the survey. Knowledge gaps were most evident for comparative ASD prevalence (43.2% correct) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved pharmacotherapies for irritability (47.6% correct). Professional attitudes were highly positive. However, 74.5% felt unprepared to counsel patients and families about ASD treatment, and 81.3% reported that their training had not adequately prepared them to manage ASD medication cases. Workshop attendance was independently associated with higher knowledge scores [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.24, P = 0.027], whereas fourth/fifth-year students reported lower counseling preparedness than second/third-year students ( β = −0.32, 95% CI: −0.58 to −0.07, P = 0.012). Pharmacy students in Saudi Arabia demonstrate positive professional attitudes but substantial gaps in ASD-related knowledge and clinical preparedness for disability-sensitive pharmacy care. Integrating competency-based, experiential ASD training into pharmacy curricula is needed to translate professional motivation into practice-ready skills.

Background: Substance abuse is a major public health issue, particularly among university students. Understanding students’ knowledge and attitudes toward substance abuse is important for designing educational and preventive strategies, helping early intervention efforts, supporting mental health services, and ensuring culturally suitable programming. Objective: This study aimed to assess university students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding substance abuse and to identify demographic and educational factors associated with these variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 745 university students from various academic disciplines. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing knowledge and attitudes related to substance abuse. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation, and regression tests. Results: The sample included 50.5% males and 49.5% females, with the majority aged 18–21 years (58.0%). Most participants had heard of substance abuse (91.7%) and recognized its association with chronic disease (97.3%). Knowledge scores varied significantly on the basis of academic background and prior exposure to awareness programs. Attitudes toward substance abuse were mixed, with a notable proportion of students perceiving potential benefits in certain contexts. A weak, non-significant correlation was found between knowledge and attitudes (r = 0.068, p = 0.064). Conclusion: Although students showed generally good knowledge about substance abuse, variations in understanding and attitudes were obvious across demographic and educational subgroups. These findings emphasize the need for targeted, context-specific educational interventions to address misconceptions and improve preventive awareness. Future research should evaluate the long-term impact of such interventions on students’ attitudes and behaviors.

Background and Objectives: Epilepsy is a chronic disease that causes substantial morbidity and mortality. Pharmacists represent an integral role in managing patients with epilepsy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge about the pharmacology and pathophysiology of epilepsy among senior pharmacy students. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study using a designed questionnaire to measure the pharmacological and physiological knowledge of senior pharmacy students regarding epilepsy who are studying at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, from August to October 2022. Results: A total of 211 senior clinical pharmacy students responded to the questionnaire. The majority of the respondents were 4th year pharmacy students. The numbers of female and male participants were equal (106 and 105 students, respectively). The participants represented an acceptable level of knowledge about the pathophysiology aspects of epilepsy, with a mean total score of 6.22 ± 1.9 out of a maximum score of 10. The respondents reported that epilepsy could be due to genetic predisposition combined with environmental conditions (80.1%) or brain stroke (17.1%). Regarding the respondent knowledge about the pharmacology of epilepsy, the total score was 4.6 ± 2.1 (maximum attainable score: 9). Conclusions: The majority of pharmacy students had knowledge about the pathophysiology concept of the disease; however, low knowledge was shown by the respondents regarding the pharmacology of epilepsy. Thus, there is a need to identify better strategies to improve students’ education.

Malachite green (MG) dye is a common environmental pollutant that threatens human health and the integrity of the Earth’s ecosystem. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential biodegradation of MG dye by actinomycetes species isolated from planted soil near an industrial water effluent in Cairo, Egypt. The Streptomyces isolate St 45 was selected according to its high efficiency for laccase production. It was identified as S. exfoliatus based on phenotype and 16S rRNA molecular analysis and was deposited in the NCBI GenBank with the gene accession number OL720220. Its growth kinetics were studied during an incubation time of 144 h, during which the growth rate was 0.4232 (µ/h), the duplication time (td) was 1.64 d, and multiplication rate (MR) was 0.61 h, with an MG decolorization value of 96% after 120 h of incubation at 25 °C. Eleven physical and nutritional factors (mannitol, frying oil waste, MgSO₄, NH₄NO₃, NH₄Cl, dye concentration, pH, agitation, temperature, inoculum size, and incubation time) were screened for significance in the biodegradation of MG by S. exfoliatus using PBD. Out of the eleven factors screened in PBD, five (dye concentration, frying oil waste, MgSO₄, inoculum size, and pH) were shown to be significant in the decolorization process. Central composite design (CCD) was applied to optimize the biodegradation of MG. Maximum decolorization was attained using the following optimal conditions: food oil waste, 7.5 mL/L; MgSO₄, 0.35 g/L; dye concentration, 0.04 g/L; pH, 4.0; and inoculum size, 12.5%. The products from the degradation of MG by S. exfoliatus were characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed the presence of several compounds, including leuco-malachite green, di(tert-butyl)(2-phenylethoxy) silane, 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester, 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-n-octyl phthalate, and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, dioctyl ester. Moreover, the phytotoxicity, microbial toxicity, and cytotoxicity tests confirmed that the byproducts of MG degradation were not toxic to plants, microbes, or human cells. The results of this work implicate S. exfoliatus as a novel strain for MG biodegradation in different environments.