Nahla Ayoub

Over-the-Counter Medication Use among Parents in Saudi Arabia

Publisher: MDPI AG

Date: 10-01-2023

DOI: 10.3390/IJERPH20021193

Abstract: Introduction: Self-medication is a growing public health concern worldwide. Studies have shown a gap between best practice and the current practice of using over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Despite being a well-recognised problem in Saudi Arabia, few studies have investigated OTC medication use in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the attitudes and knowledge of parents regarding OTC medication use in the Jeddah region, Saudi Arabia. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out via an electronic questionnaire sent randomly to parents over four months, from 1 January to 30 April 2022. The participants’ characteristics and categorical variables were represented descriptively by frequency and percentage. A Chi-square test was used to test the relationship between the variables. Results: In total, 211 questionnaires were included in this study. Females represented 54.5% of the participants included in the study. Parents belonging to the 18-to-30-year-old group comprised the highest percentage (37.9%), and most of the parents (72.9%) had received an undergraduate education. Family physicians were the most common source (37.3%) of information about OTC medications, whereas more than half of parents purchased OTC medications from the community pharmacy (58.8%). While almost half of the parents (52.1%) visited a family physician when side effects of OTC medications appeared in their children, only (33.6%) stopped giving their children the OTC medicine. The relationship between the sociodemographic characteristics (including educational level, marital status, and employment status) and OTC drug consumption was significant (p 0.001). Conclusion: Educational c aigns are needed to guide patients about the proper use of OTC medications. Studies on OTC medication use are lacking in Saudi Arabia in terms of its frequency, reasons for use, type of self-medication, and contributing factors.

GC/MS Profiling and Ex Vivo Antibacterial Activity of Salvadora persica (Siwak) against Enterococcus faecalis as Intracanal Medicament

Publisher: Hindawi Limited

Date: 27-12-2021

DOI: 10.1155/2021/6333867

Abstract: Introduction. Salvadora persica L. (S. persica, Siwak) has been used for many centuries as oral hygiene tools, particularly in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of S. persica petroleum ether extract (SPE) as an intracanal bactericidal for endodontic treatment against Enterococcus faecalis. Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 gold standard intracanal medicament was used for comparison. Methods. The gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was carried out to identify the components of SPE. First, the consistency of SPE was accomplished according to ANSI/ADA specification no 57. Forty-five single-rooted mandibular premolars were infected with that of E. faecalis suspension. Colony-forming units (CFU) were counted before the medicaments’ application (CFU-1) and after seven days of their applications (CFU-2). Group I: SPE, Group II: positive control Ca(OH)2, and Group III: saline solution negative control. The microdilution method was applied to determine minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of SPE. Results. Thirty-two compounds were identified (89.09%), with main components of benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) (33.32%) and steroids (34%). CFU before and after using SPE and Ca(OH)2 recorded a statistically significant reduction in bacterial count ( P = 0.006 ) and ( P = 0.01 ), respectively. There was an insignificant difference between CFU after using SPE and Ca(OH)2 ( P = 0.210 ). On the contrary, comparing both medicaments with the negative control saline group resulted in significant differences, ( P = 0.001 ) and ( P = 0.007 ), respectively. Moreover, the equality of minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of SPE is recorded. Conclusion. This finding could be referred to the high content of bactericidal BITC in synergism with other antimicrobial components, representing 70.71% of SPE. Thus, SPE is a good candidate as an intracanal medicament, which warrants further investigation.

Universität Hamburg

Location: Germany

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British University In Egypt

Location: Egypt

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Heliopolis University

Location: Egypt

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German University In Cairo

Location: Egypt

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Cairo University Faculty Of Pharmacy

Location: Egypt

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Ain Shams University Faculty Of Pharmacy

Location: Egypt

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