Hassan, Zair

ABSTRACT Background and Aims Out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest stands as the primary cause of worldwide mortality. Therefore, all healthcare workers must comprehensively understand and practically apply cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). To address the paucity of literature on this subject, we conducted a nationwide survey among healthcare professionals in Pakistan. Methods This nationwide cross‐sectional study was based on an online questionnaire. The sample pool comprised healthcare professionals and medical students from all over Pakistan. The survey comprised 18 questions aimed to assess the comprehension of CPR, determine the source of their basic life support (BLS) training, and evaluate their competence in performing CPR in real‐life situations. Results The sample size consisted of 951 participants from Pakistan. A total of 712 responders (75%) reported having received CPR or CPR with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) course, and the same percentage reported that their respective universities had organized the course. The responders reported that the BLS course was made mandatory in only 60% of cases. Most of the respondents were first‐year medical students (21%) and postgraduates (21%). Most of the respondents (78%) professed that the courses had been theoretical as well as practical, and 66% felt confident enacting CPR in out‐of‐hospital settings. Overall, no province was able to achieve a score of greater than 50% when assessed about their knowledge regarding cardiac arrest and CPR. Conclusion This study provides a detailed insight into Pakistan healthcare workers' CPR knowledge and perceptions belonging to different provinces, institutes, designations, and specialties. The participants reported being confident in performing CPR but demonstrated gaps when assessed regarding the revised guidelines and their performance in different scenarios. There is room for further research in overcoming the language barriers and other discrepancies faced by this study.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in females. In low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan, reported incidence and prevalence remain unreliable. The aim was to evaluate Pakistani women’s knowledge, attitude, and perception of breast cancer. This cross-sectional study was conducted among Pakistani women from Punjab, Pakistan. A self-administered online questionnaire was formulated to collect data from the participants from September 24, 2022, to October 24, 2022. The questionnaire included sociodemographic data, knowledge questions regarding breast cancer risk factors, knowledge questions about symptoms of breast cancer, and questions assessing the participants’ attitudes toward mammography screening. For knowledge questions, a score of more than 7 out of 13 was considered good knowledge. For attitude questions, regression analysis was done and a score of more than 5 out of 11 was considered a positive attitude. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 (Chicago). 796 women participated in this study. Out of 796 participants, 543 (68.2%) were between 20 and 30 years of age, and 43 (5.4%) were more than 40 years old. The level of knowledge regarding breast cancer risk factors was suboptimal. 523 (65.7%) of the participants thought that breast cancer risk increases with advancing age and 218 (27.4%) thought that early menarche increases the risk of developing breast cancer. 471 (59.2%) mentioned that mammography is an effective tool for detecting breast cancer, and 30 (3.8%) thought that there is a cure for breast cancer. According to regression analysis, higher education, higher monthly household income, and married marital status were significantly associated with good knowledge related to breast cancer. Although most of the population is aware of breast cancer’s risk factors and symptoms, they avoid screening such as mammography. Public awareness projects could help increase women’s knowledge of breast cancer signs, symptoms, and screening.

Background: Electrocardiogram (EKG) is a commonly used diagnostic tool for the evaluation of the electrical activity of the heart. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and interpretation proficiency of EKG among healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Pakistan. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among HCPs working in different healthcare settings. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the participants’ theoretical knowledge and ability to interpret EKG findings. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and χ2 tests. The study indicates that EKG knowledge and interpretation proficiency among HCPs in Pakistan is unsatisfactory. The inadequacy of training periods of EKG training sessions and insufficient participation of HCPs in offered training opportunities put forward the need for the formation and introduction of better structured and efficient EKG training programmes. Results: A total of 511 HCPs participated in the study, 28% of whom reportedly had received formal training for EKG interpretation. About 80% of the participants correctly identified theoretical questions pertaining to EKG, while 58% of the participants were able to accurately interpret EKG findings, and most HCPs (69.9%) read fewer than ten EKGs per week. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a lack of expertise and a poor understanding of EKG in HCPs of Pakistan. The low level of EKG knowledge and interpretation proficiency among HCPs may lead to diagnostic errors and poor patient outcomes. Therefore, efforts should be made to improve EKG education and training among HCPs in Pakistan.

Background and aims: Increased use of digital devices in the modern era has led to the development of digital eye strain (DES) or computer vision syndrome in their users. This can result in the development of various ocular and visual symptoms among them. In this study, the authors aimed to view the prevalence of digital eye strain among radiology physicians in Pakistan and their associated risk factors. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate occupational DES among radiology physicians in Pakistan. The data collection was done using the convenience sampling technique, and the data were analyzed using IBM SPSS for Windows, Version 25.0. Results: Out of the 247 respondents, 33.6% were males and 66.4% were females. 41.7% of them were between 30 and 40 years of age and 51.8% of them were radiology residents. 52.2% of the participants had a refractive error and were using a corrective lens. The majority of the radiologists in our study (84.2%) preferred picture archiving and communication system (PACS) over films and 82.2% of them reported having breaks of less than 15 min. Major symptoms reported by the participants were tired or heavy eyes (69.6%) and headache (69.3%). The proportion of developing DES was higher in females [P=0.001, adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.94], radiology residents (P=0.031, aOR=3.29), and working hours of more than 4 h per day (P<0.001, aOR=0.04). Conclusion: With recent advances in the field of radiology in Pakistan, the frequency of developing DES among radiologists is increasing. Being a female, having long working hours, and having noticeable flickers on the digital screens were among the significant factors in developing DES among radiologists.