Beliefs and practices of physicians in Lebanon regarding promotional gifts and interactions with pharmaceutical companies.

Background: Pharmaceutical companies invest greatly in promotional gifts to influence prescription of medications by physicians, yet there is limited published information evaluating its impact on healthcare.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the beliefs and practices of physicians in Lebanon regarding promotional gifts and their interactions with representatives of pharmaceutical companies.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2019 and January 2020 through an email-based questionnaire sent to 5936 physicians of different specialties registered in the Lebanese Order of Physicians.

Continuous passive motion not affect the knee motion and the surgical wound aspect after total knee arthroplasty.

Background: This study aimed to assess whether use of continuous passive motion (CPM) could improve range of motion in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), if it could affect the surgical wound aspect (SWA) and if it could influence on pain management after TKA.

Methods: We randomized 210 patients in two groups, 102 patients in the CPM group, who received a standard rehabilitation protocol together with CPM application; and 108 patients in the no-CPM group, without CPM. Variables as knee motion (flexion, extension, range of motion) and pain were measured before surgery, on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd postoperative day, and in the 2nd, 6th, 12th and 24th postoperative weeks following TKA.

Superior Mesenteric Artery Dissection After Lumbar Puncture.

We hereby present a case of iatrogenic dissection of the superior mesenteric artery dissection in a 63-year-old female undergoing a lumbar puncture (LP). She presented with severe diffused abdominal pain accompanied by lower back pain, nausea and vomiting a few hours after undergoing an LP due to ongoing headaches. Abdominal CT showed evidence of hemoperitoneum.

Attitudes of patients towards digital information retrieval by their physician at point of care in an ambulatory setting.

Background: While the access to information through digital resources is widely available for physicians, concerns are posed about the use of digital devices for information retrieval at the point of care. This use of digital devices among practicing physicians in the community setting is not well studied, particularly from the patient's perspective.

Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of use of digital devices by physicians in the community setting and attitude of patients towards the usage of digital devices by the physician to retrieve information at the point of care during the clinical encounter.