Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric illness in which the Patients seeking cosmetic surgery are usually unsatisfied with the outcomes of the surgery. Therefore, it is essential to study this phenomenon and increase awareness among physicians to assess for the presence of BDD before any cosmetic treatment.

To assess the presence of BDD among female patients undergoing cosmetic procedures and improve awareness among providers of cosmetic treatment.

This cross-sectional study uses the adult version of the BDD modification of the Y-BOCS (BDD-YBOCS) scale. Its consists of 12 items related to preoccupied thoughts that participants have about their appearance and the effects that these thoughts have on their lives. Questionnaires were distributed on different online platforms among females living in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

Out of the 220 women who participated, 45 had BDD (prevalence rate of 20.5%), a significant and worrying percentage. The result indicates more among participants in the age group of 20–35 years. Also, it revealed positive correlation exists between BDD and females seeking cosmetic procedures.

One-fifth of the participants were diagnosed to be suffering from BDD. Higher rates were observed among women who underwent cosmetic procedures. Therefore, we recommend physicians conduct screening for patients seeking cosmetic procedures before starting any treatment.

No significant relationships.

The current study was conducted to assess disaster preparedness of hospitals in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia.

A descriptive cross-sectional study of all hospitals in the Eastern Region of KSA was conducted between July 2017 and July 2018. The included hospitals were selected using convenience sampling. The questionnaire was distributed together with an official letter providing information about the aim and objectives of the study as well as ethical issues guiding their participation in the exercise.

All the included hospitals had a disaster plan that was completely accessible by all staff members. About 70% of the included hospitals established an educational program on disaster preparedness once per year. Assessment of hospital disaster preparedness was conducted using disaster drills in 62 (n= 98%) of the hospitals. However, only 9.5% of the hospitals had post-disaster recovery assistance programs like counseling and support services.

Most hospitals involved in this study had sufficient resources for disaster management; however, the overall effectiveness of hospitals’ disaster preparedness was slight to moderate. Some recommendations to improve hospitals’ disaster preparedness should be proposed, including improved staff training and testing, better communications and safety procedures, and adoption of a holistic approach for disaster management.