Soraya Shadmanfar, G. Alishiri, N. Bayat, M. Izadi, A. Salimzadeh, A. Rostamian, Shahla Abolghasemi, Mohammad Hossein Azimzadeh Ardebili, Zeynab Rastgar Moqaddam, M. Hasani, Ehsan Rahmanian, Helia Iranpanah, Ghodrat Allah Islami, A. Saburi
Background: Among suggested medications for the treatment of COVID-19, chloroquine derivates and angiotensin-converting– enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) are the two medications with conflicting effects on the development of the disease. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic diseases receiving chloroquine derivate. Methods: Every patient with proven rheumatologic diseases registered in two referral centers in Tehran and Alborz, Iran was enrolled in the present descriptive cross-sectional study between May and June 2020. At first, the symptoms of COVID-19 were assessed, and if a case had suspicious symptoms, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 tests were done. Demographic and clinical data are documented for every patient. Then, the patients were grouped once according to their COVID-19 infection status and another time according to their hydroxychloroquine use. Results: 1159 patients enrolled in the study with a mean age of 49.39 years. Frequency of hypertension was 22.17 %, diabetics (9.49%) and 20 (1.7%) patients were positive for COVID-19 testing. The most common symptoms of the COVID-19 positive cases were cough (5.2%) and fever (4%). There was no significant difference in receiving ACEIs/ARBs or other medications between COVID-19 positive or negative patients. Among the patients receiving hydroxychloroquine, 15 patients (1.7%) had proved COVID-19 versus 5 patients (1.7%) who were not receiving these medications (P>0.999). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that receiving ARBs or ACEIs was not different among patients with or without COVID-19. Moreover, receiving chloroquine derivate was not related to the development of COVID-19 in patients with rheumatologic disorders.
{"title":"COVID-19 Screening in Rheumatologic Diseases Cases; Special Look at Chloroquine Derivate Use","authors":"Soraya Shadmanfar, G. Alishiri, N. Bayat, M. Izadi, A. Salimzadeh, A. Rostamian, Shahla Abolghasemi, Mohammad Hossein Azimzadeh Ardebili, Zeynab Rastgar Moqaddam, M. Hasani, Ehsan Rahmanian, Helia Iranpanah, Ghodrat Allah Islami, A. Saburi","doi":"10.34172/hpr.2021.27","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2021.27","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Among suggested medications for the treatment of COVID-19, chloroquine derivates and angiotensin-converting– enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) are the two medications with conflicting effects on the development of the disease. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic diseases receiving chloroquine derivate. Methods: Every patient with proven rheumatologic diseases registered in two referral centers in Tehran and Alborz, Iran was enrolled in the present descriptive cross-sectional study between May and June 2020. At first, the symptoms of COVID-19 were assessed, and if a case had suspicious symptoms, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 tests were done. Demographic and clinical data are documented for every patient. Then, the patients were grouped once according to their COVID-19 infection status and another time according to their hydroxychloroquine use. Results: 1159 patients enrolled in the study with a mean age of 49.39 years. Frequency of hypertension was 22.17 %, diabetics (9.49%) and 20 (1.7%) patients were positive for COVID-19 testing. The most common symptoms of the COVID-19 positive cases were cough (5.2%) and fever (4%). There was no significant difference in receiving ACEIs/ARBs or other medications between COVID-19 positive or negative patients. Among the patients receiving hydroxychloroquine, 15 patients (1.7%) had proved COVID-19 versus 5 patients (1.7%) who were not receiving these medications (P>0.999). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that receiving ARBs or ACEIs was not different among patients with or without COVID-19. Moreover, receiving chloroquine derivate was not related to the development of COVID-19 in patients with rheumatologic disorders.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78291922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mahdi Morshedi, Mohammad-Javad Babaei, Ali Bahramifar, E. Karimi, S. Najafizadeh-Sari, M. Raei, Hamed Gholizadeh
Background: Supportive respiratory care and airway management are very important in treating COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure. There are two techniques for supporting patients with respiratory failure. Objectives: The current study aims to evaluate the efficacy and quality of patient care with early tracheostomy in intensive care unit (ICU) and compare mortality, hospital stay, and outcome between intubation and early tracheostomy. Methods: This study is conducted on total patients with confirmed COVID-19 in the ICU centers of a tertiary hospital. At the beginning of the study, all patients were intubated and connected to a mechanical ventilator. Within three days, the intensivists randomly performed bedside percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) for half of the patients. Early tracheostomy was defined as conducting tracheostomy within three days from intubation. Results: The total number of 36 patients was included in the study and categorized into two groups, including 18 patients in the early tracheostomy and 18 in orotracheal intubation. Half of the patients (50%) in the tracheostomy group were recovered from COVID-19 respiratory failure and discharged from ICU and hospital. All patients in the intubation group were expired. The length of staying alive in ICU in patients with an early tracheostomy was 26.47±3.79 compared with 7.58±2.36 days in intubated patients. Conclusion: The early tracheostomy compared with orotracheal intubation in respiratory failure patients with COVID-19 can significantly decrease mortality. However, airway management with an early tracheostomy increases the hospitalization stay and can increase recovery. So, conducting the early tracheostomy is recommended in this study.
{"title":"The Comparison Between the Early Tracheostomy and Orotracheal Intubation in COVID-19 Patients Required Mechanical Ventilation","authors":"Mahdi Morshedi, Mohammad-Javad Babaei, Ali Bahramifar, E. Karimi, S. Najafizadeh-Sari, M. Raei, Hamed Gholizadeh","doi":"10.34172/hpr.2021.26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2021.26","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Supportive respiratory care and airway management are very important in treating COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure. There are two techniques for supporting patients with respiratory failure. Objectives: The current study aims to evaluate the efficacy and quality of patient care with early tracheostomy in intensive care unit (ICU) and compare mortality, hospital stay, and outcome between intubation and early tracheostomy. Methods: This study is conducted on total patients with confirmed COVID-19 in the ICU centers of a tertiary hospital. At the beginning of the study, all patients were intubated and connected to a mechanical ventilator. Within three days, the intensivists randomly performed bedside percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) for half of the patients. Early tracheostomy was defined as conducting tracheostomy within three days from intubation. Results: The total number of 36 patients was included in the study and categorized into two groups, including 18 patients in the early tracheostomy and 18 in orotracheal intubation. Half of the patients (50%) in the tracheostomy group were recovered from COVID-19 respiratory failure and discharged from ICU and hospital. All patients in the intubation group were expired. The length of staying alive in ICU in patients with an early tracheostomy was 26.47±3.79 compared with 7.58±2.36 days in intubated patients. Conclusion: The early tracheostomy compared with orotracheal intubation in respiratory failure patients with COVID-19 can significantly decrease mortality. However, airway management with an early tracheostomy increases the hospitalization stay and can increase recovery. So, conducting the early tracheostomy is recommended in this study.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86814235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Perceived discrimination (PD) is a risk factor of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) for children, youth, and adults. However, it is unknown whether the association between PD and STB frequency differs between African American (AA) and Non-Hispanic White children. Objectives: In this study, we compared AA and non-Latino White children for the association between PD and STB frequency in a national sample of 9-10-year-old American children. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which included 7883 non-Latino White or AA children between the ages of 9 and 10. The predictor variable was frequency of PDs. Race was the moderator. The outcome variable was STB frequency, treated as a count variable, reflecting positive STB items endorsed over the life-course. Covariates included sex, age, marital status, household income, parental education, parental employment, trauma, and economic difficulties. Poisson regression was used for data analysis. Results: Of all the participants, 5994 were non-Latino Whites, and 1889 were AAs. Overall, PD frequency was positively associated with STB frequency. A statistically significant interaction was found between race and PD, suggesting that the association between PD and STB frequency is weaker in AA than non-Latino White children. Conclusion: The observed weaker association between PDs frequency and STB frequency in AA than non-Latino White children suggests that PD may be a less salient risk factor of STB frequency for AA than non-Latino White children. Researchers should explore factors other than PD for suicide prevention of AA children in the US.
{"title":"Perceived Discrimination and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among American African American and White Children","authors":"S. Assari","doi":"10.34172/hpr.2021.28","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2021.28","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Perceived discrimination (PD) is a risk factor of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) for children, youth, and adults. However, it is unknown whether the association between PD and STB frequency differs between African American (AA) and Non-Hispanic White children. Objectives: In this study, we compared AA and non-Latino White children for the association between PD and STB frequency in a national sample of 9-10-year-old American children. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which included 7883 non-Latino White or AA children between the ages of 9 and 10. The predictor variable was frequency of PDs. Race was the moderator. The outcome variable was STB frequency, treated as a count variable, reflecting positive STB items endorsed over the life-course. Covariates included sex, age, marital status, household income, parental education, parental employment, trauma, and economic difficulties. Poisson regression was used for data analysis. Results: Of all the participants, 5994 were non-Latino Whites, and 1889 were AAs. Overall, PD frequency was positively associated with STB frequency. A statistically significant interaction was found between race and PD, suggesting that the association between PD and STB frequency is weaker in AA than non-Latino White children. Conclusion: The observed weaker association between PDs frequency and STB frequency in AA than non-Latino White children suggests that PD may be a less salient risk factor of STB frequency for AA than non-Latino White children. Researchers should explore factors other than PD for suicide prevention of AA children in the US.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"126 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77726409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. F. Tayebnasab, M. Rahdar, Farhad Hamidi, H. Maleki
Background: The cost of health care is a large part of every household’s budget. On the other hand, as an economic entity, the hospital is constantly faced with different aspects of cost and revenue. So, we are dealing with conflicting objectives. Objectives: The main purpose of the research is to help financial management in a specialty hospital. This article provides part of operational research under bi-level optimization for hospital managers to provide targeted financial planning. The method is based on the fact that the objective is to maximize the hospital income on one level, and on the other level, the objective is to reduce the patient’s payment. Methods: The hierarchical and decentralized optimization problem is written as a bi-level model that minimizes patient costs and maximizes hospital revenues, which is an NP-Hard problem. The optimal solution to this problem is obtained using a genetic algorithm. Then, the hospital’s performance is evaluated by the Pabon Lasso diagram. It is shown that the use of this model has a significant effect on the hospital’s performance. Results: Implementation of this model in the studied hospital shows that patient payment costs decreased and hospital income increased (reaching equilibrium point). Conclusion: Hospital performance after model implementation was evaluated by the Pabon Lasso diagram and showed that it has an effective role in hospital performance.
{"title":"Introducing a Bi-Level Linear Programming Model to Reduce Patient Payment and Increase Hospital Income Simultaneously","authors":"S. F. Tayebnasab, M. Rahdar, Farhad Hamidi, H. Maleki","doi":"10.34172/hpr.2021.29","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2021.29","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The cost of health care is a large part of every household’s budget. On the other hand, as an economic entity, the hospital is constantly faced with different aspects of cost and revenue. So, we are dealing with conflicting objectives. Objectives: The main purpose of the research is to help financial management in a specialty hospital. This article provides part of operational research under bi-level optimization for hospital managers to provide targeted financial planning. The method is based on the fact that the objective is to maximize the hospital income on one level, and on the other level, the objective is to reduce the patient’s payment. Methods: The hierarchical and decentralized optimization problem is written as a bi-level model that minimizes patient costs and maximizes hospital revenues, which is an NP-Hard problem. The optimal solution to this problem is obtained using a genetic algorithm. Then, the hospital’s performance is evaluated by the Pabon Lasso diagram. It is shown that the use of this model has a significant effect on the hospital’s performance. Results: Implementation of this model in the studied hospital shows that patient payment costs decreased and hospital income increased (reaching equilibrium point). Conclusion: Hospital performance after model implementation was evaluated by the Pabon Lasso diagram and showed that it has an effective role in hospital performance.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82745311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Reza Gerami, Ramezan Jafari, Niloufar Nazeri, A. Saburi
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, causing pain and progressive disability in millions of people worldwide. The commonly prescribed medications for OA, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, have many side effects which has led the scientists to consider safer drugs as an alternative. Therapeutic effects of Curcumin on OA are increasingly declared, and its various aspects in suppressing inflammation and reducing the disease progression are examined more thoroughly. This study aims to discuss curcumin and OA to help scientists working in these fields. In this brief review, we took a look at OA pathogenesis, the role of the immune system, and the biomarkers involved in the onset and progression of the disease. We focused on available data on the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of treatment by curcumin on OA.
{"title":"The Anti-inflammatory Role of Curcumin in Osteoarthritis: An Overview of Molecular and Radiologic Changes","authors":"Reza Gerami, Ramezan Jafari, Niloufar Nazeri, A. Saburi","doi":"10.34172/hpr.2022.01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2022.01","url":null,"abstract":"Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, causing pain and progressive disability in millions of people worldwide. The commonly prescribed medications for OA, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, have many side effects which has led the scientists to consider safer drugs as an alternative. Therapeutic effects of Curcumin on OA are increasingly declared, and its various aspects in suppressing inflammation and reducing the disease progression are examined more thoroughly. This study aims to discuss curcumin and OA to help scientists working in these fields. In this brief review, we took a look at OA pathogenesis, the role of the immune system, and the biomarkers involved in the onset and progression of the disease. We focused on available data on the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of treatment by curcumin on OA.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73176988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with various risks, including the exposure of infectious agents. Objectives: The study aims at describing the incidence of blood and body fluid (BBF) exposure in a COVID-19 facility so as viral transmission potential through blood. Methods: A descriptive study of BBF exposure notified was carried out in a community hospital in Qatar. Results: In 2020, 29 needlesticks injuries were reported, which is a significant increase compared to the year 2019 (6 incidents) and 2018 (5 incidents). No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission was shown concerning the injury using symptoms monitoring and lab test. Conclusion: The increased risk of BBF exposure during the pandemic provides insight into the need to review the prevention practices of occupational exposure during pandemics. Additional studies are required to define the risk of COVID-19 related to occupational exposure to BBF.
{"title":"Increased Incidence of Blood and Body Fluid Exposure and Lack of Transmission Evidence During COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"H. Guanche Garcell, A. V. Arias","doi":"10.34172/hpr.2021.31","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2021.31","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with various risks, including the exposure of infectious agents. Objectives: The study aims at describing the incidence of blood and body fluid (BBF) exposure in a COVID-19 facility so as viral transmission potential through blood. Methods: A descriptive study of BBF exposure notified was carried out in a community hospital in Qatar. Results: In 2020, 29 needlesticks injuries were reported, which is a significant increase compared to the year 2019 (6 incidents) and 2018 (5 incidents). No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission was shown concerning the injury using symptoms monitoring and lab test. Conclusion: The increased risk of BBF exposure during the pandemic provides insight into the need to review the prevention practices of occupational exposure during pandemics. Additional studies are required to define the risk of COVID-19 related to occupational exposure to BBF.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85392195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-11-08DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-955198/v1
Bahram Aminmansour, Mehdi Mahmoudkhani, Mehdi Shafiei, M. Sabouri, M. Hematzadeh, D. Tehrani
BackgroundCovid-19 quickly spread around the world as an epidemic with potentially unknown hazards. Like its impacts on various occupations, neurosurgery has undergone changes due to the virus, including changes in surgical planning, inpatient and outpatient clinics, emergency management, and even academic activities. The present study was performed to determine neurosurgery challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic in Iran.MethodsThe present study was conducted as a mixed qualitative and quantitative study in 2021. In the qualitative section using the targeted sampling method, 11 members of the target community were selected using the available sampling method and completed a questionnaire. The qualitative part was conducted in two stages of reviewing texts and interviewing experts and in the quantitative part we evaluated the validity of the structure and the reliability of the questionnaire.ResultsThis study examined in detail all aspects of the effects of Covid-19 on neurosurgery. 9 dimensions and 61 items were identified as the challenges of neurosurgery during the Covid-19 pandemic. In order of importance, the aspects were: treatment outcome, manpower, management psychological and physical diseases, education and research, tools and physical space, ethics, financial implications and information technology.ConclusionThe outbreak of epidemics has different risks for specialties, among them neurosurgery. Accordingly, to observe patients' right to treatment, all necessary measures were first taken to provide instructions, regulations, policies and ethical guidelines.
{"title":"Managing Neurosurgery in the Covid-19 Pandemic","authors":"Bahram Aminmansour, Mehdi Mahmoudkhani, Mehdi Shafiei, M. Sabouri, M. Hematzadeh, D. Tehrani","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-955198/v1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-955198/v1","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 BackgroundCovid-19 quickly spread around the world as an epidemic with potentially unknown hazards. Like its impacts on various occupations, neurosurgery has undergone changes due to the virus, including changes in surgical planning, inpatient and outpatient clinics, emergency management, and even academic activities. The present study was performed to determine neurosurgery challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic in Iran.MethodsThe present study was conducted as a mixed qualitative and quantitative study in 2021. In the qualitative section using the targeted sampling method, 11 members of the target community were selected using the available sampling method and completed a questionnaire. The qualitative part was conducted in two stages of reviewing texts and interviewing experts and in the quantitative part we evaluated the validity of the structure and the reliability of the questionnaire.ResultsThis study examined in detail all aspects of the effects of Covid-19 on neurosurgery. 9 dimensions and 61 items were identified as the challenges of neurosurgery during the Covid-19 pandemic. In order of importance, the aspects were: treatment outcome, manpower, management psychological and physical diseases, education and research, tools and physical space, ethics, financial implications and information technology.ConclusionThe outbreak of epidemics has different risks for specialties, among them neurosurgery. Accordingly, to observe patients' right to treatment, all necessary measures were first taken to provide instructions, regulations, policies and ethical guidelines.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82714259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
O S Ilesanmi, A. Afolabi, O. D. Awoyale, O. Fakayode
Background: The health of healthcare workers (HCWs) is an indicator of the quality of health service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the symptomatology and positivity of COVID-19 infection and the type of COVID-19 care received among HCWs in a North-Central State in Nigeria. Methods: This was a retrospective review of HCWs tested for COVID-19 as retrieved from the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management System between April 2020 and March 2021 in Kwara State, Nigeria. Results: Among the 1453 HCWs, 831 (57.2%) were above 35 years, and 874 (60.2%) were females. Among the 259 HCWs who tested positive for COVID-19, 122 (23.8%) lived in urban areas (χ2=13.94, P≤0.001). Also, 83 (30.7%) of symptomatic persons tested positive for COVID-19 (χ 2=37.766, P≤0.001). Overall, 33 (12.7%) of the 259 positive HCWs received hospital-based COVID-19 care, and 33 (16.1%) who had less than 2 symptoms received hospital-based COVID-19 care (χ2=9.962, P=0.002). HCWs who had cough had three times odds of testing positive for COVID-19 (OR=3.299, 95% CI=1.571–6.927, P=0.002). Also, HCWs who manifested loss of taste had three times odds of testing positive for COVID-19 (OR=3.392, 95% CI=1.010–11.393, P=0.048). Conclusion: COVID-19 testing should be encouraged among HCWs, especially those with cough symptoms and loss of taste.
{"title":"Symptomatology, Positivity, and Type of Care Received by Healthcare Workers Tested for COVID-19 Infection in a North-Central State in Nigeria: A Retrospective Study","authors":"O S Ilesanmi, A. Afolabi, O. D. Awoyale, O. Fakayode","doi":"10.34172/hpr.2021.25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2021.25","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The health of healthcare workers (HCWs) is an indicator of the quality of health service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the symptomatology and positivity of COVID-19 infection and the type of COVID-19 care received among HCWs in a North-Central State in Nigeria. Methods: This was a retrospective review of HCWs tested for COVID-19 as retrieved from the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management System between April 2020 and March 2021 in Kwara State, Nigeria. Results: Among the 1453 HCWs, 831 (57.2%) were above 35 years, and 874 (60.2%) were females. Among the 259 HCWs who tested positive for COVID-19, 122 (23.8%) lived in urban areas (χ2=13.94, P≤0.001). Also, 83 (30.7%) of symptomatic persons tested positive for COVID-19 (χ 2=37.766, P≤0.001). Overall, 33 (12.7%) of the 259 positive HCWs received hospital-based COVID-19 care, and 33 (16.1%) who had less than 2 symptoms received hospital-based COVID-19 care (χ2=9.962, P=0.002). HCWs who had cough had three times odds of testing positive for COVID-19 (OR=3.299, 95% CI=1.571–6.927, P=0.002). Also, HCWs who manifested loss of taste had three times odds of testing positive for COVID-19 (OR=3.392, 95% CI=1.010–11.393, P=0.048). Conclusion: COVID-19 testing should be encouraged among HCWs, especially those with cough symptoms and loss of taste.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86706443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: The motor function is associated with the activity of both the motor and prefrontal cortices. The efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over specific brain cortices has been examined in many psychiatric and neurologic disorders. This study aims to report the tDCS effects on two females of advanced age with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD). Case Presentation: We considered 50-minute sessions of bilateral primary motor cortices and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) anodal stimulation using tDCS with passive stretching exercises simultaneously for a total of 20 sessions in 7 weeks. Clinical signs and electroencephalography (EEG) waveform were assessed at distinct times. Both of the two patients showed improved motor function for a short time. EEG changes to some extent concerned clinical states. Conclusion: It seems that tDCS can be an auxiliary treatment for motor dysfunction in PD; however, further studies must be carried out to prove the claim.
{"title":"Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Patients With Parkinson’s disease: A Report of 2 Cases","authors":"R. Bidaki, H. Mirhosseini, Nahid Zare","doi":"10.34172/hpr.2021.32","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2021.32","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: The motor function is associated with the activity of both the motor and prefrontal cortices. The efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over specific brain cortices has been examined in many psychiatric and neurologic disorders. This study aims to report the tDCS effects on two females of advanced age with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD). Case Presentation: We considered 50-minute sessions of bilateral primary motor cortices and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) anodal stimulation using tDCS with passive stretching exercises simultaneously for a total of 20 sessions in 7 weeks. Clinical signs and electroencephalography (EEG) waveform were assessed at distinct times. Both of the two patients showed improved motor function for a short time. EEG changes to some extent concerned clinical states. Conclusion: It seems that tDCS can be an auxiliary treatment for motor dysfunction in PD; however, further studies must be carried out to prove the claim.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78376870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Overcrowding of emergency departments (EDs), which are not suitable places to treat chronic pain and are responsible for managing acute disorders, leads to prolonged waiting times, delays in treating conditions requiring rapid intervention, patient dissatisfaction, and chaos and exhaustion in the ED. Objectives: Examine the characteristics of patients who presented to the ED with non-malignant chronic pain to determine the frequency of use and factors that caused ED use. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in an ED. Three hundred ninety-two patients with chronic pain were included. Results: The mean age of the patients was 48.1±15.3 years, 62.2% were female, and 37.8% were male. Of the patients, 59.2% were married, 42.6% had elementary school education, and 56.1% were unemployed. The most common cause of ED admission was low back pain (LBP), the 32.7% used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 16.3% used opioid analgesics, 15.8% used anticonvulsants, 13.2% used anticonvulsants antidepressant drugs, 22% did not use any medication. The reasons for presenting to the ED for chronic pain were 13.3% for medication prescription, 74.5% for receiving analgesics, and 12.2% for a diagnosis. The mean Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale score of the participants was 12.82±3.98, which indicated moderate depressive symptoms. The mean Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale score was 9.84±3.23, which indicated mild generalized anxiety disorder. Conclusion: Instead of trying to suppress pain, emphasis should be put on preventing overcrowding in EDs, which are intended to manage acute conditions rather than chronic pain, informing patients about the methods of coping with pain, increasing their quality of life, and integrating them into social life.
{"title":"Evaluation of Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department With Chronic Pain: An Observational Clinical Study","authors":"Tuba Erdem Sultanoğlu, Hasan Sultanoğlu","doi":"10.34172/hpr.2021.30","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2021.30","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Overcrowding of emergency departments (EDs), which are not suitable places to treat chronic pain and are responsible for managing acute disorders, leads to prolonged waiting times, delays in treating conditions requiring rapid intervention, patient dissatisfaction, and chaos and exhaustion in the ED. Objectives: Examine the characteristics of patients who presented to the ED with non-malignant chronic pain to determine the frequency of use and factors that caused ED use. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in an ED. Three hundred ninety-two patients with chronic pain were included. Results: The mean age of the patients was 48.1±15.3 years, 62.2% were female, and 37.8% were male. Of the patients, 59.2% were married, 42.6% had elementary school education, and 56.1% were unemployed. The most common cause of ED admission was low back pain (LBP), the 32.7% used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, 16.3% used opioid analgesics, 15.8% used anticonvulsants, 13.2% used anticonvulsants antidepressant drugs, 22% did not use any medication. The reasons for presenting to the ED for chronic pain were 13.3% for medication prescription, 74.5% for receiving analgesics, and 12.2% for a diagnosis. The mean Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale score of the participants was 12.82±3.98, which indicated moderate depressive symptoms. The mean Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale score was 9.84±3.23, which indicated mild generalized anxiety disorder. Conclusion: Instead of trying to suppress pain, emphasis should be put on preventing overcrowding in EDs, which are intended to manage acute conditions rather than chronic pain, informing patients about the methods of coping with pain, increasing their quality of life, and integrating them into social life.","PeriodicalId":32113,"journal":{"name":"Hospital Practices and Research","volume":"67 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80245978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}