Adequacy of a novel qualitative fit test kit and protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives@#To develop our own qualitative fit test kit and protocol for respirators and validate this against the manufacturer-issued kit.@*Methods@#This is a crossover study of 50 healthcare workers in a tertiary government hospital. Some healthcare workers were tested multiple times according to the number of respirators they want tested. Qualitative fit testing was done according to manufacturer protocol for the commercial kits or according to our own protocol for the novel kits.@*Results@#A total of 63 fit tests were analyzed. This novel kit was determined to be noninferior to manufacturer-issued kits in detecting leaks among worn respirators (p=0.005). @*Conclusion@# A fit test kit can be successfully created from readily available household and hospital materials. Fit tests with these novel kits using our validated protocol are shown to be noninferior to commercial test kits. This can greatly aid in qualitative fit testing of respirators in a logistically constrained pandemic setting.

Physicians’ perceptions on the role of telemedicine in cancer care during and post-COVID-19 Pandemic

@#Objectives. This study aims to determine perceptions of physicians in our institution on the role of telemedicine in cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic and to assess its perceived benefits and barriers. Methods. This is a cross-sectional study of physicians involved in cancer care in a tertiary referral hospital in the Philippines. We administered a 21-item online survey questionnaire between August to October 2020. Results. We received and analyzed 84 physician responses. Ninety-six percent of physicians currently use telemedicine, an increase from 59% pre-pandemic. Eighty-nine percent use telemedicine for follow-up virtual consults, while 75% use telemedicine for case discussions in multidisciplinary meetings. The mean number of monthly patient consults conducted through telemedicine increased to 29.5 (SD: 24.8) from a pre-pandemic mean of 7.7 (SD: 18.7). Eighty-four percent of respondents perceived its main benefit as an infection control measure. The other perceived benefits of telemedicine include convenience (78%), accessibility to cancer care (72%), cost-effectiveness (68%), and time efficiency (44%). A quarter of the respondents believed that telemedicine has the potential to improve cancer outcomes. Ninety-two percent of the respondents expressed that they will use telemedicine occasionally in their practice. Conclusion. Telemedicine was perceived by Filipino physicians in a tertiary hospital as an acceptable solution for the provision of cancer care during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Tele-oncology should be further investigated to maximize patient and physician satisfaction and improve cancer outcomes. Data from this study can be used to improve oncology practice and service delivery to suitable patients during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prognostic value of thyroidectomy and tracheostomy in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

@#<p><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> To determine the prognostic value of surgical interventions done among patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC)</p><p><strong>METHODS:</strong> A five-year retrospective chart review of 25 patients was done and baseline characteristics determined. Patients discharged alive as of the time of last chart entry were followed up by phone interview or personal visit. Overall survival was the main outcome measure which was plotted as Kaplan-Meier estimates and compared via log-rank test. The incidence of complications surrounding tracheostomy and thyroidectomy were also noted.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong></p><p><strong>Design:</strong> Ambispective Cohort Study</p><p><strong>Setting:</strong> Tertiary National University Hospital</p><p><strong>Participants:</strong> All private and public (charity) patients seen at the wards or clinics diagnosed with ATC via fine needle cytology or tissue histopathology.</p><p><strong>RESULTS:</strong> All patients presented with either stage IV-B or stage IV-C disease. A significant difference in survival curves was noted when comparing between the two stages (p<.05). Subgroup analysis per stage revealed no significant difference in overall survival when comparing patients who did not undergo surgery, those who underwent tracheostomy or those who underwent thyroidectomy for both IV-B (p=.244) or IV-C (p=.165) disease. The incidence of complications for tracheostomy was 60%, the most common being mucus plugging. For thyroidectomy, the incidence of complications was 80% with hypocalcemia being the most common.</p><p><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> The current available data fails to demonstrate any significant survival advantage of tracheostomy or thyroidectomy when performed among similarly staged patients.</p>

Adequacy of a novel qualitative fit test kit and protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives@#To develop our own qualitative fit test kit and protocol for respirators and validate this against the manufacturer-issued kit. @*Methods@#This is a crossover study of 50 healthcare workers in a tertiary government hospital. Some healthcare workers were tested multiple times according to the number of respirators they want tested. Qualitative fit testing was done according to manufacturer protocol for the commercial kits or according to our own protocol for the novel kits. @*Results@#A total of 63 fit tests were analyzed. This novel kit was determined to be noninferior to manufacturer-issued kits in detecting leaks among worn respirators (p=0.005). @*Conclusion@#A fit test kit can be successfully created from readily available household and hospital materials. Fit tests with these novel kits using our validated protocol are shown to be noninferior to commercial test kits. This can greatly aid in qualitative fit testing of respirators in a logistically constrained pandemic setting.