Early clinical and CT features of COVID-19 and community-acquired pneumonia from a fever observation ward in Ningbo, China

INTRODUCTION@#We aimed to compare the early clinical manifestations, laboratory results and chest computed tomography (CT) images of COVID-19 patients with those of other community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients to differentiate CAP from COVID-19 before reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction results are obtained.@*METHODS@#The clinical and laboratory data and chest CT images of 51 patients were assessed in a fever observation ward for evidence of COVID-19 between January and February 2020.@*RESULTS@#24 patients had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, whereas 27 individuals had negative results. No statistical difference in clinical features was found between COVID-19 and CAP patients, except for diarrhoea. There was a significant difference in lymphocyte and eosinophil counts between COVID-19 and CAP patients. In total, 22 (91.67%) COVID-19 patients had bilateral involvement and multiple lesions according to their lung CT images; the left lower lobe (87.50%) and right lower lobe (95.83%) were affected most often, and all lesions were located in the peripheral zones of the lung. The most common CT feature of COVID-19 was ground-glass opacity, found in 95.83% of patients, compared to 66.67% of CAP patients.@*CONCLUSION@#Diarrhoea, lymphocyte counts, eosinophil counts and CT findings (e.g. ground-glass opacity) could help to distinguish COVID-19 from CAP at an early stage of infection, based on findings from our fever observation ward.

Compliance of breast cancer patients with postoperative peripherally inserted central catheter in upper limb motion / 中华临床营养杂志

Objective To investigate compliance of breast cancer patients with postoperative peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) in terms of upper limb motion, to formulate practical plan of upper limb motion, and to improve the compliance in the patients with PICC catheter.Methods A total of 75 patients after breast cancer operation with PICC for chemotherapy were selected from Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery for upper limb activity instructions.Plan-Do-Check-Act method was used to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness.Two cycles were performed in two weeks.Patients' compliance was assessed by the inquiry method.Results After practicing and refining nursing process, perfecting the risk assessment table, adjusting the education time, etc., the cognition and acceptance of the significance of upper limb motion were improved in the patients.The compliance of the patients to the upper limb motion instructions was satisfactory.Conclusions The upper limb motion scheme in this study was modified and perfected through application, research, and practice.This scheme could enhance the compliance of patients in terms of upper limb motion.