ABSTRACT
COVID-19 manifests itself as an acute but also as a chronic illness. Post-COVID-19 condition or Long COVID-19 is real. It is evident that it is a serious condition that can have at times irreversible health consequences. About 15% of adults who have had COVID-19 experienced symptoms three months or more after their initial infection. Women are twice as likely than men to get long Covid. People of ages 40-49 are more likely than other age groups to get long COVID-19. The symptoms range in severity and include brain fog, muscle pain, trouble breathing, extreme fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, and heart palpitations. It can accelerate the onset of other chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. So far, there is no consensus on the definition of the condition or how to diagnose and treat it. COVID-19 vaccines can reduce the risk of developing long-COVID symptoms. This paper discusses the impact of Long Covid on cognition and likely factors that are at play.
ABSTRACT
Electronic Medical Records can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery systems. EMR can potentially improve healthcare providers' efficiency and effectiveness (1). Over the years, many institutions have proposed an increased implementation of such systems. An increase in efficiency and effectiveness is what has often been referred to as a reason to adopt it. More recently, COVID 19 and the resultant pandemic has paved the way for an increased use of virtual health care. It essentially became an indispensable part of the virtual healthcare delivery model. The recent COVID pandemic has paved the way for virtual health care. As a result of this, the EMR became an indispensable part of virtual healthcare provision. In the U.S.A, as of 2017, 94 percent of hospitals used their EMR data to perform hospital processes that inform clinical practice (2). Among private care physicians in the US, 86 % had implemented an EMR, and up to 80 % had an approved EMR (3). The cost of a new system is often a barrier, and the EMR is no exception. In the US, health care expenses in 2000 were around $1.4 trillion (Rs 1.4 lakh crores). This multiplied to 4.1 trillion (Rs.4.1 lakh crores) in 2020 (4). It is projected that by 2020 the cost of health care in the US will be $4.1 trillion from $1.4 in 2000 (5). The initial investment in Information and Technology (IT) in the health care system can be quite low but the continued use, need to update systems and protection from malware etc., in the long run, can also increase the IT cost (6,7,8,9). Attendees at the end of the presentation will have learnt about EMR, its benefits and an understanding on how to choose and optimise an EMR relevant to their clinical practice.
ABSTRACT
Alzheimer’s dementia is the commonest form of dementia, affecting about 60-70% of diagnosed cases;however, there are several types of dementias such as vascular dementias, Lewy body dementias, dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease, fronto temporal dementias and other secondary dementias of varied aetiology. Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementias include agitation, depression, delusions and hallucinations and are often the major cause of distress to person with dementia and their carer. Delirium has been found to be an independent risk factor for dementia, and dementia has been associated with an increased risk of developing delirium. Several studies have shown that COVID-19 quarantine is linked with an increase in behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on the availability of social support services for PWD and their carers, with closure of day centres and suspension of support groups. © 2023 Taylor and Francis.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Rhode Island (RI) has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to describe emergency department (ED) patients with COVID-19 within the largest healthcare system in RI. METHODS: A retrospective electronic medical record review of 1,209 adult patients evaluated and diagnosed with COVID-19 in 4 EDs during the first peak (March 15, 2020 to May 16, 2020) was conducted. Sociodemographic, clinical, management, and ED disposition information were summarized. CONCLUSION: This study presents the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of ED patients with COVID-19 presenting to the largest healthcare system in Rhode Island. Continued analysis is warranted to provide further insight into the trends in this pandemic.