Distress and working conditions in the administrative and nursing staff of the hospital pediátrico baca ortiz, Ecuador

Objective: To evaluate the presence of distress in the administrative and nursing staff of the Hospital Pediátrico “Baca Ortiz” (HPBO) associated with working conditions in the first semester of 2020. Materials and Methods: A cross-section-al and descriptive study was carried out on the nursing and administrative staff working in the aforementioned hospital, to whom a questionnaire was applied to determine the sociode-mographic and work characteristics, as well as the modified Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) for the evaluation of the mental and psychological health of the par-ticipants during the last 4 weeks. Results: Of the 284 work-ers, there was a predominance of the female sex (84.5%;n=240). The nursing staff showed a high job security perception (68.57%) in all the activities they performed. Regarding the physical symptoms, the administration personnel had a higher frequency of pain in the neck (63.2%), back (53.5%) and wrist, hands or fingers (43.1%), while in the nursing staff pain was more frequent in the lower limbs (32.1%) and the back (48.6%) (p<0.05). The presence of distress was greater in the nursing staff (69.2%;n=9) compared to the administrative staff (30.8%;n=4). Conclusion: The workers of the HPBO´s nursing and administration service have a similar frequency of work distress to that of previous reports during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a predominance of nursing staff but without differences between both work groups, with a greater perception of work security in this group and a variable physical symptom profile according to the type of activity carried out. © 2021, Venezuelan Society of Pharmacology and Clinical and Therapeutic Pharmacology. All rights reserved.

Incidence, clinical presentation, and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients in the “second and the third wave” of infection

Introduction: Data about the SARS-CoV-2 infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients (IBD) are scarce so, there is a need for more data about the risk, clinical characteristics, and evolution of this patients. Aims & Methods: Our aim was to analyse the incidence, clinical presentation, and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in IBD patients in the “second and the third wave” of infection. We design a cross-sectional, observational study in IBD patients follwed in our IBD Unit with confirmed SARSCoV- 2 infection by PCR and/or antigen tests from 01 July 2020 to 01 March 2021. All data were collected by telephone interview and reviewing the electronical medical records. Results: Fifty-one of 805 IBD patients followed in our Unit were diagnosed of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this period (6.3%;95% CI 4.6-8.0). Mean age: 45±13 years;56.9% female, 23.5% smokers, 56.9% Crohn's disease, 29.4% comorbidities and 17.6% asymptomatic. Digestive symptoms were reported in 22 patients (43.1%), with diarrhoea as the most common (39.2%, median duration: 4 days;IQR 1-7). The most frequent symptoms other than diarrhoea were low-grade fever/fever in 43.1% (median duration: 3 days;IQR 1-6.5) and dysosmia/dysgeusia in 39.2% (median duration: 15 days;IQR 7-30). Only one patient (2%) was diagnosed with IBD flare-up during infection. Six patients (11.8%) temporarily withdrew their IBD treatment because of COVID-19. Most of the patients had a mild disease (88.2%), no patient had to be admitted in the intensive care unit. Only one patient died (2%) due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and multiple previous comorbidities, 52 years old male with ulcerative colitis in treatment with Mesalazine and dendritic cell sarcoma, common variable inmunodefiency, and primary sclerosing cholangitis progressing to cirrhosis. In the multivariate analysis, the presence of dyspnoea was associated with more severe infection (p=0.007;OR:25.7;95% CI 2.4-277.8). Patients on immunomodulators and/or biological therapy did not have more severe disease compared to non-immunosuppressed patients (p>0.05). Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection was relatively frequent is our series. Dyspnoea was associated with a more severe infection. Severity of SARSCoV- 2 infection was not related to immunosuppression or development of IBD flare-ups and only a small percentage of patient needed to modify IBD medication during infection.

Social and professional consequences of COVID-19 lockdown in patients with multiple sclerosis from two very different populations. / Consecuencias sociolaborales del confinamiento por la COVID-19 en pacientes con esclerosis múltiple en dos poblaciones muy diferentes.

The global lockdown measures implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic have nearly always had negative consequences for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVE: We compared the social and professional effects of confinement on patients with MS in 2 very different populations, from Spain and China. METHODS: Questionnaires were administered to a group of patients with MS who consulted at the MS unit of Vithas hospital (DINAC Foundation) in Seville, and patients with MS attended in several provinces of China in April 2020, with the aim of analysing the differences and similarities between populations in the social and professional effects of confinement. To this end, a database was created and subsequently analysed. RESULTS: The Chinese population includes a higher proportion of younger patients and no differences were identified regarding sex. Most of the variables studied behaved in the same way in both patient populations. Spanish patients presented a lesser impact (30.7%) on their socio-economic situation than Chinese patients (44%) (P < .05). There were no significant differences between populations in the remaining variables. Social networks were widely used in the majority of patients from both populations. CONCLUSIONS: The social and professional consequences of the pandemic were very similar in both groups; the use of social networks and family support was also similar. Spanish patients seem to present greater economic stability, perhaps due to the social support they receive.

Social and professional consequences of COVID-19 lockdown in patients with multiple sclerosis from 2 very different populations

The confinement due to the global COVID-19 pandemic has almost had negative consequences in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Objective We wanted to compare the socio-labor effect of confinement in two populations as different as Spain and China, in patients with MS. Method Questionnaires were applied to a group of MS patients who have been reviewed in the MS unit of the Vithas hospital (DINAC Foundation) in Seville, and MS patients attended in various provinces of China during the month of April 2020, with the aim of analyzing the differences and similarities of the socio-labor effect between both populations. To carry out this analysis, a database was created and subsequently analyzed. Results The Chinese population has a higher proportion of younger patients and there is no difference regarding gender. Most of the variables studied behaved the same way in both Spanish and Chinese MS patients. Spanish patients had less impact (30.7%) on their socio-economic situation than Chinese (44%), p < 0.05. There were no important differences in the rest of the variables between the two populations. Social networks were widely used in the majority of patients in both populations. Conclusions