ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is a real challenge to our communities worldwide, exerting a high socioeconomic impact. The disease is associated with a great deal of co-agulation cascade disorder, with a considerable increase in D-dimer concentration in blood. Objec-tives: To assess the impact of dialysis session frequency on blood levels of D-dimer among CKD patients infected with COVID-19. Patients and Methods: The study included 40 CKD patients (22 males and 18 females) infected with COVID-19, who attended the Artificial Kidney Unit at Al Hussein Teaching Hospital, Thi-Qar, Iraq for regular dialysis. They were divided into two groups;Group I: 20 CKD patients who had COVID-19. They underwent one hemodialysis session per week. The second group, which included 20 CKD patients infected with COVID-19 underwent three dialysis sessions per week. Plasma levels of D-dimer were measured one day before the start of the study and one day after three weeks in both groups. Result(s): The results of the present study re-vealed that CKD patients infected with COVID-19 who underwent three dialysis session per week (Group II) had a significant drop in blood D-dimer level at the end of three weeks in comparison to the initial values. Furthermore, the decrease in blood D-dimer level was significantly higher among CKD patients with COVID-19 who underwent three dialysis sessions per week (Group II) in comparison to COVID-19 infected CKD patients who underwent single dialysis sessions per week (Group I). Conclusion(s): CKD patients with COVID-19 have an elevated blood level of D-dimer. Increasing the frequency of hemodialysis plays an essential role in lowering the serum D-dimer level among these patients.Copyright © 2023, Colegio de Farmaceuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: A number of vaccines were introduced to fight the COVID-19 pandemic;however, questions have been raised about their safety. Aims: The objective of this study was to assess the adverse effects that students at Mutah University who received various COVID-19 vaccines reported experiencing. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey employing a well-designed questionnaire was undertaken to look for any side effects that university students might have experienced after receiving a single or double dose of several COVID-19 vaccines. Results: The study sample consisted of 416 university students, of whom 61 percent were women and around 38 percent had COVID-19. In addition, 70.9 percent of research participants received the Pfizer vaccine, 28.1 percent got the Sinopharm vaccine, and just 0.7 percent and 0. 2 percent, respectively, selected the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. Localized discomfort following injection (reported by 75% of participants), fatigue (reported by 56.6%), headache (reported by 52.4%), myalgia (reported by 49%), fever (reported by 43%), chills (reported by 37.3%), and arthralgia (37.3 percent) were the most common adverse effects. Conclusion: Majority of short -term side effects of COVID-19 vaccines are mild. Nonetheless, additional studies are required for evaluating their long-term side effects.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided many obstacles for healthcare providers. One challenge has been ensuring safety during high risk procedures such as Emergency Department (ED) intubations. The risks include: little preparation time, aerosolizing nature of the procedure, and unknown COVID status. Video review has shown effectiveness in quality improvement in critical care scenarios. We aimed to determine the feasibility of using video review of ED intubations in order to gather data about these events and enact change to improve provider safety. METHODS: We captured select videos of intubations that occurred in the COVID-19 pandemic in an audiovisual capable critical care bay. Each video was captured in real time and reviewed for intubation characteristics, intubator characteristics, exposure risk, and PPE compliance. RESULTS: The majority of the intubations were emergent (88.9%). Five patients (55.6%) were in cardiac arrest. The final COVID status was negative in 8 patients (88.9%). In most cases, a senior resident or attending was the intubating provider (77.8%). The mean number of intubation attempts was 1.1 (SD 0.33). The mean number of providers present at intubation was 3.9 (SD 1.97). The mean number of nurses and technicians present was 3 (SD 0.67) and 1.4 (SD 0.97), respectively. On average, the door to the room was opened 13.67 times (range: 1-40). Provider PPE compliance was 100%. All intubating providers wore a powered air purifying respirator. All others present wore an N95 mask, gloves, gown, and eye protection. CONCLUSIONS: Video review of emergency intubations was a feasible means of evaluating provider safety and quality assurance during a global pandemic. Video review is an effective manner of evaluating adherence to PPE guidelines. It can also identify areas for improvement, such as limiting the number of providers in the room and limiting exposure to others by minimizing door-opening. These data were used to improve our intubation process. We implemented the use of pre-prepared airway boxes for each critical care bay, and walkie-talkies to communicate to those outside of the room to minimize door opening. Video review remains a fruitful and open space for quality improvement innovation and furthering the safety of patients and providers.
ABSTRACT
The study aimed at the Covid-19 infection causes an increase in both the effective protein level C and the level of the ferritin of blood in the early diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. In the present study that was carried out in Amariah city from 15th of July to 15th of October 2020, a total of 100 people (60 infected group with COVID-19 and 40 control group without Covid-19) who were admitted to AL-Amariah Hospital whose ages were between 15-75 years. Patients were investigated for the detection of COVID-19 by using Real-Time PCR. The current study showed that the infection with COVID-19 is affected by the age factor of the patient. The highest rate of a patient with COVID-19 was within the age group >50 years with a highly significant relation between COVID-19 and age. The study showed that the highest rate of CRP in the infected group compared with a control group with a highly significant difference. The highest rate of ferritin in an infected group than the control group.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represented as a global pandemic which mainly happened due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), viral affected huge numbers of individuals all around the world. Besides the viral morbidity and mortality, the economy and health care system have also been significantly strained due to high viral transmission. COVID-19 virus is known as a virus of pneumonia which causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and may be alife threatening. There was evidence supposed that the virus affected the cardiovascular system significantly via its direct damage to the myocardium, acute systemic inflammatory restraint, hypoxia, a right strain of the heart due to acute respiratory distress syndrome and injury of the lung, also rupture of the plaque due to inflammation. Essential cardiac manifestations showed acute myocarditis, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and showed thrombosis. Many accepted documents have been done that support the management of cardiovascular disease due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this review study is to explain the cardiovascular system damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 with precise comprehensions for the underlying mechanisms to create a liable management approach for these patients.