ABSTRACT
We propose a battery-free temperature monitoring device that can be fitted inside the ear for an accurate body temperature measurement of a subject. The proposed application consists of two primary systems: 1) a battery-free temperature sensing ultra-high-frequency radio frequency identification sensory tag and 2) an auxiliary energy harvesting system, which enhances the sensing device's measurement accuracy and precision. The system can record changes in the localized body temperature of authenticated users with an average latency of 501 ms. The assembly demonstrated a temperature average accuracy of +/- 0.14 degrees C operating at 866 MHz. The system performance demonstrated high stability and repeatability of reported temperature measurements. The device's dimension is a form factor that can easily fit in a front shirt pocket, with a wire tethered earbud temperature sensor. The system is developed to make sensor measurements without requiring a battery for the device. Measurements are made remotely as users pass by checkpoints installed throughout a building. The device is a cost-effective solution for monitoring body temperature in work environments.
ABSTRACT
Background: Little has been reported on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new delta variant, on cardiology services and catheterization volumes in South Asia, during the second year of the pandemic. Purpose: We aimed to assess this impact during the second year of the pandemic on cardiology services, procedures and catheterization volumes at a tertiary cardiac centre in Bangladesh. Methods: Data on patient visits (outpatient and emergency), admissions, procedures and catheterization volumes were collected for January to June 2020 and 2021 via hospital electronic records. Comparisons for each corresponding month were made between 2021 and 2020. The differences were expressed as a percentage (%Δ). Results: Trends showed that admissions in cardiology and cardiac surgery units, outpatient visits, procedures and cardiac catheterization volumes had reached almost pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2021, as compared to 2020. However, ER visits showed >50% reductions in February (Δ-58.7%) and March (Δ -51.9%) 2021, compared to 2020. Admissions and procedures showed a steep decline from March to April 2021, coinciding with the COVID19 surge owing to the Delta variant. A gradual increase in numbers of admissions, patient visits, and procedures were seen in May and June 2021, as compared with corresponding months in 2020. In terms of catheterization volumes, a sharp decline was seen in angiographies and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from March to April 2021, similar to 2020. Cath lab procedures showed an increasing trend in May-June 2021, and were greater in numbers, compared to corresponding volumes in 2020 [May: Δ+36.9%;June: Δ+33.2% in 2021]. A greater increase was seen for PCI (May Δ+ 46.8%;June Δ+367%) than angiographies (May Δ+32.5%;June Δ+32.5%). Conclusion: Cardiology services and cath lab volumes had reached almost pre-pandemic levels in January and February 2021. The surge caused by the delta variant resulted in reduced admissions, outpatient and cath lab volumes beginning from April 2021, however numbers remained greater in 2021 than corresponding months in March-June 2020, possibly indicating an adaptation of the healthcare system to the prevailing pandemic.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causativeagent of COVID-19 pandemic, is affecting the health care system globally. Patients withinflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as those with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’sDisease (CD), may be prone to have more severe COVID-19 infection, as compared tohealthy individuals. As a result, widespread concern exists among gastroenterologists andIBD patients, especially those on immunosuppressive therapy, regarding risks of COVID-19 and it's complications. In this study we aim to consolidate the current evidence on therisk and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in IBD patients by meta-analysis methods.METHODS: We searched multiple databases from inception through June 2020 to identifystudies that reported on outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with IBD. Outcomes from theincluded studies were pooled to estimate the risk of COVID-19 infection and its clinical outcomes.RESULTS: A total 1773 IBD patients with COVID-19 were analyzed from eight studies.Average age was 46.6 (7-86) years. 54% were males. While 53% patients had UC and 43%patients had active disease. 10.5% patients were on combination therapy, 20.7% on salicylicacid derivatives, 11.2% on steroids, 9% on immunomodulators and 54.7% on biologics.Most common presenting symptoms were fever, cough and dyspnea. Five studies provideddata that enabled the calculation of COVID-19 incidence in IBD patients. The pooledincidence of COVID-19 was 1.1% (95% CI 0.1-8.5;I2=98%). Variation to the pooled ratewas observed when sensitivity analysis was performed by removing one study at a time.The pooled values ranged from 0.5% to 1.6%. Four studies provided information on thecumulative COVID-19 incidence in the general population at the time the studies wereconducted. Incidence of COVID-19 in IBD patients was similar to the general population,and the pooled odds ratio (OR) was 1.3 (95% CI 0.5-3.7;I2=69%),p=0.6.The pooled rate of IBD patients admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 was 27.3% (95%CI 20.5-35.3;I2=60%), while rate of ICU admission was 5.7% (95% CI 4.7-6.9;I2=3%).The pooled rate of death in IBD patients due to COVID-19 was 5% (95% CI 2.5-9.5;I2=46%), whereas fatality among IBD patients admitted to ICU was 61.1% (95% CI 51.1-70.3;I2=0%). Meta-regression analysis based on IBD type, disease activity and immunosuppressanttherapy did not demonstrate significant effect on the pooled rates of clinical outcomes.CONCLUSION: Risk of COVID-19 in IBD patients is not increased when compared to thecumulative COVID-19 incidence in the general population. Rates of hospitalization, ICUadmission and death due to COVID-19 seem favorable compared to the general population.Meta-regression analysis seems to suggest that IBD patients need not change their immunosuppressanttherapy due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.(Image Presented)(Image Presented)
ABSTRACT
We propose a battery-free temperature monitoring device that can be fitted inside the ear for an accurate core-body temperature (CBT) measurement of a subject. The system can record instantaneous changes in the localized body temperature of authenticated users. The proposed application consists of 2 primary systems: (i) a battery-free temperature sensing Ultra High Frequency Radio Frequency Identification (UHF RFID) sensory tag and (ii), an auxiliary energy harvesting system, which enhances the sensing devices measurement accuracy and precision. The assembly demonstrated a temperature average accuracy of 0.14 C operating at 866 MHz. The system performance demonstrated high stability and repeatability of reported temperature measurements. The devices dimension is a form factor that can easily fit in a front shirt pocket, with a wire tethered earbud temperature sensor. The system is developed to make sensor measurements without requiring a battery for the device. Measurements are made remotely as users pass by checkpoints installed throughout a building. The device is a cost-effective solution for monitoring body temperature in work environments. IEEE
ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in reduced numbers of patients presenting with and undergoing procedures for cardiac conditions worldwide. This impact, specifically looking at the changes in patient visits, admissions and procedure volumes, has not been recorded thus far, in terms of a South Asian LMIC setting. Purpose: We aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on emergency room (ER) visits, cardiology admissions, out-patient and in-patient procedures at a LMIC tertiary cardiac centre. Methods: Data on ER visits, specific in-patient and out-patient procedures (echocardiography, exercise stress tests, electrocardiography [ECG]) were collected via hospital electronic records from January to December 2020, and compared with corresponding data for the same months in 2019. The difference or deficits were expressed as a percentage (%Δ). Data for each quarter were compared using paired t-test. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: There were significantly reduced numbers of out-patient visits (Δ -31.2%;p=0.007), ER visits (%Δ -59.5%;p=0.0), in-patient admissions (Δ -33.1%;p=0.005), total out-patient procedures (%Δ -31.9%;p=0.008) and catheterization volumes (%Δ-29.7%;p=0.001) in 2020, as compared with 2019 (Table 1 & Figure 1). Among out-patient procedures, adult transthoracic echo, ECG and stress tests showed greatest deficits in April 2020. No trans-oesophageal echocardiograms were performed in April to July 2020. The greatest deficits were observed in April 2020, as compared with 2019 (out-patient visits: Δ-92.7%;out-patient procedures: %Δ-94.5%;inpatient admissions: %Δ-85.9%;catheterization procedures: %Δ-85.2%), except for ER visits, where the greatest deficit was seen in June 2020: %Δ-90.7%). Numbers continued to remain extremely low in May 2020, coinciding with the nation-wide lockdown measures. Out-patient visits, procedures and in-patient admissions have gradually increased since July 2020. However, the greatest impact seems to have been on ER visits, continued to remain low, with significantly reduced volumes in both 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2020. The lowest deficits in outpatient visits (Δ-4.9%), ER visits (Δ-31.9%) and out-patient procedures (Δ-0.9%) were seen in December 2020, while for in-patient admissions (Δ-7.9%) and catheterization procedures (Δ-6.5%) this was in October 2020. Conclusion: There was a significant reduction of out-patient and in-patient cardiology services volumes in 2020, with the greatest reduction in April and May, coinciding with a general lockdown. ER visits were the most greatly affected. Trends show a steady increase in out-patient and catheterization procedures, beginning from July, but have not yet reached pre- COVID volumes, even by the end of 2020. These findings indicate that, the pandemic has resulted in significantly fewer ER visits;however, patients still present as outpatients, both for procedures and catheterization.
ABSTRACT
Background: Globally, reports have suggested that cardiac catheterization procedures, particularly elective coronary procedures declined as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is scarce data on this aspect, in terms of a South Asian low- & middle-income country (LMIC) setting. Purpose: We aimed to evaluate temporal trends and impact of the pandemic on elective and emergency cardiac catheterization procedural volumes at a high-volume tertiary cardiac centre in a LMIC. Methods: Data on both emergency and elective catheterization procedures, including coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), peripheral angiography, pacing & electrophysiology (EP) were collected from January to December 2020, and compared with corresponding data for the same months in 2019. Data were obtained from hospital's catheterization laboratory database. The difference was expressed as a percentage (%Δ). Data for each quarter were compared using paired ttest. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Overall, a significant (32.4%) reduction of cath lab procedures was seen in 2020, as compared with 2019 (p=0.006). There were significantly reduced numbers of coronary angiographies (%Δ -31.4%;p=0.009), PCI (%Δ -32.2%;p=0.008), peripheral procedures (%Δ -69.9%;p=0.001) and pacing & EP procedures (Δ--48.7%;p=0.001) in 2020, as compared with 2019 (Table 1 & Figure 1). For coronary procedures this was most marked in 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2020 (p<0.05). The greatest deficits for coronary angiographies were observed in April 2020, compared to 2019 (Δ -85.1%);the greatest reductions in PCI (Δ- 87.7%) and pacing & EP (Δ -94.7%) were seen in May 2020, coinciding with the nation-wide lockdown measures. Coronary procedures showed a gradually increasing trend since July 2020. Given their elective nature, no peripheral procedures were performed from April to July 2020. In terms of PCI, there was a significant reduction in elective procedures in the 2nd quarter of 2020 (p=0.001), with a steep catch-up incline in September (Δ +2.9%) and October 2020 (Δ -8.3%), coinciding with availability of inhospital COVID19 screening tests (Table 1). Among ad hoc PCI for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), although a 32.3% reduction was seen overall (p=0.108), a significant decrease was only observed in the 2nd quarter. Ad hoc PCI for non-ACS was significantly reduced throughout 2nd to 4th quarters of 2020. In line with national guidelines preferring fibrinolysis as first-line for STEMI, as well as absence of negative pressure ventilation cath labs and unavailability of rapid-screening COVID test kits, no primary PCI procedures were performed since May 2020. Conclusion: The impact of COVID-19 resulted in a significant reduction in all cardiac catheterization procedures in 2020, as compared with 2019. This reduction was most marked for coronary procedures in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2020, with a significant reduction in elective procedures.
ABSTRACT
Over years, the voting system has been a democratic way to make a collective decision to express an opinion or selecting a leader. In organizations, voting can occur to elect members of the committee or to choose the roles of candidates. At present, in this era of technological advancement, the voting process became a major issue in order to avoid vulnerabilities like missing votes, multiple voting, and miscount in an election. The manual or semi-automated systems of voting are quite a time consuming, inefficient and unfortunately lack security. Moreover, for COVID-19, physical manual vote taking has become colossal. In this paper, a secure android based mobile voting system named 'mVote' is developed for conducting vote at different institutes and organizations during and post-pandemic situation. The usability and usefulness of the 'mVote' mobile application were evaluated through the System Usability Scale (SUS) which was replicated with 75 participants. The findings of the evaluation study showed that the developed 'mVote' application is usable and will help different organizations and institutes to improve the voting experience during and post-pandemic situation.
ABSTRACT
Since the first recorded case of SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh on 8th March 2020, COVID-19 has spread widely through different regions of the country, resulting in a necessity to re-evaluate the delivery of cardiovascular services, particularly procedures pertaining to interventional cardiology in resource-limited settings. Given its robust capacity for human-to-human transmission and potential of being a nosocomial source of infection, the disease has specific implications on healthcare systems and health care professionals faced with performing essential cardiac procedures in patients with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. The limited resources in terms of cardiac catheterization laboratories that can be designated to treat only COVID positive patients are further compounded by the additional challenges of unavailability of widespread rapid testing on-site at tertiary cardiac hospitals in Bangladesh. This document prepared for our nation by the Bangladesh Society of Cardiovascular Interventions (BSCI) is intended to serve as a clinical practice guideline for cardiovascular health care professionals, with a focus on modifying standard practice of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to ensure continuation of adequate and timely treatment of cardiovascular emergencies avoiding hospital-based transmission of SARS-COV-2 among healthcare professionals and the patients. This is an evolving document based on currently available global data and is tailored to healthcare systems in Bangladesh with particular focus on, but not limited to, invasive cardiology facilities (cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology & pacing labs). This guideline is limited to the provision of cardiovascular care, and it is expected that specific targeted pharmaco-therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 be prescribed as stipulated by the National Guidelines on Clinical Management of Corona virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) published by the Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh.