ABSTRACT
The fourth article is a unique literature review on COVID-19–related sleep disturbances among various populations, including patients at high risk for complications, health care workers, students, and patients who have been infected with COVID-19. Understanding and treating the more dramatic and violent parasomnias is vital for improving quality of life, reducing unintentional injuries, and decreasing distressing situations that arise for patients and family members. Safia S. Khan, MD, is an Assistant Professor, Sleep Specialist, and Family Physician, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Department of Neurology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas;an Attending Physician, Parkland Medical Hospital, Dallas, Texas;and an Attending Physician, Texas Health Resources Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas, Texas.
ABSTRACT
The risk of exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the extent of illness an individual will experience are difficult to predict and leads to much apprehension for patients, family members, coworkers, and health care workers. What distinguishes this pandemic from previous ones is the ability of a major portion of the world's population to live and work without significant in-person interaction with other people, made possible with the help of the internet and remote work. Although this ability to interact without physically being in the same space is helpful in many ways, it has also caused anxiety and led to isolation for many people. Acute situational and chronic insomnia, delayed sleep phase, and sleep fragmentation have been the main pandemic-related sleep disturbances. The risk of prolonged hospitalizations and intubation for respiratory failure has been high among patients with obstructive sleep apnea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. In this article, we discuss the impact of COVID-19–related isolation, confinement, and sleep health consequences on vulnerable populations and health care workers. [Psychiatr Ann. 2021;51(12):566–571.]
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 infection causes considerable morbidity and mortality, especially to those who are aged, have impaired renal function and are obese. We propose to examine the potential utility of oral activated charcoal with the hypothesis that such treatment would lower absorption of microbiome derived toxins and ameliorate systemic oxidant stress and inflammation.