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Objective: To estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in students. Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive and observational study with a quantitative approach, carried out in a University Center by applying an online electronic form to 170 university students, using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, an instrument that assesses depressive disorder, and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, which assesses and monitors anxiety. Results: It was verified that 42.9% of the students had moderate anxiety and 37.0% of the participants had moderate depressive disorder. Medical students aged between 25 and 29 years old with no previous psychological disorder were the most susceptible to presenting greater signs of depression and anxiety during the pandemic, and the students reported that they would have liked to have received psychological support from the university during this period. Conclusions: Educational institutions need to provide multilateral support, including early mental health interventions, especially during pandemic times. © 2022,Journal of Mathematical Inequalities.All Rights Reserved.
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Background and objective: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about social changes in 2020 and 2021. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiologic profiles of the main sexually transmitted infections (STIs) of bacterial origin (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) diagnosed during this period and compare them to findings from previous years. Material and methods: Drawing on data from Hospital General Universitario in Valencia, Spain, we recorded the number of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases diagnosed monthly by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 2018-2021 and the number of PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases diagnosed monthly in 2020-2021. We also collected clinical and demographic information on all patients diagnosed with STIs during the years studied. Results: The total number of STIs diagnosed increased from 570 in 2018-2019 to 664 in 2020-2021. PCR positivity rates were similar in the 2 periods, but the incidence rates were higher during the pandemic. The chronologic correlation between SARS-CoV-2 and STI positivity was negative. Mean age at diagnosis was 29.64 years (95% CI, 19.33-41.14 years) for chlamydia, 30.86 years (95% CI, 20.24-42.45 years) for gonorrhea, and 37.04 years (95% CI, 26.01-51.00 years) for syphilis. The number of men diagnosed with chlamydia increased by 13.85% (95% CI, 6.39-21.08;P = .0003) during the pandemic. Conclusions: We observed a negative correlation between SARS-CoV2 infections and STIs during the pandemic and an increase in chlamydia cases among men. STI cases rose during 2020-2021, indicating that they remain a significant problem that needs to be addressed in young and adult populations.
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INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic brought about social changes in 2020 and 2021. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiologic profiles of the main sexually transmitted infections (STIs) of bacterial origin (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) diagnosed during this period and compare them to findings from previous years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Drawing on data from Hospital General Universitario in Valencia, Spain, we recorded the number of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases diagnosed monthly by multiplex PCR in 2018-2021 and the number of PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases diagnosed monthly in 2020-2021. We also collected clinical and demographic information on all patients diagnosed with STIs during the years studied. RESULTS: The total number of STIs diagnosed increased from 570 in 2018-2019 to 664 in 2020-2021. PCR positivity rates were similar in the 2 periods, but the incidence rates were higher during the pandemic. The chronologic correlation between SARS-CoV-2 and STI positivity was negative. Mean age at diagnosis was 29.64 years (95% CI, 19.33-41.14) for chlamydia, 30.86 years (95% CI, 20.24-42.45) for gonorrhea, and 37.04 years (95% CI, 26.01-51.00) for syphilis. The number of men diagnosed with chlamydia increased by 13.85% (95% CI, 6.39-21.08; P=.0003) during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a negative correlation between SARS-CoV-2 infections and STIs during the pandemic and an increase in chlamydia cases among men. STI cases rose during 2020-2021, indicating that they remain a significant problem that needs to be addressed in young and adult populations.
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Introducción y objetivo: Entre 2020-2021 hemos sufrido una pandemia por el virus SARS-CoV2. Debido a los cambios sociales por la pandemia, nos hemos propuesto estudiar el comportamiento epidemiológico de las principales infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) bacterianas (clamidia, gonorrea y sífilis) durante este periodo y compararlo con periodos previos. Material y método: Se recogieron las muestras mensuales de clamidia, gonorrea y sífilis entre los años 2018-2021 y las muestras positivas mensuales de SARS-CoV2 entre los años 2020-2021 del Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, analizadas por técnica PCR Multiplex. Se recogieron datos clínicos y demográficos de los pacientes con ITS. Resultados: Durante los años 2020-2021 (pandemia) se diagnosticaron más casos de ITS total (664) que los años 2018-2019 (pre-pandemia) (570), con tasas de incidencia superiores y tasas de positividad similares. Se ha observado una correlación cronológica negativa entre las muestras positivas de SARS-CoV2 y las muestras positivas de ITS. La edad media de los pacientes con diagnóstico de clamidia, gonorrea y sífilis fue de 29,64 (19,33-41,14 IC 95%), 30,86 (20,24-42,45 IC 95%) y 37,04 (26,01-51,00 IC 95%), años respectivamente. El número de casos de clamidia en varones ha aumentado un 13.85% (6,39-21,08 IC 95%;p_valor=0,0003) en los años de pandemia. Conclusión: Durante los años de pandemia, ha existido una correlación negativa entre los casos de SARS-CoV2 y los casos de ITS, con más casos de clamidia en varones. Las ITS han aumentado en los dos últimos años, por lo que son un importante problema de salud en la población joven y adulta que merece especial atención.
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Introduction: Obesity is a chronic disease that poses health risks and is associated with severe forms of COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, psychological difficulties may emerge more often in obese patients. Objective: to evaluate possible impacts when coping with the pandemic in patients in the preoperative period for bariatric surgery. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study with a qualitative approach and data collected through semi-structured interviews. The sample was composed of patients in the preoperative period for bariatric surgery. Three main thematic axes were previously established, and after transcribing the interviews, the answers were analyzed and classified into categories. Results: Seventeen patients in the preoperative period for bariatric surgery were interviewed, 10 females and 7 males. The mean age of participants was 36.7 ± 13.6 years, and the mean body mass index was 43.9 ± 8.4 kg/m2. The patients had difficulties in following the nutritional protocol and performing physical activities, which are important in preparing for bariatric surgery. The moment experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic caused sequels, particularly emotional ones, in the interviewees. Conclusion: It is important to maintain frequent monitoring by multidisciplinary teams for these patients during the pandemic, even if remotely, to improve the management of their physical and mental health in the preoperative period of bariatric surgery.
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Background. The spread of carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) has had a great impact on morbidity and mortality. COVID-19 pandemic has favoured the selection of these microorganisms because of the excessive and prolonged use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and the outbreaks related to patient transfer between hospitals and inadequate use of personal protective equipment. Therefore, detection is considered essential for their control. Our aim was to compare conventional phenotypic synergy tests and two lateral flow immunoassays for detecting carbapenemases in Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa. Methods. We analysed 100 carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli isolates, 80 Enterobacterales and 20 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, (86 isolates producing KPC, NDM, OXA-48, IMP and VIM carbapenemases and 14 non-carbapenemase-producing isolates). We performed a modified Hodge test, boronic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) synergy tests, and two lateral flow immunoassays: RESIST-4 O.K.N.V (Coris BioconceptR) and NG Test Carba 5R (NG BiotechR). Results. In total, 76 KPC, 7 VIM, 1 NDM, 1 OXA-48 and 1 isolate coproducing KPC + NDM enzymes were included. The concordance of different methods estimated by Kappa index was 0.432 (Standard error: 0.117), thus showing a high variability with the synergy tests with boronic acid and EDTA and reporting 16 false negatives that were detected by the two immunochromatographic methods. Co-production was only detected using immunoassays. Conclusion. Conventional phenotypic synergy tests with boronic acid and EDTA used for detecting carbapenemases are suboptimal and their routine use should be reconsidered. They depend on the degree of enzyme expression and the distance between disks. Lateral flow immunoassay tests are a rapid and cost-effective tool to detect and differentiate carbapenemases, improving clinical outcomes through targeted therapy and promoting infection prevention measures.
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Objective: Veno-venous ECMO is a well-established support technique for patients with respiratory failure-induced hypoxia allowing for pulmonary recovery and implementation of lung-protective ventilatory settings. However, in severe respiratory failure cases, ECMO may be unable to provide full support, and patients remain hypoxic. In this case series, we describe the reconfiguration of VV ECMO to veno-veno-venous (VV-V) ECMO, a more complex hybrid cannulation strategy, where a third cannula is inserted to improve venous drainage to provide more ECMO blood flow and therefore increase systemic oxygenation in patients receiving ECMO for severe COVID-19. Methods: Data from patients who received circuit reconfiguration from VV ECMO to VV-V ECMO at the Royal Brompton Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 - February 2021 was collected from the ICU's Clinical Information System (ICCA, Philips Healthcare) and analysed. Endpoints included PaO2, ECMO blood flow, arterial saturation and any complications relating to the reconfiguration. Results: 15 patients (9/15 male) with an average BMI of 39.0 ± 10.7 received circuit configuration bedside with no complications. An increase in ECMO blood flow (average 0.54 ± 0.76 LPM), PaO2 (average 4.96 ± 4.23 kPa) and arterial saturation (7 ± 6%) were demonstrated over the cohort of patients. 10/15 patients survived their ECMO run, 2 patients died on ECMO and 3 patients are still receiving ECMO at the time of writing. Conclusions: ECMO reconfiguration to a VV-V cannulation strategy is a safe procedure to increase ECMO blood flow and therefore, arterial oxygenation and saturation in hypoxic patients with severe COVID-19.
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INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in complete saturation of healthcare capacities, making it necessary to reorganise healthcare systems. In this context, we must guarantee the provision of acute stroke care and optimise code stroke protocols to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and rationalise the use of hospital resources. The Madrid Stroke multidisciplinary group presents a series of recommendations to achieve these goals. METHODS: We conducted a non-systematic literature search using the keywords "stroke" and "COVID-19" or "coronavirus" or "SARS-CoV-2." Our literature review also included other relevant studies known to the authors. Based on this literature review, a series of consensus recommendations were established by the Madrid Stroke multidisciplinary group and its neurology committee. RESULTS: These recommendations address 5 main objectives: 1) coordination of action protocols to ensure access to hospital care for stroke patients; 2) recognition of potentially COVID-19-positive stroke patients; 3) organisation of patient management to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare professionals; 4) avoidance of unnecessary neuroimaging studies and other procedures that may increase the risk of infection; and 5) safe, early discharge and follow-up to ensure bed availability. This management protocol has been called CORONA (Coordinate, Recognise, Organise, Neuroimaging, At home). CONCLUSIONS: The recommendations presented here may assist in the organisation of acute stroke care and the optimisation of healthcare resources, while ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals.