ABSTRACT
The Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership (CARL) is an innovative program that provides mentorship, training, and leadership opportunities to the next generation of chiropractic researchers through an open application process. The first CARLoquium was launched by in 2021 by the CARL Fellows as a means to meet and disseminate research findings from the chiropractic community during the COVID-19 pandemic with the second CARLoquium held virtually in March 2022. To date, the conference has featured numerous keynote speakers, hundreds of s and continues to provide a cost-effective avenue for our researcher community to gather.
ABSTRACT
Use of public transportation could be associated with an increased risk for developing COVID-19. We investigated 376 COVID-19-compatible episodes among our healthcare workers (HCWs), of whom 225 (60%) reported that they used public transportation. In multivariate analyses, HCWs using public transportation had no greater incidence of COVID-19 than those continuously using a private transportation.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Health Personnel , Humans , Incidence , SARS-CoV-2 , Switzerland/epidemiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A total lockdown for pandemic SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) entailed a restriction of elective orthopedic surgeries in Switzerland. While access to the hospital and human contacts were limited, hygiene measures were intensified. The objective was to investigate the impact of those strict public health guidelines on the rate of intra-hospital, deep surgical site infections (SSI), wound healing disorders and non-infectious postoperative complications after orthopedic surgery during the first Covid-19 lockdown. METHODS: In a single-center study, patients with orthopedic surgery during the first Covid-19 lockdown from March 16, 2020 to April 26, 2020 were compared to cohorts that underwent orthopedic intervention in the pre- and post-lockdown periods of six months each. Besides the implementation of substantial public health measures (promotion of respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene), no additional infection control bundles have been implemented. RESULTS: 5791 patients were included in this study. In multivariate Cox regression analyses adjusting for the large case-mix, the lockdown was unrelated to SSI (hazard ratio (HR) 1.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6-4.8), wound healing disorders (HR 0.7; 95% CI 0.1-5.7) or other non-infectious postoperative complications (HR 0.7, 95% CI 0.3-1.5) after a median follow-up of seven months. CONCLUSION: The risks for SSI, wound healing disorders and other complications in orthopedic surgery were not influenced by the extended public health measures of the total Covid-19 lockdown. Trial registration BASEC 2020-02646 (Cantonal Ethics Commission Zurich). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.
Subject(s)
Orthopedic Procedures/adverse effects , Orthopedic Procedures/statistics & numerical data , Quarantine , Surgical Wound Infection/complications , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , COVID-19 , Female , Humans , Infection Control , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Switzerland , Young AdultABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective case analysis. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to illustrate the numerical effects of regulatory restrictions of elective surgery at an orthopaedic university hospital. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic all over the world places extraordinary demands on health care systems which are forced to ensure structural and personnel capacities. Consequently, hospitals may only perform urgent interventions. Spine patients, however, often need urgent surgery and, moreover, bear an above-average perioperative risk frequently requiring postoperative surveillance on intensive care units (ICUs). Facing this dilemma, we want to share our practice and its unexpected numerical effects. METHODS: We compare case statistics during normal operation, directly before and after implementation of regulatory measures. We also analyzed the differences in ICU utilization, complexity and duration of interventions and the patient population. RESULTS: Spine surgical interventions have been reduced by 42.7%. Regulatory restriction of "elective surgeries" in pandemic situations results in reduced ICU utilization, however in a disproportionate manner. Although other specialized surgeries can be reduced by 59%, surgical spine cases are only diminishable by 24%. The spine surgery-related ICU occupancy has been reduced by 35%. CONCLUSION: The disproportionate effect of case reduction needs to be considered while calculating resources released by regulatory limitation of "elective surgeries" on a (inter-)national level.