ABSTRACT
Objectives: The current cross-sectional study intended to provide a comparative evaluation of nutritional status in the intensive care unit (ICU)-hospitalized patients according to the reasons for admission. Methodology: A total of 258 patients hospitalized for >24-hour in the ICU between February 2020-July 2021 were included. The subjects were categorized into five categories: burned injury (n=27), COVID-19 or other respiratory disorders (n=64), post coronary artery bypass graft surgery (post-CABG) (n=50), trauma (n=57), and miscellaneous causes (n=60). A modified Nutrition Risk in Critically Ill (mNUTRIC) score was applied to explore the nutritional status of the patients. Results: On average, the patients were 58 +/- 16 years old that 46% (n=119) of them were females. The mean +/- SD of mNUTRIC score among patients with burned 2 +/- 1 and COVID-19 or other respiratory disorders 2 +/- 1 tended to be significantly lower than the others, including post-CABG 3 +/- 0 and patients with miscellaneous causes 3 +/- 2 (p-value=0.001). According to mNUTRIC score classifications, the majority of those who were transferred to ICU with burn or COVID-19 or other respiratory disorders were at low nutritional risk (mNUTRIC score:0-<3) (66.70%, and 67.20%, respectively);whereas relatively all post CABG subjects were at intermediate nutritional risk (mNUTRIC score:3-<5) (n= 48, 96.00%). A greater proportion of subjects in the miscellaneous category (n=12, 20.00%) were at high nutritional risk (mNUTRIC score:5-9) (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: It was revealed that approximately all post CABG and those admitted to ICU with miscellaneous causes were at a higher risk for impaired nutritional status and may require more in-depth evaluation for providing earlier nutritional support.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To determine the incidence of ST-Elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), patterns of care, and outcomes during the COVID-19 era in a hot-spot region. Methodology: From February to April 2020, all the STEMI patients were recruited and compared with the STEMI patients in the equivalent period of the previous year. Demographic and clinical information, coronary angiography data, and in-hospital mortality were collected and compared with the non-COVID-19 group. All data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 20. Results: There was found a 40% reduction in STEMI admissions during the COVID-19 era compared to the equivalent period in 2019 (55 vs. 92, Rate Ratio (RR):0.60, 95% CI, 0.49-0.70, p<0.001). Compared with the pre-COVID-19 study group, STEMI patients hospitalized during the pandemic were significantly younger (mean age: 56.10 in 2020 vs. 60.83 in 2019 p=0.012). The percentage of primary percutaneous coronary intervention referral was significantly higher than the previous year (47.8% vs. 75.9% p=0.001). In-hospital death occurred in 4 (4.4%) of STEMI patients admitted before the COVID-19 time, while none of the COVID-19 period studied cases died in hospital (p=0.298). Conclusion: Admissions for STEMI were substantially reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. No changes in overall in-hospital mortality or quality indicators were detected.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: It is argued that COVID-19 patients show various neuropsychiatric symptoms, including fatigue, depression and anxiety. On the other hand, epidemiological and experimental evidence indicated that green tea could potentially have antiviral effects and ameliorate psychiatric disorders. However, there is a lack of clinical evidence. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether drinking green tea can clinically improve psychiatric complications of COVID-19 infection. Design/methodology/approach: This study included 40 patients with laboratory confirmed mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disorder in the current randomized open-label controlled trial. Patients were instructed to include three cups/day of green tea (intervention) or black tea (control) to their usual diet for four weeks immediately after diagnosis of the disease. At the study baseline and after the intervention, the enrolled patients’ fatigue, depression and anxiety were assessed by the Chalder Fatigue Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaires. Findings: A total of 19 COVID-19 cases in the intervention group (mean age = 52 years) and 14 cases (mean age = 50 years) in the control group completed the study. Analysis of covariance adjusted for baseline levels, and confounders revealed that those who consumed three cups/day of green tea compared to the patients who received black tea experienced significantly lower fatigue, depression and state and trait anxiety levels (adjusted means for fatigue = 12.3 vs 16.2 (P = 0.03), depression = 0.53 vs 1.8 (P = 0.01), 37.4 vs 45.5 (P < 0.01) and 37.9 vs 45.2 (P < 0.01)). Research limitations/implications: The open-label design may bias the evaluation of the self-reported status of fatigue, depression or anxiety as the main outcomes assessed. Moreover, as this study did not include patients with severe COVID-19, this might affect the generalizability of the present results. Thus, the recommendation of daily drinking green tea may be limited to the subjects diagnosed with mild-to-moderate type of infection or those with long-term neuropsychiatric complications owing to COVID-19. Besides, considering the ethical issues, this study could not exclude the drug therapy’s confounding effects;thereby, this point should be considered when interpreting the current results. Besides, it is worth noting that Guilan province in the north of Iran is recognized as a tea (and particularly green tea) producing region;thereby, it is an available and relatively inexpensive product. Considering this issue, the recommendation to consume this medicinal plant in adjunct to the routine treatment approach among patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 based on its beneficial effects may be widely accepted. Practical implications: Green tea consumption could be considered an option to combat COVID-19 associated psychological complications, including fatigue, depression and anxiety among patients suffering from mild-to-moderate type of this viral infection. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, in this study, for the first time, the effects of green tea compared to black tea on COVID-19 associated fatigue, depression and anxiety status within an open-label controlled trial have been investigated. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.