Frequency and Risk Factors for COVID-19 Infection among Healthcare Workers in a Large-Scale University Teaching Hospital: A Case Control Study

Objective: This study aims to find out the frequency and risk factors responsible for COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers in a large-scale university teaching hospital. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 185 healthcare workers sampled from the database of 1309 participants maintained at Dr. Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi. Both the cases and controls were derived from the hospital's database of COVID-19 Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and COVID-19 antibody tests were performed on the said population. The participants included were physicians working in the hospital. They were grouped into cases and controls based on the positive diagnostic tests. We administered a simple structured questionnaire over the telephone and face to face for the interview. Statistical analyses were performed on IBM SPSS version 25. Results: The mean age of the cases was significantly different than controls [cases (32.7±9.9) vs controls (38.8±10.6), [p-value=0.002]. More cases 29/37 (78.3%) were working at a single setting compared to controls 54/148 (36.5%) (p-value<0.001). The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), exposure to COVID-19 patients and experiencing symptoms also had statistical significance with the odds of infection (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: This study concludes that younger age, exposure to a known COVID-19 patient and longer duration of exposure among the hospital physicians is associated with positive COVID-19 results. Therefore, it is imperative that adequate measures be undertaken to limit the exposure to COVID-19 patients in this age group. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Annals of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital & Karachi Medical & Dental College is the property of Knowledge Bylanes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

TOBACCO USE IN STUDENTS OF THE THIRD FACULTY OF MEDICINE OF CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Objectives: This study assessed trends in tobacco use in students of the Third Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in the Czech Republic between academic years 2012/13 and 2019/2020. Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys designed to obtain information on smoking history, smoking status, tobacco products use, and cessation were conducted among 382 students of the 6-year Master's Study Programme (General Medicine) and the 3-year Bachelor's Study Programme (Public Health) in 2012/2013;and among 580 students of General Medicine and of the Bachelor's Study Programmes (Public Health, Dental Hygiene and Nursing) in 2019/2020. Results: Regular/daily smoking was reported by 4.4 ± 2.4% (with 95% CI) of General Medicine students and 4.8 ± 4.1% of Public Health students in 2012/2013, and 1.3 ± 1.1% of General Medicine students and 14.4 ± 4.8% of students of bachelor studies in 2019/2020. The share of regular and occasional smokers was higher among junior students in both academic years (23.9 ± 5.1% and 20.1 ± 4.7%, respectively) compared to senior students (23.6 ± 9.8% and 9.6 ± 5.7%). Cigarettes were the most common products used in both academic years (67.0 ± 4.7% and 45.5 ± 4.0%). There was a significant increase in proportion of students using more tobacco products in the course of the time (from 12.1 ± 3.1% to 53.7 ± 4.1%). The proportion of students who quitted smoking has risen from 11.4 ± 3.2% to 16.1 ± 3.0%. On the contrary, the proportion of students who started smoking has dropped from 15.9 ± 3.7% to 2.9 ± 1.4%. The proportion of non-smokers has risen from 57.6 ± 5.0% to 65.3 ± 3.9%. Conclusions: The study revealed some positive trends concerning tobacco use in students (decline in regular smokers among students of General Medicine, senior students, cigarette smokers, water pipe smokers;rise in non-smokers), but also negative ones (rise in regular smokers among students of Public Health, students who used more tobacco products).

Trends of radiology caseload and report turnaround time before and after COVID-19 pandemic at the tertiary teaching hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Coronavirus pandemic has drastically change health institutions due to modifications to the health service delivery system. In line with this, patients visiting health institutions have markedly reduced numbers resulting in a reduced caseload of practicing physicians. Objective: This paper assessed the caseload in the radiology department of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital and reported turnaround times before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary teaching hospital. Methods: Institution-based Cross-sectional study design was employed for the radiology caseload. All patients' groups seen in radiology department in all the modalities 6 months before and after the announcement of the COVID-19 in Ethiopia. For the evaluation of radiology report turnaround time, simple random sampling was employed using the source population as those 6 months before in 6 months after the declaration of Covid in Ethiopia. Data entry and analysis were done using SPSS version 16 statistical software. Time series analysis with 95% CI was used to determine the association between different variables for radiology caseloads. Result: The trend of patient load showed a marked decrease after the COVID-19 pandemic in the radiology department. The turnaround time from study time to residents' report time (ST-RT) - after COVID-19 for MRI was increased by 17 hours. But resident report time to consultant verification time (RRT-CVT) was decreased by 1 day after the COVID-19 pandemic. For computed tomography [CT], ST-RT has decreased by 1 day and 4 hours but RRT-CVT time showed a slight increment by 1 hour and 30 min as compared to before COVID-19. This resulted in reduced exposure of residents and delays of verified patient reports. Conclusion: there is a decrease in patient load and an increase in turnaround time of radiology case reports after the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the trend before the pandemic. This will affect patient care and resident teaching. The department should look for ways of improving patient care and resident teaching through different innovative methods like the introduction of virtual education and teleradiology.

Setting Up a Transfusion Laboratory for Covid-19 Samples: An Experience from a New Teaching Hospital

University Putra Malaysia (UPM) Teaching Hospital or Hospital Pengajar UPM (HPUPM) is a new 400-bed teaching hospital that started operations in 2019 and initially did not manage COVID-19 patients. However, due to a surge of COVID-19 patients in Malaysia in 2021, HPUPM needs to manage COVID-19 patients in various categories, including those needing intensive care. This paper explored the experience of setting up the transfusion laboratory for COVID-19 samples within a short notice, including the development of the protocol, challenges, and lessons learnt during the whole process. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Learning Model to Achieve Clinical Reasoning Competency Using Technology-Enhanced Learning in Neurology Clinical Rotation: An Exploratory Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated major adaptations in learning activities related to developing clinical reasoning competencies in neurology clerkship. The application of technology in this context is promising, but there are also several limitations. This study explores a learning model for achieving clinical reasoning competency using technology-enhanced learning in neurology clinical rotation. The study used a case-study design and was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine of YARSI University and its two teaching hospitals. Data were collected by document analysis, three focus group discussions with eight medical students and 20 postgraduate medical students, and five in-depth interviews with five neurologists. All the transcribed data were analysed with thematic analysis using the Steps for Coding and Theorization (SCAT) approach. Two themes were revealed--contributing factors and learning strategies--and six factors were found to influence the learning model: the quantity and quality of teacher interactions, students' motivation and skills in learning and technology, the variety and number of patients in teaching hospitals, the quality and quantity of facilities and infrastructure for service and education at the teaching hospitals, the clinical rotation programme design, and learning adaptation during the pandemic. The following technology-enhanced learning strategies for developing clinical reasoning skills were identified: blended learning, online logbook, telemedicine, collaborative online learning between teaching hospitals, and learning videos. This learning model can be implemented in a limited resource setting. Importantly, the identified factors from the perspective of students, clinical teachers, and school of medicine/teaching hospital, as well as technical factors, should be considered for the implementation of this model. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial use patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic at an academic medical center

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has made a significant impact on antimicrobial use patterns across health systems. We have described antibiotic use patterns at an academic medical center in Richmond, Virginia, before and after the onset of COVID-19. We also examined the impact on the proportional consumption of carbapenems (PoCC) metric. PoCC represents meropenem utilization relative to the narrower-spectrum antipseudomonal agents cefepime and piperacillin-tazobactam. Our institution practices antimicrobial restriction for meropenem. All other antibiotics included in the study data can be freely ordered by any provider. Methods: We evaluated antimicrobial use data from September 2018 through August 2021 using days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 patient days. We included 18 months of data before and after the first recorded COVID-19 admission at our institution in March 2020. Mean comparisons were performed using the Welch 2-sample t test. The Bonferonni correction for multiple comparisons was utilized to determine significance with an initial baseline α of 0.05. All data analyses were performed using R software (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria, 2021). Results: Normality was evaluated with QQ-plots and all data demonstrated normality. Bonferroni correction produced an adjusted α value of 0.007. We detected significant increases in the use of cefepime, piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftriaxone, and azithromycin following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We noted a significant decrease in the PoCC metric during this period. No significant change was noted for levofloxacin or meropenem. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic produced significant changes in antimicrobial use patterns at our institution. We noted statistically significant increases in bacterial community-acquired pneumonia-focused antibiotics (ceftriaxone and azithromycin). We observed significant increases for cefepime and piperacillin-tazobactam. Interestingly, relative utilization of carbapenems as measured by the PoCC metric continued to decrease during this time. This trend was primarily driven by increases in cefepime and piperacillin-tazobactam utilization while meropenem utilization remained relatively constant. This study highlights the importance of looking at normalized antibiotic consumption data and not relative-use data alone.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

Survival Models By Non-Parametric And Semi-Parametric Methods For Patients Infected With Coronavirus In Al-Kindi Teaching Hospital

A study of the non-parametric survival model (Kaplan-Meier) and the semi-parametric Cox Regression model. From the practical side, it was found that the effect of the change of age by (3.483) when the patient's age was transferred from one age group to another on the estimation of the survival function by semi-parametric method using the (Cox Regression) model. From the comparison between the models of survival (nonparametric, semi-parametric) from the mean squares of relative error (RMSE) statistics, it was found that the best model for estimating the survival function is the nonparametric model (Kaplan-Meier). The study came out with several results, the most important of which is that by estimating the survival function by the nonparametric method (Kaplan-Meier), it is possible to obtain the lowest cumulative risk rate for each survival time. This means that the probability of the patient staying in the time period (t) increases and that the risk rate is affected by the change in the patient's age and duration of stay when estimating the survival and cumulative risks by the semi-parametric method (Cox Regerssion).

Pooled safety data from the risdiplam clinical development programme

Risdiplam (EVRYSDI®) is a centrally and peripherally distributed, oral survival of motor neuron 2 (SMN2) premRNA splicing modifier approved by the EMA and MHRA for the treatment of patients aged ≥2 months, with a clinical diagnosis of Type 1, 2 or 3 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) or 1–4 copies of SMN2.Safety data were pooled from three studies within the risdiplam clinical development programme:FIREFISH (NCT02913482) assesses safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and efficacy of risdiplam in infants with Type 1 SMASUNFISH (NCT02908685) assesses safety, tolerability, PK, PD and efficacy of risdiplam in patients with Types 2/3 SMAJEWELFISH (NCT03032172) assesses safety, tolerability, PK and PD of risdiplam in patients who previously received RG7800 (RO6885247), nusinersen (SPINRAZA®), olesoxime or onasemnogene abeparvovec (ZOLGENSMA®).Pooled analyses from FIREFISH, SUNFISH and JEWELFISH showed no treatment-related safety findings leading to withdrawal from risdiplam in 465 patients treated for up to 38.9 months (data-cut-offs: 14 November 2019, 15 January 2020 and 31 January 2020, respectively). The differences in adverse event profiles between Type 1 and Types 2/3 SMA populations appeared to be driven by the severity of the underlying disease. Here we will present updated pooled safety analyses for the risdiplam studies.

Comparing on-scene times and conveyance rates in medical, traumatic and psychiatric presentations to the ambulance service

BackgroundWhilst psychiatric presentations represent 10-12% of ambulance service demand, research into such presentations is disproportionately sparce. This study builds on literature which explores psychiatric dispositions by comparing conveyance rate and on-scene times with other common ambulance service presentations.MethodsThis study was a single centre retrospective observational study investigating on scene time and conveyance rate variances between medical, traumatic and psychiatric presentations to the ambulance service. Call timings and disposition were recorded from computer aided dispatch data and clinical impressions from associated electronic patient records were used to categorise cases. 720 records were sampled between January and December 2019, consisting of 20 randomised cases per month per case type.ResultsAnalysis of variance identified a statistically significant effect of case type on on-scene time (F(2,717) = 7.14), p = 0.001, η2 = 0.02) and conveyance rate (F(2,717) = 8.59, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.02). Across all dispositions patients medical cases required 8.18 fewer minutes (p < 0.001, 95% CI[3.65,12.7]) on-scene than psychiatric cases and 6.67 fewer minutes (p = 0.004, 95% CI[2.14,11.19]) than trauma cases. Psychiatric on-scene times were 9.9 (p = <0.001, 95% CI [3.53, 16.29]) and 10 (p = 0.001, 95% CI [4.37, 15.70]) minutes longer than medical and trauma cases where patients were not conveyed to hospital. Conveyance rates were 15% (p = 0.001, 95% CI[-0.23, -0.06]) lower and 17% (p < 0.001, 95% CI[-0.26, -0.08]) lower in psychiatric and trauma cases respectively than medical cases.ConclusionPsychiatric on-scene times were longer than medical presentations irrespective of conveyance and longer than both medical and traumatic presentations where patients were not conveyed. Conveyance rates in psychiatric presentations were lower than medical cases. Further research is required to understand factors which may contribute to this variation and how this may impact on service and care delivery.

Physical activity levels during Covid-19 among nurses at a Saudi teaching hospital: a cross sectional study

Background: Previous studies have revealed that despite evidence of the advantages of exercise, nurses have one of the lowest levels of physical activity participation across all occupational groups. Methods: a cross sectional study was done on 316 nurses at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was used to collect demographic data, work conditions, smoking status and chronic diseases. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess the physical activity level. Results: The nurses in the trial had a considerably higher number of days spent doing vigorous and moderate physical activities a week before Covid-19, as well as spending more time doing them. Furthermore, they had a considerably higher percentage of days walking for at least 10 minutes at a time in a random week before the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), 32.6 percent, 40.2 percent, and 27.2 percent of the nurses in the study, respectively, had a low, moderate, or high level of physical activity, compared to 3.2 percent, 36.4 percent, and 60.4 percent a week before the pandemic. Nurses who were married, lived in villas, and earned a monthly salary of 10,000-20,000 S.R. had a higher level of physical activity. Conclusions: Hospital management should provide in-service education courses on healthy behaviors and physical activity to nurses in order to maintain their health and ensure higher levels of performance. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Middle East Journal of Family Medicine is the property of Medi+WORLD International Pty. Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Awareness of health care workers regarding COVID-19 vaccine in a tertiary care hospital-a knowledge, attitude, and practice study

Inactivated COVID Vaccine;COVID 19;Healthcare Worker;Vaccination;Knowledge;Attitude and Practices INTRODUCTION Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2novel coronavirus termed as COVID 19 is a major outbreak which was deleterious globally created a fast spreading respiratory infectious disease that caused the SARS. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Site and Design This is a hospital-based, Observational cross-sectional study done in Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, Teaching hospital, Hassan, Karnataka. [...]knowing the acceptability and willingness to take the vaccines becomes an important factor for the better usage of vaccines. [2] mentioned that developing a vaccine quickly requires a new pandemic protocol, with a prompt start and many steps executed in parallel before confirming a result of another step, hence might elevate financial risk. Since China confirmed the outbreak of disease in Wuhan the vaccine procurement was necessary and needed a fast production.

Securising of tisagenlecleucel thawing and delivering

Background and importanceTisagenlecleucel is available in 50 mL and 250 mL frozen bags (containing 10–30 mL and 30–50 mL cell suspension, respectively). Tisagenlecleucel should be thawed at 37° C then infused within 30 min to maintain cell viability. Thawing time according to volumes is a critical point which is not known.Aim and objectivesWe evaluated in this work the thawing times of tisagenlecleucel according to volumes.Material and methodsEthylene vinyl acetate empty infusion bags were provided by Novartis. Freezing tisagenlecleucel matrix was reconstituted. Empty bags (50 mL and 250 mL) were respectively filled with 10 and 20 mL and 30, 40 and 50 mL of reconstituted matrix, then frozen at –150°C. To mimic real conditions, they were placed into a second sterile bag and thawed in a water bath at +37°C. To evaluate thawing duration, volume of remaining icicles was calculated by multiplying surface (GeoToolsoftware) by thickness (measured with a caliper). Furtheremore, the time to deliver the bags was measured by two different operators in triplicate.Results124±5 s and 191±30 s were necessary to achieve complete thawing of 50 mL bags filled at 10 and 20 mL, respectively. 155±16 s, 221±12 s and 240±6 s were needed to achieve complete thawing of 250 mL bags filled at 30, 40 and 50 mL, respectively. For a type of bag, decreasing volumes thawed faster, but 50 mL bags filled at 20 mL took longer to thaw than 250 mL bags filled at 30 mL (different spatial conformation and specific surfaces). Delivery of thawed bags from the pharmacy to the transplant unit was done in 4.5±0.21 min.Conclusion and relevanceThawing duration may vary by twice a function of volume. Mean lengths provide an optimal organisation in a circuit where every minute must be taken into account. A total thawing-addressing time rate of between 6.5 and 8.5 min means that the nursing team has almost 20 min to administer tisagenlecleucel.References and/or acknowledgementsConflict of interestNo conflict of interest

A Cross-Sectional Study on Attitude towards Preventive Measures Against Covid-19 among Pregnant Women at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun-State, Nigeria

Background: Pregnant women experience changes in their immune status and physical body making them more vulnerable to virus related respiratory infections. This study assesses attitude towards preventive measures against COVID -19 among pregnant women at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Objectives: To assess attitude towards preventive measures against COVID -19 among pregnant women. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was adopted for the study. Convenient sampling technique was used to select 431 pregnant women. Data was collected using standardized questionnaire on the research subject adopted from Erfani, Shahriarirad, Ranjbar, Mirahmadizadeh & Moghadami, (2020) and World Health Organization's survey tool and guidance on prevention of COVID-19 (WHO, 2020) and analyzed using SPSS version 24 software. Results: Findings showed that 431 respondents participated in the study, the mean age ± SD of the respondents was 30.6 ± 4.5. Almost all (97.2%) of them were married and majority (90.3%) were from monogamous family settings. It also revealed that 64.7% of the respondents had positive attitude towards preventive measures against COVID - 19 while 35.3% had negative attitude. Parity (P= 0.036), religion (P = 0.017), level of education (P= 0.002) , income (P= 0.012) added statistically significantly to the prediction of attitude towards experience of psychological distress Conclusion: The study concludes that majority of pregnant women had positive attitude towards preventive measures against COVID - 19.

A participant centered surveillance of adverse events following coronavirus disease immunization phase 1 at a tertiary care teaching hospital

Coronavirus disease immunization;Adverse events following immunization;Active surveillance INTRODUCTION The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused widespread impact on health, including higher rate of mortality among older adults and those with pre-existing health conditions and, various preventive measures such as social distancing, covering nose and mouth with mask are taken across the world to prevent spread of pandemic. In response, rapid global efforts to develop and test vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have led to an unprecedented number of candidate vaccines starting clinical trials during 2020. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was carried out at our tertiary care teaching hospital after obtaining written permission from the Institutional Ethics Committee with a number of CUSMC/IEC(HR)/ RP-02/2021/Approval-RP-02/1578. [...]section comprised socio-demographic data i.e., age, gender, education qualification.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice regarding Tele-dentistry among oral-health professionals of KIST medical college and teaching hospital

Background: Tele-dentistry is the combination of dentistry along with the tele-communication and information technology. It is the branch of tele-health which allows virtual communication between dental practitioner and patient overcoming the geographic remoteness and the urban rush hour. It has also gained popularity by providing tele-education during covid 19pandemic. Aim: The main aim of this study is to access the knowledge, awareness and practice of tele-dentistry among the oral health professionals of kist medical college and teaching hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was carried out on total 211 oral health practitioners. The study was conducted by KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Imadole, Nepal from December 2021 to January 2022 with IRC No: 2078/79/51. A set of 20 close ended questionnaires were administered which were pretested before use. The data collection was by both social media (soft copy) and hard copy which were compiled in a systemic manner and analyzed in terms of frequency (yes/No). Result: There was a 100% response rate. The age range was 15-45 years with a mean age of 27.78 years. Conclusion: Therefore Teledentistry has not only contributed to cost and time but also made dentistry more approachable in developing countries like Nepal where there are geographic barriers along with economic and educational challenges. Teledentistry can be a new hope to undeserving and socially disadvantaged people for fulfilling the demand and needs of population in the developing country.

Spectrums of oral health diseases during covid-19 pandemic

Aim: Purpose of the present study was to evaluate the spectrum of oral health diseases in Covid-19 pandemic. Methodology: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted via available retrospective data in various Department of Dentistry of lockdown period in KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Imadole, Nepal. The study period was August 2021 to December 2021 and was approved by Institutional Review Committee Approval with registration number 2078/79/59. Convenient sampling technique was followed. Participants with the cases of infection, trauma and with symptoms of pain were more than the patients who had come for routine check-ups. Results: Before the pandemic, patients were far more likely to opt for conservative treatment, whereas in the pandemic more common surgical procedures eliminated this superiority-according to the Wilcoxon test, for comparison of filled and extracted teeth,

Deviated nasal septum and nasal polyps in COVID-19 patients: A case control study in DHQ Teaching Hospital, Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Pakistan

Objective: To correlate the prevalence of COVID-19 and the rhinopathological conditions simultaneously in the population visiting the hospital of Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Study Design: Case-control study. Setting: District Head Quarter (DHQ) Teaching Hospital Located in Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Period: September 2020 to February 2021. Material & Methods: Patients visiting the DHQ teaching hospital, Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir for their COVID-19 related symptoms were included in the study. Demographic data was obtained. Prevalence of DNS and nasal polyps was recorded for further statistical analysis of the symptoms in the population. The obtained patient data was evaluated for the rhinopathological conditions that exists with the prevailing COVID-19 or may even aggravate the situation. Although nasal polyps and DNS are not among the typical symptoms of the COVID-19 but they may add to the results of PCR testing following swab testing. Conclusion: Despite being a significant relationship, there lies a chance of misleading results of swab testing as these rhinopathies obstruct the airway hindering the path. Therefore, while carrying out a confirmation test for the infection it is important to consider the chances of rhinopathies in patients beforehand. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Professional Medical Journal is the property of Professional Medical Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness in Egypt's Teaching Hospitals: A Needs Assessment Study.

INTRODUCTION: Regular collection and monitoring of data describing the dynamics of the utilization of healthcare services, especially in teaching hospitals (TH), which provide model quality medical services, are critical for COVID-19 pandemic preparedness. METHODS: The researchers analyzed data and information derived from service statistics reports from June 1st to July 15th, 2020 in terms of hospital resources, as well as utilization patterns of beds, ICU, and ventilators, for 11 screening hospitals affiliated with the General Organization of Teaching Hospitals and institutes in Egypt assigned by the Ministry of Health and Population to provide medical care for COVID-19 patients. Hospital indicators in terms of COVID-19 screening services, as well as utilization patterns of inpatient beds, ICU beds, and ventilators were computed. RESULTS: A total of 78,869 non-medical personnel and 2,176 medical personnel were presented with COVID-19 triage symptoms. Investigations conducted in the targeted 11 hospitals delineated that 22.2% of non-medical personnel and 27.9% of medical personnel were COVID-19 PCR-confirmed cases. The inpatient bed occupancy rate was 70% for non-medical patients and 67% for medical staff patients. For ICU, the bed occupancy rate was 92 % for non-medical patients and 88% for medical patients. Among the confirmed cases, 38% of medical patients utilized a ventilator vs. 36% of medical personnel cases. Hospital ranking according to utilization pattern among non-medical personnel, Hospital H ranked first in terms of the high load of screening services. Hospital C ranked first regarding the number of confirmed cases, whereas Hospital D ranked first for high ICU utilization among all teaching hospital ICU cases. With respect to medical personnel, Hospital G ranked first for the high load of screening services for the total studied cases. Hospital G ranked first for the number of confirmed cases. Hospital B ranked first regarding high ICU utilization among all teaching hospital ICU cases. CONCLUSION: Teaching hospitals have demonstrated preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic by maintaining an inpatient bed occupancy rate of 70% or less and ventilator utilization at <40% of confirmed cases. However, the ICU bed occupancy rate was more than 90% indicating a shortage of resources. In addition, there is variance across hospitals regarding caseload for resource reallocation decisions.

Study of laboratory parameters in COVID-19 patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Uttar Pradesh

Introduction: COVID-19 infection has been affecting vast population all over the world since 2019. It is very important to make optimum use of routine laboratory parameters in evaluating severity of COVID-19 disease. This will help the clinicians to improve allocation of technical human resources to patients who require it the most. During the path of the COVID-19 disease, inflammatory indices such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), biomarkers like serum procalcitonin (PCT), and ferritin and indices of coagulation profile like D-Dimer, PT levels, and hematological parameters like total leukocyte count, platelets carry prognostic value. The objective of the study is to estimate the utility of various laboratory Biochemical and Hematological parameters in COVID-19 disease. Materials and Methods: The present study is a retrospective cross-sectional observational study conducted in tertiary care rural teaching hospital. The study was conducted from September 1, 2020, to January 31, 2021. The study was carried out on the patients who were hospitalized in Isolation Ward and COVID ICU in our L3 COVID hospital. All patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results were included in the study. A sample size of 310 patients was taken. The basic demographic details were collected from the admission records. The confirmatory test for SARS-CoV-2 was done using the WHO-approved kits based on real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for which suspected cases underwent nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swab testing. The levels of CRP, IL-6, PCT, ferritin LDH, D-dimer, complete blood counts, PT were based on standardized methods obtained using various biochemical and hematological laboratory analyzers. Data of investigation reports were gathered from electronic patient record system. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences for Windows (version 25.0). Results: Our study clearly shows that levels of IL-6, D Dimer, PT, and LDH are quite significantly raised in majority of patients while PCT and ferritin being somewhat nonspecific show an increase but not to that significant numbers. The hematological parameters show levels which indicate mild anemia, leukocytosis, neutrophilia , lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia in patients infected with COVID-19 disease. Conclusion: COVID-19 is an unexplored, new entity with a sudden worldwide onset. The medical fraternity is yet to conquer and analyse this novel virus.

Recovery time of patients infected from COVID-19 in Pakistan

The present study was aimed to improve the general public understanding of COVID-19 pandemic, current study aims to estimate the recovery time of patients infected from COVID-19. Data for this retrospective study was taken from the Saidu group of teaching hospitals district Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study period was form March 24, 2020, to August 25, 2020. A total of 372 COVID-19 positive cases from March 2020 to August 2020 were included in the study. The entry point of each patient was the date of admission in the hospital and the event of interest was the recovery of a patient from COVID-19. Variable of interest were date of admission, date of discharge, age and gender for all patients. All 372 patients were COVID-19 positive recorded between the first positive to the first negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test results. The Kaplan Meier estimator was used to obtain the recovery time of patients in days from COVID-19 diagnosis. Present study estimated average time of recovery from COVID-19 in district Swat which was 8 days with 0.95% C.I. (7-9) days. The difference between recovery time for males and females was not significant but the difference between recovery time for age groups was significant using the log-rank test.