RESUMEN
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by varying and recurrent symptoms, reversible airway obstruction, and bronchospasm. In this paper, clinical important studies on asthma published between March 2021 and February 2022 were reviewed. A study on the relationship between asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis, bronchiectasis, and hormone replacement therapy was published. A journal on the usefulness of fractional exhaled nitric oxide for the prediction of severe acute exacerbation was also introduced. Studies on the effect of inhaler, one of the most important treatments for asthma, were published. Studies on the control of severe asthma continued. Phase 2 and 3 studies of new biologics were also published. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been prolonged, many studies have explored the prevalence and mortality of COVID-19 infection in asthma patients.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is not differentiated clinically from other respiratory infections, and intensive care units (ICUs) are vulnerable to in-hospital transmission due to interventions inducing respiratory aerosols. This study evaluated the effectiveness of universal SARS-CoV-2 screening in ICUs in terms of screened-out cases and reduction in anxiety of healthcare personnel (HCP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective single-armed observational study was conducted in 2 ICUs of a single hospital. The number of patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection by the screening program and healthcare workers in ICUs that visited the SARS-CoV-2 screening clinic or infection clinic were investigated. RESULTS: During the 7-week study period, no positive screening case was reported among a total of 142 patients. Among 86 HCP in the ICUs, only 2 HCP sought medical consultation for SARS-CoV-2 infection during the initial 2 weeks. CONCLUSION: A universal screening program for SARS-CoV-2 infection in ICUs with the coordination of other countermeasures in the hospital was reasonably effective in preventing in-hospital transmission in a pandemic situation and making clinical practices and HCP stable.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is not differentiated clinically from other respiratory infections, and intensive care units (ICUs) are vulnerable to in-hospital transmission due to interventions inducing respiratory aerosols. This study evaluated the effectiveness of universal SARS-CoV-2 screening in ICUs in terms of screened-out cases and reduction in anxiety of healthcare personnel (HCP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective single-armed observational study was conducted in 2 ICUs of a single hospital. The number of patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection by the screening program and healthcare workers in ICUs that visited the SARS-CoV-2 screening clinic or infection clinic were investigated. RESULTS: During the 7-week study period, no positive screening case was reported among a total of 142 patients. Among 86 HCP in the ICUs, only 2 HCP sought medical consultation for SARS-CoV-2 infection during the initial 2 weeks. CONCLUSION: A universal screening program for SARS-CoV-2 infection in ICUs with the coordination of other countermeasures in the hospital was reasonably effective in preventing in-hospital transmission in a pandemic situation and making clinical practices and HCP stable.