ABSTRACT
Considering that it has been more than 24 months since SARS-CoV-2 emerged, it is crucial to identify measures that prevent and control pathogen transmission in workplace settings. Our aim was to report results of a hospital-based program that delivered hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets as COVID-19 prophylaxis to the frontline healthcare workers (HCW)s who cared for COVID-19 patients and to evaluate the efficacy of HCQ. Setting and participants: Quasi-experimental, controlled, single-center study. The included participants were doctors, nurses, health workers, cleaning staff, and non-healthcare supportive staff. The main outcome was contracting COVID-19 anytime during the period of taking the prophylaxis, confirmed by RT-PCR. A total of 336 participants, without any clinical evidence of COVID-19 and without any known contact with family members, were included in the trial; 230 were assigned to HCQ and 106 declined to take any drug. Results: Among the participants, 43 (18.7%) in the HCQ group and 11 (10.4%) participants in the control group developed COVID-19. For the evaluation of side effects, we evaluated 12-lead ECGs of both groups at the baseline and after 4 weeks to monitor QTc interval. A total of 91% (198 of 217) participants in the prophylaxis group and 92% (11 of 12) in the control group had a QTc < 45o msec, which is within normal limits. Conclusions: Although the number of symptomatic infections in health personnel was lower in the control group, the difference was not statistically significant. However, in the absence of any effective pre-exposure prophylaxis medicine for COVID-19, practicing proper infection prevention and control (IPC) and vaccination is the only way forward.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Coinfections are common in pandemics, however not in recorded patients with hemoglobinopathies. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic struck Bangladesh at the beginning of March 2020, which is also an apt period for endemic Dengue fever in this monsoon region. CASE REPORT: We report a 30-year-old man with hemoglobinopathies coinfected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Dengue virus. Dengue virus was detected by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). COVID-19 was confirmed by Reverse-transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Hemoglobin Electrophoresis revealed heterozygous beta-thalassemia or thalassemia trait. The patient was treated successfully at Dhaka Hospital in icddr,b during COVID-19 emergency response with symptomatic supportive treatment for COVID-19 and appropriate fluid therapy for dengue fever in response to daily hematocrit level. The patient's repeated RT-PCR for COVID-19 on day-21 became negative. For thalassemia, the patient was advised to have genetic counseling and family screening on discharge. CONCLUSION: The possibility of coinfection between COVID-19 and Dengue fever may be considered in a COVID-19 patient with unremitting fever especially in an area where Dengue fever is epidemic that may further help to attain appropriate management of the patient.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Antibiotic exposure in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is very high, although 50% of all antibiotics may be unnecessary. We aimed to determine the utility of simple bedside screening tools and predicting factors to avoid antibiotic overuse in the ICU among children with diarrhea and critical illness. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, single-center, case-control study that included children aged 2-59 months who were admitted to PICU with diarrhea and critical illness between 2017 and 2020. RESULTS: We compared young children who did not receive antibiotics (cases, n = 164) during ICU stay to those treated with antibiotics (controls, n = 346). For predicting the 'no antibiotic approach', the sensitivity of a negative quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) was similar to quick Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 (qPELOD-2) and higher than Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). A negative qSOFA or qPELOD-2 score calculated during PICU admission is superior to SIRS to avoid antibiotic overuse in under-five children. The logistic regression analysis revealed that cases were more often older and independently associated with hypernatremia. Cases less often had severe underweight, altered mentation, age-specific fast breathing, lower chest wall in-drawing, adventitious sound on lung auscultation, abdominal distension, developmental delay, hyponatremia, hypocalcemia, and microscopic evidence of invasive diarrhea (for all, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Antibiotic overuse could be evaded in PICU using simple bedside screening tools and clinical characteristics, particularly in poor resource settings among children with diarrhea.
