ABSTRACT
SARS-CoV-2 continues to have devastating consequences worldwide. Though vaccinations have helped reduce spread, new strains still pose a threat. Therefore, it is imperative to identify treatments that prevent severe COVID-19 infection. Recently, acute use of SSRI antidepressants in COVID+ patients was shown to reduce symptom severity. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to determine whether COVID+ patients already on SSRIs upon hospital admission had reduced mortality compared to COVID+ patients not on chronic SSRI treatment. Electronic medical records of 9044 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from six hospitals were queried for demographic and clinical information. Using R, a logistic regression model was run with mortality as the outcome and SSRI status as the exposure. In this sample, no patients admitted on SSRIs had them discontinued. There was no significant difference in the odds of dying between COVID+ patients on chronic SSRIs vs. those not taking SSRIs, after controlling for age category, gender, and race. This study shows the utility of large clinical databases in determining what commonly prescribed drugs might be useful in treating COVID-19. During pandemics due to novel infectious agents, it is critical to evaluate safety and efficacy of drugs that might be repurposed for treatment.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To assess whether a phone-based breastfeeding intervention delivered by lactation educators influenced exclusive breastfeeding rates amongst low-income Hispanic women in the USA. DESIGN: Randomised two-group design. SETTING: Pregnant low-income Hispanic women (298) were recruited from community health clinics in Los Angeles County (USA) and randomly assigned to either a control or an intervention group. METHODS: Data relating to the factors associated with breastfeeding were collected during the third trimester. Breastfeeding outcome data was collected at 72 hours, one month, three months, and six months postpartum. RESULTS: There were no differences between the groups in rates of breastfeeding initiation. There was a significant difference in the duration of exclusive breastfeeding among participants during the infant's first week of life. While not significant, after controlling for covariates and intent to breastfeed at third trimester, the duration of exclusive breastfeeding amongst all participants was, on average, longer for intervention group mothers than control group mothers. Additionally, , the intervention group mothers were more likely to report exclusive and only breastfeeding at all data points compared to the control group, and less likely to discontinue breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest that telephone-based breastfeeding interventions delivered by a lactation educator show promise as a cost-effective strategy for improving both the quantity and duration of breastfeeding among low-income Hispanic women in the USA. Intervention group mothers not only sustained breastfeeding for a longer durations, but also provided their infants with greater amounts of breast milk over these longer durations.
ABSTRACT
Pregnant women may present with abnormal symptoms that are assumed to be related to the pregnancy. The purpose of this case study is to examine an obstetric case that provides a wider view of a grand mal seizure in a perinatal patient with previously undiagnosed Dandy-Walker Variant. When a pregnant or newly postpartum woman has seizures, eclampsia may be the most the most likely diagnosis, but it may not be accurate.
