ABSTRACT
Introduction Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus at the beginning of 2020, the world has gone through various waves of pandemics. The health care workers (HCWs) or the COVID warriors as they were termed were the first line of defense against the virus. They were armed with personal protective equipment and prophylactic doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Despite these precautions, some of the HCWs still contracted the disease and a few others succumbed to it. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 infections and vaccine breakthrough infections (BTIs) in HCWs after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during the second wave of the pandemic. Methods This was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study conducted over a period of four months from September 2021 to December 2021 on HCWs aged 18 years and above working at the COVID-19-designated tertiary care government hospital in Sikkim. A structured coded questionnaire with no patient identifiers was used to gather details on demographics, vaccination history, breakthrough infection, and other social details. HCWs who had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the time of initiation of the study and were >18 years of age were included in this study. Results A total of 678 HCWs were screened, out of which 229 (33%) participants tested positive for COVID-19 and the rest of the participants (455; 67%) tested negative. COVID-19 infections and vaccine BTIs (COVID-19 infection >14 days after the second vaccination) were recorded and 137 (20%) respondents had a post-vaccination COVID-19 infection out of which 115 (18.5%) were BTI. The majority of the participants were females and of the age group of 26-35 years. The correlation of COVID-19 infections with the dose gap between vaccination, gender, age, profession, department, area posted during COVID duty, cycles of duty performed, hospitalization due to infection, influenza vaccination, and comorbidity was analyzed. Conclusion COVID-19 vaccines are disease-modifying and they decrease the severity of BTIs in HCWs. Pandemics and outbreaks cannot be predicted; therefore, it becomes very important to have healthy frontline workers who are constantly exposed to infectious agents. Monitoring of health and surveillance of infectious diseases among the HCWs should be encouraged.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Unutilized cross-matched blood due to excess cross-match requisitions results in unnecessary wastage of inventory, time, labor, and financial resources. This retrospective cross-sectional study aims to assess the blood utilization practices in obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) over a period of seven years with respect to "blood utilization indices" and standard recommendations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-match requisitions from the OB/GYN Department over a period of seven years (2012-2018) were selected and included in the study using a suitable sampling technique. Patient details were retrieved from the Hospital Information System (HIS) database. The preoperative crossmatch requisitions and blood utilization data were recorded. "Blood utilization indices" and whole blood/component utilization patterns were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 894 units of blood were cross-matched for 523 patients included in the study. A total of 305 of these patients were transfused with 445 units. During the initial phase of the study (2012-2014), the average cross-match-to-transfusion ratio (CTR, 6.6), transfusion probability (12.3), transfusion index (0.23), and component utilization (4%) were in marked deviation from recommended "blood utilization indices." This was in contrast with the later phase of the study (2015-2018) wherein the average CTR (1.5), transfusion probability (69.3), transfusion index (1.3), and component utilization (91.8%) were compliant with recommended "blood utilization indices." CONCLUSION: A progressive improvement in blood utilization practices was observed in the OB/GYN Department during the study period. Awareness campaigns have contributed to the implementation of rational and judicious blood transfusion practices in our center.
