Psychological distress surveillance and related impact analysis of hospital staff during the COVID-19 epidemic in Chongqing, China.

BACKGROUND: Hospital staff are vulnerable and at high risk of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection. The aim of this study was to monitor the psychological distress in hospital staff and examine the relationship between the psychological distress and possible causes during the COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS: An online survey was conducted from February 1 to February 14, 2020. Hospital staff from five national COVID-19 designated hospitals in Chongqing participated. Data collected included demographics and stress responses to COVID-19: 1) the impact of event scale to measure psychological stress reactions; 2) generalizedanxietydisorder 7 to measure anxiety symptoms; 3) Patient Health Questionnaire 9 to measure depression symptoms; 4) Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale to measure obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS); and 5) Patient Health Questionnaire 15 to measure somatization symptoms. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors that were correlated with psychological distress. RESULTS: Hospital staff that participated in this study were identified as either doctors or nurses. A total of 456 respondents completed the questionnaires with a response rate of 91.2%. The mean age was 30.67 ± 7.48 years (range, 17 to 64 years). Of all respondents, 29.4% were men. Of the staff surveyed, 43.2% had stress reaction syndrome. The highest prevalence of psychological distress was OCS (37.5%), followed by somatization symptoms (33.3%), anxiety symptoms (31.6%), and depression symptoms (29.6%). Univariate analyses indicated that female subjects, middle aged subjects, subjects in the low income group, and subjects working in isolation wards were prone to experience psychological distress. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed "Reluctant to work or considered resignation" (odds ratio [OR], 5.192; 95%CI, 2.396-11.250; P < .001), "Afraid to go home because of fear of infecting family" (OR, 2.099; 95%CI, 1.299-3.391; P = .002) "Uncertainty about frequent modification of infection and control procedures" (OR, 1.583; 95%CI, 1.061-2.363; P = .025), and"Social support" (OR, 1.754; 95%CI, 1.041-2.956; P = .035) were correlated with psychological reactions. "Reluctant to work or considered resignation" and "Afraid to go home because of fear of infecting family" were associated with a higher risk of symptoms of Anxiety (OR, 3.622; 95% CI, 1.882-6.973; P < .001; OR, 1.803; 95% CI, 1.069-3.039; P = .027), OCS (OR, 5.241; 95% CI, 2.545-10.793; P < .001; OR, 1.999; 95% CI, 1.217-3.282; P = .006) and somatization (OR, 5.177; 95% CI, 2.595-10.329; P < .001; OR, 1.749; 95% CI, 1.051-2.91; P = .031). "Stigmatization and rejection in neighborhood because of hospital work", "Reluctant to work or considered resignation" and "Uncertainty about frequent modification of infection and control procedures" were associated with a higher risk of symptoms of Depression(OR, 2.297; 95% CI, 1.138-4.637; P = .020; OR, 3.134; 95% CI, 1.635-6.006; P = .001; OR, 1.645; 95% CI, 1.075-2.517; P = .022). CONCLUSIONS: Hospital staff showed different prevalence of psychological distress during the COVID-19 epidemic. Our study confirmed the severity of negative psychological distress on hospital staff and identified factors associated with negative psychological distress that can be used to provide valuable information for psychological interventions to improve the mental health of vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Effect of mild hypothermia on plasma tissue-type plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in patients with massive cerebral infarction / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of mild hypothermia therapy on plasma tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA)/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in patients with massive cerebral infarction (MCI).Methods The patients with MCI were randomly divided into the conventional therapy group and the mild hypothermia therapy group.On the basis of conventional therapy,the latter received local mild hypothermia therapy for 48 hours immediately after admission.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect plasma tPA and PAI-1 at admission and at 48 hours after mild hypothermia,respectively.The general information and the tPA and PAI-1 levels before and after treatment in both groups were compared.Results A total of 46 patients with MCI were included.There were 26 and 20 patients in the conventional therapy group and the mild hypothermia therapy group,respectively.There were no significant differences in the general information,the tPA and PAI-1 levels before and after treatment in both groups,and the levels of plasma tPA (80.98 ± 34.64 pg/mL vs.110.1 ± 32.7 pg/mL; t =3.462,P =0.013) and PAI-1 (145.40 ± 45.29 pg/mL vs.174.2 ± 38.0 pg/mL; t =4.854,P =0.034) at 48 hours of mild hypothermia therapy in the mild hypothermia therapy group were significantly lower than those in the conventional therapy group.Conclusions Mild hypothermia therapy may decrease the plasma tPA and PAI-1 levels in patients with MCI,and it may be associated with the neuroprotective effect of hypothermia therapy.

Correlation between cerebral microbleed and hemorrhage transformation after urokinase intra-arterial thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke: a prospective case series study / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective To investigate the correlation between cerebral microbleed (CMB) and hemorrhage transformation (HT) after urokinase intra-arterial thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke.Methods The patients with acute cerebral infarction treated with intra-arterial urokinase were enrolled.They were divided into either an HT group or a non-HT goup according to whether they had HT or not.Conventional MRI sequences,susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI),and CT scan were performed before procedure.CT or MRI was reexamined within 48 hours after procedure.The patients' demographic data,vascular risk factors,and the SWI sequences showed the numbers of CMB were documented in detail and they were compared and analyzed.Results A total of 62 patients were included,22 in HT group and 40 in non-HT group.Univariate analysis showed that the proportions of hypertension (81.8％ vs.57.5％ ; x2 =3.125,P =0.048),diabetes (63.6％ vs.40.0％ ; x2 =4.019,P =0.042),smoking (72.7％ vs.37.5％ ; x2 =4.971,P =0.030),and presence of CMB (x2 =5.297,P =0.018) of patients in the HT group were significantly higher than those in the non-HT group.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension (odds ratio [OR]1.51,95％ confidence interval [CI]1.102-2.954; P =0.028),diabetes (OR 1.48,95％ CI 1.09-2.825; P =0.039),and CMB (OR 1.867,95％ CI 1.103-3.158; P =0.020) were the independent risk factors for HT after urokinase intra-arterial thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke.Conclusions CMB was one of the independent risk factors for occurring HT after urokinase intra-arterial thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Effect of mild hypothermia on fibrinolysis system in ischemic stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

The imbalance in the fibrinolytic system participates in the pathophysic-logical processes of ischemic stroke. Most researchers consider that the fibrinolytic activity decreases in patients with ischemic stroke, while others believe that it increases. Mild hypothermia is a therapeutic approach with great potential and plays the neuroprotective effect through a variety of mechanisms. Animal experiments have demonstrated that the treatment with mild hypothermia may increase the plasma fibrinolytic activity and decrease the expression of local plasminogen activator in ischemic area. Howere, the related clinical research studies are few, and most of them are limited in the safty and collaborative research of mild hypothermia combined with other treatment therapies.