RESUMO
Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 has created a significant challenge to healthcare systems, since the disease has spread rapidly, outweighing hospital capacity and exposing Health Care Workers (HCWs) to the risk of infection. The main objective of this study shows the HCW's self-reported use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), symptoms, and exposure to revealed and suspected people during the pandemic, as well as the implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines that effectively limit the spread of the infection among healthcare personnel. Method: A single-center retrospective cohort study has been done at a tertiary care hospital. There were 3,651 hospital employees of these 1,890 HCWs and 1,761 nonclinical staff among those who were proven or suspected COVID-19 cases and had symptoms were included. The data was gathered using a standardized self-assessment questionnaire. Information about quarantine protocol and line listing was collected through telephonic conversations. Result: The majority of the participants were males (66%). The average age was 32.1±7.62. Out of 432 HCWs, 32.9% with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR findings were nurses, 19.2% were doctors, and 47.9% were non-clinical employees from the hospital's inpatient and outpatient departments. 31.5% had a higher-risk exposure, 64.1% had a moderate-risk exposure, and 4.4% of practitioners with COVID-19 had a lower-risk exposure. A statistically significant association was found between COVID-19 disease and adherence to PPE and risk exposure. Conclusion: This study represents the healthcare workers' experience with COVID-19 patients in the early stages of the pandemic and emphasizes the measures required to overcome the problems, however, this study highlights that HCWs are being progressively infected with COVID-19 as a result of inadequate/ inappropriate PPE wear.
RESUMO
The incidence of liver disease increases throughout the years due to many lifestyle factors; thus, the only definite treatment available for chronic liver disease is a liver transplant. However, the liver has a natural ability to repair itself and regenerate its hepatic tissue from stem cells. It is hypothesized that by inducing the liver with specific growth factors and cytokines such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) compared to general growth factors like growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), it can regenerate, decreasing the need for liver transplant procedures. MEDLINE, the Journal of Hepatology, and Google Scholar were used to find articles. Various studies, including epidemiological studies dated from the year 2000 and greater, were used for the introduction. The results used only randomized control trials, experimental studies, and primary articles published since 2000. This compared the results of manipulating variables to determine the effects of hepatic regeneration by either specific hepatocyte growth factors or general growth factors like GDF-15. A total of 10 collected studies showed increased levels of gene expression and function, improved gross morphology, and histological appearance of the liver when induced by cytokines and specific growth factors versus general growth factors. Overall, the hypothesis was proven. The effects of GDF-15 were not significant compared to the effects of hepatocyte-specific growth factors and cytokines like IL-6 because they have two different effects on the liver after liver injury. Future studies should investigate this topic on the human hepatic regenerative ability, plus compare the effects of general growth factors like GDF-15 and specific hepatocyte growth factors and cytokines such as IL-6 in human liver tissue.
RESUMO
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic T cell-mediated inflammatory condition affecting a considerable proportion of psoriasis (PSO) patients and a small segment of the general population. Recent studies have shown that patients with PsA are prone to premature atherosclerosis and are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, but the extent and prevalence of this are unknown. Our objective was to evaluate the prevalence and extent of subclinical atherosclerosis by measuring the intima-media thickness (IMT) of arteries in adult patients with PsA, as well as identify cardiovascular (CV) risk factors associated with PsA. An extensive literature search was conducted using PubMed as our main database. The articles exploring the association between PsA and subclinical atherosclerosis were included. We also searched other databases like MEDLINE and PubMed Central (PMC). A total of 2,561 studies published between 2005-2021 were obtained by searching the databases, and after the screening process, a total of nine studies were included for review and an additional 22 studies for comparison and backup evidence. As for results, our review included a total of 542 patients with PsA from nine different studies. All the reviewed studies showed a significant association between subclinical atherosclerosis and PsA, as endothelial functions were found to be impaired in PsA patients as deduced by measuring the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). PsA patients exhibited greater IMT than healthy controls. Increased IMT independently correlated with parameters of disease activity and conventional risk factors of atherosclerosis. An increased prevalence of CV risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome was also found in PsA patients.
