Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of burnout syndrome in healthcare providers: prevalence and predictive factors.

BACKGROUND: In Tunisia, the pandemic is still ongoing, resulting in the burnout of healthcare providers. AIMS: This study aimed to assess the impact of the management of COVID-19 patients on the physical and mental health of healthcare providers, and to identify the independent and predictive variables for the three components of severe burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment at work. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected between February 8, and April 11, 2021. Healthcare providers, who were positive for COVID, completed the questionnaire. The primary endpoint was to assess the degree of burnout in healthcare providers by adopting the original version of the severe Maslach Burnout Inventory: emotional exhaustion (≥30), depersonalization (≥12), and lack of personal accomplishment at work (≤ 33). A descriptive analysis followed by a bi- and multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent and predictive factors for each component of burnout. RESULTS: 700 healthcare providers were audited. Emotional exhaustion was ≥ 30 in 86%, depersonalization was ≥ 12 in 61%, and lack of personal accomplishment at work was ≤ 33 in 69%. Of the 700 healthcare providers, 93% were working at the same time in the COVID units, 85% had not received compensatory rest. Healthcare provider who had been infected by COVID-19 was the only independent predictive variable of severe emotional exhaustion and severe depersonalization. Healthcare provider who had been infected by COVID-19 and did not have a compensatory rest were two independent predictive variables of severe lack of personal accomplishment at work. CONCLUSION: Healthcare provider who had been infected by COVID-19 was the only predictive variable of severe emotional exhaustion and severe depersonalization. Healthcare provider who had been infected by COVID-19 and did not have a compensatory rest were two independent and predictive variables of severe lack of personal accomplishment at work.

Medication adherence in Elderly during COVID-19 pandemic: what role can the emergency department play?

INTRODUCTION: elderly frequently present a poly-pathology recurring polypharmacy. Therefore, strict medication adherence is essential to avoid poor health outcomes especially during health crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic. The aims of our study were to identify the predictors of medication non-adherence in elderly and to expose the role of the emergency department (ED) to improve the therapeutic adherence during COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: it was a two steps study. Primary, an observational, prospective survey over one month, including 100 elderly patients consulting to the emergency department. Medication adherence was assessed by Morisky's 4-questions scale; predictors of non-adherence have been identified. Secondary, a report of elderly medication management by the emergency physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic confinement. RESULTS: first step: 100 patients, mean age of 73±8 years. The average number of drugs was 4±2. Medication non-adherence was reported in 39%, predictors of therapeutic non-adherence were: polypharmacy (OR=2.41; CI95% [1.60;3.61]), rural origin (OR=6.72; CI95% [1.47;30.63]) and metabolic diseases history (OR=5.24; CI95% [1.48;18.53]). In the second step, 816 elder lies were enrolled, mean age: 73±7 years. The therapeutic attitude in the emergency department was to prescribe the same treatment (60%) to adjust the doses of the drugs prescribed (14%) to stop one or more drugs (13%) or to indicate new treatments (13%). Thirty-five percent of patients were admitted for short-term hospitalization. CONCLUSION: medication non-adherence is common in elderly, due to several factors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergency services in Tunisia played an important role in the follow-up and therapeutic continuity of these elderly patients.

Relapse of rare diseases during COVID-19 pandemic: bicytopenia in an adult patient with thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anaemia.

Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anaemia (TRMA) is a syndrome associated with megaloblastic anaemia, diabetes mellitus and sensorineural deafness, due to mutations in the SLC19A2gene, which codes for a thiamine carrier protein. Oral thiamine supplementation is the main treatment. We report the case of a 19-year-old man known for TRMA, who presented in the emergency department with bicytopenia (haemoglobin 5,4 g/dL, thrombocytes 38×109/L) revealed by dyspnea and chest pain. Investigations excluded bleeding, hemolysis, coagulopathy and iron deficiencies. A recent infection and an acute coronary syndrome have also been eliminated. We later found out that thiamine treatment had been discontinued three months before, due to general confinement in Tunisia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parenteral administration of 100 mg of thiamine daily resulted in the recovery of haematopoiesis within three weeks.