Journal of primary care & community health
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Practice GuidelineGuidelines for Frontline Health Care Staff Safety for COVID-19.
This document establishes safety guidelines for physicians, nurses, and allied health care and facility staff who may be exposed to patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a health care facility. SARS-CoV-2 infection is highly contagious and places health care workers at risk for infection resulting in coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Physicians, nurses, and allied health care and facility staff in all frontline environments must be provided and utilize necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). ⋯ The establishment of these guidelines is necessary in this viral pandemic since such directives can create a standard of safety that is universally accepted. These guidelines establish a framework to provide consistency among health care facilities and staff from the time the staff member arrives at the health care facility until they return home. These guidelines provide a practical description of the minimum necessary protection for physicians, nurses, and allied health care and facility staff against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Review Case ReportsManagement of Restless Legs Syndrome in Pregnancy and Lactation.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) affects about 20% of all pregnant women. RLS symptoms are usually moderate to severe in intensity during pregnancy and can result in insomnia, depression, and other adverse outcomes. Although iron deficiency has been implicated as a potential etiological factor, other mechanisms can also play a role. ⋯ We review the literature on the prevalence, diagnosis, course, possible underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and complications of RLS in pregnancy. We describe current best evidence on the efficacy, and safety of nonpharmacologic therapies, oral and intravenous iron supplementation, as well as other medication treatments for RLS in pregnancy and lactation. We highlight gaps in the literature and provide a practical guide for the clinical management of RLS in pregnancy and during breastfeeding.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyPatient-Reported Outcomes from a 1-Year, Real-World, Head-to-Head Comparison of OnabotulinumtoxinA and Topiramate for Headache Prevention in Adults With Chronic Migraine.
Chronic migraine (CM) is associated with impaired health-related quality of life and substantial socioeconomic burden, but many people with CM are underdiagnosed and do not receive appropriate preventive treatment. OnabotulinumtoxinA and topiramate have demonstrated efficacy (treatment benefit under ideal conditions) for the prevention of headaches in people with CM in clinical trials, but real-world studies suggest markedly different clinical effectiveness (treatment benefit based on a blend of efficacy and tolerability). This study sought to evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of onabotulinumtoxinA versus topiramate immediate release for people with CM. ⋯ OnabotulinumtoxinA treatment had more favorable real-world effectiveness than topiramate on depression, headache impact, functioning and daily living, activity, and work productivity. The overall study results suggest that the beneficial effects on a range of PROs are the result of improved effectiveness when onabotulinumtoxinA is used as preventive treatment for CM.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
ReviewExploring the Potential of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Combat COVID-19 and Existing Opportunities for LMIC: A Scoping Review.
In the face of the current time-sensitive COVID-19 pandemic, the limited capacity of healthcare systems resulted in an emerging need to develop newer methods to control the spread of the pandemic. Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) have a vast potential to exponentially optimize health care research. The use of AI-driven tools in LMIC can help in eradicating health inequalities and decrease the burden on health systems. ⋯ AI-based tools can be a game-changer for diagnosis, treatment, and management of COVID-19 patients with the potential to reshape the future of healthcare in LMIC.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
ReviewIncreasing the Signal-to-Noise Ratio: COVID-19 Clinical Synopsis for Outpatient Providers.
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which is the cause of coronavirus disease (COVID-19 formally 2019-nCoV), has received widespread attention from the medical community. Despite the rapid publication of research on the virus and the disease it causes, there is a lack of concise and relevant material to help busy medical providers navigate recognition and management of the disease in the ambulatory setting. This review article aims to bridge this gap by briefly reviewing the key points of the evaluation and treatment of patients with COVID-19 in the ambulatory clinic environment.