International journal of clinical practice
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Sep 2021
Community Pharmacists' Preparedness and Responses to COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Study.
Community pharmacists play a pivotal role in healthcare worldwide. Their role became more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the community pharmacists' preparedness and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and how efficiently they were prepared to contain and prevent the spread of infection. ⋯ The level of preparedness of the community pharmacies in these three Middle Eastern countries was not adequate for facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Health authorities in these countries should closely monitor their adherence to the protective guidelines.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Sep 2021
Epidemiology of depression and anxiety among undergraduate students.
Depression and anxiety are the most common and prevalent mental health issues among undergraduate students. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression, their associated predictors, and to assess knowledge and use of antidepressant medications among university students in Jordan. ⋯ Findings of this study addressed the importance of taking serious measures and interventions to prevent the development of severe mental illness among university students.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Sep 2021
An Evaluation of Ischemia-Modified Albumin Levels in the Development of Diabetic Foot Ulcer.
This study investigated the status of serum ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels in the development of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and in predicting ulcer formation and ulcer grading. ⋯ Our study findings indicate that together with CRP, ESH, WBC and albumin, increased IMA levels in patients with DM can be useful in the early prevention of DFU development and in predicting the severity of DFU infection.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Sep 2021
Meta AnalysisLidocaine lubricant jelly does not reduce pain perception during female urethral catheterization: a systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.
The use of lubrication before performing urethral catheterization has been recommended. However, the benefit of using lidocaine gel over plain lubricant gel in reducing pain perception during female urethral catheterization is unclear. With this review, we aimed to compare the pain perception during female urethral catheterization with or without lidocaine lubricant gel. ⋯ The use of 2% lidocaine gel in female catheterization does not provide a significant reduction in pain perception as compared to plain lubricant gel.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Sep 2021
Comparing cost of intravenous infusion and subcutaneous biologics in COVID-19 pandemic care pathways for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease - A brief UK stakeholder survey.
One important group of people at higher risk from the SARS-CoV-2(COVID-19) pandemic are those with autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis/inflammatory bowel disease. To minimise infection risk, many people have been switched from intravenous to subcutaneous biologics including biosimilars. ⋯ Switching from infusion to subcutaneous routes is currently driven by the COVID-19 pandemic in many services. A case for biologics (infusion vs subcutaneous) must be made on accurate real-world economic analysis. In an analysis of direct/indirect costs, excluding medicine acquisition costs, subcutaneous administration appears to be the more cost saving option for many patients even without the benefit of industry funded home-care. What's known One important group of people at high risk in COVID-19 pandemic are those with autoimmune conditions, including those with rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Depending on the complexity of their condition, some of the patients in this group may be receiving intravenous biologic infusion therapy which under normal circumstances is administered within a hospital or day hospital setting. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published new guidance to ensure that patients having intravenous treatment are assessed for possible switching to the same treatment in subcutaneous form. What's new A cost analysis showed that administration costs for subcutananous routes are 50% lower than for infusion routes, with most patients administering subcutaneous medicines themselves. Other indirect benefits to this route included less pressure on infusion unit waiting times and reduced risk of COVID-19 infection, along with reduced patient costs. Cost savings were partly offset by increased pressure on home-care and community/primary care services.