Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Pneumothoraces (1%) and pleural effusions (5%) are two of the less common complications of infection with COVID-19. Following a referral for a pleural drain insertion for a pneumothorax in a patient with COVID-19, we reassessed the infection risks involved in this procedure and its aftercare. ⋯ Consequently, we chose to attach an antiviral filter to the venting port of an underwater seal drain bottle to mitigate this risk. A fluorescein dye experiment was used to demonstrate the reduction in aerosol emission output from the bottle with our described technique, allowing an antiviral filter to be attached to a pleural underwater seal drainage bottle for added protection of patients and staff in the local environment.
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After severe COVID-19 disease, many patients will experience a variety of problems with normal functioning and will require rehabilitation services to overcome these problems. The principles of and evidence on rehabilitation will allow an effective response. ⋯ The large number of COVID-19 patients needing rehabilitation coupled with the backlog remaining from the crisis will challenge existing services. The principles underpinning vital service reconfigurations needed are discussed.
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Final-year medical students in the UK have been allowed to voluntarily apply for early provisional registration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing these foundation interim year-1 (FiY1) doctors to assist in service provision in hospitals where resources and staffing may be strained. The authors, as recently qualified foundation year-1 (FY1) doctors, use this article to draw on their own experiences, and those of their colleagues, to provide advice on key topics that may not have been covered, or not covered sufficiently, in medical education, such as prescribing, rotas, wellbeing, and useful apps and websites.
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COVID-19 and diabetes are both pandemics with major impacts on global public health. While the response to COVID-19 has been rapid and progressive to reduce risk of harm, the response to the diabetes pandemic has been somewhat more muted. ⋯ In this article, we discuss the impact of COVID-19 on our diabetes service in an urban area in the UK. We discuss the impact on our patients and ourselves, and the possible lessons we can carry into the future.