Articles: pandemics.
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Critical care medicine · Jun 2022
Multicenter Study Observational StudyDoes Unprecedented ICU Capacity Strain, As Experienced During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Impact Patient Outcome?
To determine whether patients admitted to an ICU during times of unprecedented ICU capacity strain, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, experienced a higher risk of death. ⋯ For patients admitted to ICU during the pandemic, unprecedented levels of ICU capacity strain were significantly associated with higher acute hospital mortality, after accounting for differences in baseline characteristics. Further study into possible differences in the provision of care and outcome for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients is needed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The first wave of COVID-19 and concurrent social restrictions were not associated with a negative impact on mental health and psychiatric well-being.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it have substantially affected the daily lives of most of the world's population. ⋯ Social restrictions were sufficient to contain the pandemic but did not negatively impact validated measures of mental illness or psychiatric well-being. However, responses to individual questions showed signs of fear and stress. This may represent a normal, rather than pathological, population response to a stressful situation.
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The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the cardiovascular system has been highlighted since the very first weeks after the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 identification. We reviewed the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac arrest, both considering those occurred out of the hospital (OHCA) and in the hospital (IHCA). ⋯ Cardiac arrest occurrence and survival were deeply affected by the pandemic. Informative campaigns to the population to call EMS in case of need and the re-allocation of the prehospital resources basing on the pandemic trend are needed to improve survival.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2022
ReviewReview article: Impact of pandemics on rural emergency departments: A scoping review.
Pandemics can cause much distress to communities and present a major burden to the resources and functioning of hospitals. This scoping review aimed to identify, evaluate and summarise current literature regarding how pandemics impact rural EDs in terms of staff wellbeing, structure, function and resources. A systematic search of six databases using search terms including pandemic, ED and rural and remote was undertaken. ⋯ Rural ED functioning was affected in terms of input; with an increase in patient presentations and time to physician assessment during H1N1, but a decrease in patient presentations and transfers during COVID-19. Rural ED resources were impacted in regard to staffing, difficulty in obtaining stocks of personal protective equipment and medication, and community response. Further research to understand and address the short- and long-term impacts pandemics may have on rural EDs is required.
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Curr Opin Crit Care · Jun 2022
ReviewMonitoring of sedation in mechanically ventilated patients using remote technology.
Two years of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted that excessive sedation in the ICU leading to coma and other adverse outcomes remains pervasive. There is a need to improve monitoring and management of sedation in mechanically ventilated patients. Remote technologies that are based on automated analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) could enhance standard care and alert clinicians real-time when severe EEG suppression or other abnormal brain states are detected. ⋯ Preventing oversedation in the ICU remains a challenge. Continuous monitoring of EEG activity, automated EEG analysis, and generation of alerts to clinicians may reduce drug-induced coma and potentially improve patient outcomes.