Articles: pandemics.
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SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), which was detected in December 2019, whose first cases were observed in Turkey on 11th March 2020, and which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on the same day, has become a public health problem worldwide and has required the adaptation of medical practices to the current situation. In the current paper, we present our experience and practices regarding thoracic surgery from the largest pandemic hospital in Europe over the 1-year period of the pandemic. ⋯ Thoracic surgery has one of the highest risks due to direct contact with the lungs, especially in terms of surgery and the postoperative period. We consider that this risk will be minimized by taking measures during all processes. Moreover, we think that surgical treatments should be delayed as little as possible due to the special status of oncology patients. In addition, considering that if all these rules are followed in the COVID-19 pandemic and in other types of pandemics that may occur in the future, there will be no delay or insufficiency in the treatment of patients and healthcare professionals will be able to work safely.
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Academic medical centers could play an important role in increasing access to and uptake of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, especially in Black and Latino communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. This article describes the vaccination program developed by the Boston Medical Center (BMC) health system (New England's largest safety-net health system), its affiliated community health centers (CHCs), and community partners. The program was based on a conceptual framework for community interventions and aimed to increase equitable access to vaccination in the hardest-hit communities through community-based sites in churches and community centers, mobile vaccination events, and vaccination on the BMC campus. ⋯ Mobile vaccination events were key in reaching younger people living in locations with the highest SVIs. Challenges included the need for a robust operational infrastructure and mistrust of the health system given the long history of economic disinvestment in the surrounding community. The BMC model could serve as a blueprint for other medical centers interested in implementing programs aimed at increasing vaccine uptake during a pandemic and in developing an infrastructure to address other health-related disparities.
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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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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2022
Observational StudyChanges in Surgical Volume and Outcomes During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic at Two Tertiary Hospitals in Ethiopia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Limited data exist concerning how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected surgical care in low-resource settings. We sought to describe associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and surgical care and outcomes at 2 tertiary hospitals in Ethiopia. ⋯ Analysis at 2 low-resource referral hospitals in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic showed a reduction in surgical case volume during and after lockdown. At ACSH, more patients were from outside districts during lockdown where the opposite was true at TGSH. These findings suggest that during the pandemic patients may experience delays in seeking or obtaining surgical care. However, for patients who underwent surgery, prepandemic and postpandemic perioperative mortalities did not show significant difference. These results may inform surgical plans during future public health crises.