Articles: pandemics.
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To determine whether the increased restrictions, isolation and stressors associated with COVID-19 led to an increase in rates or severity of self-immolation burn injuries. ⋯ 2020 saw an increase in both the frequency and severity of self-inflicted burn injuries in New South Wales, with psychiatric illness a major factor.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2022
Low rates of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening: Challenges and opportunities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This invited commentary discusses the article by Richards et al. describing differences in rates of on-time HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening in 2018 among enrollees in different insurance plans. The commentary focuses on the larger problem of low vaccination HPV rates and decreasing cervical cancer screening rates seen across all sectors. We outline challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening, and discuss opportunities to improve cervical cancer prevention.
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Postgraduate medicine · Jun 2022
Evaluation of stillbirths and infant mortality before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective study.
The maternal-child health services remain an important indicator to look at how different countries have handled the pandemic. This study aims to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child healthcare use and evaluate data on stillbirths and infant mortality. ⋯ In our study, it was determined that the variables of stillbirth and infant mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic period, and maternal and child health services in primary care and hospitals continued to provide services in a similar way to the pre-pandemic period. Compared to pre-pandemic periods during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was found that while the number of stillbirths was similar, there was a significant decrease in infant mortality.
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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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Acta clinica Croatica · Jun 2022
SYSTEMIC INFECTION WITH SINGLE OR MULTI-ORGAN DAMAGE CAUSED BY INADEQUATELY MANAGED CHRONIC WOUNDS: A CASE SERIES.
Chronic wounds are often underestimated condition with increasingly growing inpatient and outpatient treatment costs. Since the patient population affected by chronic wounds is heterogeneous and includes diabetes, chronic venous insufficiency and peripheral artery disease patients, with additional differences in gender, age, previous medical history, treatment of chronic wounds is highly personalized and dependent on a variety of factors. ⋯ Each of the patients had a significant worsening of their chronic wounds during the COVID-19 pandemic: either following an active SARS-CoV-2 infection or due to the limited access to primary care. The cases described here highlight the necessity of providing proper and regular care for all patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of the current state of the healthcare system and the adversities and hurdles it currently faces, to prevent the pandemic from becoming a syndemic.