Articles: pandemics.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 2024
Strain on Scarce Intensive Care Beds Drives Reduced Patient Volumes, Patient Selection, and Worse Outcome: A National Cohort Study.
Strain on ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic required stringent triage at the ICU to distribute resources appropriately. This could have resulted in reduced patient volumes, patient selection, and worse outcome of non-COVID-19 patients, especially during the pandemic peaks when the strain on ICUs was extreme. We analyzed this potential impact on the non-COVID-19 patients. ⋯ In non-COVID-19 patients the strain on healthcare has driven lower patient volume, selection of fewer comorbid patients who required more intensive support, and a modest increase in the case-mix adjusted mortality.
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The potential benefit of videolaryngoscopy use in facilitating tracheal intubation has already been established, however its use was actively encouraged during the COVID-19 pandemic as it was likely to improve intubation success and increase the patient-operator distance. ⋯ Videolaryngoscopy use increased following the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic but this was less than might have been expected.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2024
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the delivery of preventive healthcare? An interrupted time series analysis of adults in English primary care from 2018 to 2022.
Offering advice and support for smoking, obesity, excess alcohol, and physical inactivity is an evidence-based component of primary care. The objective was to quantify the impact of the pandemic on the rate of advice or referral for these four risk factors. ⋯ Advice and support for smoking, and advice for weight, excess alcohol and physical inactivity have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Clinicians and policy makers should prioritise preventive care in COVID-19 recovery plans.
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Acute abdominal pain in paediatric patients is a common presentation to the Emergency Department (ED). The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the health care sector leading to a decline in hospital attendance. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the presentation, investigations and admission rates of abdominal pain in the ED. Our study highlights the need for increased awareness of severe abdominal pain signs and symptoms in paediatric patients and importance for diagnostic accuracy. Improving patient flow through the ED and having clear guidelines for staff and parents can optimise clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.
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The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global public health. Infant mortality rate (IMR), a vital statistic and key indicator of a population's overall health, is essential for developing effective health prevention programs. Existing evidence primarily indicates a decrease in IMR during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a national-level analysis to calculate IMR and describe its course over the years (from 2016 until 2022), using a month-by-month analysis. ⋯ Portugal has achieved remarkable progress in reducing its IMR over the last 60 years. The country recorded its lowest-ever IMR values during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies are needed to fully understand the observed trends.