Articles: coronavirus.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has contributed to an increase in intimate partner violence (IPV), posing challenges to health care providers who must protect themselves and others during sexual assault examinations. Victims of sexual assault encountered in prehospital and emergency department (ED) settings have legal as well as medical needs. A series of procedures must be carefully followed to facilitate forensic evidence collection and law enforcement investigation. A literature review detected a paucity of published guidance on the management of sexual assault patients in the ED, and no information specific to COVID-19. ⋯ There is a lack of clinical guidance for ED providers that integrates the many aspects of sexual assault patient care, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. A SAFET-I Tool is presented to assist emergency health care providers in the treatment and advocacy of sexual assault patients during a period with increasing rates of IPV.
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Emergency radiology · Dec 2020
Observational StudyImpact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency CT head utilization in Ontario-an observational study of tertiary academic hospitals.
To determine the impact of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the volume, indications, and results of CT heads performed in the emergency department (ED) at Canadian tertiary academic centers in Ontario. ⋯ The decreased volume of emergency CT heads performed during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant increase in the proportion of cases with acute findings. This could be a result of the pandemic's influence on the health-seeking behavior of patients as well as the decision-making process of ordering clinicians.
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The unprecedented scale of testing required to effectively control the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated urgent implementation of rapid testing in clinical microbiology laboratories. To date, there are limited data available on the analytical performance of emerging commercially available assays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and integration of these assays into laboratory workflows. Here, we performed a prospective validation study of a commercially available assay, the AusDiagnostics Coronavirus Typing (8-well) assay. ⋯ Compared to the reference laboratory gold standard, sensitivity of the Coronavirus Typing assay for SARS-CoV-2 was 100% (95% CI 93.2-100%), specificity 99.8% (95% CI 99.1-100%), positive predictive value 98.1% (95% CI 90.2-99.7%) and negative predictive value 100% (95% CI 99.4-100%). In many countries, standard regulatory requirements for the introduction of new assays have been replaced by emergency authorisations and it is critical that laboratories share their post-market validation experiences, as the consequences of widespread introduction of a suboptimal assay for SARS-CoV-2 are profound. Here, we share our in-field experience, and encourage other laboratories to follow suit.
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Aesthetic plastic surgery · Dec 2020
LetterThe Financial Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis on the Practices of Cosmetic/Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.
The global pandemic of coronavirus 2019, or COVID-19, has undeniably impacted all facets of healthcare, affecting both its function and provision. Due to the cessation of all non-emergent surgical cases in the USA and worldwide, the professional lives and practices of many physicians have been negatively affected. However, among different physicians and specifically plastic surgeons, cosmetic/aesthetic plastic surgeons have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as the majority of their cases are semi-elective and elective. ⋯ In this paper, the authors review the financial impacts of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the practices of cosmetic plastic surgeons in the USA and worldwide, along with some potential approaches to maintain their practices and financial livelihoods. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .