METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial at 2 centers. A total of 78 patients requiring DC were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio into 3 groups: vacuum drains (VD), passive drains (PD), and no drains (ND). Complications studied were need for surgical revision, SGH amount, new remote hematomas, postcraniectomy hydrocephalus (PCH), functional outcomes, and mortality.
RESULTS: Only 1 VD patient required surgical revision to evacuate SGH. There was no difference in SGH thickness and volume among the 3 drain types (P = 0.171 and P = 0.320, respectively). Rate of new remote hematoma and PCH was not significantly different (P = 0.647 and P = 0.083, respectively), but the ND group did not have any patient with PCH. In the subgroup analysis of 49 patients with traumatic brain injury, the SGH amount of the PD and ND group was significantly higher than that of the VD group. However, these higher amounts did not translate as a significant risk factor for poor functional outcome or mortality. VD may have better functional outcome and mortality.
CONCLUSIONS: In terms of complication rates, VD, PD, and ND may be used safely in DC. A higher amount of SGH was not associated with poorer outcomes. Further studies are needed to clarify the advantage of VD regarding functional outcome and mortality, and if ND reduces PCH rates.
METHOD: All case reports and case series pertaining to COVID-19 in SLE were retrieved from Pubmed, Wiley Online Library, Springer Link, Science Direct and Web of Science databases using 'lupus', 'systemic lupus erythematosus', 'coronavirus', 'SARS-CoV-2', 'SLE' and "Covid-19" as keywords. The following data were extracted from the selected articles: country, age of the patient and the characteristics of SLE such as disease duration, organ or system involved, baseline medications and the severity of the COVID-19 infection. Data extracted from the articles were utilised to perform the pooled analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 24 articles with 48 patients met the eligibility criteria. The median age at diagnosis of COVID-19 infection was 41 years (IQR: 11-66 years). The median SLE disease duration prior to the diagnosis of COVID-19 was 9 years (IQR: 0-30 years). A total of 22 (45.83%) patients had severe to critical COVID-19. This pooled data did not demonstrate any difference in the baseline medications between the 2 groups. Patients with lupus nephritis were significantly more prone to develop severe to critical disease (p = 0 .036) with an odds ratio of 5.40 (95% confidence interval of 1.120-26.045).
CONCLUSION: We found that lupus nephritis was the only predictor of severe to critical COVID-19 in SLE.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out through an online self-administered questionnaire from 27 September 2020 to 11 October 2020. A total of 883 people responded to the survey. The questionnaire included the participants' socio-demographic variables, attitudes, beliefs towards the COVID-19 vaccine and acceptance and rejection of vaccination, and reasons for them. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the predictors for vaccine acceptance and willingness to pay for the vaccine.
RESULTS: A majority (70.8%) of respondents will accept the COVID-19vaccine if available, and 66.8% showed a positive attitude towards vaccination. Monthly family income, education level, self-diagnosis of COVID-19 or a friend, family member, or colleague are significant factors influencing the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. The dogma of being naturally immune to COVID-19 was a key reason for the refusal of the vaccine. Less than half (48%) of those who refuse will vaccinate themselves if government officials have made it compulsory. A third (33.9%) of participants were willing to pay up to (7 USD) 1000 Pkr (Pakistani Rupees) for the vaccine.
CONCLUSION: The population's positive attitude should be improved by increasing awareness and eradicating false myths about vaccines through large-scale campaigns.
Materials and Methods: In this study, 221 fish samples, of which 108 (Oreochromis spp., n=38; C. gariepinus, n=35; and P. hypophthalmus, n=35) were from Kelantan and 113 (Oreochromis spp., n=38; C. gariepinus, n=35; and P. hypophthalmus, n=40) were from Terengganu, were caught using cast nets. Then, samples from their kidneys were cultured on a Rimler Shott agar to isolate Aeromonas spp. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to confirm this isolation using specific gene primers for species identification. Subsequently, the isolates were tested for their sensitivity to 14 antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer method, after which the PCR was conducted again to detect resistance genes: sul1, strA-strB, aadA, bla TEM, bla SHV, tetA-tetE, and tetM.
Results: From the results, 61 isolates were identified as being from the genus Aeromonas using PCR, of which 28 were Aeromonas jandaei, 19 were Aeromonas veronii, seven were Aeromonas hydrophila, and seven were Aeromonas sobria. Moreover, 8, 12, and 8 of A. jandaei; 4, 3, and 12 of A. veronii; 6, 0, and 1 of A. hydrophila; and 3, 3, and 1 of A. sobria were obtained from Oreochromis spp., C. gariepinus, and P. hypophthalmus, respectively. In addition, the isolates showed the highest level of resistance to ampicillin (100%), followed by streptomycin (59.0%), each kanamycin and nalidixic acid (41.0%), neomycin (36.1%), tetracycline (19.7%), sulfamethoxazole (14.8%), and oxytetracycline (13.1%). Resistance to gentamicin and ciprofloxacin both had the same percentage (9.8%), whereas isolates showed the lowest resistance to norfloxacin (8.2%) and doxycycline (1.6%). Notably, all Aeromonas isolates were susceptible to chloramphenicol and nitrofurantoin. Results also revealed that the multiple antibiotic resistances index of the isolates ranged from 0.07 to 0.64, suggesting that the farmed fish in these areas were introduced to the logged antibiotics indiscriminately and constantly during their cultivation stages. Results also revealed that the sul1 gene was detected in 19.7% of the Aeromonas isolates, whereas the tetracycline resistance genes, tetA and tetE, were detected in 27.9% and 4.9% of the isolates, respectively. However, β-lactam resistance genes, bla TEM and bla SHV, were found in 44.3% and 13.1% of Aeromonas isolates, respectively, whereas strA-strB and aadA genes were found in 3.3% and 13.1% of the isolates, respectively.
Conclusion: This study, therefore, calls for continuous surveillance of antibiotic-resistant Aeromonas spp. in cultured freshwater fish to aid disease management and better understand their implications to public health.
Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted for two months (May - June 2020) among healthcare staff working in intensive care units (ICUs) and emergency units of the hospitals under National Guard Health Authority (NGHA) across five cities of Saudi Arabia. The study used the WHOQoL-BREF instrument to document the QWL through an electronic institutional survey. The data was analyzed through IBM SPSS version 23. The study was approved by an ethics committee.
Results: A total of 290 healthcare professionals responded to the survey. The mean overall quality of life score was 3.37 ± 0.97, general health = 3.66 ± 0.88, domains, i.e., physical = 11.67 ± 2.16, psychological = 13.08 ± 2.14, social = 13.22 ± 3.31 and environment = 12.38 ± 2.59. Respondents aged > 40 years, male gender, married status, being a physician and, having a work experience > 15 years and no extra working hours, had higher mean scores for several domains of Quality of life (QoL), overall QoL and general health (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The QWL among healthcare staff during COVID-19 pandemic was low. Demographic factors were mainly the determinants for a higher QWL while extra working hours was determinant of lower QWL. Despite the pandemic, no COVID-19 related variable affected the work life of healthcare staff.