METHODS: Orthopaedic surgeons nationwide were invited through email and text messages to answer an online self-administered questionnaire collecting demographic information, COVID-19 exposure experience, perception of risk, and impact on orthopaedic practice.
RESULTS: Of the respondents, 4.7% and 14.0% were involved in frontline treatment for COVID-19 patients with non-orthopaedic and orthopaedic problem, respectively. Respondents working in Ministry of Health had highest percentage of involvement as frontliner, 7.8% (8/103) and 20.4% (21/103) for non-orthopaedic and orthopaedic related COVID-19 treatment, respectively (not significant). Their main concern was an infection of family members (125/235, 53.2%). Majority of respondents were still working (223/235, 94.9%), running outpatient clinics (168/223, 75.3%), and continued with their semi-emergency (190/223, 85.2%) and emergency surgeries (213/223, 95.5%). Of the surgeons, 11.2% (25/223) did not screen their patients for COVID-19 prior to elective surgeries, 30.9% (69/223) did not have any training on proper handling of personal protective equipment (PPE), 84.8% (189/223) make decision to manage more conservatively due to COVID-19 and 61.9% (138/223) had their income affected. Of the surgeons, 19.3% (43/223) started using telehealth facilities.
CONCLUSION: Direct exposure to treatment of COVID-19 patients among the respondent is low and the main concern was infecting their family member. There are still several surgeons who did not conduct preoperative COVID-19 screening and practice without proper PPE training.
OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the leading causes of all-cause hospitalizations and their predictive factors in the Malaysian multi-ethnic SLE patients.
METHODS: This is a retrospective study involving 300 SLE patients. Demographic data and details of hospitalizations from the year 1988 until 2019 were reviewed. Baseline and latest disease activity (SLEDAI-2 K) and SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI) scores were evaluated. To be eligible for this study, their SLE diagnosis and disease duration was at least one year; this is to ensure that the baseline disease damages were measured at least after 6 months of diagnosis and subsequent disease damage indexes were captured.
RESULTS: Majority were of Chinese ethnicity 150 (50%). The cohort's median age was 48 (18-82) years and median disease duration was 13 (1-52) years. 133 (44.3%) had SDI score of ≥1 at baseline (early damage). 69 (23%) had developed new organ damage during this study period.There were 222 (74%) patients ever hospitalized from this cohort. The main cause of hospitalization was lupus flare which included concurrent infection (n = 415 admissions, 46%), followed by elective admissions for procedures and others (n = 284 admissions, 31.5%). Admissions for treatment and disease related complications were 13.8%. 8.7% of admissions were due to infections alone. Median length of stay for SLE-related cause admissions was longer compared to non-SLE related causes. Jointly predictive factors for hospitalization were anti-phospholipid syndrome (OR 5.82), anti-Smith (OR 6.30), anti-SSA (OR 3.37), serositis (OR 14.56), neurological (OR 5.52) and high baseline SDI (OR 1.74), all p
METHODS: With institutional approval, we prospectively surveyed parents of children admitted to our institution for major elective operations between November 2017 and November 2018, using convenience sampling. Patients aged 12 years and above were also invited. Each respondent completed an anonymized modification of a previously published survey on Internet usage. Chi squared tests were used for categorical data, with significance at P value