scholarly journals Inpatient COVID-19 Mortality Rates: What are the predictors?

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Al-Amin ◽  
Md Nazmul Islam ◽  
Kate Li ◽  
Natalie E Sheils ◽  
John Buresh
Keyword(s):  
Registered Nurses ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Skilled Nursing ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
Staffing Levels ◽  
Annual Survey ◽  
Future Assessment ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Bed Capacity ◽  
Hospital Staffing

Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between registered nurses and hospital-based medical specialties staffing levels with inpatient COVID-19 mortality rates. Methods: We rely on data from AHA Annual Survey Database, Area Health Resource File, and UnitedHealth Group Clinical Discovery Database. We use linear regression to analyze the association between hospital staffing levels and bed capacity with inpatient COVID-19 mortality rates from March 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020. Results: Higher staffing levels of registered nurses, hospitalists, and emergency medicine physicians were associated with lower COVID-19 mortality rates. Moreover, a higher number of ICU and skilled nursing beds were associated with better patient outcomes. Hospitals located in urban counties with high infection rates had the worst patient mortality rates. Conclusion: Higher staffing levels are associated with lower inpatient mortality rates for COVID-19 patients. A future assessment is needed to establish benchmarks on the minimum staffing levels for nursing and hospital-based medical specialties during pandemics.

scholarly journals MPT64 assays for the rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xun-Jie Cao ◽  
Ya-Ping Li ◽  
Jia-Ying Wang ◽  
Jie Zhou ◽  
Xu-Guang Guo
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Rapid Detection ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Diagnostic Efficiency ◽  
Funnel Plot ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Diagnostic Technology ◽  
Commercial Kits

Abstract Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). An estimated 1.7 billion people worldwide are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (LTBI) during the incubation period without any obvious symptoms. Because of MTB’s high infection and mortality rates, there is an urgent need to develop a fast, portable, and sensitive diagnostic technology for its detection. Methods We included research from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase and extracted the data. MetaDisc and STATA were used to build forest plots, Deek’s funnel plot, Fagan plot, and bivariate boxplot for analysis. Results Forty-six articles were analyzed, the results of which are as follows: sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 (0.91–0.93) and 0.95 (0.94–0.95) respectively. The NLR and PLR were 0.04 (95% CI 0.03–0.07) and 25.32 (95% CI 12.38–51.78) respectively. DOR was 639.60 (243.04–1683.18). The area under the SROC curve (AUC) was 0.99. Conclusions MPT64 exhibits good diagnostic efficiency for MTB. There is no obvious heterogeneity between the three commercial kits.

scholarly journals The role of the social vulnerability index in personal protective equipment shortages, number of cases, and associated mortality during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Michigan skilled nursing facilities

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. LeRose ◽  
Courtney Merlo ◽  
Phong Duong ◽  
Kelsi Harden ◽  
Rebecca Rush ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Skilled Nursing Facilities ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Nursing Facilities ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Skilled Nursing ◽  
The Social

Abstract The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is used to stratify community need for support during disasters. We evaluated relationships between the SVI and personal protective equipment shortages, COVID-19 caseload, and mortality rates in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). In SVI quartile 4, personal protective equipment shortages were 2.3 times those in SNFs in quartile 1; COVID-19 case loads were 1.6 times those of SNFs in quartile 1; and mortality rates in were 1.9 times those of SNFs in SVI quartile 1.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Psychological Disorders in Patients with COVID-19 Syndrome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzin Bagheri Sheykhangafshe
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Treatment Process ◽  
Psychological Disorders ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
World Health ◽  
Definitive Treatment ◽  
High Infection ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

The coronavirus 2019 first broke out on December 17, 2019 in Wuhan, China, and on March 11, 2020, it was announced as a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. Despite nutritious diets and promising vaccines, health tips such as wearing a mask, social distancing, home quarantine, and not traveling are still the best ways to control the spread of COVID-19.While the widespread prevalence of COVID-19, severe restrictions, lack of definitive treatment, and the high infection and mortality rates have led to cognitive psychological disorders among the general population of the world. One of the epidemic consequences of COVID-19 syndrome in people who have defeated the coronavirus was psychological disorders. Considering the role of mental health in boosting the immune system, improving the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and accelerating the treatment process of patients, it is suggested that in the post-COVID era, more attention be paid to the psychological health of the community.

A study of nurses’ ethical climate perceptions

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Humphries ◽  
Martin Woods
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Registered Nurses ◽  
Nursing Staff ◽  
Ethical Climate ◽  
Moral Distress ◽  
Ethical Practice ◽  
Patient Throughput ◽  
Staffing Levels ◽  
Ethical Climates ◽  
The Impact

Background: Acting ethically, in accordance with professional and personal moral values, lies at the heart of nursing practice. However, contextual factors, or obstacles within the work environment, can constrain nurses in their ethical practice – hence the importance of the workplace ethical climate. Interest in nurse workplace ethical climates has snowballed in recent years because the ethical climate has emerged as a key variable in the experience of nurse moral distress. Significantly, this study appears to be the first of its kind carried out in New Zealand. Aim/objective: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how registered nurses working on a medical ward in a New Zealand hospital perceive their workplace ethical climate. Research design/participants/context: This was a small, qualitative descriptive study. Seven registered nurses were interviewed in two focus group meetings. An inductive method of thematic data analysis was used for this research. Ethical considerations: Ethics approval for this study was granted by the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s Central Regional Health and Disability Ethics Committee on 14 June 2012. Findings: The themes identified in the data centred on three dominant elements that – together – shaped the prevailing ethical climate: staffing levels, patient throughput and the attitude of some managers towards nursing staff. Discussion: While findings from this study regarding staffing levels and the power dynamics between nurses and managers support those from other ethical climate studies, of note is the impact of patient throughput on local nurses’ ethical practice. This issue has not been singled out as having a detrimental influence on ethical climates elsewhere. Conclusion: Moral distress is inevitable in an ethical climate where the organisation’s main priorities are perceived by nursing staff to be budget and patient throughput, rather than patient safety and care.

scholarly journals Severe COVID-19 in Alzheimer’s disease: APOE4’s fault again?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nian Xiong ◽  
Martin R. Schiller ◽  
Jingwen Li ◽  
Xiaowu Chen ◽  
Zhicheng Lin
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Related Gene ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Genetic Level ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Available Information

AbstractChallenges have been recognized in healthcare of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the COVID-19 pandemic, given a high infection and mortality rate of COVID-19 in these patients. This situation urges the identification of underlying risks and preferably biomarkers for evidence-based, more effective healthcare. Towards this goal, current literature review and network analysis synthesize available information on the AD-related gene APOE into four lines of mechanistic evidence. At a cellular level, the risk isoform APOE4 confers high infectivity by the underlying coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; at a genetic level, APOE4 is associated with severe COVID-19; at a pathway level, networking connects APOE with COVID-19 risk factors such as ACE2, TMPRSS2, NRP1, and LZTFL1; at a behavioral level, APOE4-associated dementia may increase the exposure to coronavirus infection which causes COVID-19. Thus, APOE4 could exert multiple actions for high infection and mortality rates of the patients, or generally, with COVID-19.

Who is left behind? The impact of place on the ability to follow Covid-19 restrictions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hjördís Rut Sigurjónsdóttir ◽  
◽  
Sandra Oliveira e Costa ◽  
Åsa Ström Hildestrand
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Immigrant Background ◽  
High Infection ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
The Impact ◽  
High Share

While the Nordic countries have long been champions of equality, the Covid-19 pandemic has put a new light on structural injustices inherent in our societies. In Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Malmö, districts with a high share of residents with an immigrant background and a low socio-economic status stand out with high infection and mortality rates of Covid-19. The pandemic thus reveals and reminds us about the serious effects of segregation and unequal living conditions on citizens’ health status and ability to cope with and survive a pandemic. This Extended summary is based on a quantitative and qualitative study aiming to identify structural barriers impacting residents’ ability to follow Covid-19 recommendations and guidelines, especially in low-income areas in major Nordic cities. Learning about these barriers - and effective measures taken to mitigate them - will help Nordic authorities and communities be better prepared for future challenges and crises.

scholarly journals All for One and One for All: Voluntary Physicians in the Intensive Medicine Units During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Spain

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Teresa Nunez-Villaveiran ◽  
Alejandro González-Castro ◽  
Emilio Nevado-Losada ◽  
Abelardo García-de-Lorenzo ◽  
Pau Garro
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Surge Capacity ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
Retrospective Survey ◽  
Bed Capacity ◽  
Care Capacity ◽  
Intensive Medicine

ABSTRACT Objectives: Our purpose was to determine the intensive care units’ (ICU’s) medical staff surge capacity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Spring 2020 in Spain. Methods: A multicenter retrospective survey was performed addressing the medical specialties present in the ICUs and the increase in bed capacity during this period. Results: Sixty-seven centers (62.04%) answered the questionnaire. The ICU bed capacity during the pandemic outbreak increased by 160% (95% confidence interval [CI], 128.97-191.03%). The average number of beds per intensive care medicine (ICM) specialist was 1.5 ± 0.60 and 3.71 ± 2.44 beds/specialist before and during the COVID-19 outbreak, respectively. Non-ICM specialists and residents were present in 50 (74.63%) and 23 (34.3%) ICUs during the outbreak, respectively. The number of physicians (ICM and non-ICM residents and specialists) in the ICU increased by 89.40% (95% CI, 64.26114.53%). The increase in ICM specialists was, however, 4.94% (95% CI, −1.35-11.23%). Most non-ICM physicians were anesthetists, followed by pediatricians and cardiologists. Conclusions: The majority of ICUs in our study were able to rapidly expand critical care capacity by adapting areas outside of the normal ICU to manage critically ill patients, and by extending the critical care staff with noncritical care physicians working as force multipliers.

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