Mask-associated ‘de novo’ headache in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesThe pandemic caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed care activities of health professionals. We analysed the possible association between the appearance of ‘de novo’ headache according to the type of mask used, the related factors and the impact of the cephalalgia on health professionals.MethodsCross-sectional study in a tertiary hospital in Extremadura, Spain. We provided an online questionnaire to healthcare workers during the period of maximum incidence of COVID-19 in our setting.ResultsThe subjects are n=306, 244 women (79.7%), with an average age of 43 years (range 23–65). Of the total, 129 (42.2%) were physicians, 112 (36.6%) nurses and 65 (21.2%) other health workers. 208 (79.7%) used surgical masks and 53 (20.3%) used filter masks. Of all those surveyed, 158 (51.6%) presented ‘de novo’ headache. The occurrence of a headache was independently associated with the use of a filter mask, OR 2.14 (95% CI 1.07 to 4.32); being a nurse, OR 2.09 (95% CI 1.18 to 3.72) or another health worker, OR 6.94 (95% CI 3.01 to 16.04); or having a history of asthma, OR 0.29 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.89). According to the type of mask used, there were differences in headache intensity, and the impact of a headache in the subjects who used a filter mask was worse in all the aspects evaluated.ConclusionThe appearance of ‘de novo’ headache is associated with the use of filter masks and is more frequent in certain healthcare workers, causing a greater occupational, family, personal and social impact.

Download Full-text

Mask-associated de novo headache in healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

10.1101/2020.08.07.20167957 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jose M Ramirez-Moreno ◽

David Ceberino ◽

Alberto Gonzalez ◽

Belen Rebollo ◽

Pablo Macias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Social Impact ◽

De Novo ◽

Health Workers ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Introduction: The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to changes in the development of health care activities by health professionals. We analysed whether there is an association between the appearance of de novo headache according to the type of mask used, the related factors, as well as the impact of the headache on health professionals. Method: cross-sectional study in a tertiary hospital in Extremadura, Spain. We administered an online questionnaire to healthcare workers during the period of maximum incidence of COVID-19 in our setting. Results: n=306, 244 women (79.7%), with an average age of 43 years (range 23-65). Of the total, 129 (42.2%) were physicians, 112 (36.6%) nurses and 65 (21.2%) other health workers. 208 (79.7%) used surgical masks and 53 (20.3%) used filtering masks. Of all those surveyed, 158 (51.6%) presented de novo headache. The occurrence of headache was independently associated with the use of a filtering mask, OR 2.14 (IC95% 1.07-4.32), being a nurse OR 2.09 (IC95% 1.18-3.72) or another health worker OR 6.94 (IC95% 3.01-16.04) or having a history of asthma OR 0.29 (IC95% 0.09-0.89). Depending on the type of mask used there were differences in headache intensity. And the impact of headache in the subjects who used a filtering mask was worse in the all aspects evaluated. Conclusions: The appearance of de novo headache is associated with the use of filtering masks and is more frequent in certain health care workers, causing a greater occupational, family, personal and social impact.

Download Full-text

Predictors of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests’ Utilisation Among Healthcare Workers in Zamfara State

10.1101/363697 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Usman Rabi ◽

Ahmad A. Umar ◽

Saheed Gidado ◽

A.A Gobir ◽

Izuchukwu F. Obi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Health ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Diagnostic Testing ◽

Study Data ◽

Good Knowledge ◽

Health Extension Workers ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Influencing

AbstractIntroductionEarly diagnosis and prompt and effective treatment is one of the pillars of malaria control Malaria case management guidelines recommend diagnostic testing before treatment using malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (mRDT) or microscopy and this was adopted in Nigeria in 2010. However, despite the deployment of mRDT, the use of mRDTs by health workers varies by settings. This study set out to assess factors influencing utilisation of mRDT among healthcare workers in Zamfara State, Nigeria.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out among 306 healthcare workers selected using multistage sampling from six Local Government Areas between January and February 2017. Mixed method was used for data collection. A pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on knowledge, use of mRDT and factors influencing utilization. An observational checklist was used to assess the availability of mRDT in the six months prior to this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as means and proportions. Association between mRDT use and independent variables was tested using Chi square while multiple regression was used to determine predictors of use at 5% level of significance.ResultsMean age of respondents was 36.0 ± 9.4years. Overall, 198 (64.7%) of health workers had good knowledge of mRDT; malaria RDT was available in 33 (61.1%) facilities. Routine use of mRDT was reported by 253 (82.7%) healthcare workers. This comprised 89 (35.2%) laboratory scientists/technicians, 89 (35.2%) community health extension workers/community health officers; 59 (23.3%) nurses and 16 (6.3%) doctors. Predictors of mRDT utilisation were good knowledge of mRDT (adjusted OR (aOR):3.3, CI: 1.6-6.7), trust in mRDT results (aOR: 4.0, CI: 1.9 - 8.2), having being trained on mRDT (aOR: 2.7, CI: 1.2 - 6.6), and provision of free mRDT (aOR: 2.3, CI: 1.0 - 5.0).ConclusionThis study demonstrated that healthcare worker utilisation of mRDT was associated with health worker and health system-related factors that are potentially modifiable. There is need to sustain training of healthcare workers on benefits of using mRDT and provision of free mRDT in health facilities.

Download Full-text

Culture of Blame—An Ongoing Burden for Doctors and Patient Safety

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16234826 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (23) ◽

pp. 4826 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ognjen Brborović ◽

Hana Brborović ◽

Iskra Alexandra Nola ◽

Milan Milošević

Keyword(s):

Patient Safety ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Patient Safety Culture ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Single Item ◽

Shortage Of Doctors ◽

The Impact

Introduction: Every procedure in healthcare carries a certain degree of inherent unsafety resulting from problems in practice, which might lead to a healthcare adverse event (HAE). It is very important, and even mandatory, to report HAE. The point of HAE reporting is not to blame the person, but to learn from the HAE in order to prevent future HAEs. Study question: Our aim was to examine the prevalence and the impact of culture of blame on health workers’ health. Methods: A cross-sectional study on healthcare workers at two Croatian hospitals was conducted using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (PSC). Results: The majority of PSC dimensions in both hospitals were high. Among the dimensions, Hospital Handoffs and Transitions and Overall Perceptions of Safety had the highest values. The Nonpunitive Response to Error dimension had low values, indicating the ongoing culture of blame. The Staffing dimension had low values, indicating the ongoing shortage of doctors and nurses. Discussion: We found inconsistencies between a single-item measure and PSC dimensions. It was expected that Frequency of Events Reported (PSC dimension) relates to Number of Events Reported (single-item measure). However, in our study, the relations between these pairs of measures were different between hospitals. Our results indicate the ongoing culture of blame. Healthcare workers do not report HAE because they fear they will be punished by management or by law.

Download Full-text

Stress and turnover intention among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia during the time of COVID-19: Can social support play a role?

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0258101 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. e0258101

Author(s):

Khalid Al-Mansour

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Turnover Intention ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Regression Weight ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

The turnover intention of healthcare workers is a threat to the competence of health services, especially during COVID-19 time. This study aimed to investigate the association between stress and turnover intention among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia and whether social support could affect this association. In this cross-sectional study, healthcare workers in primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia responded to an online questionnaire assessing their sociodemographic and occupational history, stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and turnover intention within the next few months. Path analysis was conducted to assess the mediating effect of social support on the association between stress and turnover intention. A total of 1101 healthcare workers (242 physicians, 340 nurses, 310 paramedics, and 209 administrative workers) participated in this study. The path between stress and support had a significant standardized regression weight (-.34, p < .05). The path between support and turnover had a significant standardized regression weight (.08, p < .05). The standardized total effect of stress on turnover without the impact of support was significant (-.39, p < .05). The direct effect of stress on turnover with the presence of support was significant (-.36, p < .05). The indirect effect of stress on turnover with the presence of support was significant (-.03, p < .05). Thus, there is evidence to show that support mediates the relationship between stress and support. Stress is associated with turnover intention among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia. Social support had a mitigating effect on the relationship between stress and turnover intention.

Download Full-text

Difficulties Faced by the Healthcare Workers Wearing Personal Protective Equipments in COVID-19 Pandemic during Summers of Mumbai City

JOURNAL FOR CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH ◽

10.7860/jcdr/2021/48514.15192 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Swanit Hemant Deshpande ◽

Sudatta Waghmare ◽

Hiteshi Jain ◽

Swarika Hemant Deshpande

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

De Novo ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Excessive Sweating ◽

Tropical Country ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Unique Challenge ◽

History Of ◽

Almost All

Introduction: The coronavirus pandemic poses a massive challenge for the healthcare system and overburdens the Healthcare Workers (HCWs) in a developing country like India. The coronavirus may survive on various surfaces and/or aerosols for hours to days, making it a necessity to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while treating infected patients. Wearing the PPE is often uncomfortable while working, more so in the summer season, when the temperatures in a tropical country like India are soaring. Aim: To identify, quantify and highlight the difficulties faced by the HCWs while wearing PPEs. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2020, by a team of researchers working in a government owned designated Coronavirus Disease- 2019 (COVID-19) hospital in metropolitan city, West India. The questionnaire was prepared for a multicentre survey for 230 HCWs who had used PPE kits during their COVID-19 duties. The online questionnaire responses were recorded in an Microsoft Excel sheet and the results were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 19.0. Results: Total 230 responses were received out of which 74% were doctors, 21.7% nurses and 4.3% paramedical staff. The mean duration of work was 6.24 hours and per duty one, PPE was used by almost all of the respondents. The most common difficulty faced by the responders while on duty was excessive sweating (96%/n-221), itching of the nose (56%/n-129) and face (50.9%/n-117). While after the duty 61.7% of respondents reported being dehydrated and 68.2% complained of de novo headache. In a subset with a history of migraine, almost all reported worsening of migraine with increased frequency and severity of attacks. Many (40%) reported occasionally lowering the masks or face shield due to unbearable heat, risking self- contamination. Conclusion: The PPEs in current use and in the hot and humid conditions of summer months in tropical countries poses a unique challenge for the HCWs. Customisation of PPEs and working conditions is essential in the mitigation of the problems faced by the HCWs.

Download Full-text

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of nursing students in Japan: protocol for a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055916 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e055916

Author(s):

Jun Kako ◽

Yoshiyasu Ito ◽

Kohei Kajiwara ◽

Yasutaka Kimura ◽

Takahiro Kakeda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Large Scale ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Self Report ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic is spreading globally with a high risk of mortality. It is also significantly affecting mental health. For nursing students, the impact of COVID-19 on mental health is predicted to be significant; however, sufficient data have not been obtained. Therefore, this study will aim to assess the mental health of nursing students and evaluate the related factors.Methods and analysisThis proposed study is a cross-sectional survey using a self-report questionnaire. An online questionnaire will be distributed among all nursing students of eight universities in Japan. The survey questionnaire will consist of questions related to demography, life satisfaction, fear of COVID-19, mental health and physical activities. The target sample size is 1300 nursing students. We will calculate descriptive statistics for each measurement item and perform univariate and logistic regression analyses to evaluate the potential risk factors for anxiety, depression and insomnia symptoms in nursing students. The strength of association will be assessed using the OR and its 95% CIs. Statistical significance will be set at a p<0.05.Ethics and disseminationThe protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Hyogo on 22 March 2021 (ID: 2020F29). In addition, all of the participating facilities required ethical approval from their local IRBs. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. We believe that the proposed large-scale investigation of the mental health of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the relationship between mental health and fear of COVID-19 are novel and will be a strength of this study.

Download Full-text

Health professionals' overestimation of knowledge on snakebite management, a threat to the survival of snakebite victims—A cross-sectional study in Ghana

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0008756 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. e0008756

Author(s):

Evans Paul Kwame Ameade ◽

Isaac Bonney ◽

Evans Twumasi Boateng

Keyword(s):

Health Professionals ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

De Novo ◽

Health Workers ◽

Physician Assistants ◽

World Health ◽

Knowledge Level ◽

Medical Doctors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Service Training

Background According to the World Health Organization, snakebites, a common occupational hazard in developing countries accounts for an annual loss of between 81,000 and 138, 000 lives following 5 million bites of which 2.7 million results in envenomation. Since snakebite-associated morbidity and mortality are more prevalent in agricultural economies such as Ghana, health professionals should be optimally knowledgeable on how to manage the incidence of snakebites. Lack of knowledge or overestimation of a professional's knowledge can affect heath delivery especially for emergencies such as snakebites. The three rurally situated Tongu districts in South-Eastern Ghana with agriculture as the major source of livelihood for their inhabitants, are prone to snakebites. This study, therefore, brings up the need to assess whether the health professionals in these districts are well-equipped knowledge-wise to handle such emergencies and whether they can rightly estimate their knowledge with regards to snakebite management. Methodology/Principal findings Data was collected using a de novo semi-structured questionnaire administered through google form whose link was sent via WhatsApp to 186 health workers made up of nurses, midwives, physician assistants, medical doctors, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians. This data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25. Association between variables was determined using the appropriate tools where necessary, using a confidence interval of 95% and significance assumed when p ≤ 0.05. This study found male health workers significantly more knowledgeable about snakebite management (11.53±5.67 vs 9.64±5.46; p = 0.022) but it was the females who overestimated their knowledge level (27.9% vs 24.1%). The medical doctors exhibited the best knowledge on snakebite management with the registered general nurses least knowledgeable. Although most professionals overestimated their knowledge, the registered general nurses were the worst at that (53.7%). Overall knowledge of health care professionals on snakebite management was below average [10.60±5.62/22 (48.2%)] but previous in-service training and involvement in the management of snakebite were associated with better knowledge. Respondents who had no previous training overestimated their knowledge level compared to those who had some post-qualification training on snakebite management (38.1% vs 7.5%). The greatest knowledge deficit of respondents was on the management of ASV associated adverse reactions. Conclusion Health workers in rural Ghana overestimated their knowledge about snakebite management although their knowledge was low. Training schools, therefore, need to incorporate snakebite management in their curriculum and health authorities should also expose health workers to more in-service training on this neglected tropical disease.

Download Full-text

Dental Students in Germany throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Psychological Assessment and Cross-Sectional Survey

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10070611 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 611

Author(s):

Mohamed Mekhemar ◽

Sameh Attia ◽

Christof Dörfer ◽

Jonas Conrad

Keyword(s):

Financial Risk ◽

Female Gender ◽

Dental Students ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Features ◽

The Impact ◽

German Universities

Multiple investigations have reported high psychological distress among students since the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak started. This survey examined the associations between psychological features, and several demographic and social factors among dental students in German universities. Dental students registered in German universities nationwide were asked to join this survey via a self-directed online questionnaire, from July 2020 to January 2021. This study assembled data on demographic statistics, the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS-21), and the impact of events scale—revised (IES-R) instrument. The relationships between demographic-related variables and mental consequences of depression, anxiety, stress, intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal were inspected. Two hundred and eleven students contributed to the questionnaire and conveyed overall normal or mild outcomes of depression, anxiety, stress, intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. In addition, female gender, cardiovascular diseases, smoking habits, and seeing the COVID-19 outbreak as a financial risk were stated as significant related factors (p < 0.05), with increased IES-R and DASS-21 scores. These results highlight the features that should be considered to better protect dental students’ mental health in German universities during the crisis.

Download Full-text

Factors associated with the stigma-discrimination complex towards healthcare workers among university students during the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico

10.1101/2021.03.14.21253547 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Carlos Arturo Cassiani-Miranda ◽

Isabel Álvarez-Solorza ◽

Adalberto Campo-Arias ◽

Yinneth Andrea Arismendy-López ◽

Andrés Felipe Tirado-Otálvaro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Probabilistic Sampling ◽

Related Stigma ◽

Prevalence Ratios

AbstractThe COVID-19-related stigma towards healthcare workers negatively influences their performance and job satisfaction, and well-being. The frequency of COVID-19-related stigma towards healthcare workers and its associated factors has not been sufficiently investigated. The objective was to determine the frequency and variables associated with COVID-19-related stigmatisation towards health workers in emerging-age university adults in Mexico. Analytical and cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire in 1,054 students between 18 and 29 years of age. Demographic variables, religiosity, fear of COVID-19 and stigma-discrimination related to COVID-19 towards healthcare workers were analysed. The latter was set as the dependent variable, while demographic variables, religiosity and high fear of COVID-19 were the independent variables. For the association between the variables, a binomial and logarithmic generalised linear model was designed to calculate the adjusted prevalence ratios. The proportion of high stigma-discrimination was 12.4%, and this was associated with a high fear of COVID-19 (APR 1.51, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.23). The main limitations were the cross-sectional nature, social desirability bias, non-probabilistic sampling. The results highlight the importance of establishing programmes to reduce COVID-19-related stigmatisation towards healthcare workers.

Download Full-text

Predictors of black fungus fear during the COVID-19 pandemic among the Bangladeshi health workers: a cross-sectional study

10.1101/2021.07.03.21259961 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Md. Kamrul Hasan ◽

Humayun Kabir ◽

Mamunur Rahman ◽

Anjan Kumar Roy ◽

Dipak Kumar Mitra

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Health Workers ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Average Score ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional

Background: Raised of mucormycosis or black fungus cases middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, fear associated with black fungus may turn out to be a terrifying public health issue. This study aimed to assess the association between the fear and knowledge of black fungus and other determinants among healthcare workers in Bangladesh. Methods: From 25th May 2021 to 5th June 2021, a cross-sectional study was carried out among healthcare workers. For data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic, a semi-structured online questionnaire was used followed by convenient and snowball sampling methods. A multivariable linear regression model was fitted to assess the association between the fear and knowledge of black fungus and other determinants. Results: A total of 422 healthcare workers participated in this study. The results indicated that with the increased knowledge score of black fungus, the average score of black fungus fear was significantly increased (β = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.50, p <0.001). Alongside, the respondents having insomnia had a higher score of black fungus fear compare to not having insomnia (β = 3.91, 95% CI: 2.49, 5.33, p <0.001) significantly. The gender, profession, and death due to COVID-19 of friends and family members had a significant effect on black fungus fear score increment. Conclusion: Even in the COVID-19 pandemic, the black fungus fear among healthcare workers may hinder their quality of life. Our study findings recommend an emphasis on the mental health aspects and ensure support to the healthcare workers so that they can tackle the ongoing situation with lesser frictions. Keywords: Mucormycosis, black fungus, COVID-19, fear, knowledge, insomnia, health workers.

Download Full-text