The Surgeon’s Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection During the Initial Peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New Orleans

2021 ◽  
pp. 000313482110110
Author(s):  
Tung V. Vu ◽  
Ashlyn M. Alongi ◽  
Christopher Chow ◽  
Clayton J. Brinster ◽  
Russell E. Brown ◽  
...  

Surgeons who care for patients with active SARS-CoV-2 infection represent a unique population of health care providers whose risk of infection has not been elucidated. The objective of this study was to examine SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among surgeons who cared for patients with active SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to other employees within our health care system and also the general public of New Orleans. 105 surgeons at our facilities provided direct surgical care to patients with active SARS-CoV-2 infection and underwent voluntary antibody testing. 2/105 (1.9% CI .2%-6.7%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. 13 343 hospital employees underwent antibody testing and 1066/13 343 (8.0% CI 7.5%-8.5%) tested positive (1.9% vs. 8.0%; P = .03). We saw a significantly lower SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among surgeons who directly cared for infected patients versus other hospital employees. When compared to community seroprevalence (6.9% CI 6.0%-8.0%), seroprevalence among our surgeons is also significantly lower (1.9% vs. 6.9%; P = .04).

Encyclopedia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1058-1075
Author(s):  
Phil B. Tsai ◽  
Hsiang-Ning Luk

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a respiratory syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2, can be transmitted through respiratory droplets and aerosols of droplet nuclei. Aerosol-generating medical procedures (AGMP) are needed to take care of critically ill patients but place health care providers at risk of infection. With limited supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), barrier systems were developed to help protect health care providers during tracheal intubation. The video intubating stylet shows promise to become the preferred intubation device in conjunction with plastic sheet barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic.


1986 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 448-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherman J. Alter ◽  
Jeanne A. Hammond ◽  
Carol J. McVey ◽  
Martin G. Myers

AbstractThe adult health care provider who is susceptible to varicella zoster virus (VZV) represents a risk to her or himself and to patients. Nineteen percent of employees at this Children's Hospital had no or uncertain prior experience with VZV, and of these, 28% were found to be VZV susceptible, representing 5% of the total population of 2,730 hospital employees. During the 12 months of study, six of the potential 135 to 137 VZV-susceptible individuals acquired varicella. VZV-susceptible health care providers should be aware of their potential to both acquire and transmit VZV.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1136-1143
Author(s):  
Gian Carlo S Torres ◽  
John Rey B Macindo

Surgical experience is increasingly being recognized; however, Consumer Assessment of Health-Care Providers and Systems Surgical Care Survey (S-CAHPS), the tool for surgical experience, is available in English and Spanish only. To measure surgical experience among Filipinos, a culturally appropriate version should be validated. This study culturally adapted the S-CAHPS into Filipino. A five-step cross-cultural validation study was conducted. Language experts conducted forward translation, back translation, and panel reconciliation. Pretesting included content validation and pretesting of the Filipino S-CAHPS. Field testing involved 55 purposively selected postoperative patients who completed a 3-part survey from March to July 2018. The English S-CAHPS was reduced to 34 items to account cultural variations, yielding an item content validity index (I-CV) of 1.00. One-sample t test and Bland–Altman plots showed good linguistic equivalence. Correlation coefficients were ≥0.30, suggestive of good conceptual equivalence. Cronbach’s alpha values were 0.83 and 0.85 indicative of good reliability. The Filipino S-CAHPS showed acceptable psychometric properties. It is a valid and culturally appropriate instrument to measure surgical experience among Filipinos which can be utilized for quality improvement measures on both practice and policy levels.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 56-59
Author(s):  
Joseph F. Drazkowski

AbstractPeople with epilepsy live and struggle every day with social issues that are relatively minor for people without epilepsy. Apprehension about securing and maintaining one's job or getting a driver's license is significantly greater for the person with epilepsy. Misconceptions held by the general public about epilepsy contribute to and often compound the difficulties and fears experienced by people with epilepsy. Because different people in society react to seizures in different ways, it is important to foster a supportive environment for people with epilepsy. This can be achieved by health care providers and families of people with epilepsy, who can help minimize the negative and inaccurate perceptions that are prevalent regarding people with epilepsy, and maximize their opportunities to integrate successfully into society.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Dragic ◽  
Vivan Pham ◽  
Albert Wertheimer

Pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers to the general public. Pharmacists are experts in helping patients get the most out of today’s complicated medications. Pharmacists ensure safe and effective use of medications. The American Pharmacists Association pitched a campaign, “Know your medicine, know your pharmacist.” Before one can know their medicine, one must know their pharmacist. This study was conducted to see whether older or younger and male verse female patients knew their pharmacist’s name better in the Philadelphia area, as a pilot study.   Type: Commentary


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-67
Author(s):  
Ellen Block

COVID-19 has overwhelmed health-care providers. The virus is novel in its prevalence, severity and the risk of asymptomatic infection. In order to reduce the risk of infection and stop the spread of COVID-19, clinicians in hospitals across the United States are taking measures to limit exposure to infected patients by reducing the frequency of visits to patients’ rooms, touching patients less, and adopting new protocols around the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). While these newly adopted practices are helping to reduce transmission risk of COVID-19, they are producing a habitus of infection; an acute shift among clinicians that is deeply embodied and likely to have a permanent impact on the health and wellbeing of both providers and already isolated patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Margaret Ajiko ◽  
Jenny Löfgren ◽  
Solvig Ekblad

AbstractFive billion people lack timely, affordable access to surgery. A large proportion of these are children. Qualitative research investigating the barriers to surgical care for children and ways of overcoming them is lacking. This study focused on children with hernia, a very common paediatric surgical condition for which surgery is the only effective treatment. The main aim of this qualitative study was to explore barriers to surgical care for children and identify potential solutions. Data were collected from parents of children with hernia and from health care providers at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital in eastern Uganda. Parents’ experiences, motives and barriers when accessing care were explored. The health care providers’ knowledge, perceptions and practices relating to children with hernia were investigated. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Traditional beliefs and gender inequality were considered major issues. Possible solutions included partnering with the local community in efforts to increase knowledge and acceptability in the community in general and by parents in particular. A formation of a surgical team dedicated to the management of children with surgical conditions was suggested as way to improve quality and increase volume of surgery for children.


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