scholarly journals Outcomes of Hydroxyurea Dose Adjustment Via Telehealth

Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 24-24
Author(s):  
Sarah Shaner ◽  
Lee M Hilliard ◽  
Thomas H. Howard ◽  
Brandi Pernell ◽  
Smita Bhatia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Dose Adjustment ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Clinic Visit ◽  
Pain Clinic ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Academic Center ◽  
Clinic Visits

The UAB Pediatric Sickle Cell Clinic cares for patients at both an academic center and satellite clinics. One difference in clinics is that CBC results are not available at the time of patient care during satellite clinics, but are available at the academic center. Therefore, hydroxyurea (HU) dosing adjustments are made within seven days through telehealth; after reviewing faxed CBC results, a sickle cell nurse calls families and educates them on any revised HU dosing plans and reinforces adherence to HU. We hypothesized that this type of telehealth HU dosing adjustments would not impact HU laboratory response. Methods: We performed a one-year retrospective review of 172 HbSS and HbSB0 thalassemia patients prescribed HU during 2019 that were cared for in both the academic center (Birmingham) and satellite clinics (Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Opelika). We excluded patients on HU and a second sickle cell disease modifying therapy. We abstracted from the EMR: age, sex, clinic location, diagnosis, HU dose (mg/kg), WBC, Hb, MCV, Platelets, Absolute Reticulocyte, HbF, and ANC. We recorded the total number of well-clinic visits and categorized clinic visit/year as ≤ 2or >2; satellite clinic visits are fixed either monthly to every three months which limited our ability to reschedule patients with missed visits. We also recorded the number of ED visits and admissions to the hospital for a) pain and b) all sickle cell complications except for scheduled procedures. We collected acute visit data from the EMR at the academic center for onsite participants and from patient report from satellite participants. We evaluated dosing adjustment as whether dosing was increased for ANC > 4000 per institutional standard of care. We categorized correct dosing adjustments if > 65% of visits had a dose adjustment per institutional protocol; we categorized patients as a deviation from protocol if the physician did not increase the dose based on ANC. We performed descriptive statistics, t-test for continuous variables, chi-square for categorical variables, and regression modeling using JMP Pro 14 (Cary, NC). P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the 172 participants was 11±5 years, mean Hb was 8.5±1.1g/dL, mean MCV was 91.3±10.1 fL, mean HbF% was 12.7±6.7, and mean ANC was 4.9±2.3. Fifty two percent of participants were female. We identified 107 participants prescribed HU at the academic center and 65 participants from satellite clinics. We identified no significant differences in HU monitoring laboratory values for Hb (p=0.6), MCV (p=0.7), HbF (p=0.13), ANC (p=0.9) by clinic location. We did not identify a difference in sex of participants by clinic location (p=0.9); also, HbF% (p=0.6) and HU dose (p=0.3) were not associated with sex. We did not identify a difference in all admissions to the hospital (p=0.5) or pain admissions to the hospital (p=0.6) between academic center vs. satellite clinic patients. However, academic center patients did have a higher number of acute pain visits (p=0.03) to either the ED or UAB pediatric pain clinic. As expected, among all participants, non-adherence to HU (HbF <5%) was associated with the highest number of admissions (p=0.02). Among 149 patients with more than one clinic visit, 97 (65%) patients had more than 65% of clinic visits with a correct dose adjustment; we identified no statistical difference in correct dosing adjustment deviations among Birmingham patients (67%) and satellite clinic patients (62%, p=0.5). Patients cared for at the academic center had a statistically higher number of clinic visits (p=0.01) and more patients that attended >2 clinic visits. HbF response was significantly associated with clinic visits (p=0.03). Finally, HbF response was significantly inversely correlated with age (p=0.003). Adjusting for clinic location, number of clinic visits, and age, HbF % was associated with age (p=0.006) and clinic visits (p=0.006), but not associated with clinic location. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that telehealth for HU dosing provided a similar level of HU response to in-person HU dosing adjustments. This finding importantly suggests that telehealth for monitoring and adjusting HU in patients with poor access to a Pediatric Hematologist or during a pandemic should not impact HU response. Strategies to improve overall adherence need prospective evaluation at our institution, but are not related to telehealth dosing of HU. Disclosures Lebensburger: Novartis: Consultancy.

Abstract 17063: Enhanced Prediction of Heart Failure 30-Day Readmission Risk With Four Readily-Available Clinical Variables

Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Wettersten ◽  
Machelle Wilson ◽  
Kathleen Tong ◽  
Javier E López
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
P Value ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Clinical Predictors ◽  
Clinical Variables ◽  
Academic Center ◽  
Multivariate Prediction ◽  
Readmission Risk

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) readmissions, with ~25% within 30 days of discharge, can be reduced with costly post-hospitalization interventions. Determining which patients will benefit from these interventions remains a critical challenge. Hypothesis: We aimed to devise a simple model to predict 30-day HF readmission risk. Methods: Patients ≥21 years of age admitted for HF to a single academic center from July 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2009 were identified by billing codes for HF. Patients were excluded if they died within 90 days, were transferred, discharged to hospice or prison, or later admitted electively or for a surgical emergency not related to HF. Demographics, co-morbidities, laboratories, vitals, and discharge medications (27 variables) were tested as predictors for risk of 30 day readmission. First, independent univariate testing of categorical variables was performed utilizing a retention p-value of < 0.2. Next, continuous variables and retained categorical variables were tested in a multivariable model with retention of variables with p-value < 0.1. False discovery rate was controlled by the method of Benjamini and Hochberg. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS® software version 9.3. Results: Of 1253 HF admissions, 657 (55.8% men, age 60.9 ± 13.8 men, 66.8 ± 14.5 women) met criteria with complete data. Twenty percent were readmitted within 30 days. Odds for readmission increased 1.6% for every 100 pg/ml increase in BNP (p=0.082), 5.6% for each additional discharge medication (p=0.003), 200% if not discharged on an ACE-I/ARB (p=0.001), and 7% for every 10 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure at discharge compared to admission (p=0.078). Conclusion: One laboratory value and 3 clinical variables were predictive of 30-day HF readmission risk in a multivariate prediction model. The 3 clinical predictors provoke the idea that “in hospital” care is a predictor and potential target for intervention to reduce 30-day readmission risk. Future validation studies should help define standard-of-care interventions that could still be improved to reduce readmission rates in HF patients as well as address the relative cost of more intense hospital interventions over outpatient interventions.

scholarly journals Relationship of Hydroxychloroquine and Ophthalmic Complications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 8154
Author(s):  
Hung-Chih Chen ◽  
Hung-Yu Lin ◽  
Michael Chia-Yen Chou ◽  
Yu-Hsun Wang ◽  
Pui-Ying Leong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Conditional Logistic Regression ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Case Group ◽  
Research Database ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Increased Risk

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) via the national health insurance research database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. All patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (n = 47,353) in the NHIRD (2000–2012) were enrolled in the study. The case group consists of participants with diabetic ophthalmic complications; 1:1 matching by age (±1 year old), sex, and diagnosis year of diabetes was used to provide an index date for the control group that corresponded to the case group (n = 5550). Chi-square test for categorical variables and Student’s t-test for continuous variables were used. Conditional logistic regression was performed to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of DR. The total number of HCQ user was 99 patients (1.8%) in the case group and 93 patients (1.7%) in the control group. Patients with hypertension (aOR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.11–1.31) and hyperlipidemia (aOR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.52–1.79) significantly increased the risk of diabetic ophthalmic complications (p < 0.001). Conversely, the use of HCQ and the presence of rheumatoid diseases did not show any significance in increased risk of DR. HCQ prescription can improve systemic glycemic profile, but it does not decrease the risk of diabetic ophthalmic complications.

scholarly journals POS0942 THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF UNDIAGNOSED DEPRESSION IN AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHROPARTHY: RESULTS OF A SCREENING STUDY

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 734.1-734
Author(s):  
S. Maguire ◽  
F. B. O’shea
Keyword(s):  
Disease Activity ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Clinic Visit ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
P Value ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Numerical Result ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Patient Reported

Background:Previous research in axial spondyloarthropathy(axSpA) has shown this population to have a high prevalence of depression. This co-morbidity has been previously shown to impact disease activity in patients with rheumatic disease.Objectives:The purpose of this study was to screen for early signs of depression using two validated tools, the Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for depression (HADs-D) in patients with known axSpA.Methods:AxSpA patients attending the Rheumatology department in St James’ Hospital between February and October 2020 were invited to take a self-administered survey which included the PHQ-9 and the HADs-D. Scores from the HADs-D yielded a numerical result which was then categorised as normal, borderline or abnormal. PHQ-9 numerical results were categorised as normal, mild, moderate, moderate/severe or severe. Patients with a known diagnosis of depression were excluded. In addition to baseline demographics, patient reported outcomes from the clinic visit were also recorded.Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 26. Continuous variables were recorded as means, categorical variables as frequencies with percentages. A one-way analysis of variance analysis (ANOVA) was used to determine significance of variation in outcomes between patient outcomes as determined by the HADs-D and PHQ-9. A p-value of <0.05 was deemed significant. Consent was obtained prior to participation. Approval was received from the St James’/Tallaght Hospital Joint Ethics Committee.Results:In total 71 axSpA patients took part in the survey. The population was 70.4%(50) males and 29.5%(21) female, with an average age 47.9 years and mean disease duration 19.7 years (mean outcomes: BASDAI 4.08, BASFI 3.62, BASMI 3.54, ASQoL 6.79). Overall, 7 (9.9%) participants recorded abnormal HADs-D scores, while 17 (23.9%) recorded moderate to severe PHQ-9 scores indicative of underlying depression. AxSpA females had higher mean HADs-D scores (7.5 vs 4.8, p=0.01) than males, with abnormal scores in 19%(4) of females and 6% (3) of males. No significant differences were found in PHQ-9 scores between genders.Analysis revealed significantly worse BASDAI (6.27 vs 3.42, p<0.01) and AQoL scores (12.57 vs 5.26, p<0.01) in axSpA patients with abnormal compared to normal HADs-D scores. No significant differences were noted in BASFI, BASMI or baseline demographics. A similar pattern was noted on analysis of PHQ-9 scores, with significantly worse BASDAI (7.9 vs 2.55, p<0.01), BASFI (8.05 vs 2.33, p<0.01) and ASQoL (19.5 vs 2.62, p<0.01) noted in those scoring as severe compared to normal. No significant differences were detected in BASMI scores or baseline demographics.Conclusion:A high percentage of axSpA patients recorded high HADs-D and PHQ-9 scores concerning for undiagnosed depression. These patients were noted to have significantly worse disease activity and quality of life as compared to patients with normal scores. Clinicians treating axSpA should consider screening for depression in this population.Disclosure of Interests:Sinead Maguire Speakers bureau: Speaker fee from Jassen, Grant/research support from: Recipient of the Gilead Inflammation Fellowship Grant, Finbar Barry O’Shea: None declared

scholarly journals 350. Neurocysticercosis – Gender Differences in Clinical Presentations

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S244-S244
Author(s):  
Bharath Pendyala ◽  
Prasanth Lingamaneni ◽  
Patricia DeMarais ◽  
Lakshmi Warrior ◽  
Gregory Huhn
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Diagnostic Code ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Generalized Seizures ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Reported Data

Abstract Background Neurocysticercosis is a Neglected Tropical Disease and an important public health issue. Our goal was to collect and analyze data regarding clinically significant gender differences among our Neurocysticercosis patients. Methods A retrospective chart search with ICD 9/ ICD 10 diagnostic code for Neurocysticercosis and neuroimaging suggestive of Neurocysticercosis was performed for clinical encounters in the hospital or affiliated clinics between years 2013–2018. After a careful chart review, patients who were clinically diagnosed with Neurocysticercosis were included in the study. T-test was used to compare means of continuous variables and chi-square test to compare proportions of categorical variables. Results Among 90 total patients included, male (49.4%) and female (50.6%) distribution were nearly identical. The mean age in females was found to be higher than males (52.5 vs 42.0, P &lt; 0.0001). Almost an equal number of males and females presented with either seizures (63.6% vs 57.8%, P= 0.85), headaches (25.0% vs 28.9%, p= 0.85), or other symptoms (11.4% vs 13.3%, p= 0.85). Males had more generalized seizures compared to females (60% vs 38%, P= 0.37), although this result was not statistically significant. Females were more likely to present with &gt; 1 lesion (82.2% vs 56.8%, P= 0.01). Males were more likely to have cystic lesions (64.7% vs 27.9%, P &lt; 0.001) compared to females who had more calcified lesions on presentation (65.1% vs 20.6%, P &lt; 0.001). Male patients were more likely to have contrast enhancement or edema surrounding the lesions (61.4% vs 33.3%, P= 0.01) and were more likely to require treatment with Albendazole/Praziquantel (75.8% vs 31.7%, P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion Although previously reported data is limited, there is a suggestion that there are gender differences in host immune response and that inflammation surrounding parenchymal lesions is more intense in females. This study suggests that men either present early in the disease phase or have different immune responses than women and require anti-parasitic therapy more frequently. More research in this aspect is needed. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Testing telediagnostic obstetric ultrasound in Peru: a new horizon in expanding access to prenatal ultrasound

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marika Toscano ◽  
Thomas J. Marini ◽  
Kathryn Drennan ◽  
Timothy M. Baran ◽  
Jonah Kan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Excellent Agreement ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Second Trimester ◽  
Obstetric Ultrasound ◽  
Biometric Measurements

Abstract Background Ninety-four percent of all maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and the majority are preventable. Access to quality Obstetric ultrasound can identify some complications leading to maternal and neonatal/perinatal mortality or morbidity and may allow timely referral to higher-resource centers. However, there are significant global inequalities in access to imaging and many challenges to deploying ultrasound to rural areas. In this study, we tested a novel, innovative Obstetric telediagnostic ultrasound system in which the imaging acquisitions are obtained by an operator without prior ultrasound experience using simple scan protocols based only on external body landmarks and uploaded using low-bandwidth internet for asynchronous remote interpretation by an off-site specialist. Methods This is a single-center pilot study. A nurse and care technician underwent 8 h of training on the telediagnostic system. Subsequently, 126 patients (68 second trimester and 58 third trimester) were recruited at a health center in Lima, Peru and scanned by these ultrasound-naïve operators. The imaging acquisitions were uploaded by the telemedicine platform and interpreted remotely in the United States. Comparison of telediagnostic imaging was made to a concurrently performed standard of care ultrasound obtained and interpreted by an experienced attending radiologist. Cohen’s Kappa was used to test agreement between categorical variables. Intraclass correlation and Bland-Altman plots were used to test agreement between continuous variables. Results Obstetric ultrasound telediagnosis showed excellent agreement with standard of care ultrasound allowing the identification of number of fetuses (100% agreement), fetal presentation (95.8% agreement, κ =0.78 (p < 0.0001)), placental location (85.6% agreement, κ =0.74 (p < 0.0001)), and assessment of normal/abnormal amniotic fluid volume (99.2% agreement) with sensitivity and specificity > 95% for all variables. Intraclass correlation was good or excellent for all fetal biometric measurements (0.81–0.95). The majority (88.5%) of second trimester ultrasound exam biometry measurements produced dating within 14 days of standard of care ultrasound. Conclusion This Obstetric ultrasound telediagnostic system is a promising means to increase access to diagnostic Obstetric ultrasound in low-resource settings. The telediagnostic system demonstrated excellent agreement with standard of care ultrasound. Fetal biometric measurements were acceptable for use in the detection of gross discrepancies in fetal size requiring further follow up.

scholarly journals HPV genotyping and risk factors for anal high-risk HPV infection in men who have sex with men from Toronto, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoojin Choi ◽  
Mona Loutfy ◽  
Robert S. Remis ◽  
Juan Liu ◽  
Anuradha Rebbapragada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Hpv Vaccine ◽  
Hpv Infection ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Genotype Distribution ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Hpv Genotypes ◽  
Sex With Men

AbstractMen who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by anal cancer, predominantly caused by high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Currently, the nonavalent HPV vaccine provides coverage against nine HPV genotypes, including seven HR-HPV genotypes. Here, we characterize anal HR-HPV genotype distribution and associated risk factors in MSM from Toronto, Canada recruited between September 2010 and June 2012. Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test was used for continuous variables, Chi-square test was performed for categorical variables, and a multivariable model using logistic regression was created to assess for correlates of anal HR-HPV infection. A total of 442 MSM were recruited, with a median age of 45 (IQR 38–50) and an overall HPV prevalence of 82%. The prevalence of any HR-HPV infection was 65.3% and 50.7% in the HIV-positive and HIV-negative MSM, respectively. No participant tested positive for all genotypes covered by the nonavalent vaccine. HIV status (aOR 1.806; 95% CI 1.159–2.816), smoking (aOR 2.176; 95% CI 1.285–3.685) and the number of lifetime sexual partners (aOR 2.466; 95% CI 1.092–5.567) were independent risk factors for anal HR-HPV infection. Our findings will be useful to inform HPV vaccine rollout and HPV prevention strategies in Canadian MSM.

scholarly journals Disparity between Preoperative and Pre-Excisional Intraoperative Parathyroid Hormone in Parathyroid Surgery

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (04) ◽  
pp. 382-386
Author(s):  
Maheer Masood ◽  
Trevor Hackman
Keyword(s):  
Parathyroid Hormone ◽  
Clinic Visit ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Parathyroid Surgery ◽  
Academic Center ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Intraoperative Pth ◽  
Gland Function ◽  
Intraoperative Parathyroid Hormone ◽  
Clinic Visits

Introduction Intraoperative parathyroid hormone (ioPTH) testing is a widely accepted standard for assessing the parathyroid gland function. A decline of preoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels by more than 50% is one accepted measure of parathyroid surgery adequacy. However, there may be a variation between preoperative PTH levels obtained at a clinic visit and pre-excisional ioPTH. Objective Our study explores the differences between preoperative PTH and pre-excisional ioPTH levels, and the potential impact this difference has on determining the adequacy of parathyroid surgery. Methods A retrospective study that consisted of 33 patients that had undergone parathyroid resection between September 2009 and March 2016 at a tertiary academic center was performed. Each subject's preoperative PTH levels were obtained from clinic visits and pre-excisional ioPTH levels were recorded along with the time interval between the measurements. Results There was a significant difference between the mean preoperative PTH and the pre-excisional ioPTH levels of 147 pg/mL (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.43 to 284.47; p = 0.0396). The exclusion of four outliers revealed a further significant difference with a mean of 35.09 pg/mL (95% CI 20.27 to 49.92; p < 0.0001). The average time interval between blood draws was 48 days + 32 days. A weak correlation between the change in PTH values and the time interval between preoperative and pre-excision blood draws was noted (r2 = 0.15). Conclusion Our study reveals a significant difference between the preoperative PTH levels obtained at clinic visits and the pre-excisional intraoperative PTH levels. We recommend routine pre-excisional intraoperative PTH levels, despite evidence of elevated preoperative PTH levels, in order to more accurately assess the adequacy of surgical resection.

scholarly journals Non-Prescription Antibiotic Use For People Aged 15 Years Or Older For Cough In China: A Community-Based Survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Luo ◽  
Xuewen Tang ◽  
Lingling Ding ◽  
Zhujun Shao ◽  
Jianxing Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
Antibiotics Use ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Use Behavior

Abstract Background Non-prescription antibiotic use at community is a main driver of antimicrobial resistance. Cough is a common condition and prevalent in all communities, including China. This study aims to investigate the non-prescription antibiotic use for cough in China and explore to which extent antibiotic use knowledge was correctly instructed in communities.Methods A probability-proportionate-to-size (PPS) sampling method was adopted to survey from all 14 communities in Yiwu city, China. All participants were investigated by face-to-face interview on Portable Android Devices (PADs). The continuous variables were presented by mean and standard deviation (SD) or medium and inter-quartile range (IQR). The categorical variables were presented using percentage or constituent ratio. Chi-square test for univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis were conducted to assess the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), respectively.Results A total of 3034 respondents across the 14 communities and the 50 natural villages/streets completed all key items of the questionnaire. Of 2400 (79.10%) respondents stated that they experienced cough in the past 12 months with the medium age of 36.5 (IQR: 26-49) and 12.21% (293/2400) respondents had the non-prescription antibiotic use behavior. Among those 293 respondents, the proportion of non-prescription antibiotic use for cough peaked at around 16% among people aged 30-39 years old. The major sources of antibiotics were pharmacy (77.70%) and/or family storage (43.92%). As for antibiotic knowledge in 3034 participants, 61.8% participants had minimal knowledge on broad-spectrum antibiotic and 53.76% were not familiar about the effects of joint use.Conclusions Non-prescription antibiotics use for cough is prevalent in the community, especially among people in their thirties. Strengthened drug purchase regulation and well-trained professional pharmacists would be promising alternatives to ameliorate AMR. Moreover, penetrating antibiotics knowledge to common citizens and is an urgent task to alleviate antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, proactive policies and regulations should be made to improve current situations.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Risk of Clinical Deterioration among Inpatients with COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Víctor O. Costa ◽  
Eveline M. Nicolini ◽  
Bruna M. A. da Costa ◽  
Fabrício M. Teixeira ◽  
Júlia P. Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Lung Parenchyma ◽  
Clinical Deterioration ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Laboratory Confirmation ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Imaging Markers

This study aims to assess the risk of severe forms of COVID-19, based on clinical, laboratory, and imaging markers in patients initially admitted to the ward. This is a retrospective observational study, with data from electronic medical records of inpatients, with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19, between March and September 2020, in a hospital from Juiz de Fora-MG, Brazil. Participants (n = 74) were separated into two groups by clinical evolution: those who remained in the ward and those who progressed to the ICU. Mann–Whitney U test was taken for continuous variables and the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables. Comparing the proposed groups, lower values of lymphocytes ( p  = <0.001) and increases in serum creatinine ( p  = 0.009), LDH ( p  = 0.057), troponin ( p  = 0.018), IL-6 ( p  = 0.053), complement C4 ( p  = 0.040), and CRP ( p  = 0.053) showed significant differences or statistical tendency for clinical deterioration. The average age of the groups was 47.9 ± 16.5 and 66.5 ± 7.3 years ( p  = 0.001). Hypertension ( p  = 0.064), heart disease ( p  = 0.048), and COPD ( p  = 0.039) were more linked to ICU admission, as well as the presence of tachypnea on admission ( p  = 0.051). Ground-glass involvement >25% of the lung parenchyma or pleural effusion on chest CT showed association with evolution to ICU ( p  = 0.027), as well as bilateral opacifications ( p  = 0.030) when compared to unilateral ones. Laboratory, clinical, and imaging markers may have significant relation with worse outcomes and the need for intensive treatment, being helpful as predictive factors.

scholarly journals Impact of Donor Inflow in COVID 19 Pandemic: A Tertiary Care Hospitals Blood Service Experience

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-75
Author(s):  
Md Abdul Quader ◽  
Quazi Tarikul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Chi Square Test

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) causing the COVID 19 pandemic infection has affected one and all across the world and halting mosthuman activities. During the disease outbreak and country lockdown, Blood Transfusion Services faced numerous challenges to maintain the sustainability in service provision. We intend to identify the challenges faced during COVID-19 outbreak and the following imposed national lockdown. Methods: This retrospective study was done during the lockdown period from26/03/2020 to 30/05/2020 comprising 66 days to detect donor inflow declination and to compare the donor inflow with pre lockdown and post lockdown period of same duration. The periods were divided into six equal intervals to compare donor distribution patterns in lockdown, pre lockdown and post lockdown period. Mean and standard deviation was calculated for continuous variables and chi square test was done for categorical variables. Results: The donations collected during the lockdown period and post lockdown period were almost 71.37% and 62.82% less respectively when compared with the pre lockdown collection (211and 274 versus 737).While in interval periods, donor inflow was declined substantially in lockdown period and in post lockdown period, inflow was declined as of lockdown period initially but it increases as time passed. But the increment was not as such of pre lockdown period. Donor inflow in age group and time interval of donation frequency were statistically significant (p <0.00005 and p< 0.0037 respectively). Conclusion: Concerns of being infected through hospital contact, lack of public transport facilities, travel restrictions imposed by the police department, and no availability of medical student donors in the hospital setting were the main attributing factors for donor inflow. Bangladesh J Medicine July 2022; 33(1) : 70-75

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