scholarly journals Airway Management in the Emergency Department During Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Sohil Pothiawala

Front-line health-care workers in the Emergency Department (ED) are at an increased risk of infection during the airway management of patients with known or suspected Emerging Viral Diseases (EVD) like Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The primary route for transmission of the virus from an infected patient to the ED staff is due to aerosolized droplets, and the transmission risk is high despite wearing adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). There are limited evidence-based guidelines for airway management during these viral infections, especially with a focus on the principles of airway management in a busy, fast-paced ED. This article provides an overview of the principles of airway management in suspected or confirmed EVD patients, including COVID-19, particularly in the context of ED, and also considering strategies in resource limited setting. These principles should be adapted to suit your local department and hospital policy on airway management as well as national guidelines.

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Hipólito ◽  
Vicente Vieira ◽  
Virginia Antunes ◽  
Petra Alves ◽  
Adriana Rodrigues ◽  
...  

Background: Inguinal hernia is one of the most common conditions presented for surgical repair in children and laparoscopic approaches are increasingly performed. Previous studies have shown safety and efficacy in the use of supraglottic devices (SGD) as an alternative to tracheal intubation, which fits particularly well with outpatient anesthesia. Methodology: we conduct a retrospective observational study, collecting data from the electronic anesthetic form, from all patients aged 0 to 17 y who underwent ambulatory laparoscopic percutaneous internal ring suturing between February 2015 and August 2019, if I-gelTM was used to airway management. Results: We found 230 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 5.2 y old, mean weight 20.1 kg. All patients were ASA I (n=203) or ASA II (n=27). The mean surgery duration was 38 minutes. We found 4 respiratory adverse events, three bronchospasms, and one laryngospasm, managed in the operating room. Ninety percent of the surgeries were performed without neuromuscular blockade. Conclusion: I-gelTM was a safe, effective, and convenient alternative to airway management to laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in the ambulatory setting. According to available literature, our practice did not represent an increased risk for the studied respiratory events. SGD obviates the need for neuromuscular blockade. Key words: I-gel; Supraglottic devices; Laparoscopy; Inguinal hernia repair; Pediatrics; Anesthesia, ambulatory Citation: Hipólito C, Vieira V, Antunes V, Alves P, Rodrigues A, Santos MJ. Airway management with I-gelTM for ambulatory laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in children; a retrospective review of 230 cases. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2020;24(5): Received: 18 February 2020, Reviewed: 5 August, 6 September 2020, Accepted: 11 September 2020


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 348
Author(s):  
Francesco Menzella ◽  
Giulia Ghidoni ◽  
Carla Galeone ◽  
Silvia Capobelli ◽  
Chiara Scelfo ◽  
...  

Viral respiratory infections are recognized risk factors for the loss of control of allergic asthma and the induction of exacerbations, both in adults and children. Severe asthma is more susceptible to virus-induced asthma exacerbations, especially in the presence of high IgE levels. In the course of immune responses to viruses, an initial activation of innate immunity typically occurs and the production of type I and III interferons is essential in the control of viral spread. However, the Th2 inflammatory environment still appears to be protective against viral infections in general and in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections as well. As for now, literature data, although extremely limited and preliminary, show that severe asthma patients treated with biologics don’t have an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or progression to severe forms compared to the non-asthmatic population. Omalizumab, an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, exerts a profound cellular effect, which can stabilize the effector cells, and is becoming much more efficient from the point of view of innate immunity in contrasting respiratory viral infections. In addition to the antiviral effect, clinical efficacy and safety of this biological allow a great improvement in the management of asthma.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e045904
Author(s):  
Asma Sadruddin Pethani ◽  
Zaubina Kazi ◽  
Ujala Nayyar ◽  
Muhammad Shafiq-ur-Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Tahir Yousafzai ◽  
...  

IntroductionChildren with primary immunodeficiency disorders (PID) are more susceptible to developing viral infections and are at a substantially increased risk of developing paralytic poliomyelitis. Such children, if given oral polio vaccines tend to excrete poliovirus chronically that may lead to the propagation of highly divergent vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV). Consequently, they may act as a reservoir for the community by introducing an altered virus potentially imposing a risk to global polio eradication. However, the risks of chronic and prolonged excretion are not well characterised in the study context. This study seeks to establish a pilot surveillance system for successful identification and monitoring of VDPV excretion among children with PID. It will assess whether the Jeffrey Modell warning signs of PID can be used as an appropriate screening tool for PID in Pakistan.Methods and analysisIn this pilot surveillance, recruitment of PID cases is currently done at participating hospitals in Pakistan. Potential children are screened and tested against the Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF) warning signs for immunodeficiency and their stool is collected to test for poliovirus excretion. Cases excreting poliovirus are followed until the two consecutive negative stool samples are obtained over a period of 6 months. The data will be analysed to calculate hospital-based proportions of total Immunodeficiency-related vaccine-derived poliovirus (iVDPV) cases over a 2-year period and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the JMF signs.Ethics and disseminationThis protocol was reviewed and approved by the WHO (WHO Reference-2018/811124-0), Aga Khan University (AKU ERC-2018-0380-1029) and National Bioethics Committee (Ref No. 4-87 NBC-308-Y2). The results will be published in an open access peer-reviewed scientific journal and presented to the iVDPV Working Group members, policy-makers, paediatric consultants and fellow researchers with the same domain interest. It may be presented in scientific conferences and seminars in the form of oral or poster presentations.


CJEM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Harris ◽  
Lorri Beatty ◽  
Nicholas Sowers ◽  
Sam G. Campbell ◽  
David Petrie ◽  
...  

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1004
Author(s):  
Elena Gangitano ◽  
Rossella Tozzi ◽  
Orietta Gandini ◽  
Mikiko Watanabe ◽  
Sabrina Basciani ◽  
...  

Severe obesity is associated with an increased risk of admission to intensive care units and need for invasive mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19. The association of obesity and COVID-19 prognosis may be related to many different factors, such as chronic systemic inflammation, the predisposition to severe respiratory conditions and viral infections. The ketogenic diet is an approach that can be extremely effective in reducing body weight and visceral fat in the short term, preserving the lean mass and reducing systemic inflammation. Therefore, it is a precious preventive measure for severely obese people and may be considered as an adjuvant therapy for patients with respiratory compromise.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott C Adams ◽  
Jennifer Herman ◽  
Iliana C Lega ◽  
Laura Mitchell ◽  
David Hodgson ◽  
...  

Abstract Survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers (AYAs) often live 50 to 60 years beyond their diagnosis. This rapidly growing cohort is at increased risk for cancer- and treatment-related late effects that persist for decades into survivorship. Recognition of similar issues in pediatric cancer survivors has prompted the development of evidence-based guidelines for late effects screening and care. However, corresponding evidence-based guidelines for AYAs have not been developed. We hosted an AYA survivorship symposium for a large group of multidisciplinary AYA stakeholders (approximately 200 were in attendance) at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Toronto, ON) to begin addressing this disparity. The following overview briefly summarizes and discusses the symposium’s stakeholder-identified high-priority targets for late effects screening and care, and highlights knowledge gaps to direct future research in the field of AYA survivorship. This overview, while not exhaustive, is intended to stimulate clinicians to consider these high-priority screening and care targets when seeing survivors in clinical settings and, ultimately, support the development of evidence-based ‘late effects’ screening and care guidelines for AYAs.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e048293
Author(s):  
Jessica Mandrioli ◽  
Mario Santangelo ◽  
Antonio Luciani ◽  
Stefano Toscani ◽  
Elisabetta Zucchi ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic compelled health systems to protect patients and medical personnel during transit in hospitals by minimising transfers, prompting the use of telehealth systems. In the field of neurology, telemedicine has been used in emergency settings for acute stroke management between spoke and hub hospital networks, where good outcomes have been achieved. However, data on the use of telemedicine in non-stroke acute neurological conditions accessing the emergency department (ED) are currently missing.Methods and analysesThis is an interventional, open-label trial on the use of teleconsultation in the ED for neurological diseases other than stroke. The study aims to develop a remote consultancy system (TeleNeurological Evaluation and Support, TeleNS) for patients with acute neurological symptoms referred to hospital facilities without a 24-hour availability of a neurologist consultant (spoke hospitals). The study population will include 100 ED patients referred to two spoke hospitals in 6 months, who will be asked to perform teleconsultation instead of inperson visits. As a control group, retrospectively available data from patients admitted to the ED of spoke hospitals during the same time period over the last 2 years will be evaluated. The primary objective is to assess whether a TeleNS for the ED guarantees a faster but qualitatively non-inferior diagnostic/therapeutic work-up if compared with inperson examination, assuring the availability of all the necessary examinations and treatments with consistent time-saving.Ethics and disseminationThe trial was designed following the national guidelines on clinical investigation on telemedicine provided by the Italian Ministry of Health and according to the Standard Protocol Items for Randomized Trials statement guidelines. This research protocol was approved by Comitato Etico Area Vasta Emilia Nord in September 2020 (number/identification: 942/2020/DISP/AOUMO SIRER ID 805) and was written without patient involvement. Patients’ associations will be involved in the dissemination of study design and results. The results of the study will be presented during scientific symposia or published in scientific journals.Trial registration numberNCT04611295.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e043837
Author(s):  
Usha Dutta ◽  
Anurag Sachan ◽  
Madhumita Premkumar ◽  
Tulika Gupta ◽  
Swapnajeet Sahoo ◽  
...  

ObjectivesHealthcare personnel (HCP) are at an increased risk of acquiring COVID-19 infection especially in resource-restricted healthcare settings, and return to homes unfit for self-isolation, making them apprehensive about COVID-19 duty and transmission risk to their families. We aimed at implementing a novel multidimensional HCP-centric evidence-based, dynamic policy with the objectives to reduce risk of HCP infection, ensure welfare and safety of the HCP and to improve willingness to accept and return to duty.SettingOur tertiary care university hospital, with 12 600 HCP, was divided into high-risk, medium-risk and low-risk zones. In the high-risk and medium-risk zones, we organised training, logistic support, postduty HCP welfare and collected feedback, and sent them home after they tested negative for COVID-19. We supervised use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and kept communication paperless.ParticipantsWe recruited willing low-risk HCP, aged <50 years, with no comorbidities to work in COVID-19 zones. Social distancing, hand hygiene and universal masking were advocated in the low-risk zone.ResultsBetween 31 March and 20 July 2020, we clinically screened 5553 outpatients, of whom 3012 (54.2%) were COVID-19 suspects managed in the medium-risk zone. Among them, 346 (11.4%) tested COVID-19 positive (57.2% male) and were managed in the high-risk zone with 19 (5.4%) deaths. One (0.08%) of the 1224 HCP in high-risk zone, 6 (0.62%) of 960 HCP in medium-risk zone and 23 (0.18%) of the 12 600 HCP in the low-risk zone tested positive at the end of shift. All the 30 COVID-19-positive HCP have since recovered. This HCP-centric policy resulted in low transmission rates (<1%), ensured satisfaction with training (92%), PPE (90.8%), medical and psychosocial support (79%) and improved acceptance of COVID-19 duty with 54.7% volunteering for re-deployment.ConclusionA multidimensional HCP-centric policy was effective in ensuring safety, satisfaction and welfare of HCP in a resource-poor setting and resulted in a willing workforce to fight the pandemic.


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