Changes in symptoms of dry eyes in health professionals with increased duration of wearing the mask

: In normal population and patient, the significant increase in dry eyes manifestations have been observed. Similarly, aggravated symptoms and complaints of dryness have also been observed in clinical and hospital staff by using a face mask for an extended time period. The purpose of the study was to observe the association between symptoms of dry eyes and the duration of using masks in health professionals.: An unspecified questionnaire was distributed using Google Forms through different social media platforms, asking each respondent to contribute to the survey. Data were collected from December 2021 to January 2021. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Statistical significance was considered if p-value was less than 0.05. A total of 39 responses was included for analysis in the study. There was a positive correlation between the frequency of the symptoms of dryness and the duration of using the mask. Similarly, the severity of the symptoms for dry eyes was strongly correlated with an increase in the frequency of symptoms for dry eyes.The finding reflects that the frequency of the dryness along with the severity will increase with the increase in the duration of wearing a mask. Moreover, it also suggests that cloth mask is the probable predisposing factor for the increase in the dry eye symptoms in this study.

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Influence of Face Masks on the Use of Contact Lenses

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18147407 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (14) ◽

pp. 7407

Author(s):

Clara Martinez-Perez ◽

Bruno Monteiro ◽

Mafalda Soares ◽

Fatima Portugues ◽

Sonia Matos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dry Eye ◽

Contact Lenses ◽

Visual Quality ◽

Face Mask ◽

Soft Contact ◽

Dry Eyes ◽

Soft Contact Lenses ◽

Eye Symptoms ◽

The Impact

Background: The COVID-19 epidemic is largely controlled by the use of face masks. The use of a face mask has been indicated as a strong cause of dry eye, although it is not yet described in the literature. This study aims to compare the impact of the use of masks on the visual quality of patients. The symptoms in the human eye intensified during the pandemic versus the symptoms before the pandemic, in a Portuguese population. Methods: A fifteen-question questionnaire was conducted to find out what changes occurred in the use of soft contact lenses during the pandemic in relation to the use of masks. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 27.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The use of contact lenses decreased compared with before the pandemic (p < 0.001). The number of hours of wear decreased significantly compared with before the pandemic (p < 0.001). The sensation of dry eyes was found to be worse in those using monthly replacement contact lenses (p = 0.034), and the need to remove contact lenses was more frequent in women (p = 0.026) after using a mask. Conclusions: Mask use increases dry eye symptoms in contact lens wearers, negatively impacting visual quality.

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Intention to receive vaccine against COVID-19 and associated factors among health professionals working at public hospitals in resource limited settings

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0254391 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. e0254391

Author(s):

Mohammedjud Hassen Ahmed ◽

Shuma Gosha Kanfe ◽

Mohammedamin Hajure Jarso

Keyword(s):

Health Professionals ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Public Hospitals ◽

P Value ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Resource Limited ◽

Study Participants ◽

To Receive ◽

Self Administered Questionnaire

Backgrounds Health professionals are among the frontline of COVID-19 pandemic exposure and identified as a priority target group that need to receive COVID-19 vaccines. However, intention to receive vaccine is still matters the extent of COVID-19 vaccinations among health professionals. This study aimed to assess intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine and the factors that will determine their intention among health professionals working at public hospitals of Illu Aba Bora and Buno Bedelle zone hospitals. Methods A cross-sectional study design was applied to assess the intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines among health professionals working in public health hospitals of Illu Aba Bora and Buno Bedelle zone hospitals. Self-administered questionnaire were used for assessing intention to receive COVID-19 Vaccine. Multiple linear regressions were performed to identify factors associated with intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine with p-value< 0.05 as cutoff point for statistical significance at 95% confidence interval (CI). Result In this study, almost half of respondents 217(53.1% [95.0%: CI 49.3–58.9]) of study participants scored above the mean. Attitude (β = 0.54, 95% CI: [0.49, 0.63], p<0.01), knowledge (β = 0.27, 95% CI: [0.21, 0.35], p<0.01, perception (β = 0.43, 95% CI: [0.39, 0.56], p = 0.02 and age (β = 0.64, 95% CI: [0.51, 0.72], p<0.01 were variables associated with intention to receive vaccine against COVID-19. Conclusions This study result indicated that the overall magnitude of intention to receive COVID-19 is low. increasing attitudes, knowledge and perception among health professionals related to COVID-19 vaccine will helps to increase the overall intention to receive vaccine against COVID-19.

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Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of face mask utilization and associated factors in COVID-19 pandemic among Wachemo University Students, Southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0257609 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (9) ◽

pp. e0257609

Author(s):

Yilma Markos Larebo ◽

Desta Erkalo Abame

Keyword(s):

Associated Factors ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Face Mask ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

P Value ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices

Introduction The widespread use of face masks by the general public may help to prevent the spread of viruses. Face masks are thought to be a good strategy to protect against respiratory diseases such as the Coronavirus. Identifying student knowledge, attitude, and practice about the use of face masks is crucial to detect vulnerabilities and respond rapidly to avoid the spread of the infection. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of face mask utilization and associated factors in the COVID-19 pandemic among college students. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed from February to March 2021 among 764 students from Wachemo University, Southern Ethiopia. A multistage sampling technique was used in the study. The sample size for each department was allocated in proportion to the number of students in that department, and each respondent was chosen using a simple random sampling procedure. Data were collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 26. To predict the relationship between the predictor and outcome variables, a logistic regression model was used. At a p-value of 0.05, statistical significance was declared. Results The study showed that the overall knowledge of the students was 223 (29.2%), their attitude was 673 (88.1%), and their practice was 684 (89.5%). The students from the college natural and computational sciences (AOR: 0.23; 95%CI: 0.13, 0.40) and students having good knowledge (AOR = 4.40; 95%CI; 2.13, 9.14) were found to be independently associated with face mask utilization. Conclusion When compared to other researches, the knowledge about the usage of face masks in this study was low, but the attitudes and practices were high. Authorities in areas that are in danger of a COVID-19 pandemic should plan and implement public awareness and education initiatives.

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SERUM PROLACTINE LEVEL IN PATIENTS OF PSORIASIS VULGARIS AND ITS CORRELATION WITH DISEASE SEVERITY: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

International Journal of Medical and Biomedical Studies ◽

10.32553/ijmbs.v3i6.303 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Pawan Kumar Saini ◽

Devendra Yadav ◽

Rozy Badyal ◽

Suresh Jain ◽

Arti Singh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Severity ◽

Prolactin Level ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Case Control ◽

Serum Prolactin ◽

P Value ◽

Serum Prolactin Level ◽

R Value ◽

Control Study

Background: Psoriasis is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the skin mediated by T-lymphocytes resulting in production of cytokines which cause hyperproliferation of keratinocytes. Several factors and hormones like Prolactin have an action similar to these cytokines in promoting the multiplication of keratinocytes and other cells like lymphocytes and epithelial cells may have a role on the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis. Aim:-The aim of study is to compare the serum Prolactin levels in patients of psoriasis with a control group. Setting and study design: This is a case-control study conducted in the department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy GMC, Kota over a period of 1year from July 2017 to June 2018 Material and method: The study included 100 cases of psoriasis (60 males and 40 females) and 100 controls similar for age and sex. Serum Prolactin levels were measured by ECLIA and results were obtained. Statistical analysis: Mean and standard deviation were calculated for each variable. Statistical significance of the results was analyzed using correlation analysis (Pearson correlation coefficient) and independent samples t-test. Statistical significance was assumed at p value<0.05. Result: Serum Prolactin level was significantly higher in cases of psoriasis compared to controls (p-value <0.001). PASI score and serum Prolactin levels were found to have a positive correlation (r value = 0.337; p-value: 0.001). No significant correlation was found between serum levels of Prolactin and duration of disease r value= -0.034, P value =0.733). Serum Prolactin level was higher in male patients compared to females patients. Conclusion:- High serum Prolactin may be a biological marker of disease severity in psoriasis and may have a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Further studies with large sample size are required to confirm this hypothesis.

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Awareness of radiation doses and risks among radiology residents, fellows, specialists, consultants and technologists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Study. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.14460 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Bashayer Hassan Shuaib ◽

Rahaf Hisham Niazi ◽

Ahmed Haitham Abduljabbar ◽

Mohammed Abdulraheem Wazzan

Keyword(s):

Interventional Radiology ◽

Ionizing Radiation ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

P Value ◽

Radiation Doses ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Right ◽

Interventional Radiology Procedures ◽

Radiology Staff

BACKGROUND Radiology now plays a major role to diagnose, monitoring, and management of several diseases; numerous diagnostic and interventional radiology procedures involve exposure to ionizing radiation. Radiology now plays a major role to diagnose, monitoring, and management of several diseases; numerous diagnostic and interventional radiology procedures involve exposure to ionizing radiation. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to discover and compare the awareness level of radiation doses, protection issues, and risks among radiology staff in Jeddah hospitals. METHODS A cross-sectional survey containing 25 questions on personal information and various aspects of radiation exposure doses and risks was designed using an online survey tool and the link was emailed to all radiology staff in eight tertiary hospitals in Jeddah. The authors were excluded from the study. A P-value of < .05 was used to identify statistical significance. All analyses were performed using SPSS, version 21. RESULTS Out of 156 participants the majority 151 (96.8%) had poor knowledge score, where the mean scores were 2.4±1.3 for doses knowledge, 2.1±1.1for cancer risks knowledge, 2.3±0.6 for general information, and 6.7±1.9 for the total score. Only 34.6% of the participants were aware of the dosage of a single-view chest x-ray, and 9.0% chose the right answer for the approximate effective dose received by a patient in a two-view. 42.9% were able to know the correct dose of CT abdomen single phase. There is a significant underestimation of cancer risk of CT studies especially for CT abdomen where only 23.7% knew the right risk. A p-value of <0.05 was used to identify statistical significance. No significant difference of knowledge score was detected regarding gender (P =.2) or work position (P=.66). CONCLUSIONS Our survey results show considerable inadequate knowledge in all groups without exception. We recommended a conscientious effort to deliver more solid education and obtain more knowledge in these matters and providing periodic training courses to teach how to minimize the dose of radiation and to avoid risk related. CLINICALTRIAL not applicable

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Can diffusion and T2 star-weighted magnetic resonance imaging aid in the diagnosis of ectopic endometrium?

Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine ◽

10.1186/s43055-021-00513-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mariam Raafat ◽

Soha H. Talaat ◽

Salma M. Abdelghaffar ◽

Engy A. Ali

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

P Value ◽

Large Sample Size ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Conventional Mri ◽

Patient Will ◽

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽

Ectopic Endometrium

Abstract Background Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disorder characterized by the implantation of the endometrial tissue ectopically outside the endometrial cavity. It affects about 10% of females at the childbearing period and is estimated to be present up to 20–50% in women complaining of infertility. While laparoscopy is considered the mainstay for diagnosis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recognized as a useful tool for definitive diagnosis, pre-surgical planning, and determining whether the patient will require multi-specialty involvement. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of MRI with the addition of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and T2 star (T2*) to conventional MRI, for the accurate assessment of ectopic endometrium. Results Endometriotic lesions that showed diffusion restriction on DWI were 80.7%, and 96.1% of the endometriotic lesions had signal voids on the T2*W sequence, whereas only 65.4% of the lesions had typical signal intensities on T1WI and T2WI. Diagnostic performance of the MRI examination was improved by the use of the diffusion sequence and better improved by the T2* sequence, compared to the conventional MR protocol sensitivity (SE) = 96.12% and specificity (SP) = 85.7% in T2*-weighted images, SE = 80.7% and SP = 71.4% in DWI, and SE = 65.4% and SP = 71.4% in conventional MRI. P value for conventional MRI was 0.1, which is of no statistical significance (p < 0.05). P value for DWI was 0.016, which is statistically significant (p < 0.05). P value for T2*WI was 0.001, which is more statistically significant (p < 0.05) and could be adequately correlated with laparoscopy. Conclusion DWI and T2* significantly increase MRI diagnostic accuracy by allowing the detection of the hemorrhagic character of the endometriotic lesions. Studies with a large sample size are needed to confirm that they can replace invasive laparoscopy for the diagnosis of endometriosis.

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Thromboelastography (TEG) results are predictive of ischemic and hemorrhagic complications in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with flow diversion

Interventional Neuroradiology ◽

10.1177/15910199211025917 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 159101992110259

Author(s):

Kainaat Javed ◽

Santiago R Unda ◽

Ryan Holland ◽

Adisson Fortunel ◽

Rose Fluss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Intracranial Aneurysms ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Alpha Angle ◽

Flow Diversion ◽

P Value ◽

Hemorrhagic Complication ◽

Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms ◽

Hemorrhagic Complications ◽

Groin Hematoma

Introduction Flow diversion is an effective treatment modality for intracranial aneurysms but is associated with ischemic and hemorrhagic complications. Patients treated with flow diversion require dual antiplatelet therapy and subsequent platelet function tests. At our institution, Thromboelastography with Platelet Mapping (TEG-PM) is the test of choice. The primary objective of this study was to identify TEG parameters that are predictive of postoperative complications in patients treated with elective flow diversion. Methods This was a retrospective study of 118 patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with flow diversion. Data was collected via chart review. Bivariate analyses were performed to identify significant variables in patients who suffered an ischemic stroke or a groin hematoma. ROC curves were constructed for the TEG parameters with statistical significance. Bivariate analyses were repeated using dichotomized TEG results. Results Patients who experienced a symptomatic ischemic stroke had a history of stroke (p value = 0.007), larger aneurysm neck width (p value = 0.017), and a higher alpha angle (p value = 0.013). Cut off point for ischemic complication is 63° on ROC curve with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 65%. Patients who experienced a groin hematoma were no different from their healthy peers but had a lower alpha angle (p value = 0.033). Cut off point for hemorrhagic complication is 53.3° with a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 67%. Conclusion The Alpha Angle parameter of TEG-PM has a sizeable predictive ability for both ischemic complications of the central nervous system and hemorrhagic complications of the access site after elective flow diversion.

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Social determinants of telemedicine utilization in ambulatory cardiovascular patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

European Heart Journal - Digital Health ◽

10.1093/ehjdh/ztab039 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kemar J Brown ◽

Njambi Mathenge ◽

Daniela Crousillat ◽

Jaclyn Pagliaro ◽

Connor Grady ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Statistical Significance ◽

The Elderly ◽

P Value ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cardiovascular Patients ◽

Baseline Characteristics ◽

Racial Ethnic ◽

Cardiovascular Care ◽

Zip Code ◽

Hispanic White

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the rapid uptake of telemedicine (TM) for routine cardiovascular care. Objectives To examine the predictors of TM utilization among ambulatory cardiology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods In this single centre retrospective study, all ambulatory cardiovascular encounters occurring between March 16th - June 19th, 2020 were assessed. Baseline characteristics by visit type (in-person, TM-phone, TM-video) were compared using Chi-square and student t-tests, with statistical significance defined by p value < 0.05. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the predictors of TM versus in-person care. Results 8446 patients (86% Non-Hispanic White, 42% female, median age 66.8 +/- 15.2 years) completed an ambulatory cardiovascular visit during the study period. TM-phone (n = 4,981, 61.5%) was the primary mode of ambulatory care followed by TM-video (n = 2693, 33.2%). Non-Hispanic Black race (OR 0.56; 95% CI: 0.35 - 0.94, p-value=0.02), Hispanic ethnicity (OR 0.53; 95% CI: 0.29 - 0.98, p = 0.04), public insurance (Medicaid OR 0.50; 95% CI:0.32 – 0.79, p = 0.003, Medicare OR 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47– 0.89, p = 0.009), zip-code linked median household income (MHI) of <$75,000, age >85 years, and patients with a diagnosis of heart failure were associated with reduced access to TM-video encounters and a higher likelihood of in-person care. Conclusions Significant disparities in TM-video access for ambulatory cardiovascular care exist among the elderly, lower income, as well as Black and Hispanic racial/ethnic groups.

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The Role of Doppler Ultrasound, CT Angiography, and Conventional Angiography in Detection of Peripheral Arterial Disease

Journal for Vascular Ultrasound ◽

10.1177/15443167211030321 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 154431672110303

Author(s):

Sayan Sarkar ◽

Shyam Mohan ◽

Shakthi Parvathy

Keyword(s):

Computed Tomography ◽

Peripheral Arterial Disease ◽

Ct Angiography ◽

Doppler Ultrasound ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Color Doppler ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Arterial Disease ◽

P Value ◽

Peripheral Arterial

The purpose of this study is to analyze how accurate duplex ultrasonography using color Doppler and computed tomography (CT) angiography are in detection of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in comparison with the Gold Standard of digital subtraction angiography (DSA). This is a single-center prospective, analytical study done on patients with symptoms of PAD referred to the Department of Radiodiagnosis of Medical Trust Hospital (n = 53). All patients were imaged with color Doppler, CT angiography, and DSA. The peak systolic velocity (PSV) ratio was calculated by Doppler ultrasound, and the percentage stenosis for the same vascular segments was calculated using CT angiography and DSA. To test the statistical significance between the results, chi-square test was used. A P value <.05 indicates statistical significance. The PSV ratio for each grade—normal (<1.5), mild (1.5-2.8), moderate (2.9-4.9), and severe (≥5)—and the percentage of stenosis for each grade observed on CT angiography—normal (<20% stenosis), mild (20%-49% stenosis), moderate (50%-74% stenosis), severe (75%-99% stenosis), and total occlusion (100% stenosis)—were found to be highly sensitive and specific with good positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy level when compared with DSA with narrow confidence intervals for each range. The P value was <.001 for both color Doppler and CT angiography. Computed tomography angiography can be an effective tool as an alternative to DSA for gradation of stenosis if the artifacts resulting from vascular calcification can be avoided. Duplex ultrasonography can be utilized for gradation of stenosis by using the value of PSV ratio and spectral pattern together. However, it can only act as an adjunct to CT angiography because it is incapable of imaging the full length of the arterial segments in 1 frame.

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Assessment of Immunological Features in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Prognosis Using Ensemble Learning

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13071624 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 1624

Author(s):

Christos G. Gavriel ◽

Neofytos Dimitriou ◽

Nicolas Brieu ◽

Ines P. Nearchou ◽

Ognjen Arandjelović ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bladder Cancer ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Tnm Staging ◽

Cancer Prognosis ◽

Clinical Staging ◽

Invasive Bladder Cancer ◽

P Value ◽

Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Muscle Invasive

The clinical staging and prognosis of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) routinely includes the assessment of patient tissue samples by a pathologist. Recent studies corroborate the importance of image analysis in identifying and quantifying immunological markers from tissue samples that can provide further insight into patient prognosis. In this paper, we apply multiplex immunofluorescence to MIBC tissue sections to capture whole-slide images and quantify potential prognostic markers related to lymphocytes, macrophages, tumour buds, and PD-L1. We propose a machine-learning-based approach for the prediction of 5 year prognosis with different combinations of image, clinical, and spatial features. An ensemble model comprising several functionally different models successfully stratifies MIBC patients into two risk groups with high statistical significance (p value < 1×10−5). Critical to improving MIBC survival rates, our method correctly classifies 71.4% of the patients who succumb to MIBC, which is significantly more than the 28.6% of the current clinical gold standard, the TNM staging system.

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