Admissions for Stroke and Strategies to Optimize Healthcare Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (36) ◽  
pp. 3300-3305
Author(s):  
Kevin John John ◽  
Rhea Anne Roy ◽  
Bincy Baby ◽  
Deep P. Pillai ◽  
Anilkumar Sivan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Hospital Type ◽  
Stroke Incidence ◽  
Nihss Score ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Time Periods

BACKGROUND COVID-19 is associated with a hypercoagulable state and stroke is one of its most common neurological complications. The current study is aimed at investigating the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions for stroke. METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational study to determine if there was a significant difference in the number of hospital admissions for stroke during the 2 months of lockdown and the two preceding months, (starting on 24 March 2020). The numbers were also compared with the figures during the same months in the previous year. The numbers were also compared to the same months one year prior. The secondary objectives were to compare the time between the onset of stroke and presentation to the hospital, type of strokes that presented to the hospital, severity of stroke, number of code activations, number of thrombolysis conducted, and in-hospital mortality between the same time periods. RESULTS The total number of patients admitted for stroke during the time periods from 25th March 2019 to 24th May 2019, 25th January 2020 to 24th March 2020 and 25th March 2020 to 24th May 2020 were 82, 72 and 75 respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between these numbers. However, there was a significant increase in the proportion of stroke cases when compared to total hospital admissions. This suggests that an increase in stroke incidence may have been masked by a reduction in the total number of patients presenting to the hospital. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of the patients who presented during the lockdown were higher. There were no significant differences in the time between the onset of stroke and presentation to the hospital, type of strokes that presented to the hospital, severity of stroke, number of code activations, number of thrombolysis conducted, and in-hospital mortality between the periods under study. CONCLUSIONS The present study suggests that there may be a relative increase in the incidence of stroke in the community, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The patients who presented with stroke during the lockdown period had a higher NIHSS score. KEYWORDS COVID-19, Stroke, Lockdown

Endotracheal Intubation and In-Hospital Mortality after Intracerebral Hemorrhage

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 270-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasileios-Arsenios Lioutas ◽  
Sarah Marchina ◽  
Louis R. Caplan ◽  
Magdy Selim ◽  
Joseph Tarsia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Endotracheal Intubation ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Primary Diagnosis ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Net Benefit ◽  
Large Hospital ◽  
Discharge Disposition

Background: Many patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs) undergo endotracheal intubation with subsequent mechanical ventilation (MV) for “airway protection” with the intent to prevent aspiration, pneumonias, and its related mortality. Conversely, these procedures may independently promote pneumonia, laryngeal trauma, dysphagia, and adversely affect patient outcomes. The net benefit of intubation and MV in this patient cohort has not been systematically investigated. Methods: We conducted a large single-center observational cohort study to examine the independent association between endotracheal intubation and MV, hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), and in-hospital mortality (HM) in patients with ICH. All consecutive patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of a spontaneous ICH to a tertiary care hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, from June 2000 through January 2014, who were ≥18 years of age and hospitalized for ≥2 days were eligible for inclusion. Patients with pneumonia on admission, or those having brain or lung neoplasms were excluded. Our exposure of interest was endotracheal intubation and MV during hospitalization; our primary outcomes were incidence of HAP and HM, ascertained using International Classification of Diseases-9 and administrative discharge disposition codes, respectively, in patients who underwent endotracheal intubation and MV versus those who did not. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control for confounders. Results: Of the 2,386 hospital admissions screened, 1,384 patients fulfilled study criteria and were included in the final analysis. A total of 507 (36.6%) patients were intubated. Overall 133 (26.23%) patients in the intubated group developed HAP versus 41 (4.67%) patients in the non-intubated group (p < 0.0001); 195 (38.5%) intubated patients died during hospitalization compared to 48 (5.5%) non-intubated patients (p < 0.0001). After confounder adjustments, OR for HAP and HM, were 4.23 (95% CI 2.48–7.22; p < 0.0001) and 4.32 (95% CI 2.5–7.49; p < 0.0001) with c-statistics of 0.79 and 0.89, in the intubated versus non-intubated patients, respectively. Conclusion: In this large hospital-based cohort of patients presenting with an acute spontaneous ICH, endotracheal intubation and MV were associated with increased odds of HAP and HM. These findings urge further examination of the practice of intubation in prospective studies.

Patient-related factors associated with severe heat-related illnesses in Karachi: A hospital perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Saima Kanwal ◽  
Sara Sajid ◽  
Noreen Nasir ◽  
Syed Ahsan ◽  
Aysha Almas
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Heat Stroke ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Hospital Perspective ◽  
The Mean

Abstract In 2015, Karachi saw its first ever epidemic of severe heat-related illnesses that resulted in an extraordinary number of hospital admissions, especially in the intensive care, for fatal heat stroke within-hospital mortality of 3.7%.We conducted this study to elucidate the patient-related factors that lead to an increase in hospital admissions with heat-related illnesses in a tertiary care hospital. It was a descriptive case series conducted in the department of medicine at the Aga Khan University in June 2015. A total of 134 patients were admitted with heat-related illnesses of which 76(56.7%) were males. The mean age of the patients was 66 ±14.5 years. Heatstroke was present in 86 (64.2%) patients, followed by heat exhaustion in 48 (35.8%) and in-hospital mortality from heat-related illnesses was 5(3.7%). Continuous...  

scholarly journals Compliance with Updated Sepsis Bundles to Meet New Sepsis Core Measure in a Tertiary Care Hospital

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor H. Ramsdell ◽  
April N. Smith ◽  
Eric Kerkhove
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Care Bundles ◽  
Sepsis Bundles ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Core Measure ◽  
Bundle Compliance

Background The updated Surviving Sepsis Campaign care bundles are associated with improved outcomes in patients with sepsis, yet adherence to the bundles remains inconsistent. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has adopted similar care bundles as a core measure that went into effect with October 1, 2015 discharges. Objective The aim of this study was to assess bundle compliance, length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality before and after introduction of the new sepsis core measure. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 158 patients with a diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock from April 2015 to February 2016. The before group ( n = 48) consisted of sequential patients discharged from April 1, 2015 to September 30, 2015 (prior to core measure implementation), and the after group ( n = 110) consisted of sequential patients discharged from October 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016 (after core measure implementation). Results Significant improvement was seen in the after group compared to the before group for bundle compliance with the 3-hour (66.4% vs 31.3%; p < 0.01) and 6-hour (75.5% vs 41.7%; p < 0.01) components and the overall core measure (51.8% vs 16.7%; p < 0.01). In-hospital mortality was lower in the after group compared to the before group (14.5% vs 27.1%; p = 0.05), but this difference was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference in LOS. Conclusions The study found a significant increase in compliance with the sepsis care bundles since the implementation of this core measure. Increased adherence to the care bundles may improve in-hospital survival.

scholarly journals Study of pregnancy outcome of threatened abortion and its correlation with risk factors in a tertiary care hospital of Mumbai, India

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 4598
Author(s):  
Dipali S. Sivasane ◽  
Rekha G. Daver
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Maternal Age ◽  
Pregnancy Loss ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
P Value ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Threatened Abortion

Background: Early pregnancy loss is very common and, in most cases, it can be considered as nature’s method to select for a genetically normal offspring. Threatened abortion is a relatively common complication during pregnancy, occurring in approximately 20% of all pregnancies. Maternal age, Outcome of previous pregnancies, health of mother, any infection etc can be decisive factors in the risk of pregnancy loss.Methods: The present study was a cross sectional study where patients admitted with threatened abortion were interviewed using pretested semi-structured questionnaire after the treatment. Outcome of pregnancy was recorded. Their basic socio-demographic data along with possible risk factors were recorded. TORCH Ig M and Ig G were done in all patients.Results: Out of 95 patients admitted with threatened abortion, 42 (44%) patients undergone abortion whereas in 53 (56%) patients, pregnancy was continued. Out of total 60 patients admitted with the complain of only vaginal spotting, in 39 pregnancy continued and in 21 patients pregnancy was aborted. (p-value<0.05). 50.52% were from age group of 21 to 25 years of age. It was also seen that after 35 years of age, significant number of patients aborted. Out of these 11 patients with high BMI, pregnancy was continued only one patient. Out of total 20 patients positive for IgM of toxoplasma infection, pregnancy was aborted in 13 (65%) patients. Out of total 15 patients positive for IgM of cytomegalo virus infection, pregnancy was continued in 11 (73.3%) patients.Conclusions: Patients of threatened abortion with only symptom of spotting per vagina have good chances of continuation of the pregnancy. Increased maternal age above 35, Overweight and bad obstetric history are also associated with pregnancy loss. Though there was no statistically significant difference it was evident that among all TORCH infections, IgM toxoplasma and Rubella are associated more with pregnancy loss.

The Impact of MassPAT on Opioid Prescribing Patterns for Otolaryngology Surgeries

2021 ◽  
Vol 164 (4) ◽  
pp. 781-787
Author(s):  
Samuel Rubin ◽  
Jacqueline A. Wulu ◽  
Heather A. Edwards ◽  
Robert W. Dolan ◽  
David M. Brams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Awareness Tool ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Best Fit

Objective Determine whether opioid prescriber patterns have changed for tonsillectomy, parotidectomy, and thyroidectomy after implementation of the Massachusetts Prescription Awareness Tool (MassPAT). Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Single-center tertiary care hospital. Methods Patients were included if they received tonsillectomy, parotidectomy, or thyroid surgery at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center (Burlington, Massachusetts) between October 1, 2015, and October 1, 2019. Prescribing patterns were compared prior to implementation of MassPAT, October 1, 2015, to October 14, 2016, to postimplementation of MassPAT, October 15, 2016, to October 1, 2019. Quantity of opioids prescribed was described using total morphine milligram equivalents (MME). Data were analyzed using univariate analysis, multivariate analysis, and trend line using line of best fit. Results A total of 737 subjects were included in the study. There was a downward trend in the quantity of opioids prescribed for all 3 surgeries during the study period. There was a significant difference in the quantity of opioids prescribed pre- and postimplementation of MassPAT for tonsillectomy (647.70 ± 218.50 MME vs 474.60 ± 185.90 MME, P < .001), parotidectomy (241.20 ± 57.66 MME vs 156.70 ± 72.99 MME, P < .001), and thyroidectomy (171.20 ± 93.77 MME vs 108.50 ± 63.84 MME, P < .001). There was also a decrease in the number of patients who did not receive opioids for thyroidectomy pre- and post-MassPAT (7.56% vs 24.14%). Conclusion We have demonstrated that there is an association with state drug monitoring programs and decrease in the amount of opioids prescribed for acute postoperative pain control for common otolaryngology surgeries.

Assessment of Daily Burden and Factors for Overcrowded Emergency Department at Tertiary Care Hospital of Karachi

2021 ◽  
pp. 30-35
Author(s):  
Arsala Faridi ◽  
Farah Ahmad ◽  
Areej Zehra ◽  
Afreen Fazal
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Study Duration ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: When in emergency room there is no enough area left to serve or to admit the subsequent sick patients who may require urgent attention and observation the setting is called as the overcrowded emergency room. Due to overcrowded emergency department the quality of services provided by the staff and doctors is compromised ultimately patients with severe diseases are ignored and this may be one of the causes for causalities. Objective: To assess the daily burden and factors responsible for overcrowding at emergency department of tertiary care hospital of Karachi. Methodology: It was a cross sectional study conducted at tertiary care hospital of Karachi from October 2020 to January 2021. Data of patients coming to adult emergency department of either gender were collected.  Patients age <14 were excluded as these were referred to pediatric emergency department. Data collection was done according to Canadian emergency department triage and acuity scale (CTAS). Results: Total number (N) of patients who visited emergency department in study duration was 13434. The mean number of patients who visited ED was 141±13during our study duration. There was no any significant difference in presenting complaint. Delay in investigations was found to be a reason of prolong stay and overcrowding in ED in our setting. Conclusion: Overcrowding of patients in our ED of our setting was a common problem. The number of staff, doctors and beds were not matching the number of patient flow in the department. The main reason of prolong stay in ED was delay in investigations.

Functional Outcome of Syndactyly Repair in Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 3375-3377
Author(s):  
Rizwana Fazlani ◽  
Kashan Qayoom Shaikh ◽  
Zuhera Khan ◽  
Yasir Arfat Memon ◽  
Sadia Rasheed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Outcome ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Effective Technique ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Prevalent Form

Background: As the most prevalent form of congenital hand malformation, syndactyly carries significant aesthetic and practical implications. For the vast majority of situations, surgery is the best option. Congenital syndactyly can be repaired with skin grafts and local flaps, however the results are often less functional and cosmetic than anticipated and often leave scars and residual syndactyly. So we set out to find out how children's syndactyly healing went in this study.1 Objective: To analyze the functional outcome of syndactyly repair in children presenting in a tertiary care hospital. Methodology: This Descriptive case series was conducted at Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, LUMHS Jamshoro / Hyderabad for 6 months. Sample size of 180 cases was recruited through Non-probability consecutive sampling. Then all patients underwent surgery under general anesthesia. In all cases, procedure was performed depends upon the type / extent of syndactyly. Then patients were discharged after recovery and were followed up on 1st, 2nd and 3rd months post operatively for assessment of functional outcome of syndactyly repair i.e. no supination and no pronation was noted. All this information was noted on proforma. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS 22.0. Results: The mean age of children was 6.30+3.55. There were 66 (37%) females and 114 (63%) male in the sample. There were 128 (71%) cases of simple syndactyly and 52 (29%) cases of complex syndactyly. There were 127 (71%) cases who had no-supination, 162 (90%) cases who had no-pronation. There was significant difference observed between both type of syndactyly (P<0.05) for supination while insignificant for pronation. Conclusion: Thus we have found that syndactyly repair is effective technique through which we can attain success in maximum number of patients which can help in achieving normal angulation of fingers after surgery. Key words: Syndactyly, Pronation, Supination, Angulation, Children

scholarly journals COMPARATIVE STUDY ON PREVALENCE AND ASSESSMENT OF ALTERED SENSORIUM AMONG SODIUM ABNORMALITY PATIENTS AT A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 3837-3839
Author(s):  
G.N Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Serum Sodium ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Plasma Sodium ◽  
P Value ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Altered Level ◽  
Altered Sensorium ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Level Of Consciousness

Altered sensorium or altered level of consciousness is a common complaint among electrolyte abnormality patients and has several synonyms like altered behaviour, generalized weakness, lethargy, agitation, psychosis, disorientation, inappropriate behaviour, inattention, confusion, hallucination. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and to assess the level of consciousness dysnatremic patients at a tertiary care hospital. A prospective observational study, serum sodium level and other clinical profiles were recorded in a data collection form. GCS was used to analyses the level of consciousness among the enrolled patients. SPSS 22.0 statistical software was used for data analysis. During the study period, a total of 482 patients were enrolled in the study. Based on the serum sodium, they were categorized into Hyponatraemic (410) and Hyponatraemic (72) patients. Our study found a greater number of patients in the age group above 60 years and found that sodium imbalance increases generally in males with increasing age. Our study found that altered sensorium (60%) was predominant more in hyponatremia patients. Chi square test was performed to find statistically significant difference in level of consciousness between hypo and Hyponatraemic patients and was found to be significant p value (≤ 0.05). Abnormalities of plasma sodium are probably the most common electrolyte disorders and they are associated with serious morbidity including a poorer long-term neurologic outcome.

Association of Rugae Pattern with Skeletal Malocclusion in Orthodontic Patients Visiting Tertiary Care Hospital

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarwat Memon
Keyword(s):  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Skeletal Malocclusion ◽  
Palatal Rugae ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Orthodontic Patients

Background: The palatal rugae are special constructions that are inalterable in their position and pattern during the lifestyles of an individual. This imparts them an exceptional role in the forensic dentistry and may play potential role in malocclusion identification. This study was aimed to see association of rugae pattern with sagittal skeletal malocclusion in orthodontic patients visiting tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional examination was completed on pretreatment records (lateral Cephalometric radiographs and maxillary dental casts) of 384 subjects at the orthodontic department of Ziauddin Dental Hospital, Karachi. The study duration was from January to July 2019. The samples were sub-divided into three sagittal skeletal groups based on ANB angle proposed by Steiner’s on lateral Cephalometric radiographs (Class I with ANB angle between 0° to 4°; Class II: ANB angle greater than 5°; Class III: ANB angle less than 0°). The shapes of three most-anterior primary rugae were then evaluated bilaterally using Kapali et al., Classification. Chi Square test was applied to find association of rugae pattern among sagittal skeletal malocclusions groups. Results: Circular and curved rugae shapes were the most prevalent in all skeletal malocclusions. The primary palatal rugae pattern was seen to be significantly different among three skeletal malocclusion groups (p<0.05). The right and left sided palatal rugae pattern showed significant difference in all three skeletal malocclusion groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: The present study showed no specific palatal rugae pattern associated with sagittal skeletal malocclusion. Further studies on larger sample and use of modern 3D technologies to scan the maxillary casts are required for results that are more precise.

Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in hospitalized patients at a tertiary referral center in North India (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Animesh Ray ◽  
Dr. Komal Singh ◽  
Souvick Chattopadhyay ◽  
Farha Mehdi ◽  
Dr. Gaurav Batra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Hospitalized Patients ◽  
North India ◽  
P Value ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Igg Antibodies ◽  
Igg Antibody ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Significant Difference

BACKGROUND Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is an important tool to estimate the true extent of infection in a population. However, seroprevalence studies have been scarce in South East Asia including India, which, as of now, carries the third largest burden of confirmed cases in the world. The present study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody among hospitalized patients at one of the largest government hospital in India OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study is to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among patients admitted to the Medicine ward and ICU METHODS This cross-sectional study, conducted at a tertiary care hospital in North India, recruited consecutive patients who were negative for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR or CB-NAAT. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels targeting recombinant spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein of SARS CoV-2 were estimated in serum sample by the ELISA method RESULTS A total of 212 hospitalized patients were recruited in the study with mean age (±SD) of 41.2 (±15.4) years and 55% male population. Positive serology against SARS CoV-2 was detected in 19.8%patients(95% CI 14.7-25.8). Residency in Delhi conferred a higher frequency of seropositivity 26.5% (95% CI 19.3-34.7) as compared to that of other states 8% (95% CI 3.0-16.4) with p-value 0.001. No particular age groups or socio-economic strata showed a higher proportion of seropositivity CONCLUSIONS Around, one-fifth of hospitalized patients, who were not diagnosed with COVID-19 before, demonstrated seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2. While there was no significant difference in the different age groups and socio-economic classes; residence in Delhi was associated with increased risk (relative risk of 3.62, 95% CI 1.59-8.21)

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