RADIATION IN A PALLIATIVE SETTING DURING COVID-19 ERA. AN INDIAN TERTIARY CANCER CARE PROSPECTIVE – RISKS, BENEFITS .

2021 ◽  
pp. 9-11
Author(s):  
Ajay G.V ◽  
Sambit Swarup Nanda ◽  
Ajay Kumar Choubey ◽  
Ashutosh Mukherji ◽  
Satyajit Pradhan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
Normal Population ◽  
Unique Challenge ◽  
Oncologic Emergencies ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Radiation Treatments ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Hypofractionated Radiation ◽  
Palliative Setting

India and the rest of the world are experiencing an outbreak of the COVID- 19 virus. WHO has declared 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID19), a public health emergency of international concern. (1) Palliative treatment compromises a major portion of radiation treatments in cancer. (2) Metastatic or palliation treatment presents a unique challenge in resource-limited settings as ours and early treatment to alleviate their symptoms and disease is the need of the hour to prevent further morbidity and mortality. These patients are usually more cachexic with low immunity and more prone to infection of COVID-19 than the normal population, here their treatment has to be expedited and their visits to the hospital to be minimized to prevent infection with COVID. (3) We reviewed the best evidence and recommended best practices for the treatment of common oncologic emergencies with more emphasis on balancing the risk of infection with the COVID-19 virus and the potential morbidity of delaying treatment. In COVID -19 Era pandemic, the use of hypofractionated radiation therapy for palliative patients for oncologic emergencies achieves intended functional outcomes without compromising care

scholarly journals Current Understanding of Novel Coronavirus: Molecular Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment Approaches

Immuno ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-66
Author(s):  
Niraj Kumar Jha ◽  
Madhan Jeyaraman ◽  
Mahesh Rachamalla ◽  
Shreesh Ojha ◽  
Kamal Dua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
Cellular Therapy ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Huge Number ◽  
The World ◽  
To Come ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Nano Medicine

An outbreak of “Pneumonia of Unknown Etiology” occurred in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019. Later, the agent factor was identified and coined as SARS-CoV-2, and the disease was named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a shorter period, this newly emergent infection brought the world to a standstill. On 11 March 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. Researchers across the globe have joined their hands to investigate SARS-CoV-2 in terms of pathogenicity, transmissibility, and deduce therapeutics to subjugate this infection. The researchers and scholars practicing different arts of medicine are on an extensive quest to come up with safer ways to curb the pathological implications of this viral infection. A huge number of clinical trials are underway from the branch of allopathy and naturopathy. Besides, a paradigm shift on cellular therapy and nano-medicine protocols has to be optimized for better clinical and functional outcomes of COVID-19-affected individuals. This article unveils a comprehensive review of the pathogenesis mode of spread, and various treatment modalities to combat COVID-19 disease.

scholarly journals COVID-19: Nutrition and functional outcomes for critical care survivors in a 400- bedded district general hospital in North London

2021 ◽  
pp. 175114372110254
Author(s):  
Rachel Catlow ◽  
Charlotte Cheeseman ◽  
Helen Newman
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
Critical Care Unit ◽  
Workforce Planning ◽  
District General Hospital ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Rehabilitation Needs

Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in huge numbers of critically ill patients. This study describes the inpatient recovery and rehabilitation needs of patients admitted with COVID-19 to the critical care unit of a 400 bedded general hospital in London, United Kingdom. The rehabilitation needs of our sample were considerable. It is recommended that the increase demand on allied health professionals capacity demonstrated is considered in future COVID-19-related workforce-planning.

OC-0212: Patient-reported functional outcomes after hypofractionated radiation for prostate cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 152 ◽  
pp. S106-S107
Author(s):  
J. NossiteR ◽  
A. Sujenthiran ◽  
T. Cowling ◽  
M. Parry ◽  
S. Charman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Hypofractionated Radiation

scholarly journals Sports Medicine Considerations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 036354652097518
Author(s):  
Mary K. Mulcahey ◽  
Arianna L. Gianakos ◽  
Angela Mercurio ◽  
Scott Rodeo ◽  
Karen M. Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Sports Medicine ◽  
Return To Sport ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Return To Sports ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Current Disruption ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Sports Activities

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in upward of 14 million confirmed cases and >597,000 deaths worldwide as of July 19, 2020. The current disruption in sports activities caused by COVID-19 presents a challenge to physicians, coaches, and trainers in discerning best practices for a safe return to sport. There is a distinct need to develop and adopt consistent measures for resumption of sports activities, including training and competition, in a way that places the health and well-being of athletes at the forefront while also protecting coaches, allied staff, and spectators. This article provides an overview of the effects of COVID-19 in the athletic population and presents considerations for training during the pandemic, as well as guidelines for return to sports as restrictions are lifted.

scholarly journals A blueprint for academic laboratories to produce SARS-CoV-2 quantitative RT-PCR test kits

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (46) ◽  
pp. 15438-15453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha J. Mascuch ◽  
Sara Fakhretaha-Aval ◽  
Jessica C. Bowman ◽  
Minh Thu H. Ma ◽  
Gwendell Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Support Group ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Research Teams ◽  
Environmental Testing ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Test Kit ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Widespread testing for the presence of the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals remains vital for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic prior to the advent of an effective treatment. Challenges in testing can be traced to an initial shortage of supplies, expertise, and/or instrumentation necessary to detect the virus by quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR), the most robust, sensitive, and specific assay currently available. Here we show that academic biochemistry and molecular biology laboratories equipped with appropriate expertise and infrastructure can replicate commercially available SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR test kits and backfill pipeline shortages. The Georgia Tech COVID-19 Test Kit Support Group, composed of faculty, staff, and trainees across the biotechnology quad at Georgia Institute of Technology, synthesized multiplexed primers and probes and formulated a master mix composed of enzymes and proteins produced in-house. Our in-house kit compares favorably with a commercial product used for diagnostic testing. We also developed an environmental testing protocol to readily monitor surfaces for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Our blueprint should be readily reproducible by research teams at other institutions, and our protocols may be modified and adapted to enable SARS-CoV-2 detection in more resource-limited settings.

scholarly journals Putting veterans with heart failure FIRST improves follow-up and reduces readmissions

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Michelle Ogunwole ◽  
Jason Phillips ◽  
Amber Gossett ◽  
John Richard Downs
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Quality Improvement Initiative ◽  
Medicine Department ◽  
High Risk Patients ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Risk Patients

BackgroundDespite improvements in length of stay and mortality, congestive heart failure (CHF) remains the most common cause of 30-day readmissions to the hospital. Though multiple studies have found that early follow-up after discharge (eg, within 7 days) is critical to improving 30-day readmissions, implementation strategies are challenging in resource-limited settings. Here we present a quality improvement initiative aimed at improving early follow-up while maximising available resources.MethodsThis was a medical resident-driven initiative. A process map of the discharge and follow-up appointment process was created that identified multiple areas for improvement. Based on these findings, a two-part intervention was implemented. First, heart failure discharge education with focus on early follow-up was disseminated to providers throughout the internal medicine department. Subsequently, improved identification of high-risk patients (Failure Intervention Risk StratificationTool) and innovative use of the existing electronic medical record (EMR) were employed to sustain and improve on gains from the first set of interventions.ResultsWe increased our 7-day follow-up rate from 47% to 57% (p=0.429) and decreased the average time to follow-up from 17.6 days to 8.7 days (p=0.016) following the first intervention. The percentage of patients readmitted within 30 days after discharge at baseline (2012–2013) and following the first intervention (education and standardisation of follow-up scheduling) and second intervention (risk stratification, intensive follow-up and EMR change) was 25% and 21%, respectively. Thirty-day mortality rate decreased from 10% in 2011 to 7.16% in December 2015.ConclusionClose hospital discharge follow-up and identification of high-risk patients with CHF are useful approaches to reduce readmissions. Using the existing EMR tool for identifying high-risk patients and improving adherence to best practices is an effective intervention. In patients with CHF these strategies improved time to follow-up and 30-day readmissions while decreasing mortality.

scholarly journals Differentiating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from influenza and dengue

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tun-Linn Thein ◽  
Li Wei Ang ◽  
Barnaby Edward Young ◽  
Mark I-Cheng Chen ◽  
Yee-Sin Leo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Features ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Delayed Diagnosis ◽  
Roc Curves ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Laboratory Markers ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Early Predictors ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

AbstractThe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents with non-specific clinical features. This may result in misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, and lead to further transmission in the community. We aimed to derive early predictors to differentiate COVID-19 from influenza and dengue. The study comprised 126 patients with COVID-19, 171 with influenza and 180 with dengue, who presented within 5 days of symptom onset. All cases were confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction tests. We used logistic regression models to identify demographics, clinical characteristics and laboratory markers in classifying COVID-19 versus influenza, and COVID-19 versus dengue. The performance of each model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Shortness of breath was the strongest predictor in the models for differentiating between COVID-19 and influenza, followed by diarrhoea. Higher lymphocyte count was predictive of COVID-19 versus influenza and versus dengue. In the model for differentiating between COVID-19 and dengue, patients with cough and higher platelet count were at increased odds of COVID-19, while headache, joint pain, skin rash and vomiting/nausea were indicative of dengue. The cross-validated area under the ROC curve for all four models was above 0.85. Clinical features and simple laboratory markers for differentiating COVID-19 from influenza and dengue are identified in this study which can be used by primary care physicians in resource limited settings to determine if further investigations or referrals would be required.

scholarly journals Reproducibility and reporting practices in COVID-19 preprint manuscripts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josh Sumner ◽  
Leah Haynes ◽  
Sarah Nathan ◽  
Cynthia Hudson-Vitale ◽  
Leslie D. McIntosh
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Open Science ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Important Research ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Funding Information ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

AbstractThe novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has sparked an outflow of scientific research seeking to understand the virus, its spread, and best practices in prevention and treatment. If this international research effort is going to be as swift and effective as possible, it will need to rely on a principle of open science. When researchers share data, code, and software and generally make their work as transparent as possible, it allows other researchers to verify and expand upon their work. Furthermore, it allows public officials to make informed decisions. In this study, we analyzed 535 preprint articles related to COVID-19 for eight transparency criteria and recorded study location and funding information. We found that individual researchers have lined up to help during this crisis, quickly tackling important public health questions, often without funding or support from outside organizations. However, most authors could improve their data sharing and scientific reporting practices. The contrast between researchers’ commitment to doing important research and their reporting practices reveals underlying weaknesses in the research community’s reporting habits, but not necessarily their science.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Infection Diagnosis: Potential Impact of Isothermal Amplification Technology to Reduce Community Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

Diagnostics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ameh James ◽  
John Alawneh
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Turnaround Time ◽  
Isothermal Amplification ◽  
Resource Limited Settings ◽  
Laboratory Staff ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
Rapid Tests ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Nicking Enzyme

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is largely driven by community transmission, after 2019 novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV or SARS-CoV-2) crosses the borders. To stop the spread, rapid testing is required at community clinics and hospitals. These rapid tests should be comparable with the standard PCR technology. Isothermal amplification technology provides an excellent alternative that is highly amenable to resource limited settings, where expertise and infrastructure to support PCR are not available. In this review, we provide a brief description of isothermal amplification technology, its potential and the gaps that need to be considered for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Among this emerging technology, loop-mediated amplification (LAMP), recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and Nicking enzyme-assisted reaction (NEAR) technologies have been identified as potential platforms that could be implemented at community level, without samples referral to a centralized laboratory and prolonged turnaround time associated with the standard COVID-19 RT-PCR test. LAMP, for example, has recently been shown to be comparable with PCR and could be performed in less than 30 min by non-laboratory staff, without RNA extractions commonly associated with PCR. Interestingly, NEAR (ID NOW™ COVID-19 (Abbott, IL, USA) was able to detect the virus in 5 min. More so, isothermal platforms are cost effective and could easily be scaled up to resource limited settings. Diagnostics developers, scientific community and commercial companies could consider this alternative method to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

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