scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on the volume of emergency CT studies in a neuro-trauma reference center

2020 ◽  
pp. 38-45
Author(s):  
José Pablo Martínez-Barbero ◽  
Rosa Macías-Ruíz

Rationale and Objectives The covid-19 pandemic has been a challenge for health systems, given the large number of affected patients and mortality rates. However, it has conditioned a decrease in non-covid imaging studies. Our intention is to quantify the decrease in emergency neuroimaging studies caused by the pandemic. Materials and Methods A retrospective study was carried out on the number of CTs requested from the emergency department. The total amount of CT performed, brain-CT, and the CT studies for stroke code were quantified, week by week. The analogous weeks of 2019 and 2020, before and after the declaration of the state of alarm, were compared. Results The total amount of CTs requested from the ED during 2020 in weeks 1-12 was 1266, and decreased compared with 1745 exams during weeks 1-12 in 2019 (p value 0.045). During weeks 1-12 in 2020, 947 brain-CTs were performed, compared to 1328 in 2019 (p value 0.032). When comparing the 1-6 weeks in 2020 with those affected by the pandemic, a decrease was observed from 887 emergency CTs to 419 (p value 0.002). There was a decrease (p value 0.002) in the number of brain-CTs, from 664 in weeks 1-6, to 303 in weeks 7-12. No statistically significant differences were found in the number of stroke code studies. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a huge drop in urgent imaging studies during the state of alarm at a reference neurotrauma center, except for stroke code studies. Keywords: Covid-19; Neuroimaging; Stroke imaging; Emergency imaging; CT

Author(s):  
Vinnycius de Oliveira ◽  
Ricardo Viana ◽  
Naiane Morais ◽  
Gustavo Costa ◽  
Marilia Andrade ◽  
...  

This study compared the exergame beach volleyball’s acute effects on state anxiety level in single vs. multiplayer mode in adult men. Sixty adult men (age: 21.98 [4.58] years, body mass: 75.40 [15.70] kg, height: 1.77 [0.09] m, and body mass index: 24.19 [5.44] kg/m2; data are expressed as median [interquartile range]) were assigned to play exergame of beach volleyball in single- or multiplayer mode for approximately 30 min using the Xbox 360 Kinect®. The state anxiety level was evaluated before and after the intervention. There was no significant difference in the state anxiety levels after an exergame session between the single and multiplayer modes (p-value = 0.407, effect size (rB) = −0.12, defined as small). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the state anxiety levels before and after an exergame session in single-player mode (p-value = 0.516, effect size (d) = 0.14, defined as trivial) and multiplayer mode (p-value = 0.053, rB = 0.43, defined as medium). In conclusion, state anxiety level after exergame beach volleyball did not differ between the single and multiplayer modes in adult men.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3;23 (6;3) ◽  
pp. 299-304
Author(s):  
Alaa Abd-Elsayed

Background: To date, there is limited research on whether the various types of mandatory usage of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) have any effects on prescribing patterns, drug usage, patient care, and drug diversion (8-10). Within the United States (US), there is wide variation in individual states’ requirements for the usage of PDMPs. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether mandatory prescriber review of a PDMP prior to each issuance of a controlled substance resulted in a reduction in the total number of controlled substance prescriptions dispensed. Study Design: A retrospective review of the State of Wisconsin’s PDMP controlled substance database from April 2015 to March 2019 was performed. The evaluation compared the number of prescriptions among individual drug classes (opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants) dispensed throughout the state before and after April 1st, 2017, when implementation of a state law mandating the review of the PDMP during each patient encounter prior to issuing a prescription for a controlled substance took effect. Setting: Research was conducted using Wisconsin’s PDMP controlled substance database from April 2015 to March 2019. During this time, controlled substance policy has come to the forefront of the nation due to issues with an opioid epidemic. Methods: Descriptive analysis was used to express data as n and % for categorical data and average ± standard deviation for numerical data. Before- and after-prescription totals were analyzed using a paired t test and Levene’s test for equality of variances. The P value was considered significant at a level ≤ .05. Limitations: Limitations to this study included its retrospective design, focus on a single US state, and possible unforeseen contributors to cause and effect. Results: Prior to the enforcement of the state’s mandatory PDMP legislation, an average of 844,314 controlled substance prescriptions were written monthly. Following the implementation of the law, the average monthly total prescriptions written within the state decreased to 708,063. This was an average monthly reduction of 136,251 prescriptions written or 16.1%. Statistically significant reductions were also seen in opioid and benzodiazepine subgroups (23.0%, 16.3%). Conclusion: Our study suggests that state-enforced mandatory usage of a PDMP, which records all controlled substance prescriptions filled by a pharmacy such as opioids, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, etc. at every encounter prior to prescribing any controlled substance, can provide for a significant reduction in controlled substance prescriptions, specifically opioids and benzodiazepines. Key words: Prescription drug monitoring program, opioids, mandatory usage, benzodiazepines, Wisconsin


2003 ◽  
Vol 123 (0) ◽  
pp. 51-55
Author(s):  
Munenori Hayakawa ◽  
Tadao Nishimura ◽  
Kenji Suzuki ◽  
Natsuki Morishima ◽  
Nobuhiro Shibata ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
Parti ◽  
Sumiati Malik ◽  
Nurhayati

Most causes of infant death are problems that occur in newborn/neonatal (0-28 days old), Low Birth Weight Babies (LBW) is one of the factors which has a contribution to infant mortality, especially in the neonatal period. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is a benchmark in determining the degree of public health, both at the National and Provincial levels. This study aimed to determine the effect of the Kangaroo Mother Care Method (KMC) on the prevention of hypothermia in low birth weight infants at Morowali District Hospital in 2019. The type of research used was a quasi-experiment. The population is all low birth weight babies born from May to July 2019. The sample in this study was all newborns with low birth weight born from May to July 2019, totaling 30 babies. There is a difference (influence) on the baby's body temperature before and after KMC with a p-value=0,000. The kangaroo mother care can continue to be affiliated considering its benefits for both infants and mothers, as well as increasing the ability of health workers in conducting KMC so that they can provide in-house training for mothers to be carried out at home.


Author(s):  
Juliana Widyastuti Wahyuningsih Juliana Widyastuti Wahyuningsih

ABSTRAK Tidur merupakan kebutuhan yang harus terpenuhi terutama pada fase perkembangan karena selama tidur akan terjadi perkembangan otak maupun tubuh, sehingga gangguan tidur merupakan masalah yang akan menimbulkan dampak buruk terhadap pertumbuhan dan perkembangan bayi. Kualitas tidur bayi yang baik dapat diciptakan dengan memberikan pemijatan bayi secara rutin. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuktikan bahwa pemijatan dapat mempengaruhi kualitas tidur bayi umur 0-3 bulan. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian Quasy Eksperimental dengan metode One Group Pretest-Postest. Sampel 22 bayi yang dipilih dengan tehnik Total Sampling yang di observasi sebelum dan sesudah diberikan pemijatan. Variabel yang diukur dalam penelitian ini adalah kualitas tidur bayi 0-3 bulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa ada pengaruh pijat bayi terhadap kualitas tidur bayi umur 0-3 bulan (p value  0,008 < α = 0,05).Berdasarkan hasil penelitian ini disarankan agar keluarga dan masyarakat memberikan pemijatan secara rutin dan mandiri untuk meningkatkan kebutuhan tidur bayi yang berkualitas.   ABSTRACT Sleep is a human necessity that must be met, especially in the development phase because during sleep will occur the brain and body developments, so that sleep disturbance is a problem that would cause adverse effects on infants’ growth and development. The good quality of sleep can be created by providing the infants massage routinely. This study aimed to prove that the massage could affect the quality of sleep on the 0-3 months old baby. This study used Quasy-experimental design with One Group Pretest-Posttest. The sample 22 infants selected by total sampling technique observed on before and after the massage. The variables measured in this study are the quality of sleep. The results of study indicate that there is an effect of infant massage to the sleep quality on 0-3 months old babies (p value 0,008 < α = 0,05).Based on the results of this study it recommended for the families and communities to provide infant massage regularly and independently to increase the quality of sleep on the baby.  


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A B Guerra ◽  
L M Guerra ◽  
L F Probst ◽  
B V Castro Gondinho ◽  
G M Bovi Ambrosano ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The state of São Paulo recorded a significant reduction in infant mortality, but the desired reduction in maternal mortality was not achieved. Knowledge of the factors with impact on these indicators would be of help in formulating public policies. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relations between socioeconomic and demographic factors, health care model and both infant mortality and maternal mortality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods In this ecological study, data from national official open sources were used. Analyzed were 645 municipalities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. For each municipality, the infant mortality and maternal mortality rates were calculated for every 1000 live births, 2013. The association between these rates, socioeconomic variables, demographic models and the primary care organization model in the municipality were verified. We used the zero-inflated negative binomial model. Gross analysis was performed and then multiple regression models were estimated. For associations, we adopted “p” at 5%. Results The increase in the HDI of the city and proportion of Family Health Care Strategy implemented were significantly associated with the reduction in both infant mortality (neonatal + post-neonatal) and maternal mortality rates. In turn, the increase in birth and caesarean delivery rates were associated with the increase in infant and maternal mortality rates. Conclusions It was concluded that the Family Health Care Strategy model that contributed to the reduction in infant (neonatal + post-neonatal) and maternal mortality rates, and so did actors such as HDI and cesarean section. Thus, public health managers should prefer this model. Key messages Implementation of public policies with specific focus on attenuating these factors and making it possible to optimize resources, and not interrupting the FHS. Knowledge of the factors with impact on these indicators would be of help in formulating public policies.


2021 ◽  
pp. 001458582110225
Author(s):  
Thomas E Peterson

A central question facing the reader of the Paradiso terrestre (Pg 28–33) concerns the selfhood of the protagonist, the character Dante. While the state of Dante’s soul was critical to the poem’s beginning in the dark wood, and remained implicit through the intervening cantos, it is only in the Paradiso terrestre that it becomes the poem’s central focus. This question is explored in cognitive and theological terms in a sequential reading of the six cantos that elucidates the learning process occurring in the character before and after his confession in Pg 31: in his encounter with Matelda, his sensory and perceptual experience of the procession, his dialogues with Beatrice, and his witnessing of her divine beauty as the analogia entis reflecting the beauty of God. The analysis acknowledges the changes in Dante’s style in this interval, which serves as a fulcrum of the entire Commedia, a spatio-temporal threshold in which the transition of one soul, from confession to redemption to instruction on the divine word, is linked to the destiny of humankind and the prospect of universal salvation. Throughout this process of becoming, the character’s cognitive limitations are exposed, not simply as flaws but as signs of his intrinsic humanity.


Author(s):  
Alois Paulin

In this study the authors analyze the effects of e-government reforms that began in mid-90ies by confronting the promises which these reforms made to government performance in the period before and after the reforms took place. The authors use fiscal and performance indicators of the Slovenian government and courts to argue that e-government did not yield any notable effects on the state performance. Finally, the authors analyze the reasons why e-government technology cannot be regarded as sustainable and suggest a different approach towards researching how to sustainably improve governance for generations to come.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document