Are doctors protected enough during COVID-19 in South Asia?

Background The highly contagious nature of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) places physicians in South Asia at high risk of contracting the infection. Accordingly, we conducted this study to provide an updated account of physician deaths in South Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze and compare the different characteristics associated with physician mortality amongst the countries of the region. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study by using published news reports on the websites of news agencies from 9 selected countries in South Asia. Our study included only those physicians and doctors who died after contracting COVID-19 from their respective workplaces. All available data about the country of origin, type of, sex, age, medical or surgical specialty, and date of death were included. Results The total number of physician deaths reported due to COVID-19 in our study was 170, with half (87/170, 51%) of the deaths reported from Iran. Male physician deaths were reported to be 145 (145/170 = 85%). Internal Medicine (58.43%) was the most severely affected sub-specialty. The highest physician mortality rate in the general population recorded in Afghanistan (27/1000 deaths). General physicians from India [OR = 11.00(95% CI = 1.06–114.08), p = 0.045] and public sector medical practitioners from Pakistan [aOR = 4.52 (95% CI = 1.18–17.33), p = 0.028] were showing significant mortality when compared with other regions in multivariate logistic regression. Conclusion An increased number of physician deaths, owing to COVID-19, has been shown in South Asia. This could be due to decreased personal protective equipment and the poor health care management systems of the countries in the region to combat the pandemic. Future studies should provide detailed information of characteristics associated with physician mortalities along with the main complications arising due to the virus.

Gender peculiarities of professional identity in medical dynasties

Despite the fact that female employees prevail in modern healthcare system, medicine retains gender differentiation in terms of distribution of authority, career trajectories, pay grade, etc. Such gender bias impedes balanced professional development of the medical personnel, affects their work motivation, and commitment to the profession. Medical dynasties are an important link in reproduction of human capital and preservation of the professional ethos of the medical practice. Therefore, this article explores gender peculiarities of professional identity of the hereditary physicians. The object of this research is the dynasties that have developed in medical environment with at least three generations of medical personnel. The empirical base for studying medical dynasties consists of 20 autobiographical narrative interviews (11 women and 9 men). Territorial localization of the informants is Volgodonsk, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saratov, Irkutsk, and Ufa. Interviews with the representatives of professional dynasties demonstrate that the process of professional identification of male physician is characterized by the strategy of self-fulfillment and self-assertiveness through work; while female physicians manifest coping strategies (if pertains to surgery particularly), as well as adaptation strategy. At the same time, namely women often reproduce conservative gender stereotypes in the professional sphere.

Impact of surgeon and anaesthesiologist sex on patient outcomes after cardiac surgery: a population-based study

BackgroundEffective teamwork between anaesthesiologists and surgeons is essential for optimising patient safety in the cardiac operating room. While many factors may influence the relationship between these two physicians, the role of sex and gender have yet to be investigated.ObjectivesWe sought to determine the association between cardiac physician team sex discordance and patient outcomes.DesignWe performed a population-based, retrospective cohort study.Participants and settingAdult patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and/or aortic, mitral or tricuspid valve surgery between 2008 and 2018 in Ontario, Canada.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was all-cause 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events at 30 days and hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay (LOS). Mixed effects logistic regression was used for categorical outcomes and Poisson regression for continuous outcomes.Results79 862 patients underwent cardiac surgery by 98 surgeons (11.2% female) and 279 anaesthesiologists (23.3% female); 19 893 (24.9%) were treated by sex-discordant physician teams. Physician sex discordance was not associated with overall patient mortality or LOS; however, patients who underwent isolated CABG experienced longer hospital LOS when treated by an all-male physician team as compared with an all-female team (adjusted OR=1.07; p=0.049). When examining the impact of individual physician sex, the length of hospital stay was longer when isolated CABG procedures were attended by a male surgeon (OR=1.10; p=0.004) or anaesthesiologist (OR=1.02; p=0.01).ConclusionsPatient mortality and length of stay after cardiac surgery may vary by sex concordance of the attending surgeon–anaesthesiologist team. Further research is needed to examine the underlying mechanisms of these observed relationships.

Understanding Patient’s Predisposition for Physician’s apparel: A Cross-sectional Study from Mayo Hospital, Lahore.

Objective: To understand patient’s predisposition for physician’s apparel Methodology: Using a cross-sectional study design, a total of 96 participants were approached at Mayo Hospital, Lahore. An interview based pre-tested semi structured questionnaire consisting of both open and close ended questions was used for data collection. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26 Results: Out of 96 patients, 48(50%) were male and 48(50%) were female. Out of these 78.1% believed that doctor’s dress is important to them. 63.5% of patients preferred name tag and 84.4% preferred whitecoat. The most desired apparel for male physician was western attire with white coat (53.1%) and national attire with white coat for female doctors (54.2%) Conclusion: This study accentuated the patients’ predisposition for physician’s apparel which can lead to better rapport and ultimately improved healthcare services. Keywords: physician apparel, patient preference, attire

Defeating Unconscious Bias: The Role of a Structured, Reflective, and Interactive Workshop

ABSTRACT Background Unconscious or implicit biases are universal and detrimental to health care and the learning environment but can be corrected. Historical interventions used the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which may have limitations. Objective We determined the efficacy of an implicit bias training without using the IAT. Methods From April 2019 to June 2020, a 90-minute educational workshop was attended by students, residents, and faculty. The curriculum included an interactive unconscious biases presentation, videoclips using vignettes to demonstrate workplace impact of unconscious biases with strategies to counter, and reflective group discussions. The evaluation included pre- and postintervention surveys. Participants were shown images of 5 individuals and recorded first impressions regarding trustworthiness and presumed profession to unmask implicit bias. Results Of approximately 273 participants, 181 were given the survey, of which 103 (57%) completed it with significant increases from pre- to postintervention assessments for perception scores (28.87 [SEM 0.585] vs 32.73 [0.576], P < .001) and knowledge scores (5.68 [0.191] vs 7.22 [0.157], P < .001). For a White male physician covered in tattoos, only 2% correctly identified him as a physician, and 60% felt he was untrustworthy. For a smiling Black female astronaut, only 13% correctly identified her as an astronaut. For a brooding White male serial killer, 50% found him trustworthy. Conclusions An interactive unconscious bias workshop, performed without the use of an IAT, was associated with increases in perceptions and knowledge regarding implicit biases. The findings also confirmed inaccurate first impression stereotypical assumptions based on ethnicity, outward appearances, couture, and media influences.

Vestibular neuritis caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection diagnosed by serology: Case report

Vestibular neuritis is a disorder selectively affecting the vestibular portion of the eighth cranial nerve generally considered to be inflammatory in nature. There have been no reports of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causing vestibular neuritis. We present the case of a 42-year-old Caucasian male physician, providing care to COVID-19 patients, with no significant past medical history, who developed acute vestibular neuritis, 2 weeks following a mild respiratory illness, later diagnosed as COVID-19. Physicians should keep severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 high on the list as a possible etiology when suspecting vestibular neuritis, given the extent and implications of the current pandemic and the high contagiousness potential.

What attributes do patients prefer in a family physician? A cross-sectional study in a northern region of Portugal

ObjectivesTo determine which modifiable and non-modifiable attributes patients prefer in a family physician, as well as to analyse participants’ characteristics associated with their choices.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingFamily healthcare units (FHU) in the city of Braga and Barcelos (Northern Portugal).ParticipantsAdults aged 18 years or more, enrolled in the selected FHU.Main outcome measuresThe preferred attributes were assessed with a questionnaire delivered in the FHU. These attributes included gender, age and nationality and the importance of being Portuguese, of greeting with a handshake, of welcoming in the waiting area, of using an identification badge and of wearing a white coat.ResultsA total of 556 questionnaires were included in the analysis; 66% and 58% of the participants had no preference for the gender or age of the family physician, respectively. Using a multinomial logistic regression, male participants were 3.8 times more likely to have a preference for a male physician than having no preference, in comparison to female participants (OR 3.864, 95% CI 1.96 to 7.61). More than 69% of the participants considered greeting with a handshake, using an identification badge and wearing a white coat important or very important. There was a statistically significant association between being Portuguese and the major importance given to the use of an identification badge (β=0.68, 95% CI 0.23 to 1.12).ConclusionsOur data show that modifiable attributes of the family physician (greeting, presence of an identification badge and wearing a white coat) are important for patients. Potential changes in family physician attitude in consultation could ultimately affect patient–physician relationship.

Management of COVID-19 at the pandemic’s first wave in Ecuador

During March and April 2020, Ecuador was the country with the highest death toll in Latin America due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Simultaneously, research was being developed and published globally, and to a certain extent, guided therapeutic approaches in real time, mostly in under-resourced settings. We present the case of a 59-year-old male physician residing in Guayaquil, who presented with severe coronavirus disease 2019, in which mechanical ventilation, prone position, and pulmonary protective ventilatory strategy were used. We discuss the clinical management of the first reported case in the literature of a physician in Ecuador who survived severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, as well as the topic of self-medication within health professionals, the management approach that was emerging at the moment in scientific publications and guiding treatment, the role of responsible research and its worldwide impact, and the emotional burdens of the care team who had to make very difficult decisions in extremely adverse circumstances.

Does a ketogenic diet lower a very high Lp(a)? A striking experiment in a male physician

The level of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), an important cardiovascular risk factor, is considered to be genetically determined. I am a 55-year-old male physician specialised in preventive medicine and a hobby triathlete with a body mass index of 24.9 kg/m2 and a maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) of ~50 mL/(kg×min), with an average of 7–10 hours of exercise per week.I discovered my own Lp(a) at 92–97 mg/dL in 2004 and measured a maximum Lp(a) of 108 mg/dL in 2013. Surprisingly, I observed a much lower Lp(a) of 65 mg/dL in 2018. This happened after I had adopted a very-low-carb ketogenic diet for long-term endurance exercise.My n=1 experiment in July 2020 demonstrated an increase in Lp(a) back to 101 mg/dL on a very high-carb diet within 2 weeks, and a drop back to 74 mg/dL after 3 weeks on the ketogenic diet afterwards. The observed large changes in my Lp(a) were thus reproducible by a change in carbohydrate consumption and might have clinical relevance for patients as well as researchers in the field of Lp(a).

MON-686 Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome as a Rare Cause of Hypoglycemia

Background: Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome (IAS) or Hirata disease is reported more in Asians. We report the case of a patient with acute onset hypoglycemia secondary to IAS. Case Presentation: A 64 year old ARAB male physician presented with 2 weeks history of episodic hypoglycaemia with blood glucose (BG) 40–60 mg/dl, unrelated to food and occurring throughout the day. His attacks were associated with sweating, dizziness and palpitations, relieved by intake of juice. He reported 3 kg weight gain since the beginning of his symptoms. Past medical history revealed hypertension, past HCV infection with negative PCR and history of allergy to sulfa drugs. His medications included bisoprolol 2.5 mg daily. Physical exam showed no acanthosis nigericans. Laboratory investigations: Normal hepatic, renal and thyroid functions. 72 Hours fasting test was performed. at hour 3, the BG was 2.27 mmol (40.86 mg/dl), insulin > 1000 mU/ml (N: 2.6–24.9), c- peptide 15 ng/ml (N: 1.1–4.4), negative beta-hydroxybutyrate, with good glycemia response to glucagon 1mg. Urine sulfonylurea (SU) screen was negative. Insulin antibodies titre was high 8.9 nmol/L (N: 0–0.02) and Proinsulin >700 pmol/L (N: 3.6–22). MRI Abdomen showed only 3 mm lesion in the pancreatic head, likely a cyst. During hospitalization, the patient continued to have episodic hypoglycaemia and received dextrose 10% and octreotide injection. Bisoprolol was changed to amlodipine as it may mask his symptoms. Episodes of hypoglycaemia improved with octreotide but did not resolve completely. Prednisolone 30 mg daily was started with improvement and was tapered slowly after 16 weeks after mild hyperglycemia developed. Repeat work up showed reduction in insulin 67.4 mcunit/ml, C- peptide 2.66 ng/ml and insulin antibody titres to 0.24 nmol/L and remission of hypoglycemia. Discussion: Autoimmune hypoglycaemia is rare resulting from insulin antibodies(IAS), or anti-insulin receptor antibodies (Type B insulin Resistance). IAS can be triggered by drugs or viruses including hepatitis C and is associated with autoimmune diseases and hematologic malignancies. the differential diagnosis of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia include insulinoma, the presence of extreme levels of insulin, c-peptide and proinsulin and insulin antibodies is diagnostic of AIS. Short-term treatment with steroids was effective in treating hypoglycaemia and careful follow-up is ongoing. If the patient recurs, rituximab will be employed. References: 1-CHURCH, D., CARDOSO, L., KAY, R. G., WILLIAMS, C. L., FREUDENTHAL, B., CLARKE, C., HARRIS, J., MOORTHY, M., KARRA, E., GRIBBLE, F. M., REIMANN, F., BURLING, K., WILLIAMS, A. J. K., MUNIR, A., JONES, T. H., FUHRER, D., MOELLER, L. C., COHEN, M., KHOO, B., HALSALL, D. & SEMPLE, R. K. 2018. Assessment and Management of Anti-Insulin Autoantibodies in Varying Presentations of Insulin Autoimmune Syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 103, 3845–3855.