Lower Rate of Daily Smokers With Symptomatic COVID-19: A Monocentric Self-Report of Smoking Habit Study

Background: Identification of prognostic factors in COVID-19 remains a global challenge. The role of smoking is still controversial.Methods: PCR-positive in- and outpatients with symptomatic COVID-19 from a large French University hospital were systematically interviewed for their smoking status, use of e-cigarette, and nicotinic substitutes. The rates of daily smokers in in- and outpatients were compared using the same smoking habit questionnaire to those in the 2019 French general population, after standardisation for sex and age.Results: The inpatient group was composed of 340 patients, median age of 66 years: 203 men (59.7%) and 137 women (40.3%), median age of both 66 years, with a rate of 4.1% daily smokers (CI 95% [2.3–6.9]) (5.4% of men and 2.2% of women). The outpatient group was composed of 139 patients, median age of 44 years: 62 men (44.6%, median age of 43 years) and 77 women (55.4%, median age of 44 years). The daily smoker rate was 6.1% (CI 95% [2.7–11.6], 5.1% of men and 6.8% of women). Amongst inpatients, daily smokers represented 2.2 and 3.4% of the 45 dead patients and of the 29 patients transferred to ICU, respectively. The rate of daily smokers was significantly lower in patients with symptomatic COVID-19, as compared to that in the French general population after standardisation by age and sex, with standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) of 0.24 [0.12–0.48] for outpatients and 0.24 [0.14–0.40] for inpatients.Conclusions: Daily smoker rate in patients with symptomatic COVID-19 is lower as compared to the French general population

Successful Outpatient Management of Children at a Secondary Care Hospital in Pakistan in a Dengue Fever Epidemic and Their Clinical Outcomes

Background. There is limited published literature on the feasibility of WHO 2009 guidelines for the management of dengue fever (DF) in Pakistani children. This study aimed to assess the outcome of children with DF who received outpatient treatment according to these guidelines during a DF epidemic. Method. This was a prospective cohort study conducted at Federal General Hospital, a secondary care hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, from 1st August to 31st October 2019. Using WHO DF 2009 guidelines, children ≤13 years, diagnosed as confirmed DF (NS1 Ag +), were classified into the outpatient (DF) or the inpatient group (DF with warning signs or severe dengue (SD)). The inpatient group was admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, a tertiary care hospital, and discharged on recovery. These children were followed for the primary outcome, i.e., recovery or hospitalization by day 14 of enrollment. Additionally, clinical and laboratory features (Hb, HCT, TLC, PLT, and ALT) of the patients in the outpatient who remained stable with those who progressed to inpatient care during follow-up were compared; also, time of recovery of blood counts was assessed. Results. Of 93 children with DF, 87 (93.5%) received outpatient care at enrollment. Of these, 6 (7.8%) deteriorated by day 7 and were admitted to inpatient care. SD was present in 6/93 (6.4%) patients at presentation and were admitted. All children showed signs of recovery until day 14. Male gender ( p = 0.049 ), lower normal mean platelet ( p = 0.02 ), and high mean hematocrit ( p = 0.001 ) were associated with disease progression. Conclusion. The majority of children with confirmed DF who received outpatient treatment according to WHO 2009 guidelines were successfully managed. Additionally, confirmed DF with warning signs or SD were admitted and recovered. Regular follow-ups according to the guidelines are pertinent. Thrombocytopenia and high HCT were associated with disease progression.

Comparison of Two Multidisciplinary Occupational Rehabilitation Programs Based on Multimodal Cognitive Behavior Therapy on Self-Rated Health and Work Ability

Objective: Musculoskeletal pain and common mental disorders constitute the largest proportion of people who are on sick leave. This study investigated the efficacy of two multidisciplinary occupational rehabilitation programs on self-rated health and work-related outcomes. The interventions were identical in content but differed in length. It was hypothesized that a longer inpatient program would yield greater improvements than a shorter outpatient program.Methods: Patients were sick-listed workers referred to occupational rehabilitation by the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration. A non-randomized 2 Condition (20 days, n = 64 versus 12 days, n = 62) × 4 repeated measures (start, end, 3 months, 12 months) between-subject design was used. Both programs were based on multimodal cognitive behavior therapy with a return-to-work focus. Health-related questionnaires were the Subjective Health Complaints inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and SF-36 Bodily Pain. Work-related questionnaires were the Work Ability Index, the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Return To Work Self-Efficacy, and Return To Work expectations. Intervention effects were estimated using linear mixed models and Cohen’s d.Results: The results revealed that both groups improved on the selected outcomes. Within-group contrasts and effect sizes showed that the inpatient group showed larger effect sizes at the end of rehabilitation and 12 months post-intervention for work-related outcomes than the outpatient group.Conclusion: Both programs were efficacious in improving health- and work-related outcomes during and after rehabilitation, but the inpatient group generally displayed stronger and more rapid improvements and was more stable at one-year postintervention.

Factors Influencing Decision-Making of Terminally Ill Cancer Patients and Their Families Regarding Where to Stay and Receive Final-Month Care: A Preliminary Study

Background:Advance care planning is essential for a better terminal phase, although many patients do not make a choice regarding the place of receiving terminal care even one month before the expected end of life. This study explores the factors that influence patients with a life-expectancy of less than one month when they are admitted to the palliative care ward or other terminal care institutions.Methods: Self-administered questionnaire surveys were completed by patients and caregiver questionnaire surveys were completed by patients and caregivers. We assessed patient symptoms using Support Team Assessment Schedule-Japan (STAS-J), and all patients’ families answered the self-reported questionnaire, Caregiver Reaction Assessment-Japan (CRA-J).Results: The family care burden score for “Impact on schedule” was significantly higher for the palliative care ward inpatient group than for the non-inpatient group (21.0±1.5 vs. 17.6±1.8; ρ <0.01).Conclusions: Family burden might influence the choice of facility when patients with a survival prognosis of less than one month are admitted to the palliative care ward for reducing the burden of long-term care. Nurses should take care of family caregiver’s physical and psychosocial health, especially before the patient’s admission to the palliative care ward. The results of this study show that caregiver support is needed to reduce the feeling of family burden related to impact on schedule, enabling them to choose the best place for terminal care.

Perioperative gait analysis after total hip arthroplasty: Does outpatient surgery compromise patient outcomes?

Background: There has been a continuing trend toward decreasing the length of hospital stay for patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). We aimed to investigate the impact of timing of discharge on gait and patient-reported outcomes early after THA. Methods: In this prospective observational cohort study conducted from May 2014 to November 2015, we measured gait velocity, stride length, single-limb support and single-limb support symmetry in adults aged 18−75 years before direct anterior THA, at discharge from the hospital, and 2, 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon. Patients were discharged on the same day as surgery (outpatient group) or stayed at least 1 night in hospital (inpatient group). Participants also completed the Timed Up and Go test (all postoperative time points) and a series of questionnaires (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [6 and 12 wk], 12-Item Short Form Health Survey [2, 6 and 12 wk], Harris Hip Score [12 wk] and a pain visual analogue scale [all postoperative time points]). Results: Thirty-six participants were enrolled in the study, of whom 16 were outpatients and 20 were inpatients. The mean pain rating at the time of discharge was lower in the outpatient group than in the inpatient group (adjusted mean difference −1.5, 95% confidence interval −3.0 to 0.0). We found no other significant differences between the groups for any gait, patient-reported or surgical outcome. Conclusion: There were no statistically significant differences in gait or patient-reported outcomes after direct anterior THA between patients who stayed overnight and those who were discharged as outpatients. Patients discharged as outpatients were younger than those who stayed overnight. Our results suggest that discharging patients as an outpatient after direct anterior THA may have a similar impact on patient function and outcomes as a standard overnight stay in hospital.

Improving physical health care for inpatients with eating disorders

AimsPrimary aim – To improve how physical health issues are addressed for inpatients with eating disordersSecondary aim – To improve efficiency within the MDTBackgroundThe Yorkshire Centre for Eating Disorders (YCED) is an inpatient unit for the treatment of patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality of all psychiatric disorders with an extensive list of physical manifestations. This project was designed to help better address the physical health concerns of our patients by introducing a primary care style, once weekly clinic that patients could self-refer to.MethodQuestionnaires were designed to assess whether a once weekly physical health clinic would benefit the service.The clinic was run on a weekly basis from 26th April to 24th June 2019. Follow-up questionnaires were designed and distributed to both patients and staff following this period. Data were analysed with Microsoft Excel to determine if improvement had been made.ResultN = 12 inpatients responded to the initial questionnaires, n = 2 were discharged during the 8 week period so were included in the analysis but did not complete the follow-up questionnaire.100% of the staff (n = 8) felt a once weekly clinic would benefit their patients. 62% (n = 5) stated they felt distracted from their other duties with physical health requests.33% (n = 4) of the inpatient group felt the clinic would benefit them with 67% (n = 8) stating indifference to the idea.26 appointments were conducted in the physical health clinic with 80% (n = 8) of the service users accessing at least once. 70% (n = 7) stated their physical health concerns had been better addressed since the clinic had been started.90% (n = 9) of inpatients and 90% (n = 9) of staff responded that the physical health clinic should remain permanent. 90% (n = 9) of staff stated they had more time for their other duties since the introduction of the clinic.Prior to the clinic 63% (n = 5) of staff responded that in a typical day they were approached between 2-5 times for physical health requests with the other 37% (n = 3) being approached once.Following the clinic 80% (n = 8) of staff responded that they were approached once in a typical working day.ConclusionThe qualitative data from the questionnaires indicated success in both improving patient care and reducing nursing workload.The physical health clinic has been made a permanent feature on the ward and has been continued by the incoming foundation doctor and ward ANP.

413 Inpatient Sleep Screens: Effective for Screening but Poor Follow Up

Introduction Only 20% of adult Americans with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are thought to have been diagnosed. Portable monitors (PM) can provide shorter time to diagnosis and treatment in at risk populations including inpatients. Data on inpatient sleep screen testing outcomes and population phenotypes are limited. We hypothesized that inpatients undergoing sleep screens via PM have higher disease severity but are less adherent to follow up. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study comparing severity of OSA based on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and compliance with follow up between patients who received inpatient vs. outpatient sleep screens. There was a total of 347 patients, 18 years and older, who received a sleep screen from August 2017 to August 2018. Exclusion criteria were cancellations/no shows (13.56% inpatients vs. 13.51% outpatients) or loss of data (26.12% inpatients vs. 23.72% outpatients). For analysis, t-test and chi-square were used for continuous and categorical variables respectively. Results The patients diagnosed with severe OSA were more than double in the inpatient group vs. the outpatient group, 46.7% and 21.7% respectively. The inpatient group had a higher average AHI (30/h) compared to the outpatient group (20.3/h). 30.7% of the inpatient group were adherent with their follow up vs. 83.3% of the outpatient group. A chi-square test of independence demonstrated a significant difference between testing location and follow up (p &lt; .001). Those in the inpatient group were significantly older (mean 60.4 years old) than the outpatient group (47.5 years old). There was no significant difference in gender between the groups. The inpatient group had significantly higher average body mass index (39.9 kg/m2) when compared to the outpatient group (34.3 kg/m2). Conclusion Hospitalized patients screened for OSA with portable monitors are significantly more likely to have severe disease when compared to outpatients. Despite this, adherence to follow up is poor. Systematic evaluation of inpatient OSA screening program effectiveness and factors impacting adherence to follow up and treatment are needed. Support (if any):

SUMMARY: SITUATION OF USING DRUGS FOR GOUT TREATMENT OF INPATIENTS

Objective: To describe the current situation of using drugs to treat gout on inpatients at Can Tho City General Hospital. Subjects and methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive, non-intervention study based on inpatient medical records for gout treatment at Can Tho City General Hospital with admission time from June 2019 to December 2019. Results: The majority of patients were prescribed colchicine, accounting for 91.35%, followed by oral and injected meloxicam, with 55.77.0% and 29.81% respectively. Inpatients using a single regimen mainly used paracetamol (accounting for 36.11%) and colchicine (accounting for 22.22%). The most commonly used 2-drug inpatient regimen included: colchicin + oral paracetamol (30.43%), oral meloxicam + oral paracatamol (19.57%). The 3-drug combination regimen on the inpatient group includes: colchicin + injected meloxicam + oral paracetamol (accounting for 61.11%). The four-drug combination regimen was colchicin + injected meloxicam + oral methylprednisolon + infused paracetamol. The majority of inpatients had the regimen changed due to improved clinical symptoms (accounting for 64.13%). Approximately 25.54% of patients need changes due to more severe clinical symptoms. Only 6 medical records showed adverse events during the treatment process, accounting for 5.77%. In which, digestive disorders accounted for the highest percentage with 50.0%. Conclusion: Gout inpatients were mainly indicated for the use of colchicin and meloxicam. The main regimens used in monotherapy were paracetamol and colchicin, the multitherapy regimen mainly used colchicin, meloxicam and paracetamol. Drug side effects were low at 5.77%.

Influence of outpatient total knee arthroplasty compared to inpatient surgery on medical and economic outcomes

Firstly, this study compared the rate of readmission after a total knee arthroplasty between selected out- patients (no hospitalization, directly sent home after surgery) and inpatients (3 days hospitalization) at 6 weeks. Secondly, it examined the mobility and the complications in the two groups after the same period of time. The rate of readmission, complications and knee mobility of 32 outpatients (M-age : 61 years ± 10 ; 10 females), were compared against those of 32 birth- matched inpatients (M-age : 64 years ± 8.6 ; 10 females). No patient was re-admitted in either group. Post- surgical complications included one hematoma resorbed at 6 weeks in the outpatient group and three joint effusions in the inpatient group. There were no instances of deep venous thrombosis, failure of primary fixation, infection, or wound dehiscence. Knee mobility was identical between the two groups. This is the first study to compare inpatient and outpatient total knee arthroplasty in a Belgian setting. Our study suggests that day-care total knee arthroplasty in selected patients is possible without increasing the rate of re-admission and complications, and without affecting the mobility at 6 weeks. However, the Belgian financial incentives do not seem to currently promote this surgical approach. These results should be confirmed with a larger sample to define the adequate length of stay after a total knee arthroplasty.