Consequences of delaying non-urgent surgeries during COVID-19: a population-based retrospective cohort study in Alberta, Canada

Objectives
To ensure sufficient resources to care for patients with COVID-19, healthcare systems delayed non-urgent surgeries to free capacity. This study explores the consequences of delaying non-urgent surgery on surgical care and healthcare resource use.

Design
This is a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Setting
This study took place in Alberta, Canada, from December 2018 to December 2021.

Participants
Adult patients scheduled for surgery in Alberta during the study period were included.

Primary and secondary outcomes measures
The proportion of surgeries completed and surgery wait time were the primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes were healthcare resource use (hospital length of stay, emergency room visits and physician visits). The association between the primary outcomes and patient and surgery-related variables was explored using regression.

Results
There were 202 470 unique patients with 259 677 scheduled surgeries included. Fewer surgeries were completed throughout the pandemic compared with before; in the fourth wave, there was a decrease from 79% pre-COVID-19 to 67%. There was a decrease in wait time for those who had surgery completed during COVID-19 (from 105 to 69 days). Having surgery completed and the wait for surgery were associated with the geographical zone, COVID-19 wave, and the surgery type and priority. There was a decrease in all measures of healthcare resource use and an increase in hospital and all-cause mortality during COVID-19 compared with before COVID-19.

Conclusions
The change in the proportion of scheduled surgeries completed and the wait time for completed surgery was modest and associated with COVID-19 wave and surgery-related variables, which was aligned with policies enacted during COVID-19 for surgery. The decrease in healthcare resource use suggests the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may be delayed and may result in many patients presenting with advanced disease requiring surgical care.

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Agosto 2024

Associations between pre-existing comorbidities and in-hospital cardiovascular events and mortality among COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh: a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study

Objective
To identify the associations of in-hospital cardiovascular events and mortality with pre-existing comorbidities and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh without vaccine availability.

Design
A secondary analysis of a prospective multicountry study.

Setting
Three COVID-19-designated hospitals in Bangladesh.

Participants
Adult patients aged ≥18 years with PCR-positive COVID-19 admitted between 10 October 2020 and 31 July 2021 at participating hospitals.

Outcome measures
In-hospital cardiovascular events and mortality.

Main exposures
Pre-existing comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors.

Results
In 897 COVID-19 patients, 18.7% developed cardiovascular events and 12.6% died. After adjusting for clinical information and treatment, patients with two comorbidities (excluding CVD risk factors) were significantly associated with cardiovascular events (adjusted (adj.) OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.24 to 4.90). Patients with a higher heart rate at admission (adj. OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.04) and those who were receiving intravenous fluids (adj. OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.23 to 3.70) or antibiotics (adj. OR 4.54, 95% CI 1.47 to 14.01) had significantly higher odds of cardiovascular events. The odds of cardiovascular events were lower in those receiving antiviral medications (adj. OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.53). There were no interactions between comorbidities and other covariates in the models. Comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors were not significantly associated with 30-day mortality in the Cox regression models after adjusting with clinical information and treatment. The mortality within 30 days of admission was significantly higher in patients receiving corticosteroids (adj. HR 2.82, 95% CI 1.48 to 5.38) and lower in those receiving antiviral treatment (adj. HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.81). Those having cardiovascular events significantly increased mortality hazard.

Conclusions
Clinical factors and treatment affected in-hospital cardiovascular events, which subsequently increased the risk of mortality within 30 days for COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 patients regardless of CVD risk factors and comorbidities require close monitoring for cardiovascular events.

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Agosto 2024

Physiotherapy interventions in post- and long-COVID-19: a scoping review protocol

Introduction
Post- or long-COVID-19 conditions manifest with a spectrum of symptoms reminiscent of pulmonary, musculoskeletal, psychological and neurological disorders. Individuals with post- or long-COVID-19 syndrome often present with myalgia, pulmonary problems and fatigue, which significantly impact their daily functioning. Physiotherapy interventions are an accepted medical remedy for these symptoms. This scoping review aims to outline the evidence of physiotherapy interventions documented in the scientific literature, specifically focusing on hands-on therapy.

Methods and analysis
This scoping review conforms to the methodological framework established by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). The procedure for drafting a scoping review involves several steps, starting with defining the research question and the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eligible studies are those analysing physiotherapy treatment parameters for direct patient interaction in post- and long-COVID-19 patients. Telemedicine and entirely home-based workouts will be excluded aligning with the context of outpatient physiotherapy in Germany. The literature search will be conducted in PubMed, EBSCO research, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, PEDRO, Cochrane and WISO databases by two independent researchers. Screening, data extraction and a critical appraisal will be performed by these researchers using assessment tools provided by the JBI. Extracted data will encompass demographic characteristics, definitions of post- or long-COVID-19 conditions, descriptions of interventions, their treatment parameters and treatment outcome. Subsequently, findings will be disseminated through a scoping review article or conference presentation.

Ethics and dissemination
Given that this review does not involve human participants, ethical committee approval is deemed unnecessary. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at academic and physiotherapeutic conferences.

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Agosto 2024

Community-engaged randomised controlled trial to disseminate COVID-19 vaccine-related information and increase uptake among Black individuals in two US cities with rheumatic conditions

Introduction
Inequities in COVID-19 infection and vaccine uptake among historically marginalised racial and ethnic groups in the USA persist. Individuals with rheumatic conditions, especially those who are immunocompromised, are especially vulnerable to severe infection, with significant racialised inequities in infection outcomes and in vaccine uptake. Structural racism, historical injustices and misinformation engender racial and ethnic inequities in vaccine uptake. The Popular Opinion Lleader (POL) model, a community-based intervention that trains trusted community leaders to disseminate health information to their social network members (eg, friends, family and neighbours), has been shown to reduce stigma and improve care-seeking behaviours.

Methods and analysis
This is a community-based cluster randomised controlled trial led by a team of community and academic partners to compare the efficacy of training POLs with rheumatic or musculoskeletal conditions using a curriculum embedded with a racial justice vs a biomedical framework to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake and reduce vaccine hesitancy. This trial began recruitment in February 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Eligible POLs are English-speaking adults who identify as Black and/or of African descent, have a diagnosis of a rheumatic or musculoskeletal condition and have received >=1 COVID-19 vaccine after 31 August 2022. POLs will be randomised to a 6-module virtual educational training; the COVID-19 and vaccine-related content will be the same for both groups however the framing for arm 1 will be with a racial justice lens and for arm 2, a biomedical preventative care-focused lens. Following the training, POLs will disseminate the information they learned to 12–16 social network members who have not received the most recent COVID-19 vaccine, over 4 weeks. The trial’s primary outcome is social network member COVID-19 vaccine uptake, which will be compared between intervention arms.

Ethics and dissemination
This trial has ethical approval in the USA. This has been approved by the Mass General Brigham Institutional Review Board (IRB, 2023P000686), the Northwestern University IRB (STU00219053), the Boston University/Boston Medical Center IRB (H-43857) and the Boston Children’s Hospital IRB (P00045404). Results will be published in a publicly accessible peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number
NCT05822219.

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Agosto 2024

Professional perspectives on facilitators and barriers for high quality provision of health, education and social care services to disabled children in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Objectives
To understand how health, education and social care services for disabled children changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, what did or did not work well and what the impacts of service changes were on both professionals and families.

Design
Qualitative study using semistructured interviews.

Setting
Telephone and video call interviews and focus groups with professionals working in one of five local authority areas in England.

Participants
78 health, education and social care professionals working with children in one of five local authority areas in England.

Results
There was a significant disruption to services and reduced contact with families during the early stages of the pandemic; nevertheless, professionals were able to reflect on innovative ways they interacted with and sought to support and maintain health, education and social care provision to disabled children and their families. As waitlists have substantially increased, this and the longevity of the pandemic were perceived to have had negative consequences for staff health and well-being, the health and psychosocial outcomes of children and young people, and their parent carers.

Conclusions
Key learning from this study for service recovery and planning for future emergencies is the need to be able to identify disabled children, classify their level of need and risk, assess the impact of loss of services and maintain clear communication across services to meet the needs of disabled children. Finally, services need to work collaboratively with families to develop child-centred care to strengthen resilience during service disruption.

Leggi
Agosto 2024