Risultati per: Come COVID-19 influenzerà la nostra prossima generazione?

Objective
There are established inequities in the monitoring and management of hypertension in England. The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on primary care management of long-term conditions such as hypertension. This study investigated the possible disproportionate impact of the pandemic across patient groups.

Design
Open cohort of people with diagnosed hypertension.

Settings
North East London primary care practices from January 2019 to October 2022.

Participants
All 224 329 adults with hypertension registered in 193 primary care practices.

Outcomes
Monitoring and management of hypertension were assessed using two indicators: (i) blood pressure recorded within 1 year of the index date and (ii) blood pressure control to national clinical practice guidelines.

Results
The proportion of patients with a contemporaneous blood pressure recording fell from a 91% pre-pandemic peak to 62% at the end of the pandemic lockdown and improved to 77% by the end of the study. This was paralleled by the proportion of individuals with controlled hypertension which fell from a 73% pre-pandemic peak to 50% at the end of the pandemic lockdown and improved to 60% by the end of the study. However, when excluding patients without a recent blood pressure recording, the proportions of patients with controlled hypertension increased to 81%, 80% and 78% respectively.
Throughout the study, in comparison to the White ethnic group, the Black ethnic group was less likely to achieve adequate blood pressure control (ORs 0.81 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.85, p

Aggiornato l’elenco. Dg: ‘Non è questione di se ma di quando’

This Medical News story discusses the makeup of this fall’s updated COVID-19 vaccines.

People who experienced such symptoms as chills, tiredness, headaches, and feeling unwell after receiving a SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA vaccine had higher blood levels of neutralizing antibodies, which might play a role in protecting people from COVID-19 infection, according to data published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The data were based on a prospective cohort study of 363 participants in the US who were vaccinated in 2021 and self-reported their symptoms.

Objectives
To explore the experiences and perspectives of community pharmacists regarding their roles during the closure stage (ie, March to May 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada.

Design
This qualitative case study included a document analysis and semistructured interviews with community pharmacists who provided direct patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The document analysis was used to develop a chronology that informed the interviews. Themes from qualitative interviews were developed through iterative cycles of data review and analysis using applied thematic analysis. Findings are presented specifically for the time period between March and May 2020, defined as the ‘Closure Stage’.

Setting
Community pharmacies in NL, Canada.

Results
12 community pharmacists participated in the interviews. Four themes were developed including (1) pharmacists’ leadership in continuity of care, (2) pharmacists as medication stewards, (3) pharmacists as a source of COVID-19 health information and (4) the impact of COVID-19 on pharmacists’ mental health and well-being. The first three themes described the key roles played by community pharmacists during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, including coordinating care, prescribing for common ailments, delivering medications and supplies, providing information on COVID-19 symptoms and their management, renewing chronic medications and protecting the medication supply. Unclear guidance on scope of practice, limited scope of practice, inadequate staffing and limited support from government bodies were identified as barriers to these roles. Facilitators included access to a delivery service, swift regulatory changes, reimbursement and support from colleagues and other healthcare professionals. The fourth theme is presented independently, emphasising the impact of working within the primary healthcare (PHC) system during the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacists’ mental health and well-being.

Conclusion
Pharmacists played a critical role in the delivery of PHC services during the closure stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this research highlight the essential elements of a strong PHC pandemic preparedness plan that is inclusive of community pharmacists, including improved communication strategies, mental health support and access to resources.

Objectives
The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown measures disrupted global healthcare provision, including opioid prescribing. In North America, opioid sales declined while opioid-related deaths increased. In Europe, the effect of the pandemic on prescribing is not yet known. Given the ongoing increase in opioid-related harm and mortality, it is crucial to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown measures on opioid prescribing. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterise opioid prescribing in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design
A nationwide register-based study characterising opioid prescribing using aggregated insurance reimbursement data.

Setting
Dutch healthcare during the first 2 years of the COVID lockdown.

Participants
The whole Dutch population.

Primary and secondary outcome measures
Comparing the number of opioid prescriptions during the pandemic with a prepandemic period using a risk ratio (RR), with separate analysis on the prescription type (first-time or repeat prescription), patients’ sex, age and socioeconomic status. We also explored lockdown effects.

Results
During the first lockdown, the total number of new opioid prescriptions and prescriptions to young patients (briefly) decreased (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.89 and RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.75, respectively), but the overall number of opioid prescriptions remained stable throughout the pandemic compared with prepandemic. Women, older patients and patients living in lower socioeconomic areas received more opioids per capita, but the pandemic did not amplify these differences.

Conclusions
The pandemic appears to have had a limited impact on opioid prescribing in the Netherlands. Yet, chronic use of opioids remains an important public health issue.

Maggi: “L’aumento dei casi è un fenomeno previsto”

Monitoraggio Iss-ministero Salute, indice Rt sempre sopra 1

Oncologi, pesano gli stili di vita

Gli oncologi: ‘Pesano gli stili di vita’

Objective
This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the national prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in Uganda and identify predictors in both pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 eras.

Design
Used a systematic review and meta-analysis methodology.

Data sources
Reviewed papers were sourced from Medline/PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL/EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and African Journals Online.

Eligibility criteria for selected studies
The review encompassed observational studies published on PPD in Uganda from 1 January 2000 to 30 November 2023.

Results
11 studies (involving 7564 participants) published from 1 January 2000 to 30 November 2023 were reviewed. The pooled prevalence of PPD in Uganda was 29% (95% CI 21% to 37%, I2=98.32%). Subgroup analysis indicated a similar prevalence before (29%, 95% CI 20% to 39%) and during (28%, 95% CI 22% to 32%) the COVID-19 period. Special groups exhibited a higher prevalence (32%, 95% CI 16% to 47%) than general postpartum women (28%, 95% CI 19% to 37%). Factors associated with PPD included poor social support (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.22, I2=96.8%), maternal illness (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.26, I2=96.9%), poor socioeconomic status (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.40 to 1.46, I2=99.5%) and undergoing caesarean section (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.17, I2=80.6%). Surprisingly, there was a marginal decrease in PPD during the COVID-19 period. Subgroup analysis highlighted a higher prevalence among mothers with HIV.

Conclusion
This study underscores the significant prevalence of PPD in Uganda, with sociodemographic factors increasing risk. Despite a slight decrease during the COVID-19 period, the importance of prioritising maternal mental health is emphasised, considering sociodemographic factors and pandemic challenges, to improve maternal and child health outcomes and overall well-being.

This case-control study estimates the association between receipt of the BNT162b2 XBB vaccine and medically attended COVID-19 outcomes among US adults 18 years and older.

This survey study reports the proportions of and reasons for Medicaid coverage loss among racially and ethnically minoritized individuals.

Vaccines have proven to be the single most effective weapon in the global fight against COVID-19, substantially reducing COVID-19–related illness, hospitalization, and death. As antigenically distinct strains of SARS-CoV-2 emerge seasonally and geographically, it is critical to evaluate the importance of regular boosting and updating vaccines to match dominant circulating variants.

Studio in Gb su 46 milioni di individui prima e dopo i vaccini

New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 391, Issue 5, Page 477-479, August 1, 2024.