The effects of restricted visitation on delirium incidence in the intensive care units of a tertiary hospital in South Korea

COVID-19: Mobilizing Quickly for a Rapid Response.

Perioperative Cardiac Research Considerations During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Collateral Effect of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Hospitalizations and Clinical Outcomes in Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases: A Territory-wide Observational Study in Hong Kong

Cardiac Surgery-Enhanced Recovery Programs Modified for COVID-19: Key Steps to Preserve Resources, Manage Caseload Backlog, and Improve Patient Outcomes

It Is Time to Balance the Risks With Notions of Good

Bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients before and during the COVID-19 surge in a community hospital in the South Bronx

BACKGROUNDSeveral studies have demonstrated that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected daily living and the healthcare system. No previous study has described the consequences of COVID-19 on emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admission among kidney transplant (KT) recipients.AIMTo investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ED visits and hospital admissions within 1 year in patients who underwent KT in Thailand.METHODSWe conducted a retrospective study at a university hospital in Thailand. We reviewed the hospital records of KT patients who visited the ED during the outbreak of COVID-19 (from January 2020 to December 2021). We used the previous 2 years as the control period in the analysis. We obtained baseline demographics and ED visit characteristics for each KT patient. The outcomes of interest were ED visits and ED visits leading to hospital admission within the 1st year following a KT. The rate of ED visits and ED visits leading to hospital admissions between the two periods were compared using the stratified Cox proportional hazards model.RESULTSA total of 263 patients were included in this study: 112 during the COVID-19 period and 151 during the control period. There were 34 and 41 ED visits after KT in the COVID-19 and control periods, respectively. The rate of first ED visit at 1 year was not significantly different in the COVID-19 period, compared with the control period [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54-1.92; P = 0.96]. The hospital admission rate was similar between periods (HR = 0.92, 95%CI: 0.50-1.69; P = 0.78).CONCLUSIONED visits and hospital admissions within the 1st year in KT recipients were not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these findings, we believe that communication between post-KT patients and healthcare providers is essential to highlight the importance of prompt ED visits for acute health conditions, particularly in post-KT patients.

Ventricular arrhythmia burden during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Preoperative anemia management in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) era

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the changes in the incidence of shoulder trauma and surgery 1 year after the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with social restriction compared with 1 year before the pandemic.MethodsPatients managed in our orthopedic trauma center between February 18, 2020, and February 17, 2021 (COVID-19 period) for shoulder trauma were compared with patients managed for the same duration a year ago (non–COVID-19 period; February 18, 2019, to February 17, 2020). The incidence of shoulder trauma, surgery, and mechanism of injury were compared between these periods.ResultsThe total number of shoulder trauma cases was lower in the COVID-19 period than in the non–COVID-19 period, although the difference was not significant (160 vs. 180 cases, p = 0.278). In addition, traumatic shoulder surgeries decreased during the COVID-19 period (57 vs. 69 cases, p = 0.285). The incidence of shoulder trauma according to four diagnostic classifications (contusion, sprain/subluxation, fracture, and dislocation) and fracture/dislocation types did not differ between the periods. During the COVID-19 period, accidental falls outdoors (45 vs. 67, p = 0.038) and sports-related injuries (15 vs. 29, p = 0.035) significantly decreased, but accidental falls at home (52 vs. 37, p = 0.112) increased compared with those during the non–COVID-19 period, although the difference was not significant. The monthly incidence of shoulder trauma decreased 2 months after the first outbreak (significant in March, p = 0.019), then steadily increased and significantly decreased during the second outbreak (August, p = 0.012). However, the third outbreak (December, p = 0.077) had little effect on the incidence of shoulder trauma. The number of monthly traumatic shoulder surgeries showed a similar pattern to the monthly incidence of shoulder trauma.ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, annual shoulder trauma cases and surgeries decreased compared to those in the non–COVID-19 period, even though the difference was insignificant. The incidence of shoulder trauma and surgery was significantly reduced in the early COVID-19 period; however, the effect of the pandemic on orthopedic trauma practice was minimal after approximately half a year. Decreases in falls outdoors and sports-related injuries, but an increase in falls at home, were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated a redistribution of resources to meet hospitals’ service needs. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on a regional trauma center in South Korea. Methods We retrospectively reviewed cases of polytrauma at a single regional trauma center in South Korea between January 20 and September 30, 2020 (the COVID-19 period) and compared them to cases reported during the same time frame (January 20 to September 30) between 2016 and 2019 (the pre-COVID-19 period). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes included the number of daily admissions, hospital length of stay (LOS), and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS. Results The mean number of daily admissions decreased by 15% during the COVID-19 period (4.0±2.0 vs. 4.7±2.2, p=0.010). There was no difference in mechanisms of injury between the two periods. For patients admitted during the COVID-19 period, the hospital LOS was significantly shorter (10 days [interquartile range (IQR) 4–19 days] vs. 16 days [IQR 8–28 days], p<0.001); however, no significant differences in ICU LOS and mortality were found. Conclusions The observations at Regional Trauma Center, Pusan National University Hospital corroborate anecdotal reports that there has been a decline in the number of patients admitted to hospitals during the COVID-19 period. In addition, patients admitted during the COVID-19 pandemic had a significantly shorter hospital LOS than those admitted before the COVID-19 pandemic. These preliminary data warrant validation in larger, multi-center studies.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in severe psychological, social, and economic stress in people's lives. It is not known whether the stress of the pandemic is associated with an increase in the incidence of stress cardiomyopathy. To determine the incidence and outcomes of stress cardiomyopathy during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with before the pandemic. This retrospective cohort study at cardiac catheterization laboratories with primary percutaneous coronary intervention capability at 2 hospitals in the Cleveland Clinic health system in Northeast Ohio examined the incidence of stress cardiomyopathy (also known as Takotsubo syndrome) in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome who underwent coronary arteriography. Patients presenting during the COVID-19 pandemic, between March 1 and April 30, 2020, were compared with 4 control groups of patients with acute coronary syndrome presenting prior to the pandemic across 4 distinct timelines: March to April 2018, January to February 2019, March to April 2019, and January to February 2020. Data were analyzed in May 2020. Patients were divided into 5 groups based on the date of their clinical presentation in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Incidence of stress cardiomyopathy. Among 1914 patient presenting with acute coronary syndrome, 1656 patients (median [interquartile range] age, 67 [59-74]; 1094 [66.1%] men) presented during the pre-COVID-19 period (390 patients in March-April 2018, 309 patients in January-February 2019, 679 patients in March-April 2019, and 278 patients in January-February 2020), and 258 patients (median [interquartile range] age, 67 [57-75]; 175 [67.8%] men) presented during the COVID-19 pandemic period (ie, March-April 2020). There was a significant increase in the incidence of stress cardiomyopathy during the COVID-19 period, with a total of 20 patients with stress cardiomyopathy (incidence proportion, 7.8%), compared with prepandemic timelines, which ranged from 5 to 12 patients with stress cardiomyopathy (incidence proportion range, 1.5%-1.8%). The rate ratio comparing the COVID-19 pandemic period to the combined prepandemic period was 4.58 (95% CI, 4.11-5.11; P < .001). All patients during the COVID-19 pandemic had negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test results for COVID-19. Patients with stress cardiomyopathy during the COVID-19 pandemic had a longer median (interquartile range) hospital length of stay compared with those hospitalized in the prepandemic period (COVID-19 period: 8 [6-9] days; March-April 2018: 4 [3-4] days; January-February 2019: 5 [3-6] days; March-April 2019: 4 [4-8] days; January-February: 5 [4-5] days; P = .006). There were no significant differences between the COVID-19 period and the overall pre-COVID-19 period in mortality (1 patient [5.0%] vs 1 patient [3.6%], respectively; P = .81) or 30-day rehospitalization (4 patients [22.2%] vs 6 patients [21.4%], respectively; P = .90). This study found that there was a significant increase in the incidence of stress cardiomyopathy during the COVID-19 pandemic when compared with prepandemic periods.

Bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by a wide range of bacterial and fungal pathogens are associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Based on an estimate in 2017, the number of BSI incidences in Ontario is 150 per 100,000 population. The epidemiology of BSIs may be affected by many factors, including the social and travel restrictions and increased rates of hospitalizations in Ontario during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to assess the changes in the microbiology of BSIs in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. Retrospective blood culture data (n=189,106) from LifeLabs Ontario (July 2018 to December 2021) were analyzed. Blood culture positivity rates for common bacterial pathogens were compared between pre-COVID-19 (July 2018 to March 2020) and COVID-19 (April 2020 to December 2021) periods in community and hospital settings, using the chi-square test for significance. During the COVID-19 period, blood culture positivity rates in the community remained the same, while hospital rates increased by approximately threefold (p=0.00E-00). In the community, the isolation rates of most bacterial species remained unchanged, except for an increase in Enterococcus spp. and a decrease in Salmonella spp. The rates of antibiotic-resistant organisms (AROs) also significantly decreased in the community. In hospitals, all bacterial species, including AROs, showed significant increases in isolation rates during the COVID-19 period. The study revealed shifts in the microbiology of BSIs and suggests changes in the epidemiology of BSIs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, both in hospitals and in the community.

BACKGROUNDAcute appendicitis (AAp) is the most frequent cause of acute abdominal pain, and appendectomy is the most frequent emergency procedure that is performed worldwide. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused delays in managing diseases requiring emergency approaches such as AAp and trauma.AIMTo compare the demographic, clinical, and histopathological outcomes of patients with AAp who underwent appendectomy during pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods.METHODSThe demographic, clinical, biochemical, and histopathological parameters were evaluated and compared in patients who underwent appendectomy with the presumed diagnosis of AAp in the pre-COVID-19 (October 2018-March 2020) and COVID-19 (March 2020-July 2021) periods.RESULTSAdmissions to our tertiary care hospital for AAp increased 44.8% in the COVID-19 period. Pre-COVID-19 (n = 154) and COVID-19 (n = 223) periods were compared for various parameters, and we found that there were statistically significant differences in terms of variables such as procedures performed on the weekdays or weekends [odds ratio (OR): 1.76; P = 0.018], presence of AAp findings on ultrasonography (OR: 15.4; P < 0.001), confirmation of AAp in the histopathologic analysis (OR: 2.6; P = 0.003), determination of perforation in the appendectomy specimen (OR: 2.2; P = 0.004), the diameter of the appendix (P < 0.001), and hospital stay (P = 0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of interval between the initiation of symptoms and admission to the hospital between the pre-COVID-19 (median: 24 h; interquartile range: 34) and COVID-19 (median: 36 h; interquartile range: 60) periods (P = 0.348). The interval between the initiation of symptoms until the hospital admission was significantly longer in patients with perforated AAp regardless of the COVID-19 or pre-COVID-19 status (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONThe present study showed that in the COVID-19 period, the ultrasonographic determination rate of AAp, perforation rate of AAp, and duration of hospital stay increased. On the other hand, negative appendectomy rate decreased. There was no statistically significant delay in hospital admissions that would delay the diagnosis of AAp in the COVID-19 period.

Hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Israel: a single tertiary center experience