Bahram Aminmansour; Mehdi Shafiei; Masih Sabouri; Mehdi Mahmoodkhani; Mehrnaz Hematzadeh; Donya Sheibani Tehrani
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 quickly spread around the world as an epidemic with potentially unknown hazards. Like its impacts on various occupations, neurosurgery has undergone changes due to the virus, including changes in surgical planning, inpatient and outpatient clinics, emergency management, and even ...
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Background: COVID-19 quickly spread around the world as an epidemic with potentially unknown hazards. Like its impacts on various occupations, neurosurgery has undergone changes due to the virus, including changes in surgical planning, inpatient and outpatient clinics, emergency management, and even academic activities.Objectives: The present study was performed to determine neurosurgery challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.Methods: The present study was conducted as a mixed qualitative and quantitative study in 2021. In the qualitative section using the targeted sampling method, 11 members of the target community were selected using the available sampling method and completed a questionnaire. The qualitative part was conducted in two stages of reviewing texts and interviewing experts and in the quantitative part we evaluated the validity of the structure and the reliability of the questionnaire.Results: This study examined in detail all aspects of the effects of COVID-19 on neurosurgery. 9 dimensions and 61 items were identified as the challenges of neurosurgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order of importance, the aspects were: treatment outcome, manpower, management psychological and physical diseases, education and research, tools and physical space, ethics, financial implications and information technology.Conclusion: The outbreak of epidemics has different risks for specialties, among them neurosurgery. Accordingly, to observe patients’ right to treatment, all necessary measures were first taken to provide instructions, regulations, policies and ethical guidelines.
Sanat Kumar Khanna; Saurabh Maheshwari; Sai Vishal Goud Vaggu; Himanshu Chhagan Bayad; Shruti Samyal
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in the diversion of all the resources, attention, and energy of the medical personnel and administration towards the management of COVID-19 patients. This resulted in unforeseen difficulties and hazards for non-COVID-19 patients in ...
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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in the diversion of all the resources, attention, and energy of the medical personnel and administration towards the management of COVID-19 patients. This resulted in unforeseen difficulties and hazards for non-COVID-19 patients in accessing healthcare professionals and facilities.Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and repeated lockdowns on the non-COVID patients; to understand the social, psychological, and medical issues faced by them; and propose solutions for difficulties faced by this specific cohort of patients.Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study on all non-COVID patients reporting for non-COVID-19 illnesses. We conducted the data analysis by comparing the trends for 15 months each in the pre-pandemic (1 January 2019 to 31 March 2020) and pandemic periods (1 April 2020 to 30 June 2021).Results: There was a 65.92% decrease in Out Patient Department (OPD) attendance, a 56.05% decrease in admissions, and a 90.33 % decrease in elective surgical procedures in non-COVID-19 patients. However, there was a significant increase in emergency surgeries by 62.16%.Conclusion: There has been a significant albeit much-needed diversion of time, energy, and resources to manage COVID-19 patients in recent times. This has led to a paucity of care opportunities for non-COVID-19 patients, which has been further compounded by the frequent lockdowns. We attempted to understand the impact of the pandemic on non-COVID-19 patients, particularly in peripheral hospitals in Hilly Terrains. We propose the solutions to tackle these issues and describe our experience with them.
Hasan Sultanoğlu; Mustafa Boğan; Tuba Erdem Sultanoğlu; Hasan Baki Altınsoy
Abstract
Background: There are very few studies in the literature evaluating the effects of mask use on physiological parameters.Objectives: This study aims to examine physiological changes due to masks in healthcare workers who use respiratory masks for long hours in the emergency room during the pandemic process.Methods: ...
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Background: There are very few studies in the literature evaluating the effects of mask use on physiological parameters.Objectives: This study aims to examine physiological changes due to masks in healthcare workers who use respiratory masks for long hours in the emergency room during the pandemic process.Methods: Cross-sectional and prospective study was carried out with healthcare professionals with an FFP2 type valve mask. The participants’ transcutaneous oxygen saturation, pulse, and respiratory rate were measured before wearing the respirator mask and at 30 and 60 minutes after wearing the mask.Results: SPO2 values of the participants decreased gradually at 0th, 30th, and 60th minutes and respiratory rate increased gradually at 0th, 30th, and 60th minutes. The statistically significant difference arises from the 0 and 60 minutes values. Higher SPO2 values were found at 0 and 30 minutes in non-smokers. SPO2 value gradually decreased in non-smokers at 0, 30, and 60 minutes, but no significant decrease was observed in non-smokers. Pulse rate was found to be higher at 60th minute compared to 0th minute in non-smokers. No significant difference was found between smokers and non-smokers. The respiratory rate gradually increased in smokers at 0th, 30th, and 60th minutes. SPO2 values were lower at the 60th minute compared to the 0th minute in both women and men. There was no significant difference in pulse rates. Respiratory rate was found to be higher at 60th minute in men than at 0th minute.Conclusion: It is recommended to follow the physiological parameters and to regulate the working conditions when necessary.