Modern Care Journal
Year:2021 | Volume:18 | Issue:4|Papers Count:8

Background: Coronavirus, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in humans, mainly causes respiratory and gastrointestinal manifestations that can range from a simple cold to severe clinical symptoms or death. On the other hand, COVID-19 patients’,hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU) have serious problems, which can affect their mortality,therefore, the awareness of these problems has a main role in decision-making in the early stages. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU. Methods: This cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study was conducted on patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to the ICU of Valiasr Hospital, Birjand, Iran, in 2020. A total of 111 patients, including 51 female and 63 male subjects, were enrolled in this study using convenience sampling. Demographic data, comorbidities, signs and symptoms, radiological findings, supportive methodsof oxygen therapy, andclinical outcomes were collected using a checklistandcomparedbetweentwogroups (i. e., survivors and nonsurvivors). Results: Among 111 patients (including 59 nonsurvivors and 52 survivors), the numbers of mortalities within the age ranges of,75 and ,44 years were the highest and lowest, respectively. In the survived patients, hypertension (50. 8%), diabetes mellitus (47. 5%), heart disease (44. 1%), and chronic obstructive lung disease (23. 7%) were the most common comorbidities. Moreover, dyspnea (81. 1%), fever and chills (73%), cough (64. 9%), muscle pain (45%), and weakness, and lethargy (42. 3%) were the most common symptoms of the patients. Based on the comparison of survived and nonsurvived groups, diarrhea (P < 0. 001), sore throat (P < 0. 001), nausea (P < 0. 001), and vomiting (P < 0. 0001) were significantly higher in the group of survived patients. Among the radiological findings (i. e., chest X-ray and high-resolution computed tomography), bronchoalveolar markings (P = 0. 05) and pleural effusion (P = 0. 02) were higher in the nonsurvived patients. The average Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score,16 was reported with a higher mortality rate. Conclusions: Risk factors, including dyspnea, older age, comorbidities, and high APACHE II score, could increase the risk of poor clinical outcomes and help identify ill patients with a poor prognosis at the beginning of ICU admission.

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with different clinical manifestations. Acute [resembling Guillain-Barré,syndrome (GBS)] or chronic (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy) inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy has been reported in rare SLE cases. Case Presentation: We reported a 39-year-old woman that presented with acute peripheral neuropathy, and she was eventually diagnosed with SLE. She developed distal numbness and paraesthesia followed by progressive upper and lower extremity weakness and difficulty in swallowing and speaking. She had a history of flu-like illness three weeks before to symptoms. Conclusions: Progressive upper and lower extremity weakness along with areflexia and electrodiagnostic findings suggested the diagnosis of Guillain-Barré,syndrome. Over a month, significant neurological recovery occurred, and the patient’, s function continued to recover.

As the epidemic spreads, COVID-19 poses a severe threat to the health of communities. Description of epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients helps with the prevention and scientific control of the pandemic. This descriptive study was conducted to describe the clinical, demographic, and epidemiological characteristics of 65 patients suspected of having COVID-19. A researchmadequestionnaire was used for data collection. Moreover, the patient’, s vital signs were examined. The samples were classified into the two groups of subjects with positive and negative RT-PCR test. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis of data. The most common manifestations were fever, shortness of breath, and dry cough. Moreover, the lowest proportion belonged to Rh-negative in all ABO blood groups. The patients were mainly male, about 44 years old, and their first and most common manifestations were fever, shortness of breath, and dry cough. In vital signs examination, reduction of blood oxygen saturation was the most important finding. Health centers need to consider these signs in treating COVID-19 patients.

Background: With the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in December 2019, healthcare systems faced an unprecedented challenge. Medical and paramedical students are the front-line warriors in this combat. Objectives: This study aimed to assess COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practice among the students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2020. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out on 329 students who passed the microbiology course from October 2020 to March 2021. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of four sections: demographic data, COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes towards COVID-19, and participants’,practice. Finally, statistical analysis was performed in SPSS software version 19, and a significance level of 0. 05 was considered in all tests. Results: A total of 329 medical, dentistry, pharmacy, and laboratory sciences students participated in this study. The mean score of COVID-19 knowledge was 10. 26, 1. 21 (out of 12). Among the participants, 103 (31. 3%) individuals expressed being in crowded places in recent days, and 324 (98. 5%) of them confirmed wearing masks. More than half of the students had positive attitudes towards COVID-19 control. The average knowledge was higher in females and medical and laboratory sciences students (P = 0. 008). Also, the students’,knowledge was inversely related to their practice of wearing a mask (P = 0. 015). Conclusions: While students had a high level of COVID-19 knowledge, they had some misconceptions that should be included in educational programs. Students of medical sciences should be responsible for preventive behaviors and strive to be good role models for others.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent changes in the community lifestyle can be associated with problems and complications. It seems very important to identify the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic accurately. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate behavioral changes in children due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Khorasan in 2021. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 312 children were studied. Inclusion criteria included all children under 12 years of age without apparent mental disorders and chronic diseases affecting behavioral changes. Exclusion criteria were parental separation, experiencing natural disasters in the last two years, losing a first-degree family member in the last two years, and any underlying disease in the child and first-degree family members. The questionnaires included a demographic questionnaire and the Ruther Children’, s Behavior Questionnaire, completed by parents online due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the new situation. Results: The results showed that the behavioral disorder prevalence was 37. 2% (n = 116). The mean scores were 3. 10 ,2. 23 for aggression-hyperactivity, 3. 11, 3. 08 for anxiety-depression, 2. 65, 1. 79 for social maladaptation, 2. 34, 1. 83 for antisocial behavior, and 1. 59, 1. 29 for attention deficit. There wasnosignificant relationship between demographic indicators and behavioral disorders (P > 0. 05). Conclusions: The results indicated an increase in the prevalence of behavioral disorders in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it seems necessary to identify influencing factors and find appropriate solutions to prevent such disorders.

Background: A variety of pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods are used to treat chronic pain. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) through stimulating the central and peripheral nerves is a different and promising method for the treatment of chronic pain. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of tDCS and pharmacotherapy in pain management in patients with chronic pain in Tehran, Iran. Methods: The present study followed a clinical trial design. The statistical population comprised all patients with chronic pain who were referred to Pardis Multidisciplinary Pain Clinic in Tehran within 2020-21. A total of 60 patients willing to participate in the study were selected using convenience sampling. The participants were randomly divided into three groups, including pharmacotherapy (treatment by gabapentin with a dosage of 600 mg twice per day), tDCS, and control (n = 20 per group). The research instrument included the McGill Pain Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance with SPSS software (version 24. 0). Results: The results showed that both pharmacotherapy and tDCS interventions led to a reduction in the mean scores of pain management components, compared to the control group (P < 0. 001). Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the effects of the two experimental groups on pain management components. Conclusions: The tDCS and pharmacotherapy were both shown to be effective in pain management in patients with chronic pain. Therefore, in addition to pharmacotherapy, tDCS is also recommended for the treatment of chronic pain.

Dear editor, In the context of healthcare delivery, the role of effective and timely medical attention cannot be overemphasized. In a bid to improve the speed and efficacy of healthcare delivery, the prospects and applications of telemedicine are quickly gaining ground globally. The word telemedicine precisely means “, healing at a distance”,(1), but in reality, it involves the use of technological devices to provide healthcare services and information over a distance to promote access and curtail costs. It has become anincreasingly cost-effectiveandquicker alternative to the conventional face-to-face treatment used in hospitals and healthcare centers (1). With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures are widely implemented to stall disease transmission, with a downside being the impediment or complete cessation of the provision of certain healthcare services, such as maternal and child health services, mental health services, andanumber of others (2). This has stressed the need for nations to explore telemedicine as an important tool in healthcare delivery, especially during disease outbreaks. In this article, we explore three major areas where telemedicine can be applied for quicker and more effective response to disease outbreaks in Nigeria...

Background: Since COVID-19 is a new disease with devastating effects worldwide, its emergence and spread aroused confusion, anxiety, and fear among the public. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of paradox therapy on the COVID-19 anxiety in adult population in Jahrom, Iran. Methods: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a two-month follow-up. The research population encompassed all individuals willing to participate in the present study who were residing in Jahrom during 2020-2021. According to the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, 30 participants with high levels of COVID-19 anxiety were selected using the convenience samplingmethodandwere randomly assigned to experimental (n=15)andcontrol (n=15) groups. The experimental group received eight sessions of paradox therapy,however, the control group remained on the waiting list. The research tools included structured clinical interviews and the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using Friedman’, s statistical method. Results: The results showed that paradox therapy was effective in decreasing COVID-19 anxiety (P = 0. 001) and its psychological (P = 0. 001) and physical (P = 0. 002) symptoms, and the scores of the COVID-19-induced psychological and physical symptoms in the posttest phase were significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group (P < 0. 001). The decrease was noticed in the follow-up phase as well. Conclusions: According to the results, paradox therapy can effectively reduce anxiety and its psychological and physical symptoms due to COVID-19.