Journal of Ideas in Health
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Monkeypox in the COVID-19 era
Get PDFCurrently, in addition to the COVID-19 waves, the world is confronting an additional threat: the global monkeypox infection outbreak, already regarded as a “public health emergency of international concern” by the World Health Organization. According to the most recently published reports, more than 21000 monkeypox infection cases have been confirmed in 78 countries, with 5 African deaths and more than three deaths outside endemic Africa while the numbers are still increasing. Too little is currently known about the monkeypox virus, although it does not appear as a recently emerged pathogen, being probably as ancient as the smallpox virus. The major fear in regards to the current international monkeypox infection spread has multiple causes: monkeypox\u27s similarity to smallpox, the deadliest pathogen in the history of humanity; lack of knowledge of the virus\u27s natural occurrence, animal reservoir, mechanisms of transmission, pathogenicity, host immune response; lack of effective specific treatment and vaccine; unusually rapid geographic spread and atypical clinical presentation; increase in the mutation rate outside the standard, mathematically anticipated rates; putative complications and sequelae of the infection; potential use as a biological weapon. Actually, with such characteristics, the monkeypox virus has the potential to occupy/replicate the place of the much-feared smallpox virus. In the near future, due to the high registry of viral mutagenesis, limitations in the preventive strategies, and lack of an efficient vaccine, several viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 and monkeypox, could continue their worldwide spread and generate flu-like subsequent infective bursts. Therefore, dedicated research and detailed knowledge of the viral pathogenic mechanisms and transmission routes are required to design efficient therapies and limit/stop future pandemics: until the emergence of a new virus
Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on meat or equivalent consumption behavior among Sri Lankan adults: a cross-sectional study
Get PDFBackground: The COVID-19 lockdown severely affected dietary behaviors, particularly meat or equivalent consumption. This study aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 confinement on meat or equivalent consumption pattern among Sri Lankans.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 27th May to 2nd June 2021 as a national-level online survey in Sri Lanka using a self-administered questionnaire developed as Google forms. The questionnaire consisted of questions related to socio-demographics and dietary behaviors. Descriptive, univariate, and multinomial logistic regression was performed. The statistical significance is considered at less than 0.05.
Results: A total of 3600 respondents were included, with the majority being women (60.1%). A higher proportion of the participants increased their consumption of eggs (53.7%), dhal (47.0%), and dry fish and sprats (36.3%). A big trend was observed in cutting down the fish (41.1%) and other seafood (52.0%) consumption. Nearly half of the respondents did not change their consumption of meat other than chicken (54.5%), pulses (52.6%), soya meat (52.1%), dry fish and sprats (48.9%), canned fish (47.6%), sausages and meatballs (45.1%), and chicken (43.7%). The males (odds ratio (OR) 0.852; 95% CI: 0.738 to 0.984, P = 0.029) and Tamil (OR = 1.605, 95% CI: 1.150 to 2.239, P = 0.005) showed a significant likelihood to increase egg consumption. Respondents with a lower income <25,000 LKR (OR 2.220; 95% CI 1.672-2.947, P = 0.000) were more than twice likely to report increased dhal consumption. The same income group (< 25,000 LKR) (OR = 2.752; 95% CI: 2.024-3.741, P = 0.000) reported more than twice reduction in fish consumption. Respondents in municipal area (OR = 1.523; 95% CI: 1.186 to 3.292, P = 0.009) showed a significantly higher likelihood to reduction in other seafood consumption.
Conclusion: An overall change in meat or equivalent consumption behavior among Sri Lankan adults was evidenced. Furthermore, nutrition recommendations should be revised to avoid future long-term consequences. Fish and other seafood intake declined, while consumption of eggs, dhal, dry fish, and sprats increased
Why pandemic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) hit different age groups of people in Southeast Asia? a case study in Bangladesh
Get PDFThe new catastrophe of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19s) with unstable symptoms has rapidly pulled danger to all age groups worldwide. We investigate possible causes of the different nature and demography of COVID-19. We collected and used secondary data from the IEDCR website and “Worldometer” from 1st April to 24th June for the statistical analyses, including multi-criteria decision-making method (MCDM), topsis, advanced topsis, simple additive weighting (SAW) and weighting product method (WPM) and PCA. The total number of known COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh was 122,709 as of 24th June. Radical growth will be found with 4912 cases in one day on 16th July as per the time-series forecasting. The infection rate among the young (<30) was highest, i.e., 37.8%, while the elderly (>60) had the maximum death rate (≈39%). Both of India and Bangladesh, approximately one-third of total COVID-19 cases belong to the under 30 age group. Preliminary observation finds India and Bangladesh have a high risk for young people and the working class. PCA indicates the highest positive association among the youths and the highest negative association among the older. In this study, older age (>60) individuals are in danger with the fifth rank, and the young and working-age people are at comparatively lower risk with a third to the fourth rank in terms of infection rate as indicated by MCDM. 41-50 age group remains at lower risk with the first rank in all cases. The nature of activities of younger people and the poor immunity system of older people are the reason for the non-homogenous attitude toward the coronavirus among different age groups. In Bangladesh, drug addiction, gambling habits, uncontrolled lifestyle, and social obliquity have led the youth through danger, threatening the older age of family and society
The use of anesthetics for cesarean section delivery in women in Duhok, Kurdistan region, Iraq
Get PDFBackground: Limited information is available on anesthetics that are preferred or used by anesthesiologists for cesarean section (CS) delivery in Kurdistan region, Iraq. This study aims to document general or regional anesthesia use in elective CS deliveries in four major hospitals in Duhok province, Northern Iraq.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2019 to February 2020. The general and regional anesthetics types were recorded for each CS delivery case within the selected hospitals. Any adjuvants and medications used with the anesthetics were also recorded. Univariate and bivariate analyses were undertaken. The statistically significant was considered at less than 0.05.
Results: A total of 3420 elective CS deliveries were reported. The mean age ± SD of the pregnant women was 29.6 ± 5.8 years. The anesthetics used in the four hospitals were propofol as a general anesthetic (53.0%) and bupivacaine as a spinal anesthetic (47.0%). The combination of propofol and bupivacaine was used only in 0.3%. The three most frequently and concurrently used adjuvants and medications with propofol or bupivacaine were metoclopramide (90.0%), dexamethasone (80.0%), and ephedrine (73.0%).
Conclusion: Propofol and bupivacaine were the general and spinal anesthesia of choice, respectively, for elective CS delivery in Duhok province, northern Iraq. Some adjuvants and medications were supplemented to improve the quality of anesthesia and the outcome of CS delivery
Attitude and intention of Iraqi healthcare providers to get vaccinated against COVID-19: a cross-sectional study
Get PDFBackground: International efforts to confront the COVID-19 pandemic are joining forces by accelerating the pace of vaccination. This study aims to explore the attitude and the intent to get vaccinated against COVID-19 among healthcare providers (HCPs) in Iraq.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in January 2021 using web-based facilities to access the respondents. The data were collected through a semi-structured and self-administered questionnaire, including sociodemographic and close-ended questions related to attitude and intention toward COVID-19 vaccination. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were recruited to predict variables. The statistical significance is considered at less than 0.05.
Results: Data of 209 HCPs with a mean age of 45.12 (± 6.37) years have undergone final analysis. Most of the HCPs were males (112, 53.6%) and nurses (110, 52.6%), who had close contact (64.6%) with COVID-19 patients, and forty percent have been infected with COVID-19. Overall, 115 HCPs (58.0%) reported intention to get vaccinated compared to 94 (42.0%) who declined vaccination. Variables associated with intention to get vaccinated among HCPs were high attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination (odds ratio (OR) = 1.740, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.799, 3.786), aged less than 45 years (OR = 3.713; 95% CI: 1.647, 8.367), married (OR = 2.155; 95% CI: 0.984, 4.720), highly educated (OR = 2.657; 95% CI: 1.202, 5.871), doctors (OR = 3.153; 95% CI: 1.428, 6.963), contracted with COVID-19 (OR = 4.119; 95% CI: 1.623, 10.455), directly engaged in management of COVID-19 patients (OR = 3.962; 95% CI: 1.569, 10.005), and had lost a close relative due to COVID-19 (OR = 5.698; 95% CI: 1.506, 12.564).
Conclusion: The urgent need to improve the COVID-19 vaccine uptake rates among Iraqis requires a positive attitude and a high vaccination rate among HCPs
What textual copying does not count as plagiarism? Elaborate examples and problem-solving
Get PDFScientists are motivated to publish original and high-quality articles. The only right way to accomplish that is through a long and daunting academic career. Sometimes illegal shortcuts and tortuous methods are attempted by some people. Bolstered with elaborate examples and problem-solving, this treatise explains the legal ways of textual copying and proper referencing techniques. Moreover, it teaches how to steer away from copyright violations. In addition, it warns off all forms of literary theft and the catastrophic consequences of research misconduct
Postpartum blues reviewed by the risk factors in Indonesia
Get PDFBackground: Postpartum blues are known as postpartum sadness that could initiate a more serious mental disorder. It causes a decrease in the mother\u27s interest in her baby, failure to breastfeed, to acts of hurting the baby and themself. Knowing the determinant factors of postpartum blues as a prevention effort is necessary. Therefore, this review aims to assess the factors contributing to postpartum blues, especially in Indonesian mothers.
Methods: A review of all peer-reviewed journal-published studies on postpartum blues and its risk factors among Indonesian mothers from 2012 - 2022. The following databases were searched; Google scholars; SpringerLink; and science direct on September 2022 using the keywords "postpartum blues", "maternal blues", "baby blues", "risk factors”, and “Indonesia”.
Results: Fifteen studies were included in this review. Risk factors that contribute to the occurrence of postpartum blues are age, salary, education, employment, breastfeeding process, health education after labor, type of labor, labor induction and labor complications, parity, pregnancy status, mother readiness, labor readiness, marriage satisfaction, husband support, and social support.
Conclusion: Women with low socioeconomic Status (SES) and primiparous births have a greater risk of suffering from postpartum blues. Therefore, it is necessary to provide psychological assistance to health workers to the mother after giving birth
Microparticles and D-dimers improve prediction of chemotherapy-associated thrombosis in cancer patients
Get PDFBackground: The cancer is associated with a state of hypercoagulability, which may be the cause of venous thromboembolism (VTE), representing an undeniable cause of morbidity and mortality. Our study aimed to investigate the role of hypercoagulability markers (D-dimers, microparticles, and V Leiden mutation) in predicting cancer-associated VTE.
Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted among cancer patients who will receive chemotherapy in the Medical Oncology and Hematology departments of the EHU of Oran, Algeria from February 2013 to May 2015, followed by an observation period of two years. First, we evaluated the risk of cancer-related VTE by hypercoagulability parameters (D-dimers, microparticles, V Leiden mutation). In the second step, we tested the predictive value of the Khorana risk score (KRS) of cancer-related VTE. Then, we developed and tested the predictive value of an expanded score based on the addition of predictive biomarkers to the KRS parameters.
Results: A total of 165 patients were included in our study whose median age was 62 years. More than half were males (52.7%). After an observation period of 2 years, ten patients (6.0%) developed a VTE. Among the criteria studied, only the D-dimers and the microparticles were predictive of VTE in cancer. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the KRS was 13.6%, and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 97.9%. After adding two predictive biomarkers (D-dimers and microparticles), the expanded score had a better predictive value with a PPV of 23.5% and a VPN of 98.6%.
Conclusion: The addition of hypercoagulability biomarkers (microparticles and D-dimers) to the routine clinical and biological parameters of the KRS enhances the predictive potential of VTE risk in cancer
Predicting mortality using prognostic scores and electrocardiographic parameters in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing thrombolysis
Get PDFBackground: The short- and long-term outcomes of thrombolysis has been predicted by various scores and models based on the electrocardiogram. This study aimed to compare various mortality predictors in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing thrombolysis.
Methods: A prospective, case-control, single-center study was performed at MGM Hospital, Warangal, India, between November 2019 and November 2021. A total of 100 STEMI patients were enrolled, out of which 50 were controls (patients who survived after seven days of thrombolysis) and 50 were cases (patients who died after seven days of thrombolysis). Aldrich score, TIMI risk index (TRI), Sclarovsky-Birnbaum Ischemia Grading (SB-IG) algorithm, presence of Q waves, total ST-segment deviation, and the number of leads with ST-segment elevation (STE) in anterior wall MI (AWMI) were calculated.
Results: The mean age of the case group was 55.3 ± 11.6 years, and that of the control group was 55.5 ± 10.1 years. Males comprised 46.0% and 66.0% of the case and control groups. The c-statistic of TRI was found to be the highest (c = 0.68; P = 0.001), followed by the SB-IG algorithm (c = 0.58; P = 0.021), the sum of R waves in AWMI (c = 0.5; P = 0.019), the number of leads with STE in AWMI (c = 0.47; P = 0.778), total ST-segment deviation (c = 0.47; P = 0.552), Aldrich score for AWMI (c = 0.43; P = 0.590), presence of Q waves (c = 0.40; P = 0.676), and Aldrich score for inferior wall MI (c = 0.32; P = 0.071).
Conclusion: TRI and SB-IG algorithms had moderate accuracy in predicting seven-day mortality in STEMI patients undergoing thrombolysis. Other scores and parameters viz. Aldrich score, presence of Q waves, total ST-segment deviation, and the number of leads with STE in AWMI had very poor accuracy in predicting in-hospital outcomes. More extensive studies with longer durations are required to validate our findings
Barriers to telepsychiatry in the geriatric Asian American population during COVID-19
Get PDFDue to the increase in anti-Asian discrimination during COVID-19, there has been a decline in mental health in the Asian community, particularly in the geriatric population. Although the current literature tends to focus on the underutilization of telemedicine in the Asian American population due to cultural barriers, our research found that the barrier to access heavily contributed to this inequity. In this study, we discuss the limited language options for the geriatric Asian American population on a few large telepsychiatry platforms, including “Teladoc and BetterHelp”, during COVID-19.
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