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Following COVID-19 clinicians now overwhelmingly accept virtual clinics in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
No full textVirtual consultations and telemedicine have been an emerging trend in modern medicine, which has seen acceleration in uptake across a wide range of specialties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following on from previous work by the authors in 2019 examining clinician and patient appetite for virtual consultations in maxillofacial surgery, we sought to evaluate whether there had been a change in attitudes as a result of the pandemic. A clinician survey of the consultants at a large teaching hospital and prospective data collection of virtual consultation outcomes was carried out from the inception of UK government lockdown measures to tackle the pandemic. From 151 consultations, 149 (98.7%) successfully established a working diagnosis and treatment plan and/or concluded an episode of patient care, without the need to convert to a face-to-face encounter between clinician and patient. The total number of consultations (virtual or otherwise) was significantly lower than the same time period the preceding year however (1,223 compared with 465 consultations). All consultants surveyed felt the pandemic had altered their opinion of virtual clinics and their place in maxillofacial surgery but cited a number of issues. Further work is required to understand the driving forces behind staff attitudes and the long-term adoption of telemedicine within the specialty as services return to some sense of normalcy
Impact of COVID-19 on the care of patients with liver disease: EASL-ESCMID position paper after 6 months of the pandemic.
No full textDuring the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, EASL and ESCMID published a position paper to provide guidance for physicians involved in the care of patients with chronic liver disease. While some healthcare systems are returning to a more normal routine, many countries and healthcare systems have been, or still are, overwhelmed by the pandemic, which is significantly impacting on the care of these patients. In addition, many studies have been published focusing on how COVID-19 may affect the liver and how pre-existing liver diseases might influence the clinical course of COVID-19. While many aspects remain poorly understood, it has become increasingly evident that pre-existing liver diseases and liver injury during the disease course must be kept in mind when caring for patients with COVID-19. This review should serve as an update on the previous position paper, summarising the evidence for liver disease involvement during COVID-19 and providing recommendations on how to return to routine care wherever possible
Reduced left atrial cardiomyocyte PITX2 and elevated circulating BMP10 predict atrial fibrillation after ablation.
No full textBACKGROUNDGenomic and experimental studies suggest a role for PITX2 in atrial fibrillation (AF). To assess if this association is relevant for recurrent AF in patients, we tested whether left atrial PITX2 affects recurrent AF after AF ablation.METHODSmRNA concentrations of PITX2 and its cardiac isoform, PITX2c, were quantified in left atrial appendages (LAAs) from patients undergoing thoracoscopic AF ablation, either in whole LAA tissue (n = 83) or in LAA cardiomyocytes (n = 52), and combined with clinical parameters to predict AF recurrence. Literature suggests that BMP10 is a PITX2-repressed, atrial-specific, secreted protein. BMP10 plasma concentrations were combined with 11 cardiovascular biomarkers and clinical parameters to predict recurrent AF after catheter ablation in 359 patients.RESULTSReduced concentrations of cardiomyocyte PITX2, but not whole LAA tissue PITX2, were associated with AF recurrence after thoracoscopic AF ablation (16% decreased recurrence per 2-(ΔΔCt) increase in PITX2). RNA sequencing, quantitative PCR, and Western blotting confirmed that BMP10 is one of the most PITX2-repressed atrial genes. Left atrial size (HR per mm increase [95% CI], 1.055 [1.028, 1.082]); nonparoxysmal AF (HR 1.672 [1.206, 2.318]), and elevated BMP10 (HR 1.339 [CI 1.159, 1.546] per quartile increase) were predictive of recurrent AF. BMP10 outperformed 11 other cardiovascular biomarkers in predicting recurrent AF.CONCLUSIONSReduced left atrial cardiomyocyte PITX2 and elevated plasma concentrations of the PITX2-repressed, secreted atrial protein BMP10 identify patients at risk of recurrent AF after ablation.TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov NCT01091389, NL50069.018.14, Dutch National Registry of Clinical Research Projects EK494-16.FUNDINGBritish Heart Foundation, European Union (H2020), Leducq Foundation
Cross-sectional analysis to explore the awareness, attitudes and actions of UK adults at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
No full textOBJECTIVES
This study explored the impact of COVID-19 on people identified as at high risk of severe illness by UK government, and in particular, the impact of lockdown on access to healthcare, medications and use of technological platforms.
DESIGN
Online survey methodology.
SETTING
UK.
PARTICIPANTS
1038 UK adults were recruited who were either identified by UK government as at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or self-identified as at high risk with acute or other chronic health conditions not included in the UK government list. Participants were recruited through social media advertisements, health charities and patient organisations.
MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES
The awareness, attitudes and actions survey which explores the impact of COVID-19, on including access to healthcare, use of technology for health condition management, mental health, depression, well-being and lifestyle behaviours.
RESULTS
Nearly half of the sample (44.5%) reported that their mental health had worsened during the COVID-19 lockdown. Management of health conditions changed including access to medications (28.5%) and delayed surgery (11.9%), with nearly half of the sample using telephone care (45.5%). Artificial Intelligence identified that participants in the negative cluster had higher neuroticism, insecurity and negative sentiment. Participants in this cluster reported more negative impacts on lifestyle behaviours, higher depression and lower well-being, alongside lower satisfaction with platforms to deliver healthcare.
CONCLUSIONS
This study provides novel evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on people identified as at high risk of severe illness. These findings should be considered by policy-makers and healthcare professionals to avoid unintended consequences of continued restrictions and future pandemic responses
Optimizing Organ Donation: Expert Opinion from Austria, Germany, Spain and the U.K.
No full textBACKGROUND Organ donation-rates using deceased donors and organizational approaches to organ donation differ drastically between countries at a similar level of health care as measured by the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI). MATERIAL AND METHODS Expert opinions from intensive care nurses, physicians, transplant coordinators and transplant surgeons from Austria, Germany, Spain, and the U.K. were obtained in semi-structured interviews followed by qualitative content analysis. Results were reported back to all interview partners to identify potential controversies and consensus recommendations. RESULTS No controversies could be detected. On a variety of beneficial factors an interprofessional consensus between interview partners could be reached: A) The relevance of standardization of the screening for potential donors, the family approach and training; B) standards and best-practice procedures should be regulated and supervised by state authorities; C) full transparency and the prevention of scandals is essential; D) overburdened intensive care unit (ICU) doctors need to be supported by full-time in-house special nurses who organize donor evaluation, transport logistics and pastoral care, if required; E) public awareness campaigns are helpful; F) a broad public consensus on the concept of donation after brain and cardiac death is essential; G) incentives for the reporting of potential organ donors are inappropriate; H) an opt-out system alone is not sufficient. CONCLUSIONS Expert opinions from different professional backgrounds from different European health care systems reach a broad consensus on the most relevant issues for the improvement of organ donation
A multi-centre insight into general surgical care during the coronavirus outbreak in the United Kingdom.
No full textNinety-Day Mortality: Redefining the Perioperative Period After Lung Resection.
No full textOperative mortality is an important outcome for patients, surgeons, healthcare institutions, and policy makers. Although measures of perioperative mortality have conventionally been limited to in-hospital and 30-day mortality (or a composite endpoint combining both), there is a large body of evidence emerging to support the extension of the perioperative period after lung resection to a minimum of 90 days after surgery. Several large-volume studies from centers across the world have reported that 90-day mortality after lung resection is double 30-day mortality. Hence, true perioperative mortality after lung resection is likely to be significantly higher than what is currently reported. In the contemporary era, where new treatment modalities such as stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy are emerging as viable nonsurgical alternatives for the treatment of lung cancer, accurate estimation of perioperative risk and reliable reporting of perioperative mortality are of particular importance. It is likely that shifting the discussion from 30-day to 90-day mortality will lead to altered decision making, particularly for specific patient subgroups at an increased risk of 90-day mortality. We believe that 90-day mortality should be adopted as the standard measure of perioperative mortality after lung resection and that strategies to reduce the risk of mortality within 90 days of surgery should be investigated
Total Body Photography for the Diagnosis of Cutaneous Melanoma in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
No full textBACKGROUND
Early detection of melanoma is essential to reduce mortality. Total body photography (TBP) can facilitate the detection of melanoma in high-risk individuals. However, the accuracy of TBP in diagnosing melanoma remains unclear.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the diagnostic accuracy of TBP for the detection of melanoma in adults.
METHODS
MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Centre for Reviews databases were searched from inception to 26 May 2020. Studies using TBP for diagnosing melanoma with at least one follow-up appointment were eligible if they provided data to calculate at least one diagnostic accuracy measure. Two authors independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed quality. Disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer.
RESULTS
Ten studies were included, comprising 41703 patients who underwent TBP and 6203 biopsies. Melanoma in situ (MIS) was diagnosed in 315 (5.1%) lesions and invasive melanoma in 187 (3.0%) lesions biopsied. Summary estimates for TBP in diagnosing melanoma were calculated: mean percentage of biopsies positive for MIS or melanoma was 16% (95% CI, 11%-20%), NNB was 8.6 (range 2.3-19.6), naevus:melanoma ratio was 7.6 (range 1.3-18.6), and MIS:melanoma ratio was 1.7 (1.0-3.5). Regression analysis showed a negative correlation between NNB and MIS:melanoma ratio.
CONCLUSIONS
Available data regarding the diagnostic accuracy of TBP are heterogeneous, due to variability in the risk profile of cohorts and TBP protocols. Best current estimates suggest that TBP for diagnosing melanoma has an acceptable NNB in high-risk patients. However, prospective diagnostic test accuracy studies are needed to accurately gauge the diagnostic accuracy of TBP
Confidential image transfer: an ethico-legal dilemma.
No full textClinical photographs aid decision-making and represent important medicolegal records. Storage and transfer of images of the facial area must adhere to Caldicott Principles. Outside working hours, clinical photography services are often limited. Our Trust has introduced a Secure Clinical Image Transfer (SCIT) app allowing clinicians to take photographs on personal devices to be securely uploaded to the patient's electronic health record. To evaluate whether clinicians were taking clinical images in an insecure manner, clinicians completed an anonymous questionnaire before and after introduction of the SCIT app. The standard was 100% knowledge of, and adherence to, trust information governance guidelines. Response rate was 100% in both cycles. Introduction of the SCIT app reduced inappropriate clinical photography on personal devices. Our completed audit cycle shows that the SCIT app allows convenient, secure information capture on personal devices and automatic secure synchronisation to trust electronic health records