Violence against healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey at Cairo University Hospital.

Introduction: Healthcare workers have a significant chance of experiencing violence, with physical violence impacting anywhere from 8 to 38% of healthcare professionals throughout their careers. Besides physical abuse, many healthcare workers are subject to verbal aggression or threats, with patients and visitors being the most frequent sources of such incidents. Methods: This research examines the work atmosphere of healthcare professionals at Kasr Al-Aini University Hospital in Cairo, Egypt, during the pandemic. The study aims to evaluate the frequency of violence toward healthcare workers and health professionals training through a cross-sectional survey conducted among them. The research was conducted on Egyptian healthcare workers over 6 months, from November 2020 until the end of January 2021, using convenience sampling in a cross-sectional study. Over half of the respondents reported experiencing violence. Results: Among those who experienced violence, 93% reported verbal aggression, 43% reported physical and verbal abuse, and 59% claimed that violence increased during the pandemic. Additionally, 97% of those who experienced violence reported it occurring within the 4 months following the survey. About 42.5% of the respondents were female, and nearly 65% were over 30. 82% of the respondents did not receive training on handling violence while performing their job. Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of verbal assaults in healthcare settings, primarily by patients' families or acquaintances. Despite reporting such incidents, most respondents did not see any significant government action. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly change the frequency of violent incidents, indicating that the root causes of violence are systemic and extend beyond the pandemic. These findings underscore the need for systemic changes in healthcare organizations to address and prevent violence against healthcare workers.

Successful conjunctival socket expansion in anophthalmic patients until the age of 2 years: an outpatient procedure.

PURPOSE: To report the results of a simple outpatient method for soft tissue socket expansion in young children with congenital anophthalmos. METHODS: Seventeen congenital anophthalmic sockets of 15 infants of a mean age of 4.2±4.4 months were fitted with specially designed serial solid acrylic shapes or hydrogel expanders using cyanoacrylate for eyelids closure when using the latter. RESULTS: At the age of 2 years, the mean horizontal eyelid length increased from a mean of 11.6±4.5 to 19.4±4.6 mm and the volume of the last expander from a mean of 0.6±0.2 to 2.0±0.3 cm(2). The specially designed acrylic shapes could be a substitute to the custom-made molds, which require general anesthesia. CONCLUSION: Successful increase in the horizontal eyelid length as well as the conjunctival socket volume could be achieved by a simple outpatient procedure without the need for repeated hospitalization and general anesthesia in these infants.

Pushed monocanalicular intubation versus probing as a primary management for congenital nasolacrimal obstruction.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of efficiency, complications, and advantages of pushed monocanalicular intubation using Masterka(®) tube versus simple probing in patients with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a case-controlled study that included 60 eyes (of 53 patients); 30 eyes underwent probing and 30 eyes intubation using the Masterka tube as a primary treatment for CNLDO. The children were aged between 6 months and 36 months at the time of surgery, with no previous nasolacrimal surgical procedure, and had one or more of the following clinical signs of nasolacrimal duct obstruction: epiphora, mucous discharge, and/or increased tear lake. RESULTS: We defined success by absence of epiphora, mucous discharge, or increased tear lake 1 month after tube removal. The overall success rate in the probing group was 80%, while it was 83.3% in the intubation group. CONCLUSION: Pushed monocanalicular intubation is an effective method for treatment of CNLDO; it requires only mask inhalation anesthesia and could be considered as an appropriate alternative procedure with imperceptible complications.