Surgical Treatment for Chronic Pancreatitis With a Normal-Sized Pancreatic Head and a Dilated Duct: Frey or Extended Partington Procedure?

BACKGROUND: Surgical drainage for chronic pancreatitis patients with a normal-sized pancreatic head remains controversial. Both Frey and extended Partington procedures could be used, but the level of evidence is weak. METHOD: The object of this prospective cohort study was to assess the mid-term results concerning pain, quality of life, and pancreatic function of surgical drainage (Frey or extended Partington procedure) in patients with painful chronic pancreatitis and a normal-sized pancreatic head. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients (Frey procedure: 14 cases; extended Partington procedure: 45 cases) were enrolled in the study with a median length of follow-up of 16 months. The effective and complete pain relief rate was 85% and 58%, respectively. The Izbicki score decreased from 53.4 preoperatively to 8.8 postoperatively. The general 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) score increased from 45.2 to 75.4. The pancreatic insufficiency did not change significantly postoperatively. At three months after surgery, the complete pain relief and Izbicki score were more favorable in the Frey group than in the extended Partington group. CONCLUSION: Both Frey and extended Partington procedures resulted in excellent pain relief and quality of life improvement and did not worsen pancreatic function. The Frey procedure could yield a more favorable result in the early postoperative period.

Mental Health Among Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to characterize mental health issues among Vietnamese healthcare workers (HCWs) and to identify related factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 990 HCWs in 2021. Their mental health status was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. RESULTS: In total, 49.9%, 52.3%, and 29.8% of respondents were found to have depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. The multivariable linear regression model revealed that factors associated with increased anxiety scores included depression scores (ß, 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39 to 0.51) and stress scores (ß, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.52). Factors associated with increased depression scores included being frontline HCWs (ß, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.10 to 1.10), stress scores (ß, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.56), and anxiety scores (ß, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.47), while working experience was associated with reduced depression scores (ß, -0.08; 95% CI, -0.16 to -0.01). Factors associated with increased stress scores included working experience (ß, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.16), personal protective equipment interference with daily activities (ß, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.07 to 1.00), depression scores (ß, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.59), and anxiety scores (ß, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.50), while age was associated with reduced stress scores (ß, -0.12; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Specific interventions are necessary to enhance and promote the mental health of HCWs so they can successfully cope with the circumstances of the pandemic.

Sleep Quality and Poor Sleep-related Factors Among Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam.

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the workload of healthcare workers (HCWs), impacting their health. This study aimed to assess sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and identify factors associated with poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1000 frontline HCWs were recruited from various healthcare facilities in Vietnam between October 2021 and November 2021. Data were collected using a 3-part self-administered questionnaire, which covered demographics, sleep quality, and factors related to poor sleep. Poor sleep quality was defined as a total PSQI score of 5 or higher. RESULTS: Participants' mean age was 33.20±6.81 years (range, 20.0-61.0), and 63.0% were women. The median work experience was 8.54±6.30 years. Approximately 6.3% had chronic comorbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. About 59.5% were directly responsible for patient care and treatment, while 7.1% worked in tracing and sampling. A total of 73.8% reported poor sleep quality. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations between poor sleep quality and the presence of chronic comorbidities (odds ratio [OR], 2.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 5.24), being a frontline HCW directly involved in patient care and treatment (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.16), increased working hours (OR, 1.84; 95% CI,1.37 to 2.48), and a higher frequency of encountering critically ill and dying patients (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.95). CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of poor sleep among HCWs in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic was similar to that in other countries. Working conditions should be adjusted to improve sleep quality among this population.

Self-control as an important factor affecting the online learning readiness of Vietnamese medical and health students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a network analysis.

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to use network analysis to investigate medical and health students' readiness for online learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University. METHODS: A questionnaire survey on the students' readiness for online learning was performed using a Google Form from May 13 to June 22, 2021. In total, 1,377 completed responses were eligible for analysis out of 1,411 participants. The network structure was estimated for readiness scales with 6 factors: computer skills, internet skills, online communication, motivation, self-control, and self-learning. Data were fitted using a Gaussian graphical model with the extended Bayesian information criterion. RESULTS: In 1,377 students, a network structure was identified with 6 nodes and no isolated nodes. The top 3 partial correlations were similar in networks for the overall sample and subgroups of gender and grade levels. The self-control node was the strongest for the connection to others, with the highest nodal strength. The change of nodal strength was greatest in online communication for both gender and grade levels. The correlation stability coefficient for nodal strength was achieved for all networks. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that self-control was the most important factor in students' readiness network structures for online learning. Therefore, self-control needs to be encouraged during online learning to improve the effectiveness of achieving online learning outcomes for students.