Clinical outcomes and phenotypes of respiratory failure in older subjects admitted to an acute care geriatric hospital ward.

Respiratory failure (RF) is frequent in hospitalized older patients, but was never systematically investigated in large populations of older hospitalized patients. We conducted a retrospective administrative study based on hospitalizations of a Geriatrics Unit regarding 2014, 2015, and 2016. Patients underwent daily screening for hypoxia. Hospital discharge records were coded through a standardized methodology. RF, defined as documented hypoxia on room air, was always coded, whenever present. We investigated how RF affected clinical outcomes, whether RF grouped into specific comorbidity phenotypes, and how phenotypes associated with the outcomes. RF was coded in 48.6% of the 1,810 hospitalizations. RF patients were older and more frequently had congestive heart failure (CHF: 49 vs 23%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD: 27 vs 6%), pneumonia (14 vs 4%), sepsis (12 vs 7%), and pleural effusion (6 vs 3%), than non-RF patients. RF predicted longer length of stay (a-Beta 2.05, 95% CI 1.4-2.69; p < 0.001) and higher in-hospital death/intensive care units (ICU) need (aRR 7.12, 5-10.15; p < 0.001) after adjustment for confounders (linear and Poisson regression with robust error variance). Among RF patients, cerebrovascular disease, cancer, electrolyte disturbances, sepsis, and non-invasive ventilation predicted increased, while CHF and COPD predicted decreased in-hospital death/ICU need. The ONCO (cancer) and Mixed (cerebrovascular disease, dementia, pneumonia, sepsis, electrolyte disturbances, bedsores) phenotypes displayed higher in-hospital death/ICU need than CARDIO (CHF) and COPD phenotypes. In this study, RF predicted increased hospital death/ICU need and longer hospital stay, but also reflected diverse underlying conditions and clinical phenotypes that accounted for different clinical courses.

Views of family members on using video calls during the hospital admission of a patient: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Utilization of video calls on hospital wards to facilitate involvement of and communication with family members is still limited. A deeper understanding of the needs and expectations of family members regarding video calls on hospital wards is necessary, to identify potential barriers and facilitate video calls in practice. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore the views, expectations and needs of a patient's family members regarding the use of video calls between family members, patients and healthcare professionals, during the patient's hospital admission. METHODS: A qualitative study was carried out. Semi-structured interviews with family members of patients admitted to two hospitals were conducted between February and May 2022. Family members of patients admitted to the surgical, internal medicine and gynaecological wards were recruited. RESULTS: Twelve family members of patients participated. Family members stated that they perceive video calls as a supplemental option and prefer live visits during hospital admission. They expected video calls to initiate additional moments of contact with healthcare professionals, e.g. to join in medical rounds. When deploying video calls, family members mentioned that adequate instruction and technical support by nurses should be available. CONCLUSION: Family members considered video calls valuable when visiting is not possible or to participate in medical rounds or other contacts with healthcare professionals outside of visiting hours. IMPLICATIONS: Family members need to be supported in options and use of video calls on hospital wards. Additional knowledge about actual participation in care through video calls is needed as well as the effect on patient, family and healthcare professional outcomes. IMPACT: Using video calls on hospital wards can provide family members with flexible alternatives for contact and promote family involvement. REPORTING METHOD: COREQ guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Family members of patients admitted to hospital have contributed by sharing their perspectives in interviews. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER CONTRIBUTE TO THE WIDER GLOBAL CLINICAL COMMUNITY?: Family members perceive additional value from the use of video calls on hospital wards. For family, use of video calls needs to be facilitated with clear instruction materials and support. TRIAL AND PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: Amsterdam UMC Medical Ethics Review Committee (ref number W21_508 # 21.560).

Feasibility of an electronic fluid balance chart to detect and understand the significance of oliguric acute kidney injury in a general ward setting: a prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Outside critical care environments, few studies have assessed the significance of oliguric acute kidney injury (AKI). This study investigated the feasibility of an electronic fluid balance chart to diagnose oliguric AKI. Data were used to determine if oliguric AKI was met earlier than creatinine AKI and to establish outcomes of those who developed AKI. Methods: A single-centre prospective cohort study investigated Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes oliguric and creatinine AKI criteria on general surgical wards. Results: 2,149 cases were included in the analysis. Incidence of oliguric AKI was significantly higher than creatinine criteria (73 versus 10.1%) and detection occurred earlier (2.1 versus 6.1 days, p<0.05). In cases with oliguric AKI, 8.1% also developed AKI by creatinine criteria. In cases not meeting oliguric AKI criteria, fewer cases developed creatinine AKI, as compared to those meeting oliguric AKI criteria (7.9% versus 11%, p=0.043). There was a high incidence of missing data. Conclusions: Oliguric AKI was met in a high proportion of cases and occurred earlier than by changes in creatinine. Barriers to consistency of recording must be addressed before oliguric criteria could be implemented in clinical practice.

[The "Gradation instruction" of care: An opportunity to integrate clinical pharmacy activities in the cancer patient journey]. / Instruction de gradation des soins : une opportunité pour ancrer les activités de pharmacie clinique dans le parcours des patients atteints de cancer.

The ten-year cancer control strategy launched in 2021 highlights the structuring of supportive care as a strong axis to limit the side effects of treatments and simplify the patient's journeys. On the other hand, the "Gradation instruction" published in 2020, introduced new invoicing rules for outpatient hospital wards, which facilitates the coordinated interventions of several health professionals (medical, paramedical, or socio-educational) around patients. Among these professionals, the pharmacist has a particular role, inside the multidisciplinary oncology teams, since cancer oral therapies require therapeutic adherence and a continuum of care with retail pharmacists. Until now, these clinical pharmaceutical activities, which include carrying out medication reviews, developing personalized pharmaceutical plans and conducting pharmaceutical interviews with patients, have struggled to develop in a sustainable manner due to a lack of funding in hospitals. Finally, the "gradation instruction" represents a real opportunity to support clinical pharmacy actions, particularly in outpatient hospital wards. In order to save time for hospital teams wishing to initiate or consolidate these activities, we should consider points of vigilance and facilitating factors.

Length of Hospital Stay and Survival of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients During the Second Wave of the Pandemic: A Single Centre Retrospective Study from Slovenia.

Background: As of writing, there are no publications pertaining to the prediction of COVID-19-related outcomes and length of stay in patients from Slovene hospitals. Objectives: To evaluate the length of regular ward and ICU stays and assess the survival of COVID-19 patients to develop better prediction models to forecast hospital capacity and staffing demands in possible further pandemic peaks. Methods: In this retrospective, single-site study we analysed the length of stay and survival of all patients, hospitalized due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) at the peak of the second wave, between November 18th 2020 and January 27th 2021 at the University Clinic Golnik, Slovenia. Results: Out of 407 included patients, 59% were male. The median length of stay on regular wards was 7.5 (IQR 5-13) days, and the median ICU length of stay was 6 (IQR 4-11) days. Age, male sex, and ICU stay were significantly associated with a higher risk of death. The probability of dying in 21 days at the regular ward was 14.4% (95% CI [10.9-18%]) and at the ICU it was 43.6% (95% CI [19.3-51.8%]). Conclusion: The survival of COVID-19 is strongly affected by age, sex, and the fact that a patient had to be admitted to ICU, while the length of hospital bed occupancy is very similar across different demographic groups. Knowing the length of stay and admission rate to ICU is important for proper planning of resources during an epidemic.

2022 ISFM/AAFP Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines.

PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: The '2022 ISFM/AAFP Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines' (hereafter the 'Cat Friendly Veterinary Environment Guidelines') describe how the veterinary clinic environment can be manipulated to minimise feline patient distress. Many components of a veterinary clinic visit or stay may result in negative experiences for cats. However, much can be done to improve a cat's experience by making the veterinary clinic more cat friendly. Exposure to other cats and other species can be reduced, and adjustments made with consideration of the feline senses and species-specific behaviour. Caregivers can prepare cats for a clinic visit with appropriate advice. Waiting rooms, examination rooms, hospital wards and other clinic areas can be designed and altered to reduce stress and hence encourage positive emotions. Changes need not be structural or expensive in order to be effective and make a difference to the cats and, in turn, to cat caregivers and the veterinary team. Moreover, by improving the all-round experience at the veterinary clinic, there are positive effects on preventive healthcare, identification of and recovery from illness, and compliance with treatment. CLINICAL CHALLENGES: Good feline healthcare necessitates visiting the veterinary clinic, which, simply by being outside of a cat's territory and familiar surroundings, may lead to negative experiences. Such experiences can trigger negative (protective) emotions and associated physiological stress, which can result in misleading clinical findings, patient distress, prolonged recovery from illness, further difficulties with handling at subsequent visits and potential veterinary personnel injury. There may be a mistaken belief that veterinary clinics must undergo significant renovation or building work to become cat friendly, and that, if species cannot be separated, then clinics cannot improve their care of cats. These Guidelines aim to dispel any such misconceptions and provide detailed practical advice. EVIDENCE BASE: These Guidelines have been created by a Task Force of experts convened by the International Society of Feline Medicine and American Association of Feline Practitioners, based on an extensive literature review and, where evidence is lacking, the authors' experience. Endorsements: These Guidelines have been endorsed by a number of groups and organisations, as detailed on page 1161 and at icatcare.org/cat-friendly-guidelines and catvets.com/environment.

Determination of the indoor air bacterial profile in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia.

Objective: Microorganisms are one of the main indoor air contaminants. In a hospital setting, a range of hospital-acquired infectious diseases are caused due to indoor air pollution. Studies conducted on hospital patients and healthcare workers revealed that indoor air pollution is causing more severe health problems than outdoor air pollution. Thus, this study aimed to determine the bacterial indoor air quality in Jimma University Specialized Hospital in southwest Ethiopia. Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from late May to October 2020. Indoor air samples were collected through a passive method by exposing prepared sample plates for prescheduled exposure time, and bacterial species were identified using morphology and biochemical tests. Result: Based on the findings, neither of the wards showed a similar microbial concentration. Among the studied wards, the minimum and the maximum bacterial distribution ranged from 280 to 6369 cfu/m3, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative spp., Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, Bacillus spp., Proteus spp., and Streptococcus spp. were bacterial isolates. Statistically, the concentration of the bacteria in all the studied wards was tested significantly different (p ⩽ 0.001). Conclusion: Among studied wards, the emergency outpatient ward showed a maximum bacterial concentration in contrast to the minor operating room. Based on the criteria of the World Health Organization on hospital-acquired infections, studied wards were highly contaminated.

Simultaneous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 and bacterial profiles from the air of hospital environments with COVID-19-affected patients.

The SARS-CoV-2 presence and the bacterial community profile in air samples collected at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Operational Unit of Infectious Diseases of Santa Caterina Novella Hospital in Galatina (Lecce, Italy) have been evaluated in this study. Air samplings were performed in different rooms of the ICU ward with and without COVID-19 patients. No sample was found positive to SARS-CoV-2, according to Allplex 2019-nCoV Assay. The airborne bacterial community profiles determined by the 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding approach up to the species level were characterized by richness and biodiversity indices, Spearman correlation coefficients, and Principal Coordinate Analysis. Pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacterial species, also detected in outdoor air samples, were found in all collected indoor samples. Staphylococcus pettenkoferi, Corynebacterium tuberculostearicum, and others coagulase-negative staphylococci, detected at high relative abundances in all the patients' rooms, were the most abundant pathogenic species. The highest mean relative abundance of S. pettenkoferi and C. tuberculostearicum suggested that they were likely the main pathogens of COVID-19 patients at the ICU ward of this study. The identification of nosocomial pathogens representing potential patients' risks in ICU COVID-19 rooms and the still controversial airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 are the main contributions of this study. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10453-022-09754-7.

Assessment of Microbiological Quality of Indoor Air at Different Hospital Sites of Dilla University: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In both residential and hospital indoor environments, humans can be exposed to airborne microorganisms. The hospital's indoor air may contain a large number of disease-causing agents brought in by patients, staff, students, visitors, ventilation, or the outside. Hospitalized patients are at a higher risk of infection due to confined spaces, crowdedness, and poor infection prevention practices, which can accumulate and create favorable conditions for the growth and multiplication of microorganisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the indoor air bacterial load in Dilla University Hospital, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was used to assess the bacterial load in the indoor air at Dilla University Hospital. To determine the bacterial load, a passive air sampling technique was used. The settle plate method was used to collect data, which involved exposing Petri-dishes filled with blood agar media to the indoor air of the sampled rooms for 60 minutes. Result: A total of 72 indoor air samples were collected once a week for 2 weeks at 14-day intervals from 18 rooms in 8 wards, and samples were collected twice a day in the morning and afternoon. The mean bacterial concentrations ranged from 450 to 1585.83 CFU/m3 after 60 minutes of culture media exposure. The mean bacterial concentrations in the obstetrics, surgical, pediatric, gynecology, and medical wards exceeded WHO guidelines. A high indoor air bacterial load was found in 58 (80.6%) of the samples in this study. Gram-positive bacteria in the air were the most common 51 (71%) of the bacterial population measured in all indoor environments. Fungal growth was found in 65 (90.3%) of the samples. Temperatures (26.5°C-28.3°C) and relative humidity (61.1%-67.8%) in the rooms were both above WHO guidelines, creating favorable conditions for bacterial growth and multiplication. Conclusion: The majority of the wards at Dilla University Hospital had bacterial loads in the air that exceeded WHO guidelines. Overcrowding, high temperatures, inadequate ventilation, improper waste management, and a lack of traffic flow control mechanisms could all contribute to a high concentration of bacteria in the indoor air. To control the introduction of microorganisms by patients, students, caregivers, and visitors, it is critical to regularly monitor indoor air bacterial load and implement infection prevention and control measures.

The Impact of Pre-Round Meetings on the Clinical Learning of Nurses and Doctors on Hospital Wards: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: The pre-round meeting is an interprofessional gathering conducted in conjunction with the ward round in many hospitals. Here, nurses, doctors and eventually allied health clinicians discuss clinical issues before attending to the patients. This study focused on the learning aspects of the pre-round meeting, and it is, to our knowledge, the first study to explore the impact of pre-round meetings on learning in a clinical setting. Objectives: To improve our understanding of the impact pre-round meetings has on clinical learning among the nurses and doctors who attend them. Method: A qualitative study. Focus group interviews were conducted. Participants comprised of 9 doctors and 13 nurses from two different hospitals in Norway. The participants represented both surgical and non-surgical departments. Results: This study showed that the pre-round meeting is an arena with a high learning potential. Learning takes place in the discussion that arises when different professions meet. Both nurses and doctors emphasized that the pre-round meeting is both a conscious learning arena and an arena where learning is a by-product. Several factors interfered with the utilization of its learning potential. Conclusion: The pre-round meeting is an arena with high learning potential. However various factors can influence this potential. The study highlights the importance of being aware of the learning potential in the pre-round meeting, to achieve higher-level learning objectives. A collaborative environment, continuity, competence, and availability of the staff and structured pre-round meetings are essential elements for achieving higher-level learning objectives.

Contribution of clinical severity and geriatric risk factors in predicting short-term mortality of older hospitalized pneumonia patients: the Pneumonia in Italian Acute Care for Elderly units (PIACE) study.

BACKGROUND: Clinical severity of pneumonia in older persons increases the risk for short-term mortality. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) may provide further insight in prognostic stratification. AIMS: To investigate whether CGA may improve prognostic stratification among older patients with pneumonia admitted to hospital. METHODS: Our series consisted of 318 consecutive patients hospitalized for pneumonia in a multicenter observational study. Disease severity was assessed by Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI). CGA included the occurrence of delirium, Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL) disability, cognitive impairment at Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) and overall comorbidity assessed by Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). The outcomes were in-hospital and post-discharge 3 month mortality. Statistical analysis was carried out by Cox regression, area under receiver operating curve (AUC) and net reclassification index (NRI). RESULTS: Overall, 53 patients died during hospitalization and 52 after discharge. Delirium, SOFA score and admission BADL disability were significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. SOFA score, CIRS, previous long-term oxygen therapy and discharge BADL dependency significantly predicted post-discharge mortality. The accuracy of SOFA in predicting in-hospital and post-discharge mortality was fair (AUC = 0.685, 95% CI = 0.610-0.761 and AUC = 0.663, 95% CI = 0.593-0.734, respectively). BADL dependency and delirium improved predictive accuracy for in-hospital mortality (ΔAUC = 0.144, 95% CI = 0.062-0.227, p < 0.001), while pre-admission oxygen therapy, CIRS and BADL dependency improved predictivity for 3 month mortality (ΔAUC = 0.177, 95% CI = 0.102-0.252, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Among older pneumonia patients, prognostic stratification obtained by clinical severity indexes is significantly improved by CGA risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: CGA provides important information for prognostic stratification and clinical management of older pneumonia patients.

Incidence and Outcomes of Life-Threatening Events During Hospitalization: A Retrospective Study of Patients Treated with Naloxone.

BACKGROUND: We describe the clinical course of medical and surgical patients who received naloxone on general hospital wards for suspected opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD). METHODS: From May 2018 through October 2020, patients who received naloxone on hospital wards were identified and their records reviewed for incidence and clinical course. RESULTS: There were 86,030 medical and 106,807 surgical admissions. Naloxone was administered to 99 (incidence 11.5 [95% confidence interval 9.4-14.0] per 10,000 admissions) medical and 63 (5.9 [95% confidence interval 4.5-7.5]) surgical patients (P < 0.001). Median oral morphine equivalents administered within 24 hours before naloxone were 32 [15, 64] and 60 [32, 88] mg for medical and surgical patients, respectively (P = 0.002). The rapid response team was activated in 69 (69.7%) vs 42 (66.7%) and critical care transfers in 51 (51.5%) vs 30 (47.6%) medical and surgical patients respectively. The number of in-hospital deaths was 21 (21.2%) vs two (3.2%) and the number of discharges to hospice 12 (12.1%) vs one (1.6%) for medical and surgical patients, respectively (P = 0.001). Naloxone did not reverse OIRD in 38 (23%) patients, and these patients had more transfers to the intensive care unit and a higher 30-day mortality rate. CONCLUSION: Medical inpatients are more likely to suffer OIRD than are surgical inpatients despite lower opioid doses. Definitive OIRD was confirmed in 77% of patients because of immediate naloxone response, whereas 23% of patients did not respond, and this subset was more likely to need a higher level of care and had a higher 30-day mortality rate. Careful monitoring of mental and respiratory variables is necessary when opiates are used in hospital.

Effect of ambient noise on indoor environments in a health care facility in Oman.

Hospital-noise levels can induce physiological responses and affect sleep quality, which could contribute to cardiovascular-related health problems. Till date, high-resolution hospital noise exposure assessment studies have not received much attention in Oman. This study aims at assessing sound pressure levels across hospital wards and intensive care unit (ICU) rooms to determine annoyance and potential health effects based on perception and risk estimates. An indoor exposure assessment using high precision noise sensors was conducted in a female medical ward (FMW), isolated ward (SLW), emergency ward (EMW), and intensive care unit (ICU) in a public hospital in Muscat city, Oman. Self-administered questionnaire was randomly distributed among respondents using both online and field survey approach to ascertain annoyance, health effects, and potential risks associated with exposure. The study found that 24-h noise levels (LAeq) ranged from 55.2 to 61.7 dB(A) in the hospital wards and ICU rooms, which exceeded WHO's hospital indoor rooms critical limit of 35 dB(A) by 58-76%. A total of 150 participants took part in the survey. Among the respondents, 53% reported moderate annoyance at the hospital wards, while 56% felt sensitivity to the noise levels. Noise annoyance was reported by the majority of the patients across the various wards and emergency rooms as causing slight annoyance (50%) and intermittent sleep disturbances (49%). The majority (73%) of the medical staff have complained that the current noise levels affect overall work performance (p = 0.004), while 70% of them have further complained of it as a cause of workplace distraction (p = 0.011). Logistic binary regression analysis has revealed that the complaint of noise sensitivity has a positive association with noise levels in VCW (OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 0.92-2.58), and reported loss of concentration by the medical staff also associated with noise levels at the EMW (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 0.65-4.01). Quantitative risk estimates showed that both the percentages of highly annoyed (HA) persons (16%), and highly sleep-disturbed (HSD) persons (9%) were very high in FMW, while ICU was found to have the lowest risk. However, the greater number of the respondents (87%) believed that there are possibilities of mitigating (p < 0.001) the current noise levels.

Improving sepsis screening and care in a developing nation health setting: A description of implementation.

Evidence on sepsis screening and care in developing nations is insufficient to inform implementation practices in hospital wards. The aim of this multi-method study was to describe and evaluate the implementation of a three-step intervention (sepsis screening, alert activation, care) in five wards in Argentina in 2017. The implementation involved three stages: (1) context assessment, (2) development/participation in implementation strategies, and (3) evaluation of intervention adherence. Results were variable. The context assessment (Stage 1) demonstrated the value of education, proactivity towards care and team structures. Strategies developed (Stage 2) included sepsis screening and response guide, education, team rounding, posters, champions, audit/feedback and knowledge brokering. In Stage 3, staff screened 92% patients (506/547) for sepsis at ≥60% of set times; only 33% (21/64) patients had a sepsis alert activated when needed. A similar proportion of patients who had alerts activated (n = 16, 76%) or not (n = 32, 74%) received at least one element of care. The use of implementation strategies resulted in adherence to some aspects of the intervention. Future research is needed to improve sepsis screening and alert activation and care in this setting.

The Role of the Nurse in Informed Consent to Treatments: An Observational-Descriptive Study in the Padua Hospital.

BACKGROUND: The process to obtain valid informed consent in healthcare reflects many aspects. Healthcare professionals that take care of the patient must provide him all the necessary information and verify his understanding, considering individual characteristics. Nurses are one of the main participants in this process. OBJECTIVE: This study assesses nurses' perceptions of their role in the informed consent process. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational study involving 300 nurses operating in 13 wards of the Padua Hospital, through the submitting of a questionnaire in the period November-December 2018. RESULTS: The final sample is made up of 206 nurses-27 males (13.11%) and 179 females (86.89%). Work experience, on average 15 years, is significant in determining the answers to questions about opinions and experiences. Age is significant in determining how often nurses provide information to the patient's family members about the actions to be taken after discharge. The ward was decisive in the responses related to information provided to patients on the nursing care level and the actions to be taken after discharge, and the definition of the nurse's duties. CONCLUSIONS: The data collected show the need for interventions to reduce the causes of difficult that the nurse has in informing patients.

Three-day regimen of oseltamivir for post-exposure prophylaxis of influenza in hospital wards: a study protocol for a prospective, multi-center, single-arm trial.

BACKGROUND: In a previous retrospective observational study, a 3-day regimen of oseltamivir as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for preventing transmission of influenza in wards was shown to be comparable to 7- to 10-day regimens provided index cases were immediately separated from close contacts. In order to confirm the efficacy of a 3-day regimen, we started to conduct a prospective, multi-center, single-arm trial. METHODS: This study is a prospective, multi-center, single-arm study designed by the Sectional Meeting of Clinical Study, Japan Infection Prevention and Control Conference for National and Public University Hospitals. Index patients with influenza are prescribed a neuraminidase inhibitor and are discharged immediately or transferred to isolation rooms. The close contacts are given oseltamivir as 75 mg capsules once daily for adults or 2 mg/kg (maximum of 75 mg) once daily for children for 3 days as PEP. All close contacts are monitored for development of influenza for 7 days after starting PEP. DISCUSSION: A 3-day regimen of oseltamivir as PEP has advantages over 7- to 10-day regimens in terms of costs, medication adherence and adverse effects. Trial registration The Institutional Review Board of Hokkaido University Hospital for Clinical Research, 015-0518, registered on November 11, 2016. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000024458, disclosed on October 31, 2016. https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000027881 . Japan Registry of Clinical Trials, jRCTs011180015, disclosed on March 14, 2019. https://jrct.niph.go.jp/latest-detail/jRCTs011180015.

Investigation of SARS CoV-2 virus in environmental surface.

The prevalent respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 probably persist for a long time on fomites and environmental surfaces. Some recent studies have detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA on the surface of cell phones, door handles and other items in the inhabited sites of confirmed cases. For the aim of this study, a total of 50 environmental surface samples of SARS-CoV-2 was collected from Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil. Forty-one environmental surface samples were proved negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA while nine surface samples were positive. Our findings regarding surfaces contaminated with the virus are consistent with the results of recent similar researches as it was revealed that a number of different samples taken from hospital surfaces such as handles, cupboards, light switches, and door handles were positive for the presence of SARS-Cov-2.

Influence of the Acoustic Environment in Hospital Wards on Patient Physiological and Psychological Indices.

Patients in general wards are often exposed to excessive levels of noise and activity, and high levels of noise have been associated with depression and anxiety. Previous studies have found that an appropriate acoustic environment is beneficial to the patient's therapeutic and treatment process; however, the soundscape is rarely intentionally designed or operated to improve patient recovery, especially for psychological rehabilitation. To gain the most accurate, and least variable, estimate of acoustic environmental stimuli/properties, virtual reality (VR) technology should be used to ensure that other environmental factors are stable and uniform in order to reduce the stimulation of other environmental factors. Therefore, this study aims to discuss the influence of the acoustic environment on patient physiological/psychological indicators and the mechanism of the effect on recovery using VR technology. A digital three-dimensional (3D) model of a hospital room was constructed, and experimental subjects wore VR glasses to visualize a real ward scene. Four typical sound categories were selected to analyze the effect of the acoustic environment on recovery; physiological indicators were monitored, and psychological factors were subjectively evaluated. The results show that music plays an important role in reducing stress as it can aid in a patient's physiological (skin conduction levels) and psychological stress recovery. Furthermore, mechanical and anthropogenic sounds exert negative effects on a patient's stress recovery. However, the effect is only limited to psychological stress indicators. The interaction effects of demographic characteristics and the acoustic environment are not significant, and future studies could consider the social-economic characteristics of patients. Based on these findings, we provide evidence that indicates that a hospital's acoustic environment is an important influencing factor on the stress recovery of patients and can serve as a reference for healthcare architects and policy makers.

Secondary traumatization and personal growth of healthcare teams in maternity and neonatal wards: The role of differentiation of self and social support.

It is of utmost importance to examine the consequences of healthcare teams' daily exposure to stress. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the connection between exposure, secondary traumatization (stress deriving from helping suffering others), and personal growth. It compared the teams in maternity and neonatal wards with colleagues exposed to different levels of illness and death and examined the contribution of social support and self-differentiation to personal growth. One hundred forty-nine Israeli physicians and nurses participated, comprising three groups (maternity and neonatal wards, exposed to suffering as well as to new life; high; and moderate-to-low exposure to illness and death). Data were collected through an online program (64.78% response rate). Whereas no group differences in secondary traumatization were found, personal growth was higher among individuals from maternity and neonatal wards. The higher the social support and self-differentiation, the higher was the personal growth. The findings highlight the necessity to design interventions to empower social support and investing in its development on both the organizational and personal level, especially for the maternity and neonatal wards' healthcare teams.