Mental Health Disorders and Coping Strategies in Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study in Southeastern Mexico.

Mental health disorders are relatively common in the general population and were already an important issue for the healthcare sector before COVID-19. COVID-19, being a worldwide crucial event and evidently a great stressor has increased both the prevalence and incidence of these. Therefore, it is evident that COVID-19 and mental health disorders are closely related. Moreover, several coping strategies exist to endure said disorders such as depression and anxiety, which are used by the population to confront stressors, and healthcare workers are not the exception. This was an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted from August to November 2022, via an online survey. Prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed via the DASS-21 test, and coping strategies were assessed via the CSSHW test. The sample consisted of 256 healthcare workers and of those, 133 (52%) were males with a mean age of 40.4 ± 10.35, and 123 (48%) were females with a mean age of 37.28 ± 9.33. Depression was prevalent in 43%, anxiety in 48%, and stress in 29.7%. Comorbidities were a significant risk factor for both depression and anxiety with an OR of 10.9 and 4.18, respectively. The psychiatric background was a risk factor for depression with an OR of 2.17, anxiety with an OR of 2.43, and stress with an OR of 3.58. The age difference was an important factor in the development of depression and anxiety. The maladaptive coping mechanism was prevalent in 90 subjects and was a risk factor for depression (OR of 2.94), anxiety (OR of 4.46) and stress (OR of 3.68). The resolution coping mechanism was a protective factor for depression (OR of 0.35), anxiety (OR of 0.22), and stress (OR of 0.52). This study shows that mental health disorders are highly prevalent among healthcare workers in Mexico and that coping strategies are associated with their prevalence. It also implies that not only occupations, age, and comorbidities might affect mental health, but also the way patients confront reality and the behavior and decisions they take towards stressors.

Clinical and Virological Features of SARS-CoV-2 Variants during the Four Waves of the Pandemic in the Mexican Southeast.

We conducted a retrospective study using a population of patients who were hospitalized at Dr. Juan Graham Casasus Hospital in Villahermosa (Tabasco, Mexico) and had a positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 between June 2020 and January 2022. We analyzed all medical records, including demographic data, SARS-CoV-2 exposure history, underlying comorbidities, symptoms, signs at admission, laboratory findings during the hospital stay, outcome, and whole-genome sequencing data. Finally, the data were analyzed in different sub-groups according to distribution during waves of the COVID-19 pandemic regarding Mexican reports from June 2020 to January 2022. Of the 200 patients who tested positive via PCR for SARS-CoV-2, only 197 had samples that could be sequenced. Of the samples, 58.9% (n = 116) were males and 41.1% (n = 81) females, with a median age of 61.7 ± 17.0 years. Comparisons between the waves of the pandemic revealed there were significant differences in the fourth wave: the age of patients was higher (p = 0.002); comorbidities such as obesity were lower (p = 0.000), while CKD was higher (p = 0.011); and hospital stays were shorter (p = 0.003). The SARS-CoV-2 sequences revealed the presence of 11 clades in the study population. Overall, we found that adult patients admitted to a third-level Mexican hospital had a wide range of clinical presentations. The current study provides evidence for the simultaneous circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants during the four pandemic waves.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Adverse Effects and Allergic Reactions after COVID-19 Vaccines in a Mexican Population: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study.

Vaccinations have helped to control the COVID-19 pandemic; however, few studies focus on the adverse effects and allergic reactions of these vaccines and fewer have a scope in the Latin American population. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between vaccinations, sex, age, allergic reactions, and adverse effects. This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted between 1 July and 1 October 2022. The sample consisted of 443 surveyed participants, with a total of 1272 COVID-19 vaccine doses. Seven vaccines (Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, CanSino, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, Sinovac, and Sputnik V) were evaluated. A total of 12.6% of those surveyed had at least one allergic reaction posterior to vaccination, and females had a greater chance of developing one (p < 0.001, OR 3.1). The most common allergic reaction was chest pain, and Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca were associated with the onset of allergic reactions (p < 0.005). A total of 54.6% of those surveyed developed adverse effects, the most common of which were myalgia, fever, cephalea, asthenia or adynamia, and arthralgia; moreover, older age was associated with the onset of adverse effects (p < 0.5). This study concludes that the BNT162b2 (Pfizer BioNTech) and ChAdOX1 nCOV-19 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) vaccines are strongly associated with the onset of allergic reactions, with ORs of 1.6 (CI 95%, 1.18 to 2.3) and 1.87 (CI 95%, 1.35 to 2.6), respectively. In addition, females have a greater chance of developing allergic reactions associated with COVID-19 vaccinations, and there was a relation found between older age and a greater prevalence of comorbidities, adverse effects after vaccination, and COVID-19 infection after vaccination.

Side effects of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine in health workers of a hospital in the southeast of Mexico.

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to evaluate the side effects of application of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on the workers at a Mexican hospital. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was carried out, in which 1351 workers from a tertiary care center in the Mexican southeast were included. Sociodemographic data, comorbidities, and side effects after the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine were obtained through an online survey. The variables were analyzed through descriptive statistics. The presence or absence of side effects was analyzed through the Chi-square test or t-test, as appropriate. The result was considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 1351 health workers participated in the online survey. The mean age was 37.8 ± 10.9 years and 56.4% were women. Among them, 8.2% suffered from high blood pressure. In addition, 76.7% manifested pain in the application area. The presence of side effects was associated with the female gender (p < 0.01). Side effects were more prevalent in younger age (37.2 ± 10.7) than older age (41.5 ± 10.8) (p < 0.01). There was no association with the presence of comorbidities (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that pain in the application area is the most frequent side effect among workers in a Mexican hospital who received the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19. In addition, we observed sialorrhea as a side effect in the studied population and this had not previously been reported. The highest number of adverse events occurred between 24 to 72 hours after application.

Isobolographic analysis of antinociceptive effect of ketorolac, indomethacin, and paracetamol after simultaneous peripheral local and systemic administration.

This study was designed to characterize the type of interaction (subadditive, additive, or synergistic) after simultaneous administration by two different routes (intraperitoneal plus peripheral local) of the same nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) ketorolac and indomethacin or paracetamol. The antinociceptive effects of locally or intraperitoneally delivery of NSAIDs or paracetamol, and the simultaneous administration by the two routes at fixed-dose ratio combination were evaluated using the formalin test. Pain-related behavior was quantified as the number of flinches of the injected paw. Isobolographic analysis was used to characterize the interaction between the two routes. ED30 values were estimated for individual drugs, and isobolograms were constructed. Ketorolac, indomethacin, or paracetamol and fixed-dose ratio combinations produced a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect in the second but not in the first phase of the formalin test. The analysis of interaction type after simultaneous administration by the two routes the same NSAID or paracetamol (on basis of their ED30), revealed that the simultaneous administration of ketorolac or paracetamol was additive and for indomethacin was synergistic. Since the mechanisms underlying the additive effect of ketorolac or paracetamol and the synergistic effect of indomethacin were not explored; it is possible that the peripheral and central mechanism is occurring at several anatomical sites. The significance of these findings for theory and pain pharmacotherapy practice indicates that the combination of one analgesic drug given simultaneously by two different administration routes could be an additive or it could lead to a synergistic interaction.

Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum in nCOVID-19 infection: a case report / Pneumomediastino espontáneo en la infección por nCOVID-19: un reporte de caso

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SP) is a clinical entity characterized by the presence of interstitial air in the mediastinum. The purpose of this study was to further examine a rare SP case in a 60-year-old male, with COVID-19. In conclusion, SP is an uncommon complication in COVID-19, and the recognition of clinical characteristics is crucial since early identification plays a significant role in the maintenance or recovery of the disease..(Au)

El neumomediastino espontáneo (NE) es una entidad clínica caracterizada por la presencia de aire intersticial en el mediastino. El propósito de este estudio fue examinar más a fondo un caso raro de NE en un hombre de 60 años con COVID-19. En conclusión, el NE es una complicación poco común de COVID-19 y el reconocimiento de las características clínicas es crucial, ya que su identificación temprana juega un papel importante en el mantenimiento y recuperación de la enfermedad..(Au)

Features of patients that died for COVID-19 in a hospital in the south of Mexico: A observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the wide spread of SARS-CoV2 around the world, the risk of death in individuals with metabolic comorbidities has dangerously increased. Mexico has a high number of infected individuals and deaths by COVID-19 as well as an important burden of metabolic diseases; nevertheless, reports about features of Mexican individuals with COVID-19 are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate demographic features, clinical characteristics and the pharmacological treatment of individuals who died by COVID-19 in the south of Mexico. METHODS: We performed an observational study including the information of 185 deceased individuals with confirmed diagnoses of COVID-19. Data were retrieved from medical records. Categorical data were expressed as proportions (%) and numerical data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Comorbidities and overlapping symptoms were plotted as Venn diagrams. Drug clusters were plotted as dendrograms. RESULTS: The mean age was 59.53 years. There was a male predominance (60.1%). The mean hospital stay was 4.75 ± 4.43 days. The most frequent symptoms were dyspnea (88.77%), fever (71.42%) and dry cough (64.28%). Present comorbidities included diabetes (60.63%), hypertension (59.57%) and obesity (43.61%). The main drugs used for treating COVID-19 were azithromycin (60.6%), hydroxychloroquine (53.0%) and oseltamivir (27.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Mexican individuals who died of COVID-19 had shorter hospital stays, higher frequency of shortness of breath, and higher prevalence of diabetes than individuals from other countries. Also, there was a high frequency of off-label use of drugs for their treatment.

Metformin: A Prospective Alternative for the Treatment of Chronic Pain.

Metformin (biguanide) is a drug widely used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This drug has been used for 60 years as a highly effective antihyperglycemic agent. The search for the mechanism of action of metformin has produced an enormous amount of research to explain its effects on gluconeogenesis, protein metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, oxidative stress, glucose uptake, autophagy and pain, among others. It was only up the end of the 1990s and beginning of this century that some of its mechanisms were revealed. Metformin induces its beneficial effects in diabetes through the activation of a master switch kinase named AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Two upstream kinases account for the physiological activation of AMPK: liver kinase B1 and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2. Once activated, AMPK inhibits the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which in turn avoids the phosphorylation of p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathways and reduces cap-dependent translation initiation. Since metformin is a disease-modifying drug in type 2 diabetes, which reduces the mTORC1 signaling to induce its effects on neuronal plasticity, it was proposed that these mechanisms could also explain the antinociceptive effect of this drug in several models of chronic pain. These studies have highlighted the efficacy of this drug in chronic pain, such as that from neuropathy, insulin resistance, diabetic neuropathy, and fibromyalgia-type pain. Mounting evidence indicates that chronic pain may induce anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment in rodents and humans. Interestingly, metformin is able to reverse some of these consequences of pathological pain in rodents. The purpose of this review was to analyze the current evidence about the effects of metformin in chronic pain and three of its comorbidities (anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment).

Antinociceptive effects of ceftriaxone in formalin-induced nociception.

Ceftriaxone (CFX) is a ß-lactam antibiotic with analgesic properties. However, its role in the formalin-induced nociception remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antinociceptive effect of CFX in the 1% formalin test in rats. Formalin induced a typical nociceptive response (flinching behavior) of two phases. Local peripheral pretreatment (20 min) with CFX (400-800 µg/paw) slightly attenuated the flinching behavior in phase 2, but not phase 1. Acute intraperitoneal pretreatment (20 min) also reduced phase 2 of the formalin test. In both cases, CFX induced a dose-dependent antinociception. We also tested the effect of CFX 1 day after its administration and in two schedules of repeated administration. One-day pretreatment with CFX (50-400 mg/kg, ip) induced a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect in formalin-treated rats. Repeated administration (daily during 3 or 7 days) with CFX (50-400 mg/kg, ip) diminished formalin-induced nociception. Results suggest that local or systemic as well as single or repeated administration of CFX reduces formalin-induced nociception.

Calidad de vida en los pacientes con DM-2: Un estudio transversal en el sureste mexicano / Quality of life in patients with DM-2: A cross-sectional study in the Mexican southeast

La diabetes es una enfermedad crónica y compleja con demandas y desafíos que influyen en la calidad de vida relacionada a la salud. Objetivo: determinar la calidad de vida en los pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 que acuden a los servicios médicos de la UJAT durante el periodo junio- julio del 2017. Métodos: se realizó un estudio transversal en 80 sujetos con diagnóstico de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 que acuden a un primer nivel de atención en el sureste mexicano. Se diseñó un instrumento y se obtuvieron datos sociodemográficos, de calidad de vida, antropométrica, bioquímica y clínica. Las variables fueron analizadas a través de estadística descriptiva, además, se utilizó la prueba de Chi cuadrado para explorar asociación entre variables categóricas y para variables continuas la prueba de T, considerando los estadísticamente significativos los resultados de p<0,05. Resultados: la media de edad de los pacientes estudiados fue 57,8 años. El dominio de la calidad de vida principalmente afectado fue energía, funcionamiento sexual y movilidad, y los factores que tuvieron efecto sobre la calidad de vida fueron la escolaridad, las comorbilidades, la polifarmacia, el índice de masa corporal y la hiperglucemia. Discusión: los pacientes con diagnóstico de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 que acuden a un primer nivel institucional del sureste mexicano están principalmente afectados en 3 dominios: energía y movilidad, ansiedad y preocupación y funcionamiento sexual.

Diabetes is a chronic and complex disease with demands and challenges that influence the quality of life - related to health. Objective: To determine the quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes in the first level of care in Tabasco, during June- July 2017. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 102 subjects with type 2 diabetes. An instrument collected sociodemographic, quality of life, anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical data. The variables analyzed through descriptive statistics, also, the Chi-square test to explore the association between categorical variables, and for continuous variables, the T-test. Finally, considering the statistically significant results of p <0,05. Results: The mean age of patients included was 57,8 years old. The domain of the quality of life principally affected were energy-mobility, anxiety-concern, and sexual function, and the factors that affected the quality of life were education, comorbidi-ties, polypharmacy, body mass index, and hyperglycemia. Discussion: Patients with type 2 diabetes in the first institutional level in the Mexican south are principally affected in three domains: energy-mobility, anxiety-concern, and sexual function.