Cancer staff in an NHS cancer center: infections, vaccination, stress and well-being support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the well-being of cancer staff and determine the uptake of opt-in mitigation strategies. Materials & methods: Staff at Guy's Cancer Centre (London, UK) participated in an anonymized survey between May and August 2021. Results: Of 1182 staff, 257 (21.7%) participated. Ethnicity (p = 0.020) and comorbidity burden (p = 0.022) were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection status. Of 199 respondents, seven (3.6%) were vaccine-hesitant, which was associated with low flu vaccine uptake (p < 0.001). Greater stress was associated with younger age (p = 0.030) and redeployment (p = 0.012). Lack of time and skepticism were barriers to using mental well-being resources. Conclusion: Albeit cautious, numerous trends the authors observed echo those in the published literature. Improved accessibility, awareness and utility of mental well-being resources are required.

COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The pandemic has applied immense pressure to healthcare workers, putting their physical and mental well-being at risk. However, the impact for cancer staff, specifically, is less known. In a survey of 257 cancer staff at Guy's Cancer Centre (London, UK; May­August 2021), the authors found that staff of particular ethnic groups, or with pre-existing illnesses, appeared more likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2. Few staff were hesitant about SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, appearing more common among those not receiving the flu vaccine. For many, stress increased over time. However, barriers prevent staff from using mental well-being resources. With findings from larger studies, this work will be useful for strategies protecting cancer staff well-being.

"More than just a medical student": a mixed methods exploration of a structured volunteering programme for undergraduate medical students.

BACKGROUND: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic Imperial College School of Medicine developed a structured volunteering programme involving 398 medical students, across eight teaching hospitals. This case study aims to explore the relationship between the processes, context, participant experiences and impacts of the programme so that lessons can be learned for future emergencies and service-learning programmes. METHODS: Using an illuminative approach to evaluation we invited all volunteers and supervisors to complete a mixed-methods survey. This explored differences in experience across demographics and contextual factors, correlations between aspects of induction, supervision and overall experience, and reviewed the impacts of the programme. Quantitative responses were statistically analysed and qualitative reflections were thematically coded to triangulate and explain quantitative findings. Follow up interviews were carried out to check back findings and co-create conclusions. RESULTS: We received responses from 61 students and 17 supervisors. Student participants described predominantly altruistic motivations and transformational changes to their professional identity driven by feeling included, having responsibility, and engaging in authentic workplace-based learning afforded by freedom from the assessed curriculum. They reported new perspectives on their future professional role within the multidisciplinary team and the value of workplace-based learning. They reported increases in wellbeing and self-esteem related to feeling included and valued, and positively contributing to service provision at a time of need. Significantly higher overall satisfaction was associated with a personalised induction, active supervision, earlier stage of training, and male gender. Gender-related differences were not explained through our data but have been reported elsewhere and warrant further study. The duration, intensity and type of role that volunteers performed was similar across demographics and did not appear to modulate their overall experience. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst acknowledging the uniqueness of emergency volunteering and the survey response rate of 15% of volunteers, we suggest the features of a successful service-learning programme include: a learner-centred induction, regular contact with engaged and appreciative supervisors, and roles where students feel valued. Programmes in similar settings may find that service learning is most impactful earlier in medical students' training and that students with altruistic motivations and meaningful work may flourish without formal outcomes and assessments.

Bubble bilevel ventilation facilitates gas exchange in anesthetized rabbits.

BACKGROUND: Bubble continuous positive airway pressure is an established therapy for infants in respiratory distress. In resource-limited settings, few treatment options exist for infants requiring further respiratory support. A bubble bilevel device has been developed to provide nonelectric, time-cycled, pressure-limited respiratory support. We compared the efficacy of bubble bilevel ventilation with conventional mechanical ventilation in sedated rabbits. METHODS: Six adult rabbits under inhaled isoflurane general anesthesia were ventilated by alternating intervals of conventional and bubble bilevel ventilation for three 10-15-min periods. During each period, interval arterial blood gas (ABG) measurements were obtained after at least 10 min on the respective mode of ventilation. RESULTS: The bubble bilevel system was able to deliver the following pressures: 20/7, 15/5, 12/5, 8/5 cm H2O. The estimated differences in arterial blood gas values on bubble bilevel vs. ventilator were as follows (normalized values): pH 7.41 vs. 7.40, pCO2 37.7 vs. 40, pO2 97.6 vs. 80. In addition, the bubble bilevel ventilation delivered consistent pressure waveforms without interruption for over 60 min on two rabbits. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates promising in vivo results on the efficacy of a novel bubble bilevel device, which may prove useful for infants in respiratory distress. IMPACT: Given the lack of personnel, funds or infrastructure to provide neonatal mechanical ventilation in resource-limited settings, additional low-cost, low-tech treatments are necessary to save infant lives. Bubble bilevel ventilation reliably delivers two levels of airway pressure to anesthetized rabbits resulting in normalization of blood gases comparable to those achieved on a traditional ventilator. If proven effective, simple technologies like this device have the potential to significantly impact neonatal mortality due to respiratory distress globally.

Investigating regional variation of respiratory infections in a general practice syndromic surveillance system.

BACKGROUND: Established surveillance systems can follow trends in community disease and illness over many years. However, within England there are known regional differences in healthcare utilisation, which can affect interpretation of trends. Here, we explore regional differences for a range of respiratory conditions using general practitioner (GP) consultation data. METHODS: Daily data for respiratory conditions were extracted from a national GP surveillance system. Average daily GP consultation rates per 100 000 registered patient population were calculated by each region of England and for each study year (2013-17). Consultation rates and incidence rate ratios were also calculated for each condition by deprivation quintile and by rural, urban, and conurbation groups. RESULTS: Upper and lower respiratory tract infections and asthma were higher in the North and the Midlands than in London and the South, were highest in the most deprived groups and tended to be higher in more urban areas. Influenza-like illness was highest in the least deprived and rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: There are consistent differences in GP consultation rates across the English regions. This work has improved our understanding and interpretation of GP surveillance data at regional level and will guide more accurate public health messages.

The COVID-19 pandemic: a new challenge for syndromic surveillance.

The COVID-19 pandemic is exerting major pressures on society, health and social care services and science. Understanding the progression and current impact of the pandemic is fundamental to planning, management and mitigation of future impact on the population. Surveillance is the core function of any public health system, and a multi-component surveillance system for COVID-19 is essential to understand the burden across the different strata of any health system and the population. Many countries and public health bodies utilise 'syndromic surveillance' (using real-time, often non-specific symptom/preliminary diagnosis information collected during routine healthcare provision) to supplement public health surveillance programmes. The current COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a series of unprecedented challenges to syndromic surveillance including: the impact of media reporting during early stages of the pandemic; changes in healthcare-seeking behaviour resulting from government guidance on social distancing and accessing healthcare services; and changes in clinical coding and patient management systems. These have impacted on the presentation of syndromic outputs, with changes in denominators creating challenges for the interpretation of surveillance data. Monitoring changes in healthcare utilisation is key to interpreting COVID-19 surveillance data, which can then be used to better understand the impact of the pandemic on the population. Syndromic surveillance systems have had to adapt to encompass these changes, whilst also innovating by taking opportunities to work with data providers to establish new data feeds and develop new COVID-19 indicators. These developments are supporting the current public health response to COVID-19, and will also be instrumental in the continued and future fight against the disease.

Relationship between microbiology of throat swab and clinical course among primary care patients with acute cough: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) account for most antibiotics prescribed in primary care despite lack of efficacy, partly due to clinician uncertainty about aetiology and patient concerns about illness course. Nucleic acid amplification tests could assist antibiotic targeting. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, 645 patients presenting to primary care with acute cough and suspected ALRTI, provided throat swabs at baseline. These were tested for respiratory pathogens by real-time polymerase chain reaction and classified as having a respiratory virus, bacteria, both or neither. Three hundred fifty-four participants scored the symptoms severity daily for 1 week in a diary (0 = absent to 4 = severe problem). RESULTS: Organisms were identified in 346/645 (53.6%) participants. There were differences in the prevalence of seven symptoms between the organism groups at baseline. Those with a virus alone, and those with both virus and bacteria, had higher average severity scores of all symptoms combined during the week of follow-up than those in whom no organisms were detected [adjusted mean differences 0.204 (95% confidence interval 0.010 to 0.398) and 0.348 (0.098 to 0.598), respectively]. There were no differences in the duration of symptoms rated as moderate or severe between organism groups. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in presenting symptoms and symptoms severity can be identified between patients with viruses and bacteria identified on throat swabs. The magnitude of these differences is unlikely to influence management. Most patients had mild symptoms at 7 days regardless of aetiology, which could inform patients about likely symptom duration.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders: A feasibility and proof of concept study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to assess the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of a newly developed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention developed specifically to address the unique context of pregnancy and parenthood. The intervention was delivered to women accessing a specialist Perinatal Community Mental Health Service (PCMHS). DESIGN: An open-label pilot study was conducted of an 8-week, group-delivered ACT intervention targeting women with moderate-to-severe mood and/or anxiety disorders during pregnancy and/or postpartum. METHODS: Outcomes included session attendance rates, dropout rates, crisis/inpatient service use, and standardized symptom scales. Participant's responses to open-ended questions contained in an end of therapy questionnaire were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Seventy-four women were referred to the intervention with 65 (88%) completing treatment. The median number of sessions attended was 7. No women required input from crisis/inpatient services. All reported finding the intervention helpful. The implementation of ACT in daily life, therapist support, and group processes were cited as helpful aspects of the intervention. At post-treatment, there was a significant reduction in global distress (d = 0.99) and depressive symptoms (d = 1.05), and an increase in psychological flexibility (d = 0.93). On the secondary outcome of global distress, 38% of women were classified as recovered, 31% had reliably improved, 27% remained the same, and 4% had reliably deteriorated. CONCLUSIONS: The delivery of ACT in a routine practice setting is feasible, safe, and effective. A randomized control trial (RCT) is needed to establish the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of this group-delivered ACT intervention. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Group-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is acceptable for women with moderate-to-severe perinatal mood and/or anxiety disorders and can be feasibly delivered in a routine practice setting. The trans-diagnostic nature of ACT enables the concurrent treatment of depressive and anxiety symptoms within the same intervention which is particularly helpful in the perinatal context given the comorbidity of mood and anxiety disorders. With training and supervision, mental health practitioners without extensive education in the delivery of psychological therapies can facilitate the ACT group programme. As this was a feasibility study, there was no control group, adherence to the manual was not assessed, and the absence of a follow-up period limits our knowledge of the longer-term benefits of the ACT group programme.

Predictors of Adverse Outcomes in Uncomplicated Lower Respiratory Tract Infections.

PURPOSE: Presentation with acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in primary care is common. The aim of this study was to help clinicians treat patients presenting with LRTI in primary care by identifying those at risk of serious adverse outcomes (death, admission, late-onset pneumonia). METHODS: In a prospective cohort study of patients presenting with LRTI symptoms, patient characteristics and clinical findings were recorded and adverse events identified over 30 days by chart review. Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified predictors of adverse outcomes. RESULTS: Participants were recruited from 522 UK practices in 2009-2013. The analysis was restricted to the 28,846 adult patients not referred immediately to the hospital. Serious adverse outcomes occurred in 325/28,846 (1.1%). Eight factors were independently predictive; these characterized symptom severity (absence of coryza, fever, chest pain, and clinician-assessed severity), patient vulnerability (age >65 years, comorbidity), and physiological impact (oxygen saturation <95%, low blood pressure). In aggregate, the 8 features had moderate predictive value (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.71, 95% CI, 0.68-0.74); the 4% of patients with ≥5 features had an approximately 1 in 17 (5.7%) risk of serious adverse outcomes, the 35% with 3 or 4 features had an intermediate risk (1 in 50, 2.0%), and the 61% with ≤2 features had a low (1 in 200, 0.5%) risk. CONCLUSIONS: In routine practice most patients presenting with LRTI in primary care can be identified as at intermediate or low risk of serious outcome.

A standardized methodology for the surveillance of antimicrobial prescribing linked to clinical indications in primary care.

Background: A key component of strategies to reduce antimicrobial resistance is better antimicrobial prescribing. The majority of antibiotics are prescribed in primary care. While many existing surveillance systems can monitor trends in the quantities of antibiotics prescribed in this setting, it can be difficult to monitor the quality of prescribing as data on the condition for which prescriptions are issued are often not available. We devised a standardized methodology to facilitate the monitoring of condition-specific antibiotic prescribing in primary care. Methods: We used a large computerized general practitioner database to develop a standardized methodology for routine monitoring of antimicrobial prescribing linked to clinical indications in primary care in the UK. Outputs included prescribing rate by syndrome and percentages of consultations with antibiotic prescription, for recommended antibiotic, and of recommended treatment length. Results: The standardized methodology can monitor trends in proportions of common infections for which antibiotics were prescribed, the specific drugs prescribed and duration of treatment. These data can be used to help assess the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing and to assess the impact of prescribing guidelines. Conclusions: We present a standardized methodology that could be applied to any suitable national or local database and adapted for use in other countries.

Retrospective Observational Study of Atypical Winter Respiratory Illness Season Using Real-Time Syndromic Surveillance, England, 2014-15.

During winter 2014-15, England experienced severe strains on acute health services. We investigated whether syndromic surveillance could contribute to understanding of the unusually high level of healthcare needs. We compared trends for several respiratory syndromic indicators from that winter to historical baselines. Cumulative and mean incidence rates were compared by winter and age group. All-age influenza-like illness was at expected levels; however, severe asthma and pneumonia levels were above those expected. Across several respiratory indicators, cumulative incidence rates during 2014-15 were similar to those of previous years, but higher for older persons; we saw increased rates of acute respiratory disease, including influenza like illness, severe asthma, and pneumonia, in the 65-74- and >75-year age groups. Age group-specific statistical algorithms may provide insights into the burden on health services and improve early warning in future winters.

Predictors of pneumonia in lower respiratory tract infections: 3C prospective cough complication cohort study.

The aim was to aid diagnosis of pneumonia in those presenting with lower respiratory tract symptoms in routine primary care.A cohort of 28 883 adult patients with acute cough attributed to lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) was recruited from 5222 UK practices in 2009-13. Symptoms, signs and treatment were recorded at presentation and subsequent events followed-up for 30 days by chart review. The predictive value of patient characteristics, presenting symptoms and clinical findings for the diagnosis of pneumonia in the first 7 days was established.Of the 720 out of 28 883 (2.5.%) radiographed within 1 week of the index consultation, 115 (16.0%; 0.40% of 28 883) were assigned a definite or probable pneumonia diagnosis. The significant independent predictors of radiograph-confirmed pneumonia were temperature >37.8°C (RR 2.6; 95% CI 1.5-4.8), crackles on auscultation (RR 1.8; 1.1-3.0), oxygen saturation <95% (RR 1.7; 1.0-3.1) and pulse >100·min-1 (RR 1.9; 1.1-3.2). Most patients with pneumonia (99/115, 86.1%) exhibited at least one of these four clinical signs; the positive predictive value of having at least one of these signs was 20.2% (95% CI 17.3-23.1).In routine practice, radiograph-confirmed pneumonia as a short-term complication of LRTI is very uncommon (one in 270). Pulse oximetry may aid the diagnosis of pneumonia in this setting.

Trends in antibiotic prescribing in primary care for clinical syndromes subject to national recommendations to reduce antibiotic resistance, UK 1995-2011: analysis of a large database of primary care consultations.

OBJECTIVES: To measure trends in antibiotic prescribing in UK primary care in relation to nationally recommended best practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A descriptive study linking individual patient data on diagnosis and prescription in a large primary care database, covering 537 UK general practices during 1995-2011. RESULTS: The proportion of cough/cold episodes for which antibiotics were prescribed decreased from 47% in 1995 to 36% in 1999, before increasing to 51% in 2011. There was marked variation by primary care practice in 2011 [10th-90th percentile range (TNPR) 32%-65%]. Antibiotic prescribing for sore throats fell from 77% in 1995 to 62% in 1999 and then stayed broadly stable (TNPR 45%-78%). Where antibiotics were prescribed for sore throat, recommended antibiotics were used in 69% of cases in 2011 (64% in 1995). The use of recommended short-course trimethoprim for urinary tract infection (UTI) in women aged 16-74 years increased from 8% in 1995 to 50% in 2011; however, a quarter of practices prescribed short courses in ≤16% of episodes in 2011. For otitis media, 85% of prescriptions were for recommended antibiotics in 2011, increasing from 77% in 1995. All these changes in annual prescribing were highly statistically significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of national guidelines in UK primary care has had mixed success, with prescribing for coughs/colds, both in total and as a proportion of consultations, now being greater than before recommendations were made to reduce it. Extensive variation by practice suggests that there is significant scope to improve prescribing, particularly for coughs/colds and for UTIs.

Using real-time syndromic surveillance to assess the health impact of the 2013 heatwave in England.

Heatwaves are a seasonal threat to public health. During July 2013 England experienced a heatwave; we used a suite of syndromic surveillance systems to monitor the impact of the heatwave. Significant increases in heatstroke and sunstroke were observed during 7-10 July 2013. Syndromic surveillance provided an innovative and effective service, supporting heatwave planning and providing early warning of the impact of extreme heat thereby improving the public health response to heatwaves.

Anxiety and depression in patients with non-site-specific cancer symptoms: data from a rapid diagnostic clinic.

Background: Rapid diagnostic clinics (RDCs) provide a streamlined holistic pathway for patients presenting with non-site specific (NSS) symptoms concerning of malignancy. The current study aimed to: 1) assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression, and 2) identify a combination of patient characteristics and symptoms associated with severe anxiety and depression at Guy's and St Thomas' Foundation Trust (GSTT) RDC in Southeast London. Additionally, we compared standard statistical methods with machine learning algorithms for predicting severe anxiety and depression. Methods: Patients seen at GSTT RDC between June 2019 and January 2023 completed the General Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) questionnaires, at baseline. We used logistic regression (LR) and 2 machine learning (ML) algorithms (random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM)) to predict risk of severe anxiety and severe depression. The models were constructed using a set of sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results: A total of 1734 patients completed GAD-7 and PHQ-8 questionnaires. Of these, the mean age was 59 years (Standard Deviation: 15.5), and 61.5% (n:1067) were female. Prevalence of severe anxiety (GAD-7 score ≥15) was 13.8% and severe depression (PHQ-8 score≥20) was 9.3%. LR showed that a combination of previous mental health condition (PMH, Adjusted Odds Rario (AOR) 3.28; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.36-4.56), symptom duration >6 months (AOR 2.20; 95%CI 1.28-3.77), weight loss (AOR 1.88; 95% CI 1.36-2.61), progressive pain (AOR 1.71; 95%CI 1.26-2.32), and fatigue (AOR 1.36; 95%CI 1.01-1.84), was positively associated with severe anxiety. Likewise, a combination PMH condition (AOR 3.95; 95%CI 2.17-5.75), fatigue (AOR 2.11; 95%CI 1.47-3.01), symptom duration >6 months (AOR 1.98; 95%CI 1.06-3.68), weight loss (AOR 1.66; 95%CI 1.13-2.44), and progressive pain (AOR 1.50; 95%CI 1.04-2.16), was positively associated with severe depression. LR and SVM had highest accuracy levels for severe anxiety (LR: 86%, SVM: 85%) and severe depression (SVM: 89%, LR: 86%). Conclusion: High prevalence of severe anxiety and severe depression was found. PMH, fatigue, weight loss, progressive pain, and symptoms >6 months emerged as combined risk factors for both these psychological comorbidities. RDCs offer an opportunity to alleviate distress in patients with concerning symptoms by expediting diagnostic evaluations.

Supporting care homes to cut C difficile reinfections.

After putting in place measures to reduce C difficile in hospital, our trust found that patients in the community were experiencing recurrences of infection, which can lead to readmission. We launched a project in which care homes receive a free or part-funded deep clean of residents' rooms, and skilled nurses offer support to care home staff. This has led to a reduction in recurrences of C difficile. This initiative won the Infection Prevention and Control category of the 2012 Nursing Times Awards.

Translating the Essentials for Correctional Nursing Practice and Professional Development.

This article reports the results of aligning the new Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021) with the continuing education needs of nurses who work in justice settings and with justice-involved populations. Much progress in considering the development of the "future" nurse is generated by and intended for academic institutions. Although the readiness of health care agencies (employers) is being discussed, continued professional development of currently employed nurses to help them transition smoothly to work with this "future" nurse has received less attention. To that end, during its latest review, the Nurse Advisory Council to the National Commission on Correctional Health Care aligned its educational plan for correctional nurses with the Essentials document. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(9):399-404.].

The Epidemiology of Chickenpox in England, 2016-2022: An Observational Study Using General Practitioner Consultations.

Chickenpox is a common childhood disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV). VZV vaccination is not part of the UK childhood immunisation programme, but its potential inclusion is regularly assessed. It is therefore important to understand the ongoing burden of VZV in the community to inform vaccine policy decisions. General practitioner (GP) chickenpox consultations were studied from 1 September 2016 to 9 December 2022. Over the study period, the mean weekly chickenpox consultation rate per 100,000 population in England was 3.4, with a regular peak occurring between weeks 13 and 15. Overall, rates decreased over time, from a mean weekly rate of 5.5 in 2017 to 4.2 in 2019. The highest mean weekly rates were among children aged 1-4 years. There was no typical epidemic peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, but in 2022, rates were proportionally higher among children aged < 1 year old compared to pre-pandemic years. Chickenpox GP consultation rates decreased in England, continuing a longer-term decline in the community. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted rates, likely caused by the introduction of non-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The lasting impact of the interruption of typical disease transmission remains to be seen, but it is important to monitor the chickenpox burden to inform decisions on vaccine programmes.

Involving families in end of life care.

The authors outline the benefits of an initiative piloted at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. Family members of people at the end of their lives are asked to fill in diaries to provide feedback about care, and the information is used to address issues raised. The data and comments are collated, audited and fed back to clinical staff and managers across the trust to benchmark patient-reported outcome measures and quality markers for achieving a 'good death'. The term 'family' refers here to family, friends, carers and significant others who are present at the bedside of patients who are dying in hospital and who are on the Liverpool Care Pathway.

ISARIC-COVID-19 dataset: A Prospective, Standardized, Global Dataset of Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19.

The International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) COVID-19 dataset is one of the largest international databases of prospectively collected clinical data on people hospitalized with COVID-19. This dataset was compiled during the COVID-19 pandemic by a network of hospitals that collect data using the ISARIC-World Health Organization Clinical Characterization Protocol and data tools. The database includes data from more than 705,000 patients, collected in more than 60 countries and 1,500 centres worldwide. Patient data are available from acute hospital admissions with COVID-19 and outpatient follow-ups. The data include signs and symptoms, pre-existing comorbidities, vital signs, chronic and acute treatments, complications, dates of hospitalization and discharge, mortality, viral strains, vaccination status, and other data. Here, we present the dataset characteristics, explain its architecture and how to gain access, and provide tools to facilitate its use.