Health consequences and daily life modifications in children and adolescents with epilepsy during the COVID-19 pandemic - a systematic review: Running Title: Covid-19 Pandemic in Children/Adolescents with Epilepsy.

PURPOSE: To describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health care and daily life of children and adolescents with epilepsy. METHODS: This systematic review followed the preferred reporting items guidelines and was registered on the PROSPERO platform (CRD42021255931). The PECO (Patient, Exposure, Comparison, Outcome) framework criteria were as follows: people with epilepsy (0-18 years old); exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic; and outcomes, including epilepsy type, time of clinical diagnosis, seizure exacerbation, treatment and medications, need for emergency because of seizures, sleep, behavior, comorbidities and/or concerns, social and/or economic impact, insurance status, electronic device use, telemedicine, and distance learning. Literature searches for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were conducted on Embase and PubMed. The methodological quality of identified studies was assessed using the Newcastle‒Ottawa Scale (NOS). RESULTS: Data were extracted from 23 eligible out of 597 identified articles and included 31,673 patients. The mean NOS scores for cross-sectional study design was 3.84/10, and for longitudinal, it was 3.5/8 stars. Seizure exacerbations were reported in three studies, difficulties with access to anti-seizure medications in two, changes in dosage in five, and visit postponed or cancelation in five studies. Problems with sleep were highlighted in three, issues related to distance learning in two, an increased time spent on electronic devices in three, and increased behavioral problems in eight studies. Telemedicine, when available, was described as useful and supporting patient's needs. CONCLUSION: The pandemic affected the health care and lifestyle of young individuals with epilepsy. The main problems described revolved around seizure control, accessing anti-seizure medication, sleep and behavioral complains.

Accuracy of Thermographic Imaging in the Early Detection of Pressure Injury: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the accuracy of thermographic images in the early detection of pressure injury (PI) in adult patients. DATA SOURCES: Between March 2021 and May 2022, researchers searched 18 databases for relevant articles using nine keywords. In total, 755 studies were evaluated. STUDY SELECTION: Eight studies were included in the review. Studies were included if they evaluated individuals older than 18 years who were admitted to any healthcare setting; were published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese; examined the accuracy of thermal imaging in the early detection of PI, including suspected stage 1 PI or deep tissue injury; and they compared the region of interest to another area or control group, or to the Braden Scale or Norton Scale. Animal studies and reviews, studies with contact infrared thermography, and those including stages 2, 3, 4, and unstageable PIs were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: Researchers examined sample characteristics and assessment measures related to image capture, including environmental, individual, and technical factors. DATA SYNTHESIS: Across the included studies, sample sizes ranged from 67 to 349 participants, and patients were followed up for periods ranging from a single assessment up to 14 days, or until the appearance of a PI, discharge, or death. Evaluation with the infrared thermography identified temperature differentials between regions of interest and/or in comparison with risk assessment scales. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence on the accuracy of thermographic imaging in the early detection of PI is limited.

Efficacy and safety of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in the prevention of pressure injuries in critically ill patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pressure injuries (PIs), especially in the sacral region are frequent, costly, and increase morbidity and mortality of patients in an intensive care unit (ICU). These injuries can occur as a result of prolonged pressure and/or shear forces. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can increase muscle mass and improve local circulation, potentially reducing the incidence of PI. METHODS: We performed a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of NMES in preventing PI in critically ill patients. We included patients with a period of less than 48 h in the ICU, aged ≥ 18 years. Participants were randomly selected (1:1 ratio) to receive NMES and usual care (NMES group) or only usual care (control group-CG) until discharge, death, or onset of a PI. To assess the effectiveness of NMES, we calculated the relative risk (RR) and number needed to treat (NNT). We assessed the muscle thickness of the gluteus maximus by ultrasonography. To assess safety, we analyzed the effects of NMES on vital signs and checked for the presence of skin burns in the stimulated areas. Clinical outcomes were assessed by time on mechanical ventilation, ICU mortality rate, and length of stay in the ICU. RESULTS: We enrolled 149 participants, 76 in the NMES group. PIs were present in 26 (35.6%) patients in the CG and 4 (5.3%) in the NMES group (p ˂ 0.001). The NMES group had an RR = 0.15 (95% CI 0.05-0.40) to develop a PI, NNT = 3.3 (95% CI 2.3-5.9). Moreover, the NMES group presented a shorter length of stay in the ICU: Δ = - 1.8 ± 1.2 days, p = 0.04. There was no significant difference in gluteus maximus thickness between groups (CG: Δ = - 0.37 ± 1.2 cm vs. NMES group: Δ = 0 ± 0.98 cm, p = 0.33). NMES did not promote deleterious changes in vital signs and we did not detect skin burns. CONCLUSIONS: NMES is an effective and safe therapy for the prevention of PI in critically ill patients and may reduce length of stay in the ICU. Trial registration RBR-8nt9m4. Registered prospectively on July 20th, 2018, https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-8nt9m4.