Burden of nosocomial COVID-19 in Wales: results from a multicentre retrospective observational study of 2508 hospitalised adults.

The burden of nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection remains poorly defined. We report on the outcomes of 2508 adults with molecularly-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 admitted across 18 major hospitals, representing over 60% of those hospitalised across Wales between 1 March and 1 July 2020. Inpatient mortality for nosocomial infection ranged from 38% to 42%, consistently higher than participants with community-acquired infection (31%-35%) across a range of case definitions. Those with hospital-acquired infection were older and frailer than those infected within the community. Nosocomial diagnosis occurred a median of 30 days following admission (IQR 21-63), suggesting a window for prophylactic or postexposure interventions, alongside enhanced infection control measures.

Acute haemodynamic effects of continuous positive airway pressure in awake patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been used to treat patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). CPAP treatment in severe CHF with concomitant SDB and atrial fibrillation has been linked to impairment of cardiac output (CO) as a potential cause for adverse outcome. The aim of the present study was to test whether incremental CPAP application in awake CHF patients with SDB, with and without atrial fibrillation, induces acute alterations of blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and CO. METHODS: During daytime, we applied incremental CPAP (4-10 cmH2O) in 37 stable patients with CHF and SDB. BP and HR were assessed after each 1 cmH2O CPAP increase in 5-min intervals in the entire sample, and CO was assessed at one centre (n = 11). RESULTS: Neither mean BP, HR nor CO changed significantly with incremental CPAP (at 0 and 10 cmH2O: 85 ± 2 and 84 ± 2 mm Hg, P = 1.0, 63 ± 1 to 61 ± 2 b.p.m., P = 0.88 and 2.03 ± 0.5 and 2.35 ± 0.8 L/min/m2 , P = 0.92, respectively). No significant differences in maximum BP drop or HR drop between patients with sinus rhythm and atrial fibrillation were found. In 1 of 37 patients, a prespecified event of haemodynamic compromise (drop of mean BP >15 mm Hg) without clinical signs occurred. CONCLUSIONS: These results contribute to the evidence that CPAP does not cause haemodynamic compromise in the vast majority of normotensive CHF patients with SDB.

Effects of auto-servo ventilation on patients with sleep-disordered breathing, stable systolic heart failure and concomitant diastolic dysfunction: subanalysis of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Systolic heart failure (HF) is frequently accompanied by diastolic dysfunction and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). OBJECTIVES: The objective of this subset analysis was to determine effect sizes of auto-servo ventilation (ASV and biphasic positive airway pressure ASV) on echocardiographic measures of diastolic function in patients with systolic HF and SDB. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with stable systolic HF, concomitant diastolic dysfunction [age 66 ± 9 years old, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction: 30 ± 7% and New York Heart Association class II: 72%] and SDB (apnea-hypopnea index, AHI: 48 ± 19/h; 53% had predominantly obstructive sleep apnea) receiving either ASV (n = 19) or optimal medical treatment (control, n = 13) were analyzed in a randomized controlled clinical trial. Polysomnographic and echocardiographic measurements were obtained at baseline and after 12 weeks. RESULTS: AHI significantly improved in the ASV group compared to the control group (-39 ± 18 vs. -0.2 ± 13.2/h, p < 0.001). At baseline, 24 (75%) patients had impaired LV relaxation, and 8 (25%) had a pseudo-normalized filling pattern. At the 12-week control visit, diastolic function assessed by the isovolumetric relaxation time (-10.3 ± 26.1 vs. 9.3 ± 49.1, p = 0.48) and deceleration time (-43.9 ± 88.8 vs. 12.4 ± 68.8, p = 0.40) tended to improve after ASV treatment, but did not reach statistical significance. Likewise, the proportion of patients whose diastolic dysfunction improved was nonsignificantly higher in the ASV than in the control group, respectively (37 vs. 15%, p = 0.25). CONCLUSIONS: ASV treatment efficiently abolishes SDB in patients with stable systolic HF and concomitant diastolic dysfunction, and was associated with a statistically nonsignificant improvement in measures of diastolic dysfunction. Thus, these data provide estimates of effect size and justify the evaluation of the effects of ASV on diastolic function in larger randomized controlled trials.

Alcohol and Periodontal Disease: A Narrative Review.

The scientific literature dealing with alcohol and alcoholic beverages revealed that these drinks possess an adverse impact on periodontal tissues. Additionally, other principal risk factors include tobacco, smoking, poor oral hygiene, etc. It has been observed that among chronic alcoholics, there are further issues, such as mental, social, and physical effects, that promote alcoholism. These people may have weak immunity for defense against pathogenic organisms and bacteria. Thus, chances of gingival bleeding, swollen gums, bad breath, and increased bone loss are there. Different alcoholic beverages in the market cause less salivation; these beverages contain sugars that promote acid production in the oral cavity by pathogens that demineralize the enamel and damage gum and teeth. This chronic alcohol consumption can progress into different types of oral disorders, including cancer, halitosis, and caries, and is also associated with tobacco and smoking. Chronic alcohol consumption can cause alteration of the oral microbiome and increase oral pathogens, which lead to periodontal disease and an environment of inflammation created in the body due to malnutrition, diminished immunity, altered liver condition, brain damage, and gut microbiota alteration. Heavily colored alcoholic beverages produce staining on teeth and, due to less saliva, may cause other toxic effects on the periodontium. Over-dependency on alcohol leads to necrotizing lesions such as necrotizing gingivitis, necrotizing periodontitis, and necrotizing stomatitis. These pathological impairments instigate severe damage to oral structures. Therefore, proper counseling by the attending dental surgeon and related health professionals is urgently required for the patient on the basis that the individual case needs to go away from the regular heavy consumption of alcohol.

Auto-servoventilation in heart failure with sleep apnoea: a randomised controlled trial.

We tested the hypotheses that in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and sleep disordered breathing (SDB) auto-servoventilation (ASV) improves cardiac function and quality of life. Between March 2007 and September 2009, patients with stable CHF (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 40%) and SDB (apnoea/hypopnoea index ≥ 20 events · h(-1)) were randomised to receive either ASV (BiPAP ASV (Philips Respironics, Murrysville, PA, USA), n=37) and optimal medical management, or optimal medical management alone (n=35). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. The apnoea/hypopnoea index assessed with polysomnography scored in one core laboratory was significantly more reduced in the ASV group (-39 ± 16 versus -1 ± 13 events · h(-1); p<0.001) with an average use of 4.5 ± 3.0 h · day(-1). Both groups showed similar improvements of the primary end-point LVEF (+3.4 ± 5 versus +3.5 ± 6%; p=0.915) assessed with echocardiography. In the ASV group, reduction of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was significantly greater (-360 ± 569 versus +135 ± 625 ng · mL(-1); p=0.010). No differences were observed between the groups in subjective quality of life. In patients with CHF and SDB, ASV reduced NT-proBNP levels, but improvement of LVEF or quality of life was not greater than in the control group. The data support that such patients can be randomised in large-scale, long-term trials of positive airway pressure therapy versus control to determine effects on cardiovascular outcome.

Efficacy and acceptability of 0.074% diclofenac-containing mouthwash after periodontal surgery: a clinical study.

BACKGROUND: The systemic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are associated with various side-effects like hepatotoxicity, blood dyscrasias, nephrotoxicity and gastric irritability. Among these, gastric irritability is the most common and the most important one, which should be taken care of. Therefore, it may be preferable to use a local formulation such as a mouthwash to treat the inflammatory conditions of the oral cavity. AIM: To determine the efficacy and acceptability of 0.074% diclofenac mouthwash in relieving pain and inflammation of post-periodontal surgery patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was designed as a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Twenty chronic periodontitis patients who were scheduled for full-mouth periodontal flap surgery were randomized to receive either diclofenac mouthwash or placebo to rinse with 15 ml of solution daily for a period of 7 days. Modified gingival index (Lobene 1986) was used to verify gingival inflammation and visual analog scale was used to assess pain. After the baseline measurements for all the parameters were recorded, spontaneous pain and burning were evaluated daily while redness and edema were recorded on the 3 rd and 7 th day from the day of treatment. RESULTS: Data obtained were analyzed statistically using paired " t" test for intragroup comparison and unpaired " t"-test for intergroup comparison. Spontaneous pain was significantly reduced by diclofenac mouthwash. Other parameters, i.e. gingival inflammation and swelling, had not shown significant reduction in scores in either group, although the reduction was higher in the test group. CONCLUSION: The new 0.074% diclofenac mouthwash is an effective and tolerable medicinal product for post-surgical symptomatic relief.