Violence and aggression against nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. From the emerging leaders program of the Interamerican Society of Cardiology (SIAC).

INTRODUCTION: During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare providers have overcome difficult experiences such as workplace violence. Nurses are particularly vulnerable to workplace violence. The objective of this study was to characterize violence and aggression against nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. METHODS: An electronic cross-sectional survey was conducted in 19 Latin American countries to characterize the frequency and type of violent actions against front-line healthcare providers. RESULTS: Of the original 3544 respondents, 16% were nurses (n = 567). The mean age was 39.7 ± 9.0 years and 79.6% (n = 2821) were women. In total, 69.8% (n = 2474) worked in public hospitals and 81.1% (n = 2874) reported working regularly with COVID-19 patients. Overall, about 68.6% (n = 2431) of nurses experienced at least one episode of workplace aggression during the pandemic. Nurses experienced weekly aggressions more frequently than other healthcare providers (45.5% versus 38.1%, p < .007). Nurses showed a trend of lower reporting rates against the acts of aggression suffered (p = .076). In addition, nurses were more likely to experience negative cognitive symptoms after aggressive acts (33.4% versus 27.8%, p = .028). However, nurses reported considering changing their work tasks less frequently compared to other healthcare providers after an assault event (p = .005). CONCLUSION: Workplace violence has been a frequent problem for all healthcare providers during COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. Nurses were a particularly vulnerable subgroup, with higher rates of aggressions and cognitive symptoms and lower rate of complaints than other healthcare providers who suffered from workplace violence. It is imperative to develop strategies to protect this vulnerable group from aggressions during their tasks.

Inappropriate Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillation Detection of Ventricular Fibrillation Induced by Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.

We describe 2 cases of electromagnetic interference (EMI) with a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). Both patients were using DR-HO'S® pain therapy system for chronic back pain (VGH Solutions Inc., Markham, ON, Canada). In both cases, EMI was inappropriately labeled as ventricular fibrillation. In the first case, the noise detected was of a short duration and did not fulfill the discriminator criteria to deliver ICD therapy. In the second case, inappropriate anti-tachycardia pacing and shocks resulting from EMI were delivered. Both patients were advised not to use TENS devices at home. Increased awareness of EMI resulting in inappropriate ICD therapies using these devices is needed.

Pacemaker Explantation in Patients With Lyme Carditis.

Early recognition of Lyme carditis is critical to preventing unnecessary pacemaker implantation for conduction abnormalities associated with this tick-born infection. Patients who do receive a pacemaker should be considered for device extraction after the completion of their antibiotic therapy if they recover normal atrioventricular node conduction. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).