Optimizing clinical approaches to COVID-19 patients in primary care.

There is insufficient evidence from medical studies for clinical approaches to patients with COVID-19 in primary care. Patients often urge the therapeutic use and preventive administration of various medicines, often controlled by studies insufficiently or completely unverified. The aim of the project, commissioned by the Committee of the Society of General Practice of the Czech Medical Association JEP, was to compensate for this deficiency by interdisciplinary consensus and thus provide general practitioners (GPs) with a basic support in accessing patients with COVID-19. Representatives of GPs identified the most common questionable diagnostic or therapeutic approaches and formulated 17 theses, taking into account their own experience, existing Czech and foreign professional recommendations. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, modified for the needs of pandemic situation, was chosen to seek consensus. Representatives of 7 medical specialties accepted the participation in the 20-member panel. The panel evaluated in 2 rounds, with the comments and opinions of others available to all panelists before the second round. The outcome of the evaluation was agreement on 10 theses addressing the administration of vitamin D, inhaled corticosteroids in patients with COPD and bronchial asthma, acetylsalicylic acid, indications for D-dimer levels examination, preventive administration of LMWH, importance of pulse oximetry, indication for emergency services, indication for antibiotics and rules for distant contact. The panel disagreed on 6 theses recommending the administration of ivermectin, isoprinosine, colchicine and corticosteroids in patients with COVID-19 in primary care. One thesis, taking into account the use of D-dimers in primary care was evaluated as uncertain. The most discussed theses, on which there was also no agreement, were outpatient administration of corticosteroids and the importance of elevation of D-dimers levels or their dynamic increase in a symptomatic patient with COVID-19 as an indication for referral to hospital. The results of the consensus identified topics that need to be further discussed and on which it is appropriate to focus further research.

Experiences of stigma, discrimination and violence and their impact on the mental health of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health care workers have been exposed to COVID-19 more than people in other professions, which may have led to stigmatization, discrimination, and violence toward them, possibly impacting their mental health. We investigated (1) factors associated with stigma, discrimination, and violence, (2) the association of stigma, discrimination, and violence with mental health, (3) everyday experiences of stigmatization, discrimination, and violence. We chose a combination of a quantitative approach and qualitative content analysis to analyze data collected at three time points: in 2020, 2021 and 2022. A higher age was associated with lower odds of experiencing stigma, discrimination, and violence, whereas female gender was related to more negative experiences. The intensity of exposure to COVID-19 was associated with greater experience with stigmatization, discrimination, and violence across all three years (for example in 2022: odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 1.74, 1.18-2.55 for mild exposure; 2.82, 1.95-4.09 for moderate exposure; and 5.74, 3.55-9.26 for severe exposure, when compared to no exposure). Stigma, discrimination, and violence were most strongly associated with psychological distress in 2020 (odds ratio = 2.97, 95% confidence interval 2.27-3.88) and with depressive symptoms in 2021 (odds ratio = 2.78, 95% confidence interval 2.12-3.64). Attention should be given to the destigmatization of contagious diseases and the prevention of discrimination, violence, and mental health problems, both within workplaces and among the public.

Inequality on the frontline: A multi-country study on gender differences in mental health among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) were at increased risk for mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, with prior data suggesting women may be particularly vulnerable. Our global mental health study aimed to examine factors associated with gender differences in psychological distress and depressive symptoms among HCWs during COVID-19. Across 22 countries in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, 32,410 HCWs participated in the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study between March 2020 and February 2021. They completed the General Health Questionnaire-12, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and questions about pandemic-relevant exposures. Consistently across countries, women reported elevated mental health problems compared to men. Women also reported increased COVID-19-relevant stressors, including insufficient personal protective equipment and less support from colleagues, while men reported increased contact with COVID-19 patients. At the country level, HCWs in countries with higher gender inequality reported less mental health problems. Higher COVID-19 mortality rates were associated with increased psychological distress merely among women. Our findings suggest that among HCWs, women may have been disproportionately exposed to COVID-19-relevant stressors at the individual and country level. This highlights the importance of considering gender in emergency response efforts to safeguard women's well-being and ensure healthcare system preparedness during future public health crises.

Depression in healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: results from Czech arm of HEROES Study.

The pandemic due to COVID-19 brought new risks for depression of health care workers, which may have differently influenced men and women. We aimed to investigate (1) whether health care workers in Czechia experienced an increase in depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) which factors contributed the most to this change, and (3) whether the magnitude of the associations differed by gender. We studied 2564 participants of the Czech arm of the international COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) Study. Online questionnaire was administered to health care workers in summer 2020 (wave 0) and spring 2021 (wave 1). Depression was defined by reaching 10 or more points on the Patient Health Questionnaire. Logistic regression investigated the association of participant´s characteristics with depression and multivariable decomposition for non-linear models assessed, to what extent the characteristic explained the change in depression occurrence. The prevalence of depression increased twice during the pandemic (11% in wave 0 and 22% in wave 1). Stress accounted for 50% of the difference, experience of death due to COVID-19 for 15% and contact with COVID-19 patients for 14%. Greater resilience and sufficient personal protective equipment were strongly associated with lower occurrence of depression. The protective association of resilience with depression was stronger in men than in women. We conclude that interventions to promote mental health of health care workers in future health crisis should aim at decreasing stress and enhancing resilience. They should be delivered especially to individuals who have contact with the affected patients and may face their death.

Prehospital cooling by cold infusion: searching for the optimal infusion regimen.

BACKGROUND: The cooling efficacy of intravenous administration of cold crystalloids can be enhanced by optimisation of the procedure. This study assessed the temperature stability of different application regimens of cold normal saline (NS) in simulated prehospital conditions. METHODS: Twelve different application regimens of 4 °C cold NS (volumes of 250, 500 and 1000 ml applied at infusion rates of 1000, 2000, 4000 and 6000 ml/h) were investigated for infusion temperature changes during administration to an artificial detention reservoir in simulated prehospital conditions. RESULTS: An increase in infusion temperature was observed in all regimens, with an average of 8.1 ± 3.3 °C (p<0.001). This was most intense during application of the residual 20% of the initial volume. The lowest rewarming was exhibited in regimens with 250 and 500 ml bags applied at an infusion rate of 6000 ml/h and 250 ml applied at 4000 ml/h. More intense, but clinically acceptable, rewarming presented in regimens with 500 and 1000 ml bags administered at 4000 ml/h, 1000 ml at 6000 ml/h and 250 ml applied at 2000 ml/h. Other regimens were burdened by excessive rewarming. CONCLUSION: Rewarming of cold NS during application in prehospital conditions is a typical occurrence. Considering that the use of 250 ml bags means the infusion must be exchanged too frequently during cooling, the use of 500 or 1000 ml NS bags applied at an infusion rate of ≥4000 ml/h and termination of the infusion when 80% of the infusion volume has been administered is regarded as optimal.

Pre-hospital cooling of patients following cardiac arrest is effective using even low volumes of cold saline.

INTRODUCTION: Pre-hospital induction of therapeutic mild hypothermia (TH) may reduce post-cardiac arrest brain injury in patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Most often, it is induced by a rapid intravenous administration of as much as 30 ml/kg of cold crystalloids. We decided to assess the pre-hospital cooling effectivity of this approach by using a target dose of 15-20 ml/kg of 4°C cold normal saline in the setting of the physician-staffed Emergency Medical Service. The safety and impact on the clinical outcome have also been analyzed. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational study with a retrospective control group. A total of 40 patients were cooled by an intravenous administration of 15-20 ml/kg of 4°C cold normal saline during transport to the hospital (TH group). The pre-hospital decrease of tympanic temperature (TT) was analyzed as the primary endpoint. Patients in the control group did not undergo any pre-hospital cooling. RESULTS: In the TH group, administration of 12.6 ± 6.4 ml/kg of 4°C cold normal saline was followed by a pre-hospital decrease of TT of 1.4 ± 0.8°C in 42.8 ± 19.6 min (p < 0.001). The most effective cooling was associated with a transport time duration of 38-60 min and with an infusion of 17 ml/kg of cold saline. In the TH group, a trend toward a reduced need for catecholamines during transport was detected (35.0 vs. 52.5%, p = 0.115). There were no differences in demographic variables, comorbidities, parameters of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in other post-resuscitation characteristics. The coupling of pre-hospital cooling with subsequent in-hospital TH predicted a favorable neurological outcome at hospital discharge (OR 4.1, CI95% 1.1-18.2, p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-hospital induction of TH by the rapid intravenous administration of cold normal saline has been shown to be efficient even with a lower dose of coolant than reported in previous studies. This dose can be associated with a favorable impact on circulatory stability early after the return of spontaneous circulation and, when coupled with in-hospital continuation of cooling, can potentially improve the prognosis of patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials (NCT): NCT00915421.

Qualitative Research of Violent Incidents Toward Young Paramedics in the Czech Republic.

INTRODUCTION: Prehospital and emergency medical services (EMS) providers are usually the first to respond to an individual's urgent health needs, sometimes in emotionally charged circumstances. Because violence toward EMS providers in the Czech Republic is often overlooked and under-reported, we do not have a complete understanding of the extent of such violence, nor do we have recommendations from EMS professional organizations on how to resolve this problem in prehospital emergency medicine. METHODS: We conducted this study to explore the process of violence against EMS providers, using the Strauss/Corbin systematic approach of grounded theory to create a paradigm model. The participants in this research included personnel who had at least two years experience in the EMS systems of the city of Prague and the Central Bohemian Region, and who had been victims of violence. Our sample included 10 registered paramedics and 10 emergency medical technicians ages 23-33 (mean ± standard deviation: 27.7). The impact of communication during EMS delivery, in the context of violence from patients or their relatives, emerged as the core category and the main focus of our study. The five main groups of the paradigm model of violence against EMS personnel included causal, contextual and intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. RESULTS: Of the 20 study participants, 18 reported experiencing an attack during the night shift. Ten participants experienced violence on the street, and 10 inside an ambulance. The perpetrators in all 18 cases were men. The behavior of EMS personnel plays a crucial role in how violent confrontations play out: nonprofessional behavior with drunken or addict patients increases the possibility of violence in 70% of cases. CONCLUSION: We found that paramedics and EMTs were exposed to verbal abuse and physical violence. However, in 10 of the violent encounters reported by our 20 participants, the attack was perpetrated by otherwise-ordinary people (ie, individuals with strong family support and good jobs) who found themselves in a very stressful situation. Thanks to grounded theory we learned that for all 20 participants there was a potential opportunity to prevent the conflict.

The presence of gasping predicts long-term survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

BACKGROUND: The presence of gasping in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients predicts short-term prognosis. We performed a retrospective study to evaluate whether the presence of gasping at the time of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) arrival in the case OHCA patients of presumed cardian origin has any impact on six-month survival and/or sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). METHODS: We collected and analyzed Utstein Style data for all patients resuscitated for OHCA of presumed cardiac origin by the EMS of the Central Bohemian Region from July 1st, 2013 to June 30th, 2014. RESULTS: During the data collection period, 565 cases of OHCA of presumed cardiac origin were reported. Gasping at the time of EMS arrival was identified in 23.9%. The presence of gasping was associated with a significantly increased frequency of sustained ROSC (48.1 versus 20.7%, P<0.001) and six-month survival (40.7 versus 16.7%, P<0.001) than in non-breathing patients. Presence of gasping upon EMS arrival has been found to be an independent positive predictor of sustained ROSC (OR 2.51, CI 95% 1.59-3.98, P<0.001). The occurrence of gasping at the time of EMS arrival at the scene was significantly related to response time from EMS activation to arrival. CONCLUSION: The presence of gasping upon arrival of the EMS for the patient with OHCA of presumed cardiac origin predicts both improves short-term and long-term prognoses.

Trends in substance abuse by teenagers in the Czech Republic.

Drug Epidemiology Headquarters of the Hygienic Station of the Capital Prague has created a complex drug information system in the Czech Republic. This department collects and analyzes data concerning problem drug users, non-fatal emergencies, and occurence of infectious diseases, and all these surveys are provided on a routine basis. Data are gathered from the national network of treatment and contact centers for drug users, through repeated representative epidemiological surveys, obligatory reports on infectious diseases (hepatitis A, B and C, HIV/AIDS), and a sentinel system of data collection is used for non-fatal emergencies. In 1994, 1997, and 2000, a repeated study concerning trends of substance abuse by teenagers (aged 14 to 19 years of age) from all types of schools and from all regions of the Czech Republic was carried out by this department in order to study changes in substance abuse and teenagers' opinions related to drugs. In 1994 there were 8334 respondents in the study, in 1997 there were 14,282 respondents, and in 2000 there were 13,018 respondents, which is about 1.5% of the population group of teenagers from 14-19 years old in each year of the study. Recommendations of EMCDDA (European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction in Lisbon, Portugal), a body of European Council, are followed by Drug Epidemiology Headquarters.