The Impact of COVID-19 Fear on Mental Health of Community Behavioral Health Providers.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted communities worldwide. Behavioral health providers are at the forefront providing services and are thus vulnerable to psychological sequalae. This study hypothesizes that the fear of COVID-19 predicts depression and anxiety among these providers. METHODS: A questionnaire was delivered to community behavioral health providers to assess fear of COVID-19 using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Anxiety and depression were assessed using Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) scale and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2). Demographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the relationship between explanatory variables and outcomes was assessed using univariate generalized linear models and 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: FCV-19S scores were significantly higher among persons who smoked (z = 2.4, P < 0.05) or had a predisposing health condition. The multivariate models showed significant association with fear of COVID-19 and having a predisposing health condition, belonging to an ethnic minority group, not been diagnosed positive, and having a high total anxiety score. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that 50% of the behavioral health providers screened had poor mental health owing to multiple factors identified. Hence, it is essential to strengthen their support to better mitigate situations contributing to fear.

Using Wastewater Surveillance to Monitor Gastrointestinal Pathogen Infections in the State of Oklahoma.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater surveillance was widely used to monitor temporal and geographical infection trends. Using this as a foundation, a statewide program for routine wastewater monitoring of gastrointestinal pathogens was established in Oklahoma. The results from 18 months of surveillance showed that wastewater concentrations of Salmonella, Campylobacter, and norovirus exhibit similar seasonal patterns to those observed in reported human cases (F = 4-29, p < 0.05) and that wastewater can serve as an early warning tool for increases in cases, offering between one- and two-weeks lead time. Approximately one third of outbreak alerts in wastewater correlated in time with confirmed outbreaks of Salmonella or Campylobacter and our results further indicated that several outbreaks are likely to go undetected through the traditional surveillance approach currently in place. Better understanding of the true distribution and burden of gastrointestinal infections ultimately facilitates better disease prevention and control and reduces the overall socioeconomic and healthcare related impact of these pathogens. In this respect, wastewater represents a unique opportunity for monitoring infections in real-time, without the need for individual human testing. With increasing demands for sustainable and low-cost disease surveillance, the usefulness of wastewater as a long-term method for tracking infectious disease transmission is likely to become even more pronounced.

Anesthetic management of mini sternotomy and excision of mediastinal neurogenic tumor: Brain-Heart crosstalk.

Brachial plexus tumors are rare and pose challenges for neurosurgeons due to their anatomical complexity. Retrosternal extension of a tumor makes it more difficult for the surgeons as well as for the anesthesiologists to secure a definitive airway. A cardiopulmonary bypass would be lifesaving in the event of acute cardiorespiratory decompensation. Multidisciplinary collaboration and cooperation between the neurosurgeon, oncosurgeon, cardiothoracic surgeon, and anesthesiologist are imperative to ensure good patient outcomes. Meticulous preoperative evaluation and operative planning are essentially the key factors in anesthetic management. Here we report a successful management of a 49-year-old male patient presented with a large painless mass arising from his right supraclavicular region and compressing the roots of the brachial plexus, trachea, and esophagus and extending up to the apex of the lungs, posted for mini sternotomy and excision of the mass.

Assessing the Influence of Climate Change and Environmental Factors on the Top Tick-Borne Diseases in the United States: A Systematic Review.

In the United States (US), tick-borne diseases (TBDs) have more than doubled in the past fifteen years and are a major contributor to the overall burden of vector-borne diseases. The most common TBDs in the US-Lyme disease, rickettsioses (including Rocky Mountain spotted fever), and anaplasmosis-have gradually shifted in recent years, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. In this systematic review, we examined climate change and other environmental factors that have influenced the epidemiology of these TBDs in the US while highlighting the opportunities for a One Health approach to mitigating their impact. We searched Medline Plus, PUBMED, and Google Scholar for studies focused on these three TBDs in the US from January 2018 to August 2023. Data selection and extraction were completed using Covidence, and the risk of bias was assessed with the ROBINS-I tool. The review included 84 papers covering multiple states across the US. We found that climate, seasonality and temporality, and land use are important environmental factors that impact the epidemiology and patterns of TBDs. The emerging trends, influenced by environmental factors, emphasize the need for region-specific research to aid in the prediction and prevention of TBDs.

Frequency of Positive Cuff Leak Test Before Extubation in Robotic Surgeries Done in Steep Trendelenburg Position.

Anaesthesia for robotic surgeries done in steep trendelenburg position are associated with risks such as facial oedema, conjunctival chemosis, raised intraocular pressure, laryngeal oedema, and delayed awakening. We proposed the use of the cuff leak test in them to record the frequency of laryngeal oedema at the end of surgery and attempted to find its correlation with probable risk factors. We conducted a prospective observational study of 100 patients aiming primarily to assess the frequency of positive cuff leak test in robotic abdominal surgeries performed in trendelenburg position. The secondary outcomes were to check its correlation with intravenous fluid administration, duration of pneumoperitoneum, and angle of trendelenburg position. We also recorded the frequency of chemosis, the frequency of post-extubation stridor in 24 h post-operatively, and the frequency of reintubation. Out of 100 participants undergoing elective abdominal robotic surgery in trendelenburg position, ninety were analysed. Total 31.6% (n = 30) participants showed positive cuff leak test. Chemosis was observed in 31 (32.6%) participants. No patient experienced post-extubation stridor or required reintubation during post-operative follow up. There was a no correlation between cuff leak test and intravenous fluid, duration of pneumo-peritoneum, or with angle of trendelenburg. The frequency of positive cuff leak test was high in patients at the end of robotic surgery but none of these patients had post-extubation stridor or required reintubations. There was no correlation with the fluid, angle, or duration of surgery. Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2017/04/008289), ctri.nic.in.