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Background: India has seen more than 43 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 2022, with a recovery rate of 98.8%, resulting in a large section of the population including the healthcare workers (HCWs), susceptible to develop post COVID sequelae. This study was carried out to assess the nature and prevalence of medical sequelae following COVID-19 infection, and risk factors, if any. Methods: This was an observational, multicenter cross-sectional study conducted at eight tertiary care centers. The consenting participants were HCWs between 12 and 52 weeks post discharge after COVID-19 infection. Data on demographics, medical history, clinical features of COVID-19 and various symptoms of COVID sequelae was collected through specific questionnaire. Finding: Mean age of the 679 eligible participants was 31.49 ± 9.54 years. The overall prevalence of COVID sequelae was 30.34%, with fatigue (11.5%) being the most common followed by insomnia (8.5%), difficulty in breathing during activity (6%) and pain in joints (5%). The odds of having any sequelae were significantly higher among participants who had moderate to severe COVID-19 (OR 6.51; 95% CI 3.46-12.23) and lower among males (OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.39-0.76). Besides these, other predictors for having sequelae were age (≥45 years), presence of any comorbidity (especially hypertension and asthma), category of HCW (non-doctors vs doctors) and hospitalisation due to COVID-19. Interpretation: Approximately one-third of the participants experienced COVID sequelae. Severity of COVID illness, female gender, advanced age, co-morbidity were significant risk factors for COVID sequelae. Funding: This work is a part of Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)- Rational Use of Medicines network. No additional financial support was received from ICMR to carry out the work, for study materials, medical writing, and APC.
RESUMO
PURPOSE: Psychiatric emergencies (PEs) are defined as acute disturbances of thought, mood, behavior, or social relationships requiring immediate interventions. The common emergency psychiatrics are attempted suicide, severe anxiety, schizophrenia, acute psychosis, substance abuse, acute panic attacks, drug toxicities, and extrapyramidal reactions. Emergency physicians in the general hospital may face the challenge of assessing and managing patients in PEs. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical pattern and drug use pattern for PEs at a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, observational study where patients presenting to emergency medical services of a tertiary care hospital were recruited after approval from Institutional Ethics Committee and written informed consent. Demographic details, diagnosis, medication details, cost of the treatment, and adherence to guidelines in the management of emergency psychiatric conditions were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was applied to analyze the data. RESULTS: In 110 patients, a total number of drugs prescribed were 463 (mean: 4.21 drugs/prescription). The most commonly used psychotropic drug in emergency setting was found to be risperidone (19.39%), followed by lorazepam (13.60%) and clonazepam (4.28%). The most common diagnoses were substance abuse (32.72%) and schizophrenia (21.81%). About 74.5% of the physicians prescribed drugs abiding by the standard guidelines. The average total cost incurred by patients was about Rs. 366. CONCLUSION: The most commonly used drugs in emergency treatment found in this study are risperidone, followed by lorazepam and haloperidol.
