Influencing factors of sleep disorders and sleep quality in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the influencing factors of sleep disorders and sleep quality in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational research. METHODS: The databases of the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, SinoMed database, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP were systematically searched. The quality of studies was assessed using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality evaluation criteria and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. RESULTS: A total of 29 studies were included, of which 20 were cross-sectional studies, eight were cohort studies, and 1 was a case-control study; 17 influencing factors were finally identified. Greater risk of sleep disturbance was associated with female gender, single relationship status, chronic disease, insomnia history, less exercise, lack of social support, frontline work, days served in frontline work, department of service, night shift, years of work experience, anxiety, depression, stress, received psychological assistance, worried about being infected, and degree of fear with COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers did have worse sleep quality than the general population. The influencing factors of sleep disorders and sleep quality in healthcare workers are multifaceted. Identification and timely intervention of resolvable influencing factors are particularly important for preventing sleep disorders and improving sleep. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This is a meta-analysis of previously published studies so there was no patient or public contribution.

Incidence of facial pressure injuries in health-care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To evaluate the incidence of facial pressure injuries in health-care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in a meta-analysis. METHODS: Related studies were obtained through electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) Chinese Scientific Journal (VIP) China Biomedical Literature service systems (CBM) and Wanfang Data (from inception to 27 November 2021). The pooled incidence and the 95% confidence interval of facial pressure injuries were calculated with Review Manager v5.4 software. RESULTS: Overall, 16 studies with 14 430 health-care professionals were included. Pooled results showed that the pooled incidence of facial pressure injury in health-care professionals was 58.8% (95% CI: 49.0%-68.7%; p < 0.01). The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of facial pressure injury in these staff was high, and predominantly stage I pressure injury, in the following cases: in health-care professionals who wore personal protective equipment for longer than 4 h, in those without any training experience, and on the nose. CONCLUSION: Administrators and researchers should pay attention to preventing facial pressure injury related to the wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) by ensuring all health-care professionals receive training and by limiting prolonged periods of use.

The effect of abdominal massage on enteral nutrition tolerance in patients on mechanical ventilation: A Randomized Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether abdominal massage impacts enteral feeding tolerance in mechanically ventilated patients. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive standard or intervention care (standard care plus a 15-minute abdominal massage twice daily) for three days. We recorded the vomiting, reflux, gastric retention, aspiration, diarrhea, abdominal distension, gastric residual volume and abdominal circumference from days one to three. A P-value of less than 0.05 was statistically significant. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients (37 per group) were recruited (intervention vs control: age 58.03 ± 10.44 vs 55.33 ± 12.45 years; %M: 69.70 % vs 69.70 %). The aspiration, gastric retention and abdominal distension incidence in the intervention group was 3.03 %, 6.06 % and 9.09 %, whereas in the control group it was 24.24 %, 30.30 % and 27.27 % (P <.05). The vomiting, reflux and diarrhea incidence for patients in the intervention group were all 3.03 %, whereas in the control group they were 3.03 %, 9.09 % and 9.09 % (P >.05). From day 1 to day 3, the gastric residual volume decreased from 87.23 ± 3.29 mL to 72.59 ± 5.40 mL in the intervention group and increased from 91.94 ± 3.45 mL to 105.00 ± 6.94 mL in the control group. Similarly, the abdominal circumference decreased from 84.41 ± 1.73 cm to 82.44 ± 1.73 cm in the intervention group and increased from 87.90 ± 1.60 cm to 88.90 ± 1.75 cm in the control group. The differences in time, group, and interaction effects between the two groups were statistically significant for abdominal circumference and gastric residual volume (P <.05). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal massage can effectively reduce gastric retention, abdominal distension, aspiration, gastric residual volume and abdominal circumference in mechanically ventilated patients, but not the incidence of vomiting, reflux and diarrhea.

Usage of Chinese Herbs in Cancer Patients in Southern China: A Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To study the use of Chinese medicine (CM) in cancer patients in southern China. METHODS: A total of 1,950 cancer patients finished questionnaires in four provinces in southern China. The survey included socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of participants, dosage forms, efficacy, and side effects. RESULTS: The study results showed that cancer patients with higher education (>12 years) were more likely to accept the treatment of Chinese herbs. There were 54.61% (1,065 cases) of patients chose Chinese herbs for the initial treatment and 14.46% (282 cases) chose Chinese herbs as monotherapy. Most patients (54.51%, 1,063 cases) continuously used CM for more than 6 months, and a few of them (212 cases) used CM for up to 3 years. All kinds of dosage forms of CM had been used, including CM decoction, CM patent prescription and CM injection. Concerning the efficacy in the view of patients, 40.31% (786 cases) believed that it would be effective to take Chinese herbs before they starting the anti-cancer treatment, and the percentage increased to 81.08% after 1-month CM treatment. The effect of Chinese herbs was mainly demonstrated by symptom relief and improvement of quality of life, and 8.31% (162 cases) of patients experienced control of tumor growth and decreased tumor markers. Furthermore, only 14.31% (279 cases) participants reported that they experienced side effects during CM treatment. CONCLUSION: This large scale investigation reflects the current situation of domestic CM usage objectively and comprehensively, which might provide new ways for cancer treatment.

[The Anti-virus Effect of AY358935 Gene on Vesicular Stomatitis Virus and the Mechanism Study].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the anti-virus effect of AY358935 gene cloned by our research team on vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), and studytheanti-virus mechanism. METHODS: HEK293 cells were stably transfected by the AY358935 gene recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1-AY358935 or pcDNA3.1 blank plasmid respectively. Then VSV was added into the cell wells to infect the above cells at the multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.001. The virus titers in the liquid supernatant of the above three groups of cells were detected on different time, and the mortality of cells of each group was tested with trypan blue exclusion test at 24 h post VSV infection. Total RNA was extracted from the cells that stably transfected with target gene for the whole genome-wide cDNA microarray analysis. RESULTS: ① Virus titer:The virus titer in the liquid supernatant of pcDNA-3.1-AY358935 transfection cells group was obviously lower than those in pcDNA-3.1 transfection cell group and blank control cell group at 12 h post infection. The virus titerin the liquid supernatant of three groups were (7.16±2.33)×105 PFU/mL, (6.25±2.05)×106 PFU/mL and (7.75±2.54)×106 PFU/mL respectively at 18 h post infection. At that time, the virus titerin the liquid supernatant of pcDNA3.1-AY358935 group was nearly 10 times lower than those of other two groups (P < 0.01). ②Mortality of cells:The cell mortality of pcDNA3.1-AY358935 group, pcDNA3.1 group and blank group were (35.00±6.68)%, (78.33±15.03)% and (83.34±14.98)% respectively at 24 h post infection.The cell mortality of pcDNA3.1-AY358935 group was significantly decreased comparing with other two groups (P < 0.01). ③Result of genes chip analysis: compared with pcDNA3.1 group, 30 cell genes were up-regulated by more than 3 times in pcDNA3.1-AY358935 group. Among them, the proportion of interferon-activating gene, interferon-effect gene, cytokine and chemokine was 27%, 17%, and 20%, respectively. CONCLUSION: AY358935 gene hasan anti-VSV effect, and its anti-virus mechanism may involve the interferon-associated natural immune response.