Burnout among Portuguese healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have had high workload and have been exposed to multiple psychosocial stressors. The aim of this study was to evaluate HCWs in terms of the relative contributions of socio-demographic and mental health variables on three burnout dimensions: personal, work-related, and client-related burnout. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire spread via social networks. A snowball technique supported by health care institutions and professional organizations was applied. RESULTS: A total of 2008 subjects completed the survey. Gender, parental status, marriage status, and salary reduction were found to be significant factors for personal burnout. Health problems and direct contact with infected people were significantly associated with more susceptibility to high personal and work-related burnout. Frontline working positions were associated with all three dimensions. Higher levels of stress and depression in HCWs were significantly associated with increased levels of all burnout dimensions. Higher levels of satisfaction with life and resilience were significantly associated with lower levels of all burnout dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: All three burnout dimensions were associated with a specific set of covariates. Consideration of these three dimensions is important when designing future burnout prevention programs for HCWs.

Bioequivalence of two enteric coated formulations of pantoprazole in healthy volunteers under fasting and fed conditions.

PURPOSE: To compare the bioavailability of two pantoprazole (CAS 102625-70-7) formulations (40 mg pantoprazole enteric coated tablets) under fasted and fed conditions as well as to evaluate the dissolution profile in biorelevant media. METHODS: The subjects received either 40 mg of the reference or of test formulation in fasting (n = 28) and fed (n=70) condition. The studies were conducted according to a single dose and randomized crossover design. Blood samples were collected up to 12 h after drug administration in fasting condition and up to 48 h in fed condition. Plasma concentrations of pantoprazole were determined by LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated from the observed plasma concentration-time profiles. Bioequivalence between the formulations in fasting and fed condition was assessed considering 90% confidence intervals for the ratio of means for lnCmax and lnAUC(0-t) within 0.8-1.25. Dissolution profiles were evaluated in biorelevant media [Fasting State Simulating Intestinal Fluid (FaSSIF) and Fed State Simulating Intestinal Fluid (FeSSIF)]. The sameness of the dissolution curves was assessed by f2 values between 50 and 100. RESULTS: Under fasting condition the 90% confidence interval for the ratio of means for the lnCmax, (0.94-1.03) and lnAUC(0-t) (0.89-0.99) was within the guideline range of bioequivalence (0.80-1.25). However, the data for lnCmax (0.51-0.76) and lnAUC(0-t) (0.68-0.90) under fed condition were not within the bioequivalence range. The postprandial study demonstrated a high intra-subject variability and in some subjects pantoprazole could not be detected for up to 24 h, although the dissolution profile of reference and test formulations presented a similar disposition in FaSSIF and FeSSIF as confirmed by the values of f2 higher than 50. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that the test formulation was bioequivalent to the reference in fasting condition but not in postprandial state. The dissolution profile in FaSSIF indicates that this biorelevant medium was more adequate to discriminate the in vivo disposition of pantoprazole than FeSSIF. Furthermore, the fed condition study had shown a pronounced influence of food in the absorption of pantoprazole after single oral dose administration.