Infection, disease & health
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News coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic: Missed opportunities to promote health sustaining behaviors.
Given that individuals may make health decisions based on mass media coverage, and given that such decisions have broad consequences in the case of highly contagious infectious disease, it is imperative that public health practitioners are aware of mass media coverage on emerging health threats such as COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to examine the content of news segments covering COVID-19 posted on-line. ⋯ Coupled with the resultant increase in negative emotion, the majority of videos missed an opportunity to reframe messages to encourage and promote coping strategies and health sustaining behaviors. Future videos should avoid contributing to negative emotion.
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The recent outbreak of the novel COVID-19 is posing a severe public health risk across the globe. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is one of the greatest destinations of religious congregations of Muslims. ⋯ Therefore, it is highly recommended that the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (KSA), must regularly analyze the prevailing situation of COVID-19, and involve the religious scholars to make appropriate decisions about Hajj 2020. Although the Saudi government has been continuously taking all possible measures to contain the pandemic, people's cooperation is crucial in the fight against COVID-19.
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To identify and estimate the usage of unregistered antimicrobial drugs in Australian clinical practice. ⋯ The use of unregistered antimicrobials in Australian clinical practice is not uncommon. With increasing antimicrobial resistance, there will be a continued reliance on older less-used antimicrobial agents and an increasing need for novel drugs, therefore regulatory pathways need to facilitate security of supply and assurance of medicine quality and safety.
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Evidence-based bundles have reduced central line bloodstream infection rates in adult intensive care units. To tackle peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) bloodstream infection, many hospitals have implemented PIVC insertion and maintenance bundles. However, the efficacy of PIVC bundles in preventing PIVC complications and infection in hospital patients is uncertain. The aim of this paper is to synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of PIVC insertion and maintenance bundles on preventing adverse events. ⋯ The effect of PIVC bundles on PIVC complications and bloodstream infection rates remains uncertain. Standardisation of bundle components and more rigorous studies are needed. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017075142.
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Influenza-like illness is often caused by respiratory viral infections, and is a frequent cause of presentation to hospital. Rapid diagnostics for respiratory viruses, with turnaround times of less than sixty minutes, are increasingly available. Early physician knowledge of positive respiratory virus tests has previously been shown to impact patient care in a paediatric population but hasn't been evaluated in adults. ⋯ Rapid testing for respiratory viruses has a potentially useful role in antimicrobial stewardship. It is unclear why earlier knowledge of positive viral test didn't lead to less antibiotics in adults. This study showed no impact of rapid testing on time to patient discharge.