International journal of environmental research and public health
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Apr 2021
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Transportation of Trauma Patients by Geographic Locations and In-Hospital Outcomes: Experience from Qatar.
Background: Prehospital care provided by emergency medical services (EMS) plays an important role in improving patient outcomes. Globally, prehospital care varies across countries and even within the same country by the geographic location and access to medical services. We aimed to explore the prehospital trauma care and in-hospital outcomes within the urban and rural areas in the state of Qatar. ⋯ This indicates that the provision of prehospital care across the country is similar. The prehospital and acute in-hospital care are accessible for everyone in the country at no cost. Understanding the differences in EMS utilization and prehospital times contributes to the policy development in terms of equitable distribution of healthcare resources.
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Apr 2021
Earlier Is Better? Timing of Adductor Canal Block for Arthroscopic Knee Surgery under General Anesthesia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
The adductor canal block (ACB) is effective for treating postoperative pain during arthroscopic knee surgery, but its impact on anesthesia course and the optimal administration timing are unknown. This retrospective study addressed these questions. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of preoperative ACB and postoperative ACB on anesthesia course and postoperative recovery. ⋯ Thus, preoperative ACB reduced the amount of volatile anesthetic required and maintained stable hemodynamics intraoperatively. Preoperative or postoperative ACB improved postoperative pain control. Consequently, preoperative ACB is optimal for intraoperative stress suppression and postoperative pain control.
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Apr 2021
Detecting Digoxin Toxicity by Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Electrocardiography.
Although digoxin is important in heart rate control, the utilization of digoxin is declining due to its narrow therapeutic window. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of digoxin toxicity is common due to the lack of awareness and the time-consuming laboratory work that is involved. Electrocardiography (ECG) may be able to detect potential digoxin toxicity based on characteristic presentations. ⋯ Interestingly, the deep learning system using only lead I (AUC = 0.960) was not worse than using complete 12 leads (0.912). Stratified analysis showed that our deep learning system was more applicable to patients with heart failure (HF) and without atrial fibrillation (AF) than those without HF and with AF. Our ECG-based deep learning system provides a high-accuracy, economical, rapid, and accessible way to detect digoxin toxicity, which can be applied as a promising decision supportive system for diagnosing digoxin toxicity in clinical practice.
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Apr 2021
Predictive Model of Gait Recovery at One Month after Hip Fracture from a National Cohort of 25,607 Patients: The Hip Fracture Prognosis (HF-Prognosis) Tool.
The aim of this study was to develop a predictive model of gait recovery after hip fracture. Data was obtained from a sample of 25,607 patients included in the Spanish National Hip Fracture Registry from 2017 to 2019. The primary outcome was recovery of the baseline level of ambulatory capacity. ⋯ A probability threshold of 0.706 in the training set led to an accuracy of the model of 0.64 in the validation set. We present an acceptably accurate predictive model of gait recovery after hip fracture based on the patients' individual characteristics. This model could aid clinicians to better target programs and interventions in this population.
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Apr 2021
SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers in General Hospitals and Clinics in Japan.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a serious public health problem worldwide. In general, healthcare workers are considered to be at higher risk of COVID-19 infection. ⋯ The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G was 1.2% in August and October 2020 (during and after the second wave of the pandemic in Japan), which is relatively higher than that in the general population in Japan (0.03-0.91%). Because of the higher risk of COVID-19 infection, healthcare workers should be the top priority for further social support and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.