Journal of primary care & community health
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
The Role of Primary Care in a Pandemic: Reflections During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada.
As COVID-19 cases began to rise in Ontario, Canada, in March 2020, increasing surge capacity in hospitals and intensive care units became a large focus of preparations. As part of these preparations, primary care physicians were ready to be redeployed to the hospitals. ⋯ From planning to surveillance to vaccination, primary care physicians are positioned to play a unique and vital role in a pandemic. Nevertheless, there are specific barriers that will need to be overcome.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Practice GuidelineGuidelines for Frontline Health Care Staff Safety for COVID-19.
This document establishes safety guidelines for physicians, nurses, and allied health care and facility staff who may be exposed to patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a health care facility. SARS-CoV-2 infection is highly contagious and places health care workers at risk for infection resulting in coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Physicians, nurses, and allied health care and facility staff in all frontline environments must be provided and utilize necessary personal protective equipment (PPE). ⋯ The establishment of these guidelines is necessary in this viral pandemic since such directives can create a standard of safety that is universally accepted. These guidelines establish a framework to provide consistency among health care facilities and staff from the time the staff member arrives at the health care facility until they return home. These guidelines provide a practical description of the minimum necessary protection for physicians, nurses, and allied health care and facility staff against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
Rigorous Hand Hygiene Practices Among Health Care Workers Reduce Hospital-Associated Infections During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The experiences of these recent months have left us with as many new questions as they have given us new solutions. The main question that infection prevention and control department is having these days is "Why have hospital-associated infections (HAIs) reduced during COVID-19 pandemic?" What is the one unique strategy that has brought decline in increasing HAIs? Would it be appropriate to say that rigorous hand hygiene practices among health care workers (HCWs) have reduced HAIs in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan? This commentary is written to understand the effect of rigorous hand hygiene among HCWs on number of HAIs during COVID-19 pandemic. Given the seriousness of this outbreak, it was observed that the hand hygiene has occupied a new place of importance in the minds of HCWs. ⋯ The increased consumption of hand sanitizers was reflected in improved hand hygiene practices. A reduction was observed in the number of HAIs after the COVID-19 outbreak, and we assume that the dip in HAIs is associated with the improvement in hand hygiene practices in the recent months. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, these trends reassure us that hand hygiene compliance by HCWs alone can be effective in reducing HAIs in a hospital setting.
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J Prim Care Community Health · Jan 2020
The Risk of Prior Opioid Exposure on Future Opioid Use and Comorbidities in Individuals With Non-Acute Musculoskeletal Knee Pain.
Due to their potentially deleterious effects, minimizing the use of opioids for musculoskeletal pain is a priority for healthcare systems. The objective of this study was to examine the risk of future opioid prescription use based on prior opioid use within a non-surgical cohort with musculoskeletal knee pain. We also examined the risk of pre-existing comorbidities on future opioid use, and the risk of prior opioid use on future comorbidities (sleep, mental health, cardiometabolic disorders). ⋯ Prior opioid use was a strong risk factor for future opioid use in non-surgical patients with knee pain. These findings show that history of prior opioid use is important when assessing the risk of future opioid use, whereas prior comorbidities may not be as important. Opioid history assessment should be standard practice for all patients with patellofemoral pain in whom an opioid prescription is considered.