The European journal of general practice
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In March 2020, the WHO declared the SARS CoV-2 pandemic. This had an immediate and dramatic impact on Romanian physicians. ⋯ Pandemic preparedness should focus on measures that make medical practice safe (supplies, working protocols, experience sharing with experts/colleagues from other countries).
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Most COVID-19 patients experience a mild course of the disease and can be managed in general practice. However, in the early pandemic, most research was conducted in secondary care. ⋯ Although general practitioners in most countries must have been involved in managing patients with COVID-19, little research has been published from general practice during the first year of the pandemic. General practice research environments must be able to respond quickly in case of future pandemics.
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Signs of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) - fever (or hypothermia), tachycardia and tachypnoea - are used in the hospital setting to identify patients with possible sepsis. ⋯ Although patients with abnormal vital signs of SIRS were referred more often, decreased oxygen saturation, hypotension and rapid illness progression seem to be most important for GPs to guide further management.
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Observational Study
Drug interactions detected by a computer-assisted prescription system in primary care patients in Spain: MULTIPAP study.
Drug interactions increase the risk of treatment failure, intoxication, hospital admissions, consultations and mortality. Computer-assisted prescription systems can help to detect interactions. ⋯ Drug interactions are prevalent in patients aged 65-74 years with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The clinically relevant DDI frequency is low. The number of prescriptions taken is the most relevant factor associated with presenting a clinically relevant DDI.
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Observational Study
Effects of access to radiology in out-of-hours primary care on patient satisfaction and length of stay.
Direct access to hospital radiology facilities by general practitioner (GP) cooperatives is known to decrease the number of emergency department referrals, but the effects on length of stay (LOS; time from patient arrival at GP cooperative till departure to home) and patient experiences are unclear. ⋯ Access to radiology by GP cooperatives seems to reduce the length of stay and is slightly more appreciated by patients. GP cooperatives with unlimited access seem to provide the most efficient and best-valued care, contributing to more patient-centred care.