Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
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Observational Study
Efficacy of a Test-Retest Strategy in Residents and Health Care Personnel of a Nursing Home Facing a COVID-19 Outbreak.
To assess the American Testing Guidance for Nursing Homes (NHs)-updated May 19, 2020-with a new COVID-19 case. ⋯ This study shows the validity of the updated American Testing Guidance for Nursing Homes (NHs). It suggests implementing COVID-19 IPC in both residents and HCP with positive testing or COVID-19 symptoms and warns that asymptomatic HCP with repeated negative rRT-PCR testing can develop antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
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Social isolation has been associated with many adverse health outcomes in older adults. We describe a phone call outreach program in which health care professional student volunteers phoned older adults, living in long-term care facilities and the community, at risk of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Student volunteers felt the calls were impactful both for the students and for the seniors, and call recipients expressed appreciation for receiving the calls and for the physicians who referred them for a call. This phone outreach strategy is easily generalizable and can be adopted by medical schools to leverage students to connect to socially isolated seniors in numerous settings.
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Multicenter Study
Point-of-Care Chest Ultrasonography as a Diagnostic Resource for COVID-19 Outbreak in Nursing Homes.
Bedside chest ultrasonography, when integrated with clinical data, is an accurate tool for improving the diagnostic process of many respiratory diseases. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a chest ultrasonographic screening program in nursing homes for detecting coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19)-related pneumonia and improving the appropriateness of hospital referral of residents. ⋯ In nursing home residents, screening of COVID-19 pneumonia with bedside chest ultrasonography is feasible and may represent a valid diagnostic aid for an early detection of COVID-19 outbreaks and adequate patient management.
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Our nation's nursing home industry has been in need of overhaul for decades-a situation made all the more evident by COVID-19. AMDA-The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine is dedicated to quality in post-acute and long-term care process and outcomes. This special article presents 5 keys to solving the COVID-19 crisis in post-acute and long-term care, related to policy, collaboration, individualization, leadership, and reorganization. Taking action during this crisis may prevent sinking back into the complacency and habits of our pre-COVID-19 lives.
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Observational Study
Frailty and Mortality in Hospitalized Older Adults With COVID-19: Retrospective Observational Study.
To determine the association between frailty and short-term mortality in older adults hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ Although their prognosis is worse, even the oldest and most severely frail patients may benefit from hospitalization for COVID-19, if sufficient resources are available.