Articles: pandemics.
-
The First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Changes in Preventive Services in Community Health Centers.
Community Health Centers provide comprehensive primary healthcare services to many underserved populations. It is unknown how routine preventive and chronic care services in Community Health Centers may have changed nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Receipt of preventive services in Community Health Centers declined during the COVID-19 pandemic for each of the 6 clinical quality measures considered in the study. Immediate action is required to support ongoing high-quality, primary healthcare services in Community Health Centers across the nation.
-
Observational Study
Evaluation of a New Triage Protocol for Palliative Care for Patients with COVID-19 in Brazil.
Objectives: To evaluate the implementation of a triage protocol for palliative care (PC) during the COVID-19 pandemic (PALI-COVID) at a referral center in Brazil. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. Based on the triage protocol, patients were classified into a red group, a yellow group, and a green group (GG). ⋯ Most patients who died (77.1%) did not receive PC. Conclusion: PALI-COVID was effective in identifying patients who had a higher risk of death and needed end-of-life support. Despite the protocol, few patients received PC.
-
We aimed to determine the effects of the pandemic on the inpatients in the geriatric unit by comparing the demographic and clinical characteristics, reasons for hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality of the patients before and during the pandemic. ⋯ Pandemic has greatly affected the geriatric unit. The prognosis of the patients has worsened and mortality rates have increased. Physiological and psychological deterioration caused by quarantine measures, worsening chronic diseases, and immunosenescence affected the prognosis of geriatric patients. This adds to the previous literature by proving the fact that older individuals are the most vulnerable group in the pandemic.