Articles: pandemics.
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Children infected with SARS-CoV-2 are underrepresented during the current COVID-19 outbreak. Unlike other respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2 rather infects adults who subsequently infect their children. ⋯ However, more cases of pneumonia were reported from children infected with SARS-CoV-2 compared to those infected with H1N1. No vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been described so far.
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Decontamination using hand hygiene remains one of the most important and effective methods for reducing healthcare-associated infections and cross-infection between patients. In 1860, Florence Nightingale wrote that nurses should wash their hands frequently throughout the day, demonstrating an early awareness of the effectiveness of this simple procedure. ⋯ This article details the correct procedure required for effective hand hygiene and emphasises the need for nurses to keep up to date with evidence-based guidelines. The article also outlines the differences between hand decontamination using alcohol-based hand gels and soap and water, and the complex factors that can interfere with effective hand hygiene compliance.
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The SARS-coronavirus 2 disease initially reported in December 2019 in China (COVID-19) represents a major challenge for intensive care medicine, due to the high number of ICU admission and the prolonged stay for many patients. Up to 5 % of COVID-19 infected patients develop severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation as supportive treatment. Apart from early antiviral and anti-inflammatory treatment, the management of COVID-19 patients is mainly applying protective mechanical ventilation, to support the injured lungs. However recently acquired data and clinical experience suggest that COVID-19-related ARDS presents some specificities that will be summarized in the present article.
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Revue médicale suisse · Apr 2020
[Psychiatry in the time of pandemic : forging new ways without getting lost].
Coronavirus pandemic challenges mental health care providers in different ways. At an individual level, they have to adapt their clinical practice and consider specific issues of teleconsultations to address patient's needs. At a population level, dedicated interventions (e.g. hotlines, health professionals' support) have to strike a balance between « pathologizing » people's reactions and trivializing the psychological effects of a pandemic. Finally, psychiatric leaders must be able to advise decision-makers on mental-health policy and communication.