Background

COVID-19 is a highly contagious respiratory illness that poses a significant public health emergency, leading to varying levels of respiratory, physical, and psychological challengesTop of Form.

Aim

the aim of this study to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitative nursing intervention on pain, anxiety, stress and quality of life among elderly patients post COVID-19.

Methods

A quasi-experimental design research design (one group pre & posttest). Fifty elderly patients of both genders were selected from those who had attended the Post COVID-19 outpatient clinic.  

Tools

A structured interview questionnaire was created, encompassing personal attributes and medical background, the numeric pain rating scale, post-COVID conditions assessment, coronavirus anxiety scale, the 36-item COVID stress scales, and post-COVID-19 pandemic quality of life evaluation. This questionnaire was administered both before and after the intervention.

Results

There was a significant improvement in pain, anxiety stress and quality of life among elderly patients post COVID-19 in the post-test compared to the pre-test (p value= 0.001). Also, there were significant positive correlations among pain with stress, and anxiety levels in post-tests (r values 0.479, 0.463), respectively and there were significant negative correlations among quality of life with pain, anxiety and stress levels in post-tests (r values -.455, -.727, -.708), respectively.

Conclusion

The study revealed significant improvement of pain, stress, anxiety levels, and quality of life among the elderly patients after implementation the rehabilitative nursing intervention.

Recommendation

Further research is 

Background The global scarcity of medical oxygen has proven to be catastrophic during the surges in COVID-19 cases over the past two years, with the heaviest burden felt in low-and middle-income countries. Despite its criticality, data and analyses of oxygen consumption, even for typical clinical cases, are missing. Consequently, planning oxygen needs, particularly with variable surges in COVID-19 cases, has presented a substantial challenge to policymakers and hospital decision-makers. Methods We performed a sub-analysis of the COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium database assessing the oxygen consumption requirements of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units between February 2020 and October 2021. We calculated descriptive statistics for oxygen flow-rates, stratified by oxygen supplementation method, and developed a multi-state model for estimating the frequency, therapy duration

Background

COVID-19 is primarily known as a respiratory illness; however, many patients present to hospital without respiratory symptoms. The association between non-respiratory presentations of COVID-19 and outcomes remains unclear. We investigated risk factors and clinical outcomes in patients with no respiratory symptoms (NRS) and respiratory symptoms (RS) at hospital admission.

Methods

This study describes clinical features, physiological parameters, and outcomes of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, stratified by the presence or absence of respiratory symptoms at hospital admission. RS patients had one or more of: cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose or wheezing; while NRS patients did not.

Results

Of 178,640 patients in the study, 86.4 % presented with RS, while 13.6 % had NRS. NRS patients were older (median age: NRS: 74 vs RS: 65) and less likely to be admitted to the ICU (NRS …

Purpose

We aimed to compare the incidence of stroke in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) versus high-income countries (HICs) in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and its impact on in-hospital mortality.

Methods

International observational study conducted in 43 countries. Stroke and mortality incidence rates and rate ratios (IRR) were calculated per admitted days using Poisson regression. Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was used to address the HICs vs. LMICs imbalance for confounders.

Results

23,738 patients [20,511(86.4 %) HICs vs. 3,227(13.6 %) LMICs] were included. The incidence stroke/1000 admitted-days was 35.7 (95 %CI = 28.4–44.9) LMICs and 17.6 (95 %CI = 15.8–19.7) HICs; ischemic 9.47 (95 %CI = 6.57–13.7) LMICs, 1.97 (95 %CI = 1.53, 2.55) HICs; hemorrhagic, 7.18 (95 %CI = 4.73–10.9) LMICs, and 2.52 (95 %CI = 2.00–3.16) HICs; unspecified stroke type 11.6 (95 %CI = 7.75–17.3 

Background: Sodium Benzoate (SB) significantly improved positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms as add on treatment in schizophrenia. Olanzapine (Ola), the most effective atypical antipsychotic drug, has been linked to hepatic steatosis, acute kidney injury, reproductive side effects and poor effect on negative symptoms in some patients.

Goals: is to compare the efficacy and check the safety of long-term monotherapy with SB 0.01 mg/Kg versus Ola on male cognitive, memory, hepatic, renal and testicular functions in rat model of schizophrenia.

Methods: 48 young adult male rats were divided into 6 groups; C: control; O: received Ola; SB: received SB; K: received single IP ketamine (Ket) injection; K+O: received Ola and Ket and K+SB: received SB and Ket. Ola and SB given orally for 3 or 10 weeks for behavioral or serological studies respectively. We measured activities of daily life (ADL), spatial learning and memory in radial arm water maze (RAWM), serum parameters of hepatic, renal and testicular functions.

Results: Both Ola and SB significantly improved hoarding and burrowing, caused significant decrease in time to reach target (TRT), working memory errors (WME) in K+O and K+SB groups compared to K group. Ola caused significant increase in ALT, AST and creatinine and decrease in serum LH, testosterone compared to controls. SB caused significant rise in serum LH, ALT, AST and decrease in protein and albumin compared to both C and O groups.

Conclusion: Both Ola and SB improved ADL, cognitive and memory functions. Although SB saved testicular and renal functions, it worsened liver function compared to Ola.

Background: Skeletal muscle injuries with subsequent bleeding is common cause of death on both sports and battle grounds. Application and removal of tourniquet is fast intervention to control hemorrhage resulting ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury. The effect of IR in skeletal muscle is far more severe compared to other body tissues because of the devastating systemic complication. Garlic has beneficial effects in IR of various organs. However, using garlic in IR of skeletal muscle is deficient Goals: To investigate the possible protective effect of garlic in rat model of hind limb IR and its possible mechanisms of action.

Methods: Fifty adult male rats divided into five groups; C: control, IR: ischemia/reperfusion group subjected to 2 hours ischemia followed by 2 hours reperfusion (2/2 hr IR) and three garlic treated groups; G1+IR: 24 hr before I/R, G2+IR: 30 min before IR and G3+IR: immediately before reperfusion. We measured wet to dry weight ratio (W/D) of gastrocnemius muscle, serum creatine kinase (CK), Interleukin 1β (IL-1β), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), gastrocnemius caspase-3 and desmin expression and histopathological damage score.

Results: Garlic treatment caused significant decrease in W/D, serum CK, IL-1β, caspase-3 expression and significant increase in IL-10 as well as desmin expression when compared to IR group. Garlic ameliorated IR-induced histopathological damage and significantly reduced the apoptosis score. Better results obtained with earlier administration before IR.

Conclusion: Garlic protected against IR-induced skeletal muscle damage through reducing inflammation, apoptosis score and elevating desmin expression. We recommend the earlier use of garlic as prophylactic natural medicine in skeletal muscle IR.

Background: Impaired cognitive flexibility is the core manifestation of schizophrenia (SZ). Previous literature raised a claim against the effect of atypical antipsychotic drugs (AAD) on cognitive and executive functions whose cause needs further investigation. Attention set-shifting task (ASST) tests the prefrontal cortex's (PFC) executive and flexibility functions.

Goals: To examine Olanzapine (OLZ) effect on ASST, expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDR-NR1) in prefrontal cortex (PFC), and metabolic comorbidity in ketamine (KET) model of SZ.

Methods: Sixty-two male rats were divided into three groups: 8 for ASST and 30 for open field, ELISA and immunohistochemistry sub-chronic study, and 24 for regular serological and histopathological examination. Rats treated with V: vehicle; K: KET and KO: OLZ plus KET.

Results: KET caused significant increase in time, trials, and errors to reach criterion. OLZ co-administration reversed effects of KET in ASST with no reduction of locomotor activity. OLZ normalized KET-induced rise of NR1 expression and protected against KET-induced degenerative changes in hippocampus and PFC. Significant increase in serum liver enzymes, total bilirubin, and lipids with chronic compared to sub-chronic OLZ administration. In contrast, insignificant difference between sub-chronic OLZ and vehicle was found.

Conclusions: Current study demonstrated the efficacy of OLZ to reverse KET-induced cognitive deficits in ASST with neither reduction in NR1 expression in PFC nor metabolic malfunction in the sub-chronic study. It also showed the protective effect of OLZ on KET induced neuronal degeneration and necrosis. We suggest that chronic OLZ treatment-induced-metabolic malfunction might be the cause of time-dependent cognitive deterioration.

Keywords: N methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs); Schizophrenia; attention set shifting task (ASST); ketamine (KET); olanzapine (OLZ).

Backgrounds: Impaired sleep is independent risk factor of neurodegeneration and dementia. Chronic insomnia impairs melatonin (MEL) production that is directly proportionate to its duration. The underlying mechanisms linking sleep loss to dementia and the possible therapeutic effect of melatonin have not been fully elucidated. Previous research showed great controversy concerning the effects of paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) on body weight, serum lipoproteins, and inflammatory cytokines.

Goals: To examine the effect of chronic paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) with and without MEL supplementation on memory using RAWM, parameters of metabolic syndrome (MS), liver enzymes, serum cortisol, and inflammatory cytokines as well as liver, colon, and brain histopathology.

Methods: Forty rats were divided into four groups ten animals each; C: control, G: grid group, SD: sleep deprivation group, and SD+MEL sleep deprivation treated with melatonin.

Results: MEL supplementation reversed PSD-induced memory deficits (P<0.05), the elevation of serum cortisol (P<0.001), glucose (P<0.05), ALT (P<0.05), AST (P<0.001), TNF-alpha (P<0.001), IL-10 (P<0.01) and improved colon, liver, and brain architecture. Melatonin reduced body weight (P<0.05), total cholesterol, LDL-c, and triglycerides as well as increased HDL-c (P<0.001).

Conclusion: MEL has a protective effect against chronic PSD-induced metabolic malfunction and cognitive deterioration by reducing stress, improving immunity, and maintaining colonic wall integrity.