Mental health in pandemic times - a review

Introduction

Any outbreak of pandemic dimension will most likely produce a serious amount of distress and prejudice to anyone, in particular when it comes to mental health. The pandemic impact in primary care and in the psychiatric emergency department are some of the topics discussed in this review.

Objectives

It aims to review, evaluate and reflect over the impact of a deadly coronavirus pandemic on mental health, as well as presenting possible long-term challenges and potential ways to approach it.

Methods

A non-systematic literary review was performed on the Pubmed, PsycInfo and Cochrane databases using the key words “covid-19”, “psychiatry”, “self-isolation” and “telepsychiatry”.

Results

Globally and, as expected, there has been a general increase in need for psychiatric assessment and treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions

The role of psychiatry has faced quite some challenges in such a short period of time: the rise of telepsychiatry; the management of patients with both a psychiatric disorder and an infection with the new coronavirus and the need to provide an adequate psychiatric assistance in the emergency room has become the new normal.

Hopelessness in patients with schizophrenia

Introduction

Individuals with schizophrenia have a shortened average life expectancy, with a lifetime risk of suicide around 5%.

Objectives

Here we present a case of a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia who developed depressive symptoms with suicidal ideation, reactive to psychotic symptoms. Considering this specific case, the factors that contribute to the increased risk of suicide in these patients are reviewed.

Methods

Relevant clinical information was extracted from the patient’s clinical process. In addition, we searched Pubmed^R database with the terms “Schizophrenia”, “Hopelessness” and “Suicide”.

Results

A 40-year-old male patient, single and unemployed presents a progressive psychotic condition, with 20 years of evolution, with an impact on social and work behaviour. As a background he has a history of depressive episodes with suicidal ideation at the age of 36, following psychotic symptoms. This is a patient with preserved cognitive functioning combined with a high level of education, who understands the impact of his reality on his functioning. In this context, he develops feelings of hopelessness, that are the risk factor for suicide, most consistently reported in patients with schizophrenia.

Conclusions

This case assesses a patient with schizophrenia who has several factors, that contribute to an increased risk of suicide, focusing on hopelessness. In the future, it may be interesting to study in more detail the individual weight of each factor, so that it is possible to accurately predict the individual risk of each patient and, consequently, it is possible to implement preventive strategies.

Diagnostic challenges presented by women with anorexia nervosa and elevated rates of autistic traits

Introduction

The link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anorexia nervosa (AN) firstly emerged in the 80’s. Given the overlap in behavioural and cognitive features between these two seemingly different disorders, AN has been hypothesized to be a female phenotype of ASD.

Objectives

This report aims to describe a clinical case of an anorexic female patient diagnosed later in life with ASD, while presenting a bibliographic review on the subject.

Methods

After gaining consent, detailed information about the case history was collected and medical records were analysed and reviewed. A non-systematic literary review was performed on the Pubmed and Cochrane databases using the key words “anorexia nervosa”, “females”, “comorbidity” and “autism spectrum disorder”.

Results

The current case report is of a 28-year-old female, whose extremely low body weight and complete food refusal for three days prompted her first hospitalization in a psychiatric unit with the admission diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. However, long-term impairments in social interaction and flexibility, emotional difficulties and sensory processing overload were acknowledged and the primary diagnosis of ASD was then considered.

Conclusions

As illustrated in this case, the diagnosis of ASD should always be considered in females with eating disorders, in particular AN, regardless of age. As this neurodevelopmental condition appears to present differently in females, they also seem more likely to go underdiagnosed. Also, due to poorer treatment outcomes in females with both ASD and AN, the importance of developing a specialized approach and prompt referral of these patients is highlighted.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

A131 POINT OF CARE ULTRASOUND CHANGES THE NEEDLE INSERTION LOCATION FROM AN ANATOMICALLY LANDMARKED SITE DURING BEDSIDE PARACENTESIS

Background

Paracentesis is a bedside procedure to obtain ascitic fluid from the peritoneum. It is traditionally performed using anatomic landmarking and percussion to ascertain a safe drainage site. The serious complication rate has been reported as less than 2%. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been adopted into education and clinical use and has been shown to improve the safety of certain procedures such as central line insertion and thoracentesis. However, the evidence supporting its use is limited.

Aims

We aimed to assess if POCUS would yield a user-preferred site for needle insertion compared to conventional landmarking, defined as a >5cm change in location.

Methods

Adult patients under the care of gastroenterology or general internal medicine at Kingston Health Sciences Centre undergoing paracentesis were consecutively enrolled between January and September of 2020. Physicians performing the procedure were enrolled based on availability. An anatomic site was selected 4cm superiorly and 2-4cm medially to the anterior superior ileac spine and confirmed with dullness to percussion. POCUS was then employed to determine if there was an alternative user-preferred site. Patient and operator demographic data and procedure-related information were collected.

Results

A total of 30 individual patients and 24 operators were enrolled, comprising 45 unique procedure combinations. Operators were primarily in their PGY 1 and 2 years of training (33% and 31% respectively). Per procedure, patients mean age was 61, and most of the ascites was due to cirrhosis (84%) predominantly due to EtOH (47%) and NAFLD (34%). As per indication, 29% of procedures were for diagnostic purposes alone. In total, users primarily preferred the POCUS site which resulted in a change in needle insertion site >5cm from the anatomic site in 69% of cases. The average depth of fluid was greater at the POCUS site vs. the anatomic site (5.4cm+/-2.8 vs 3.0cm+/-2.5, p<0.005). On average, POCUS deflected the needle insertion site superiorly and laterally to the anatomic site. Operators listed that per procedure the POCUS site was chosen to avoid adjacent organs (38%), optimize fluid pocket (61%) and due to abdominal wall issues (primarily issues with pannus; 11.5%). Importantly 6 cases were aborted due to a lack of an appropriate fluid pocket, despite clinical and/or prior radiographic evidence of ascites.

Conclusions

Overall, POCUS changes the needle insertion site from the conventional anatomic site for most procedures, due to user-perceived safety concerns. POCUS also prevented an attempt at paracentesis in 6 cases that were deemed unsafe. Therefore, POCUS plays an important role in bedside paracentesis. This research supports the use of POCUS in paracentesis and argues for continued training with POCUS throughout medical school and residency.

Funding Agencies

None

Do smartphone applications and activity trackers increase physical activity in adults? Systematic review, meta-analysis and metaregression

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness of physical activity interventions involving mobile applications (apps) or trackers with automated and continuous self-monitoring and feedback.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed and seven additional databases, from 2007 to 2020.

STUDY SELECTION

Randomised controlled trials in adults (18-65 years old) without chronic illness, testing a mobile app or an activity tracker, with any comparison, where the main outcome was a physical activity measure. Independent screening was conducted.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

We conducted random effects meta-analysis and all effect sizes were transformed into standardised difference in means (SDM). We conducted exploratory metaregression with continuous and discrete moderators identified as statistically significant in subgroup analyses.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Physical activity: daily step counts, min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, weekly days exercised, min/week of total physical activity, metabolic equivalents.

RESULTS

Thirty-five studies met inclusion criteria and 28 were included in the meta-analysis (n=7454 participants, 28% women). The meta-analysis showed a small-to-moderate positive effect on physical activity measures (SDM 0.350, 95% CI 0.236 to 0.465, I²=69%, T ²=0.051) corresponding to 1850 steps per day (95% CI 1247 to 2457). Interventions including text-messaging and personalisation features were significantly more effective in subgroup analyses and metaregression.

CONCLUSION

Interventions using apps or trackers seem to be effective in promoting physical activity. Longer studies are needed to assess the impact of different intervention components on long-term engagement and effectiveness.

O Desafio Diagnóstico do Novo Coronavírus: A Propósito de um Caso Clínico

COVID-19 é o nome atribuído, pela Organização Mundial da Saúde, à doença provocada pelo novo coronavírus SARS-Cov-2, que pode causar infeção respiratória grave como a pneumonia, tendo sido declarada como pandemia a 11 de março de 2020. O conhecimento acerca dos seus testes diagnósticos ainda está em clara evolução, bem como a sua correta interpretação. Apresentamos o caso clínico de um homem, de 67 anos, com história prévia de hipertensão arterial e glaucoma. Evidência de quadro clínico arrastado de febre, astenia e mialgias. Tomografia computorizada do tórax com infiltrados periféricos sugestivos de pneumonia atípica. Iniciou terapêutica protocolada com hidroxicloroquina e azitromicina, por elevada suspeição para COVID-19, apesar de só a terceira pesquisa de SARS-CoV-2 no exsudado faríngeo, ter sido positiva.

Romantic Jealousy: A Test of Social Cognitive and Evolutionary Models in A Population-Representative Sample of Adults

Whereas sexually dimorphic evolutionary models argue for clear sex differences in responses to jealousy-evoking scenarios, social cognitive models emphasize the importance of other factors. This paper explores variables associated with responses to a commonly-used jealousy-evoking scenario in a population-representative sample. Data from 8,386 Australian men and women aged 16-69 were weighted to match the population. The results provided some support for evolutionary models among heterosexual respondents, but findings contrary to evolutionary models were found among non-heterosexual respondents. Support for social cognitive models was provided by the identification of six variables that had significant independent multivariate associations with jealousy: sex, age, education, lifetime number of partners, relationship status, and attitudes toward infidelity. The results suggest that although men and women may tend to respond differently to sexual or emotional infidelity scenarios, the anticipated experience of jealousy in each context is strongly influenced by biographical and cultural factors.

National Programme for Promotion of Physical Activity: the situation in Portugal

Primary health care, due to its proximity and easy access, knowledge of the family and their community, and through preventive measures and continuity of care, has an important and decisive role to play in counselling and promotion of physical activity throughout the various stages of life. Portugal has the lowest levels of physical activity in Europe and high levels of sedentary lifestyle, which led the Directorate General of Health to establish Physical Activity as a priority health programme, and develop the National Strategy for Promotion of Physical Activity. This article aims to describe initiatives that have been implemented that promote physical activity. More family physicians have become interested in promoting physical activity in their clinical practice. Specific training has become more widely available, computer based tools have been developed as clinical practice aids (for evaluation of levels of physical activity and counselling) and local initiatives involving health professionals have increased, as well as more investment in terms of investigation and monitoring of all of the above. At the same time change is happening among urban spaces and local policies that favour physical activity.

A132 SMOOTH MUSCLE BIOPSIES FROM POEM PROCEDURES FOR ACHALASIA SHOW LACK OF FUNCTIONAL INNERVATION

Background

Idiopathic achalasia is a disease of the esophagus causing impaired peristalsis and absent lower esophageal sphincter relaxation. The etiopathogenesis of the disease is unclear but most histopathologic studies from surgical resections show an absence of nitric oxide-producing neurons in the myenteric plexus. The peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) procedure has evolved in the last decade to treat achalasia and has provided a unique way to sample diseased tissue from an otherwise inaccessible tissue compartment.

Aims

To study the effects of achalasia on innervation of smooth muscle and smooth muscle phenotype.

Methods

Patients with a diagnosis of achalasia based on high resolution manometry undergoing a POEM at Kingston general hospital were approached for enrollment between June 2017 to September 2018. Demographic information including age, symptom duration, previous treatments, and Eckhardt score was collected. Intraoperatively, biopsies of the circular smooth muscle (CSM) layer were taken at the proximal and distal extents of the myotomy and placed in formalin. Tissue was embedded in wax, sectioned and stained using immunocytochemistry (ICC) for neuronal, axonal and smooth muscle cell markers. This was compared to control tissue from patients undergoing gastroesophagectomy for adjacent malignancy.

Results

Control tissue from 3 separate esophagectomies were obtained. Samples were obtained from a total of 25 patients (13 males), with a median age of 50 (IQR 38–67). Most patients had Type 2 achalasia (19 [76%]) followed by Type 1 and 3 (2, [8%] respectively). Two cases had conflicting manometric findings. The median duration of symptoms was 3 years (IQR 1.5–10.5) and the median Eckhardt score was 6.5 (IQR 5–9). In sample tissues, no neuronal cell bodies were detected in the CSM layer. ICC for the axonal marker PGP9.5 showed that CSM of achalasia samples were almost completely devoid of axon structure, independent of the subtype of achalasia, compared to abundant axon presence in control tissues. In parallel, ICC showed that cholinergic (ChAT) or nitrergic (nNOS) axonal subtypes were absent in biopsy CSM while abundant in controls. CSM cells displayed hypertrophy with no detection of proliferation by ICC (KI67) or alterations in the phenotypic marker SM-22.

Conclusions

Preliminary results from advanced immunohistochemical techniques show the absence of functional innervation of the CSM layer of all patients with achalasia. This is characterized by a depleted excitatory and inhibitory axon population. Further studies are focused on defining differences in smooth muscle phenotype and the presence or absence of inflammatory cells within the CSM.

Funding Agencies

None