Worry from contracting COVID-19 infection and its stigma among Egyptian health care providers

BACKGROUNDS

Healthcare providers (HCPs) in COVID-19 epidemic face stressful workload of disease management, shortage of protective equipment and high risk of infection and mortality. These stressors affect greatly their mental health. The aim is to identify working conditions among Egyptian HCPs during COVID-19 epidemic as well as stigma and worry perceptions from contracting COVID-19 infection and their predictors.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 565 HCPs. Data was collected through Google online self-administered questionnaire comprised seven parts: demographics characteristics, knowledge and attitude of COVID-19, working condition, worry of contracting COVID-19 at work, discrimination intention at work for COVID-19 patients, stigma assessment using impact stigma, and internalized shame scales.

RESULTS

The vast majority of HCPs (94.7%) were worried from contracting COVID-19 at work. Risk factors for perceiving severe worry from contracting COVID-19 were expecting infection as a severe illness, believing that infection will not be successfully controlled, improbability to continue working during the pandemic even if in a well/fit health, high discrimination intention and impact stigma scales. Significantly high impact stigma scores were detected among those aged < 30 years, females, workers primarily in sites susceptible for contracting COVID-19 infection, those had severe worry from contracting infection at work, and high internalized shame scale. The risk factors for perceiving higher internalized shame scores were not having a previous experience in working during a pandemic, high discrimination intention towards COVID-19 patients and high impact stigma scale.

CONCLUSIONS

Considerable levels of worry and stigma were detected among Egyptian HCPs during COVID-19 outbreak. The psychological aspect of health care providers should not be overlooked during epidemic; appropriate institutional mental health support should be provided especially for young HCPs, those without previous work experience in epidemic and those who work in high-risk units. Raising the community awareness about contribution of HCPs in fighting the epidemic might decrease stigmatization action toward HCPs.

Prognostic value of systematic lymphadenectomy in patients with ovarian cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To appraise clinical outcomes of systematic lymphadenectomy in women with ovarian cancer based on stage, control group and type of chemotherapy.

STUDY DESIGN

A literature search was conducted on SCOPUS, PUBMED, COCHRANE, MEDLINE, and WEB OF SCIENCE databases. All comparative studies that assess outcomes of systematic lymphadenectomy in patients with ovarian cancer were eligible. Overall survival was analyzed by pooling log hazard ratio (HR) and standard error of multivariable Cox regression models. MOGGE Meta-analysis Matrix is a novel illustration tool that was used to demonstrate multiple subgroup analyses of included studies.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies were eligible. Systematic lymphadenectomy was associated with better overall survival, that was close to significance, compared to control group (HR 0.93, 95 %CI 0.86-1.00). Among women treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, overall survival improved in women with stage IIB-IV who underwent systematic lymphadenectomy (HR 0.91, 95 %CI 0.84-0.99) and was most significant among patients with stage III to IV (HR 0.85, 95 %CI 0.73-0.99). Systematic lymphadenectomy did not improve survival in women who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR 0.97, 95 %CI 0.73-1.29). Systematic lymphadenectomy was associated with improved progress-free survival compared to control group (HR 0.88, 95 %CI 0.79-0.99).

CONCLUSION

Although data from clinical trials do not support role of systematic lymphadenectomy in advanced ovarian cancer, overall data conveys stage-specific survival benefit. Further clinical trials may be warranted to assess substage survival outcomes in women with advanced stages.

Impact of COVID-19 on reproductive health and maternity services in low resource countries

PURPOSE

Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a rapidly evolving pandemic. It is well-known that pregnant women are more susceptible to viral infection due to immune and anatomic factors. Therefore, the viral pandemic might affect the reproductive health and maternity services especially in low-resource countries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this article, we tried to highlight the impact of COVID-19 on reproductive health and maternity health services in low resource countries with emphasis on adapting some of the published best practice recommendations to suit a struggling environment.

CONCLUSION

Pregnant women residing in low resource countries represent a uniquely vulnerable group in epidemics due to several factors. Maternity services in low resource countries are adapting to provide antenatal and postnatal care amidst a rapidly shifting health system environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Topical lidocaine-prilocaine cream versus rectal meloxicam suppository for relief of post-episiotomy pain in primigravidae: A randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVES

To compare the analgesic effect of topical lidocaine-prilocaine (LP) cream and rectal meloxicam suppository on the post-episiotomy pain in primigravidae.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A randomized open-label clinical trial included primigravidae delivered vaginally with episiotomy. Eligible women were recruited and randomized to topical LP cream on the episiotomy line or rectal meloxicam suppository 15 mg. The intensity of the perineal pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) immediately, at 6, 12 h and after 5 days post-episiotomy.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety women were enrolled (n = 95 in each arm). No difference between both groups in the VAS scores immediately (mean ± SD: 8.54 ± 1.35 vs. 8.33 ± 1.50, p = 0.419) and 6 h after episiotomy (p = 0.859). However, women in the LP arm were more likely to report lower VAS scores at 12 h and 5 days post-episiotomy (mean ± SD: 1.20 ± 0.50 vs. 5.65 ± 1.65, p = 0.0001; 1.19 ± 0.49 vs. 2.64 ± 1.73, p < 0.001; respectively).

CONCLUSION

Application of topical LP cream after repair of episiotomy in primigravidae seems to substantially alleviate the induced pain with subsequent less need for additional analgesia and more patients' satisfaction.

Partial tubal devascularisation: a novel procedure for tubal conservation in ectopic pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy is a serious condition that complicates 1-2% of pregnancies. Using surgical management is efficient, but may have an impact on future fertility. Although conservative tubal surgery has not been shown to have a significant advantage over a salpingectomy in terms of the future fertility potential, the conservative surgical techniques remain widely-utilised, particularly in the context of a contralateral diseased or absent tube. We hereby report a case series of a novel procedure to conserve the fallopian tube with the minimal risk of an incisional site bleeding through a partial segmental devascularisation. This technique seems to be an efficient method to minimise the intraoperative bleeding, limit the need for a blood transfusion, and yields a higher success rate of the procedure without jeopardising the blood supply and vitality of the tubes. Impact Statement What is already known on this subject? Conservative surgery has a significant value in women with a contralateral absent or diseased tube. However, a conservative management could be challenging due to the significant bleeding which can be encountered during the surgery. What the results of this study add? The partial devascularisation technique could achieve an adequate haemostasis by blocking the ascending blood supply only to the affected segment of the fallopian tube. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? A partial devascularisation is a successful conservative surgical treatment option in most patients when the procedure is indicated.

Computed Tomography Morphometrics and Pulmonary Intolerance in Endometrial Cancer Robotic Surgery

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To identify morphometric characteristics of obese patients that best predict pulmonary intolerance to robotic pelvic surgery using a novel method for quantifying adipose distribution.

DESIGN

Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENTS

Fifty-nine patients with endometrial cancer who underwent robotic hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy between April 2008 and May 2014 and also underwent perioperative computed tomography (CT) imaging within 1 year.

INTERVENTION

Visceral fat volume (VFV) and subcutaneous fat volume (SFV) were quantified through waist circumference measurements along with average volume estimation of slices taken at 3 levels: mid-waist, L2-L3, and L4-L5. Mean and maximum values were obtained for intraoperative physiological data.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The patients' mean body mass index (BMI) was 34 (range, 20-59). Along with waist circumference, VFV and SFV quantified by CT at the mid-waist, L2-L3, and L4-L5 levels were all significant independent predictors for peak airway pressure (PAP; average and maximum) and plateau airway pressure (Pplat; average and maximum) on multivariate regression analysis after adjustment for age, ethnicity, diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary disease, smoking, obstructive sleep apnea, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, and duration of anesthesia. Compared with the other CT parameters, L2-L3 VFV was the best predictor of average PAP (β = 0.398; p = .002), maximum PAP (β = 0.493; p < .001), average Pplat (β = 0.536; p < .001), and maximum Pplat (β = 0.573; p < .001).

CONCLUSION

These novel CT morphometric measurements represent valid predictors of pulmonary intolerance to robotic surgery in obese patients. Of the measures analyzed, VFV at L2-L3 best predicts pulmonary tolerance in obese patients.

Robotic management of endometriosis: where do we stand?

The progressive and chronic nature of this disease can have a substantial impact on both quality of life and functioning of women who suffer from the disease. While medical treatment can be sufficient therapy for many women with endometriosis, medical therapies are often inadequate for the severest cases. The anatomic changes of adhesions/fibrosis and smooth muscle metaplasia that are associated with endometriosis, however, can be substantial and surgery for this disease can be technically challenging. Historically, the severest cases of endometriosis were managed using a laparotomy approach. Traditional laparoscopy has gained popularity for the management of this disease but has limitations in the surgical treatment of the most difficult cases of endometriosis. With the introduction of the robotic surgical platform, experience has gradually accumulated regarding its application for surgical management of deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). It has been suggested that the robotic platform enables more complex dissections and may be the ideal modality for the surgical management of endometriosis. As both experience and technology expand, the robotic platform is being utilized by an increasing number of surgeons and for increasingly complex minimally invasive pelvic surgery. The literature analyzing its actual performance in the management of DIE, however, is only just manifesting. This review focus on the surgical management of endometriosis by robotic laparoscopy. Specifically we describe the unique surgical challenges of this disease. We also highlight the current state of the literature that analyzes the application of robotic laparoscopy to the various anatomic and clinical manifestations of endometriosis and critique outcomes as they apply to the safety, efficacy and cost of this modality for the management of endometriosis.