COVID-19 Gender Disparities and Mitigation Recommendations: A Narrative Review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has rapidly created widespread impacts on global health and the economy. Data suggest that women are less susceptible to severe illness. However, sex-disaggregated data are incomplete, leaving room for misinterpretation, and focusing only on biologic sex underestimates the gendered impact of the pandemic on women. This narrative review summarizes what is known about gender disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic, domestic, and health burdens along with overlapping vulnerabilities related to the pandemic. In addition, this review outlines recommended strategies that advocacy groups, community leaders, and policymakers should implement to mitigate the widening gender disparities related to COVID-19.     

Atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveNew-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery is common, with rates up to 60%. POAF has been associated with early and late stroke, but its association with other cardiovascular outcomes is less known. The objective was to perform a meta-analysis of the studies reporting the association of POAF with perioperative and long-term outcomes in patients with cardiac surgery.MethodsWe performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis of studies that presented outcomes for cardiac surgery on the basis of the presence or absence of POAF. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were assessed; 57 studies (246,340 patients) were selected. Perioperative mortality was the primary outcome. Inverse variance method and random model were performed. Leave-one-out analysis, subgroup analyses, and metaregression were conducted.ResultsPOAF was associated with perioperative mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.58-2.33), perioperative stroke (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.90-2.49), perioperative myocardial infarction (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.06-1.54), perioperative acute renal failure (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.42-3.11), hospital (standardized mean difference, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.53-1.07) and intensive care unit stay (standardized mean difference, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.24-0.86), long-term mortality (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.54; 95% CI, 1.40-1.69), long-term stroke (IRR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.21-1.46), and longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation (IRR, 4.73; 95% CI, 3.36-6.66).ConclusionsThe results suggest that POAF after cardiac surgery is associated with an increased occurrence of most short- and long-term cardiovascular adverse events. However, the causality of this association remains to be established.     

基于DTI评价急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能缺损程度与肾虚髓亏证的相关性研究＊

目的 运用核磁共振弥散张量成像技术（DTI），从皮质脊髓束损伤程度评价的角度，探讨肾虚髓亏证与急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能缺损程度相关性，丰富中风病病机及证候诊断，拓宽缺血性脑卒中的中医药防治思路，为急性缺血性脑卒中肾虚髓亏证患者运动功能损伤程度提供临床依据，强调肾虚髓亏证在急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能损伤中的重要意义。方法 纳入符合诊断标准的90例病例，根据证候分别归入肾虚髓亏组和非肾虚髓亏组，每组各45例。每组患者均给予常规西药治疗。对两组患者入院后行弥散张量成像检测，同时分别于治疗前及治疗后14天，记录两组患者NIHSS评分、改良Barthel指数量表及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分量表评分，比较两组病例发病时的轻重程度及治疗前后两组病例组间的恢复差异。结果 研究显示，治疗前肾虚髓亏组在NIHSS评分方面高于非肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）；治疗前肾虚髓亏组在改良Barthel指数量表及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分方面低于非肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）。治疗前后NIHSS评分、改良Barthel指数评分及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分改善情况，非肾虚髓亏组要优于肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）。治疗前两组患者在健侧内囊后肢及大脑脚外侧处FA值及ADC值无明显差异；肾虚髓亏组在患侧内囊后肢及大脑脚外侧处FA值及ADC值均低于非肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）。相关性分析得出，两组患者患侧内囊后肢FA值与患者治疗前NIHSS评分呈负相关；两组患者患侧内囊后肢FA值与患者改良Barthel指数评分及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分呈正相关；肾虚髓亏组患者患侧内囊后肢FA值与肾虚髓亏证中医证候评分呈负相关。结论 肾虚髓亏是急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能障碍的重要病机。研究结果显示，两组皮质脊髓束损伤程度与神经功能及运动功能损伤存在相关性，且肾虚髓亏组在皮质脊髓束的损伤程度方面与其中医证候评分呈负相关。     

Role of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in hypertensive patients having controlled office blood pressure

Background and objectivesAmbulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring has become useful in the diagnosis and management of hypertensive individuals. In this study we tried to know the role of office and ambulatory BP in treated hypertensive patients.Methods and patientsProspective cohort of 561 treated hypertensive patients were enrolled in the study. Hypertension definitions were according to JNC 8 classification. Office BP and ambulatory BP monitoring was done according to defined protocol.ResultsFrom a subgroup of 158 treated hypertensive patients, 91(16.2%) patients were having white coat hypertension (p value 0.00 by Pearson chi square test). In a subset of 403 patients who were having controlled BP on the day of enrolment as well as on the day of attaching ambulatory BP monitor; 98 (17.4%) patients were having masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH). In addition there was very significant percentage of non-dippers and reverse dippers. In our study we found that office BP has a moderate to low specificity and sensitivity and low negative predictive value for overall control in treated hypertensive patients.ConclusionAmbulatory BP monitoring should be included in the management protocol of treated hypertensive patients, for the optimal BP control.     

Out of the boxes,out of the silos: The need of interdisciplinary collaboration to reduce poor-quality medical products in the supply chain

In this paper, we argue that understanding and addressing the problem of poor-quality medical products requires a more interdisciplinary approach than has been evident to date. While prospective studies based on rigorous standardized methodologies are the gold standard for measuring the prevalence of poor-quality medical products and understanding their distribution nationally and internationally, they should be complemented by social science research to unpack the complex set of social, economic, and governance factors that underlie these patterns. In the following sections, we discuss specific examples of prospective quality surveys and of social science studies, highlighting the value of cross-sector partnerships in driving high-quality, policy-relevant research in this area.     

Variability in non-core vaccination rates of dogs and cats in veterinary clinics across the United States

Vaccination guidelines for dogs and cats indicate that core vaccines (for dogs, rabies, distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus; for cats, feline parvovirus, herpes virus-1, calicivirus) are essential to maintain health, and that non-core vaccines be administered according to a clinician’s assessment of a pet’s risk of exposure and susceptibility to infection. A reliance on individual risk assessment introduces the potential for between-practice inconsistencies in non-core vaccine recommendations. A study was initiated to determine non-core vaccination rates of dogs (Leptospira, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine influenza virus) and cats (feline leukemia virus) in patients current for core vaccines in veterinary practices across the United States. Transactional data for 5,531,866 dogs (1,670 practices) and 1,914,373 cats (1,661 practices) were retrieved from practice management systems for the period November 1, 2016 through January 1, 2020, deidentified and normalized. Non-core vaccination status was evaluated in 2,798,875 dogs and 788,772 cats that were core-vaccine current. Nationally, median clinic vaccination rates for dogs were highest for leptospirosis (70.5%) and B. bronchiseptica (68.7%), and much lower for canine influenza (4.8%). In Lyme-endemic states, the median clinic borreliosis vaccination rate was 51.8%. Feline leukemia median clinic vaccination rates were low for adult cats (34.6%) and for kittens and 1-year old cats (36.8%). Individual clinic vaccination rates ranged from 0 to 100% for leptospirosis, B. bronchiseptica and feline leukemia, 0–96% for canine influenza, and 0–94% for borreliosis. Wide variation in non-core vaccination rates between clinics in similar geographies indicates that factors other than disease risk are driving the use of non-core vaccines in pet dogs and cats, highlighting a need for veterinary practices to address gaps in patient protection. Failure to implement effective non-core vaccination strategies leaves susceptible dogs and cats unprotected against vaccine-preventable diseases.