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We assessed the effectiveness of heterologous vaccination strategy in immunocompromised individuals regarding COVID-19 outcomes, comparing it to homologous approaches.
Design:
Systematic literature review/meta-analysis.
Methods:
We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science from January 1, 2020 to September 29, 2023. We included studies that evaluated the heterologous vaccination strategy on immunocompromised individuals through outcomes related to COVID-19 (levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG, neutralizing antibodies, symptomatic COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death) in comparison to homologous schemes. We also used random-effect models to produce pooled odds ratio estimates. Heterogeneity was investigated with I2 estimation.
Results:
Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Fourteen of them provided quantitative data for inclusion in the meta-analysis on vaccine response, being four of them also included in the vaccine effectiveness meta-analysis. The vaccination strategies (heterologous vs homologous) showed no difference in the odds of developing anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG (odds ratio 1.12 [95% Cl: 0.73–1.72]). Heterologous schemes also showed no difference in the production of neutralizing antibodies (odds ratio 1.48 [95% Cl: 0.72–3.05]) nor vaccine effectiveness in comparison to homologous schemes (odds ratio 1.52 [95% CI: 0.66–3.53]).
Conclusions:
Alternative heterologous COVID-19 vaccinations have shown equivalent antibody response rates and vaccine effectiveness to homologous schemes, potentially aiding global disparity of vaccine distribution.
Corticosteroids are a key part of many cancer treatment regimens and neuropsychiatric side effects have long been recognised. Steroid-induced psychosis is a disorder classified under substance or medication-induced psychosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, 5th edition. Management strategies include treatment with antipsychotic medication and reducing corticosteroid dosage.
Objectives
To describe the case of steroid induced psychosis in a patient with mediastinal lymphoma and provide a concise literature review.
Methods
Clinical case report and brief literature review.
Results
27-year-old male with a diagnosis of Stage IV Primary Mediastinal Lymphoma according to the Ann Arbor classification was admitted to the Haematology ward for chemotherapy treatment (R-DA EPOCH). Two days after admission the patient developed acute psychotic symptoms consisting of thought block, kinaesthetic hallucinations, and delusions. Prior to admission, the patient had been on corticosteroid treatment for two months (up to 8mg/day of dexamethasone), with a significant dose increase (up to 200mg/day of prednisone) at the beginning of chemotherapy treatment two days prior to symptom development. The patient had no personal or family history of mental health issues, no substance misuse and had not received any psychopharmacological treatment prior to admission.
Medical evaluations including a cranial CT scan, an MRI, EEG, blood tests and lumber puncture were all within normal parameters, discounting organic or metastatic causes for the symptoms.
Considering a potential episode of steroid-induced psychosis, the patient was started on olanzapine at a dosage of 10mg per day. The patient exhibited a positive response, with symptoms alleviating within 24 hours of the initial dose. In terms of corticosteroid therapy, haematologists adjusted the prednisone regimen to 100mg per day, and due to the encouraging progress, the olanzapine dosage was subsequently reduced to 5mg per day.
Conclusions
This case underscores the importance of considering the possibility of steroid induced psychosis as a differential diagnosis specially in patients on high dose steroids presenting with psychotic symptoms. A multidisciplinary approach is crucial to ensure optimum treatment and care.
Chronic consumption of alcohol has clear deleterious effects on the nervous system. Among its less-recognized consequences are subacute and chronic alcohol-induced psychotic disorders. Lasègue, Garnier, Magnan, and Michaux provided exhaustive clinical descriptions of different presentations of subacute alcoholic delusional disorder, while Kraepelin, Allamagny, and Neveu defined the characteristics of chronic alcoholic hallucinatory psychosis. Both conditions are characterized by the occurrence of hallucinations and vivid dream-like content in their delusions, along with potential emotional detachment from the symptoms. Presently, both conditions are categorized under the generic term ‘Alcohol-Induced Psychotic Disorder,’ with limited available scientific literature.
Objectives
Our goal is to bring attention to the existence of subacute and chronic alcohol-induced psychosis in individuals with long-term alcohol users.
Methods
Case report using clinical records and a non-systematic literature review.
Results
A 63-year-old male, with a forty-year history of chronic alcoholism and no other prior mental health issues, was admitted in the emergency department. He conveyed vague delusional notions regarding his roommate and described vivid morning dreams in which he tried to communicate but couldn’t speak. This led him to believe his roommate harboured harmful intentions. Additionally, he mentioned that for the past two months, he had developed a telepathic connection with his sister and his deceased mother, with whom he felt he communicated without speaking. He described feeling strangement and anxiety concerning these experiences, which he firmly believed to be undeniably real. He reported being able to hear the voices of his mother and sister. He also described short-term memory problems dating back two years. He denied any other psychopathology and exhibited probable ideational and emotional impoverishment secondary to chronic alcohol consumption. Confirmation of the patient’s account was provided by his family members. The prescribed treatment included antipsychotic medication and a recommendation for alcohol abstinence.
Conclusions
Descriptions of chronic and subacute alcohol-induced psychoses are found in early psychiatric textbooks but have been omitted from contemporary classifications. While their incidence is low among chronic alcohol users, they represent a severe clinical entity. These disorders are usually distinguished by the presence of delusions and vivid hallucinations characterized by dream-like content. This distinct symptomatology aids in the accurate differentiation from other psychotic disorders and clinicians should be aware of their existence.
Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) offer advantages for schizophrenic patients compared to oral antipsychotics: less frequent dosing, lower relapse rates, better adherence, and lower healthcare costs. LAIs include paliperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine, risperidone, and zuclopenthixol. Paliperidone palmitate is the only antipsychotic with two formulations with an administration interval longer than one month (3-monthly and 6-monthly), which could be better for the patient and help ensure treatment continuity, especially in cases of limited access to the health care system.
Objectives
To assess the satisfaction of patients under treatment with 6-month paliperidone palmitate compared to other long-acting injectable antipsychotics with a higher frequency of administration.
Methods
We analyzed the satisfaction level of a sample of patients receiving treatment with LAIs at the Mental Health Center of El Escorial. All patients had a diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders (according to DSM-5). Patients who met the inclusion criteria completed the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM), a generic questionnaire of treatment satisfaction that measures four dimensions: side effects, treatment efficacy, comfort of use, and overall satisfaction. Other clinical and socio-demographic variables were collected, as well as the type of injectable, dose, and frequency of administration.
Results
Data from approximately 30 patients will be analyzed and discussed later.
Conclusions
Less frequent administration of LAIs may result in greater patient satisfaction and be just as beneficial clinically. Treatment satisfaction is positively associated with an improvement in psychotic symptoms and seems to be related to better adherence.
Neuropsychiatric disorders can develop following a group A β-hemolytic streptococcal infection, through autoimmune inflammation of the nervous system. Sydenham’s chorea and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infection) are the two most well-known syndromes, primarily affecting children but rarely observed in adults.
Objectives
Our aims are to contribute to the scientific understanding of adult PANDAS-like syndrome and provide a comprehensive literature review on the subject.
Methods
Case report using clinical records and a non-systematic literature review.
Results
A 24-year-old female presented to the emergency department with profound emotional distress triggered by intrusive thoughts of existential dread, accompanied by compulsive praying. She reported that these symptoms had commenced five days earlier. Two days prior to the onset of her obsessions, she had experienced a high fever, odynophagia, cough, and chills and received an empirical diagnosis of tonsillitis following a physical examination. She was prescribed antibiotics with good response. She revealed that she had experienced two prior episodes of similar anxiety and obsessions when she was approximately seven years old.
She developed acute obsessive thoughts, including doubts about the meaning of her life, and engaged in compulsive prayer and seeking reassurance from relatives. Notably, there were no signs of affective, dissociative, or psychotic disorders during her admission to the ED or in the preceding months. She reported suffering from anxiety, insomnia, and loss of appetite in the past five days but did not express any suicidal ideation.
Physical examination indicated mild laryngeal erythema, and laboratory tests showed non-specific signs of infection with no further significant findings. Symptoms were alleviated within a week, aided by treatment with benzodiazepines (lorazepam 1 mg/8h), and she did not require further psychiatric counselling.
Conclusions
It is worth noting that adult patients can experience a PANDAS-like reaction after a streptococcal infection and may also undergo symptom relapse following new immunological challenges upon reinfection. The existence of a PANDAS spectrum has been postulated, encompassing various manifestations. Thus, when presented with acute obsessive symptoms, healthcare providers should consider this diagnosis, inquire about previous episodes, and conduct a comprehensive medical history and etiological assessment.
Lithium is considered the gold standard mood stabiliser for bipolar disorder, yet its use during pregnancy remains controversial, demanding careful consideration of potential risks and benefits. Classically, it has been associated with an increased risk in congenital heart defects, however, recent studies point towards a much lower absolute risk than was previously believed. Furthermore, discontinuation of lithium before or during pregnancy poses a high risk of destabilisation and lithium has been shown to reduce the risk of relapse both in pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Hence, treatment planning is of the upmost importance in this patient group and individual risk stratification should be undertaken for patients to make informed decisions about their treatment.
Objectives
To describe the case of a patient with bipolar disorder who discontinued lithium treatment while attempting to conceive and subsequently presented with a manic episode and to expand the scientific knowledge on this topic.
Methods
Case report and brief literature review.
Results
A 41-year-old patient with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, previously on lithium 900mg/day, was admitted to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of a manic episode. One month prior, the patient had discontinued treatment with lithium due to her desire to pursue pregnancy and interrupt treatment while trying to conceive. The patient had a history of postpartum psychosis followed by various depressive and manic episodes with psychotic symptoms, leading to a bipolar disorder diagnosis and commencing treatment with lithium. Her consultant psychiatrist had informed her of the individualised risks of interrupting treatment with lithium and had advised to continue treatment alongside frequent follow-up due to the high-risk of relapse. Despite her consultant’s recommendation, she decided to interrupt treatment and hence a personalised lithium tapering regime and advice to continue treatment with quetiapine 200mg/day was given.
During the ED stay, treatment with olanzapine was introduced which helped to stabilise her symptoms. Lithium levels were subtherapeutic (lithium serum level 0.11 mmol/L). Inpatient psychiatric admission was avoided due to rapid symptom improvement, strong social support in the community and her preference for ambulatory care. Lithium was gradually reintroduced and antipsychotic treatment was adjusted at follow up appointments, which ultimately led to the resolution of symptoms and stabilisation.
Conclusions
This case highlights the significance of considering continuing lithium treatment in bipolar disorder during pregnancy planning. Decisions about medication in pregnancy are multifaceted, making appropriate risk stratification imperative in order to inform individualised care plans to minimise the risk of relapse in these patients.
We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination against post-COVID conditions (long COVID) in the pediatric population.
Design:
Systematic literature review/meta-analysis.
Methods:
We searched PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science from December 1, 2019, to August 14, 2023, for studies evaluating the COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against post-COVID conditions among vaccinated individuals < 21 years old who received at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine. A post-COVID condition was defined as any symptom that was present 4 or more weeks after COVID-19 infection. We calculated the pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) (95% CI) for post-COVID conditions between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
Results:
Eight studies with 23,995 individuals evaluated the effect of vaccination on post-COVID conditions, of which 5 observational studies were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of children who did not receive COVID-19 vaccines ranged from 65% to 97%. The pooled prevalence of post-COVID conditions was 21.3% among those unvaccinated and 20.3% among those vaccinated at least once. The pooled DOR for post-COVID conditions among individuals vaccinated with at least 1 dose and those vaccinated with 2 doses were 1.07 (95% CI, 0.77–1.49) and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.63–1.08), respectively.
Conclusions:
A significant proportion of children and adolescents were unvaccinated, and the prevalence of post-COVID conditions was higher than reported in adults. While vaccination did not appear protective, conclusions were limited by the lack of randomized trials and selection bias inherent in observational studies.
We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination against post-COVID conditions (long COVID) among fully vaccinated individuals.
Design:
Systematic literature review/meta-analysis.
Methods:
We searched PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science from December 1, 2019, to June 2, 2023, for studies evaluating the COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against post-COVID conditions among fully vaccinated individuals who received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. A post-COVID condition was defined as any symptom that was present four or more weeks after COVID-19 infection. We calculated the pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) (95% confidence interval) for post-COVID conditions between fully vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated as 100% x (1-DOR).
Results:
Thirty-two studies with 775,931 individuals evaluated the effect of vaccination on post-COVID conditions, of which, twenty-four studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled DOR for post-COVID conditions among fully vaccinated individuals was 0.680 (95% CI: 0.523–0.885) with an estimated VE of 32.0% (11.5%–47.7%). Vaccine effectiveness was 36.9% (23.1%–48.2%) among those who received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine before COVID-19 infection and 68.7% (64.7%–72.2%) among those who received three doses before COVID-19 infection. The stratified analysis demonstrated no protection against post-COVID conditions among those who received COVID-19 vaccination after COVID-19 infection.
Conclusions:
Receiving a complete COVID-19 vaccination prior to contracting the virus resulted in a significant reduction in post-COVID conditions throughout the study period, including during the Omicron era. Vaccine effectiveness demonstrated an increase when supplementary doses were administered.
To compare the long-term vaccine effectiveness between those receiving viral vector [Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1)] or inactivated viral (CoronaVac) primary series (2 doses) and those who received an mRNA booster (Pfizer/BioNTech) (the third dose) among healthcare workers (HCWs).
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study among HCWs (aged ≥18 years) in Brazil from January 2021 to July 2022. To assess the variation in the effectiveness of booster dose over time, we estimated the effectiveness rate by taking the log risk ratio as a function of time.
Results:
Of 14,532 HCWs, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was confirmed in 56.3% of HCWs receiving 2 doses of CoronaVac vaccine versus 23.2% of HCWs receiving 2 doses of CoronaVac vaccine with mRNA booster (P < .001), and 37.1% of HCWs receiving 2 doses of ChAdOx1 vaccine versus 22.7% among HCWs receiving 2 doses of ChAdOx1 vaccine with mRNA booster (P < .001). The highest vaccine effectiveness with mRNA booster was observed 30 days after vaccination: 91% for the CoronaVac vaccine group and 97% for the ChAdOx1 vaccine group. Vacine effectiveness declined to 55% and 67%, respectively, at 180 days. Of 430 samples screened for mutations, 49.5% were SARS-CoV-2 delta variants and 34.2% were SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants.
Conclusions:
Heterologous COVID-19 vaccines were effective for up to 180 days in preventing COVID-19 in the SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variant eras, which suggests the need for a second booster.
To determine risk factors for the development of long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in healthcare personnel (HCP).
Methods:
We conducted a case–control study among HCP who had confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 working in a Brazilian healthcare system between March 1, 2020, and July 15, 2022. Cases were defined as those having long COVID according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition. Controls were defined as HCP who had documented COVID-19 but did not develop long COVID. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between exposure variables and long COVID during 180 days of follow-up.
Results:
Of 7,051 HCP diagnosed with COVID-19, 1,933 (27.4%) who developed long COVID were compared to 5,118 (72.6%) who did not. The majority of those with long COVID (51.8%) had 3 or more symptoms. Factors associated with the development of long COVID were female sex (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.05–1.39), age (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00–1.02), and 2 or more SARS-CoV-2 infections (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.07–1.50). Those infected with the SARS-CoV-2 δ (delta) variant (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.17–0.50) or the SARS-CoV-2 o (omicron) variant (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.30–0.78), and those receiving 4 COVID-19 vaccine doses prior to infection (OR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.01–0.19) were significantly less likely to develop long COVID.
Conclusions:
Long COVID can be prevalent among HCP. Acquiring >1 SARS-CoV-2 infection was a major risk factor for long COVID, while maintenance of immunity via vaccination was highly protective.
Between 20 and 24 marine extinctions, ranging from algal to mammal species, have occurred over the past 500 years. These relatively low numbers question whether the sixth mass extinction that is underway on land is also occurring in the ocean. There is, however, increasing evidence of worldwide losses of marine populations that may foretell a wave of oncoming marine extinctions. A review of current methods being used to determine the loss of biodiversity from the world’s oceans reveals the need to develop and apply new assessment methodologies that incorporate standardized metrics that allow comparisons to be made among different regions and taxonomic groups, and between current extinctions and past mass extinction events. Such efforts will contribute to a better understanding of extinction risk facing marine flora and fauna, as well as the ways in which it can be mitigated.
The quenching of cluster satellite galaxies is inextricably linked to the suppression of their cold interstellar medium (ISM) by environmental mechanisms. While the removal of neutral atomic hydrogen (H i) at large radii is well studied, how the environment impacts the remaining gas in the centres of galaxies, which are dominated by molecular gas, is less clear. Using new observations from the Virgo Environment traced in CO survey (VERTICO) and archival H i data, we study the H i and molecular gas within the optical discs of Virgo cluster galaxies on 1.2-kpc scales with spatially resolved scaling relations between stellar ($\Sigma_{\star}$), H i ($\Sigma_{\text{H}\,{\small\text{I}}}$), and molecular gas ($\Sigma_{\text{mol}}$) surface densities. Adopting H i deficiency as a measure of environmental impact, we find evidence that, in addition to removing the H i at large radii, the cluster processes also lower the average $\Sigma_{\text{H}\,{\small\text{I}}}$ of the remaining gas even in the central $1.2\,$kpc. The impact on molecular gas is comparatively weaker than on the H i, and we show that the lower $\Sigma_{\text{mol}}$ gas is removed first. In the most H i-deficient galaxies, however, we find evidence that environmental processes reduce the typical $\Sigma_{\text{mol}}$ of the remaining gas by nearly a factor of 3. We find no evidence for environment-driven elevation of $\Sigma_{\text{H}\,{\small\text{I}}}$ or $\Sigma_{\text{mol}}$ in H i-deficient galaxies. Using the ratio of $\Sigma_{\text{mol}}$-to-$\Sigma_{\text{H}\,{\small\text{I}}}$ in individual regions, we show that changes in the ISM physical conditions, estimated using the total gas surface density and midplane hydrostatic pressure, cannot explain the observed reduction in molecular gas content. Instead, we suggest that direct stripping of the molecular gas is required to explain our results.
Although multiple studies have revealed that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines can reduce COVID-19–related outcomes, little is known about their impact on post–COVID-19 conditions. We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination against post–COVID-19 conditions (ie, long COVID).
Methods:
We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science from December 1, 2019, to April 27, 2022, for studies evaluating COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against post–COVID-19 conditions among individuals who received at least 1 dose of Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, or Janssen vaccine. A post–COVID-19 condition was defined as any symptom that was present 3 or more weeks after having COVID-19. Editorials, commentaries, reviews, study protocols, and studies in the pediatric population were excluded. We calculated the pooled diagnostic odds ratios (DORs) for post–COVID-19 conditions between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated as 100% × (1 − DOR).
Results:
In total, 10 studies with 1,600,830 individuals evaluated the effect of vaccination on post–COVID-19 conditions, of which 6 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled DOR for post–COVID-19 conditions among individuals vaccinated with at least 1 dose was 0.708 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.692–0.725) with an estimated vaccine effectiveness of 29.2% (95% CI, 27.5%–30.8%). The vaccine effectiveness was 35.3% (95% CI, 32.3%–38.1%) among those who received the COVID-19 vaccine before having COVID-19, and 27.4% (95% CI, 25.4%–29.3%) among those who received it after having COVID-19.
Conclusions:
COVID-19 vaccination both before and after having COVID-19 significantly decreased post–COVID-19 conditions for the circulating variants during the study period although vaccine effectiveness was low.
Realizamos un estudio prospectivo en 15 pacientes, diagnosticados de psicosis, según el DSM V, y que son usuarios de una Unidad de Rehabilitación activa, estos pacientes utilizan las modalidades de hospitalización residencial o el programa de hospitalización parcial.
Objectives
El objetivo principal fue establecer el perfil del paciente (retrato de robot), que utiliza este tipo de dispositivo.
Methods
Se lleva a cabo un protocolo de evaluación que incluye la entrevista de evaluación psicopatológica (DSMV) y las escalas: impulsividad (Barrat), agresividad (Burke), calidad de vida (Woqol bref), actitud ante la medicación (DAI), Avd ( RAI), riesgo de suicidio (Plutchick), riesgo de caídas (Downton), funcionalidad (EEAG) y hábitos de consumo (DAU).
Results
Con todos estos elementos y teniendo en cuenta la edad y sexo de los pacientes, intentamos establecer el tipo de perfil de paciente del área de Rehabilitación activa de nuestro servicio, luego luego de mediciones periódicas de todas estas variables estableceremos la influencia de Terapia de rehabilitación en la mejora o empeoramiento de nuestros pacientes.
Conclusions
CONCLUSIONES El perfil de tipo del paciente incluido en una Unidad de Rehabilitación Activa está compuesto por un varón de 42 años, con consumo esporádico de toxinas, con rasgos de personalidad donde predomina la agresividad, con un perfil bajo de efectos adversos y con conciencia parcial de la enfermedad. y mala adherencia a la medicación Cabe señalar que sus niveles en la escala de calidad de vida son altos, incluso comparables o en ocasiones superiores a los de la población general según la escala Woqol bref.
Nowdays there are different strategies for the treatment of smoking cessation. The treatment include drugs such as varenicline, which acts as a high-affinity partial agonist for the alpha-4 beta-2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype (nACh). We report a case of a suicidal behaviour in a 39 year-old woman with no previous history of mental illness, who was brought to the emergency department after intentional intoxication with benzodiazepines. The patient was on 10th day of treatment with varenicline.
Objectives
To present a case of sucidal behavior that developed in a 39 year-old woman after starting varenicline. Review of literature and total number of cases reported in the european database of suspected adverse drug reactions (EudraVigilance).
Methods
We carried out a literature review in Pubmed electing those articles focused on mental disorders in those patients that have been taking varenicline. Review number of cases suicidal behavior reported by the European database of suspected adverse drug reactions.
Results
A 39-year-old female was brought to the emergency department after voluntary ingestion of Lorazepam 1mg (40 tablets) in a sucide attempt. The family reported the starting of thoughts of suicide after 1 week of treatment. No previous history of mental disorders. The patient reported low mood and drowsiness in the last 5 days not linked to any cause. After 5 days of discontinuation these mood symptoms and sucidal behavior remited.
Conclusions
Varenicline is associated with different neuropsychiatric sypmtoms. In patients with or without history of mental disorders we should warn about the symptoms for discontinuation of the treatment.
Paediatric and adult psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits decreased during the initial COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Long-term consequences of the pandemic will include increases in mental healthcare needs especially among especially vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents.
Objectives
This study examined changes in the number of overall and diagnosis-specific mental health ED visits among patients aged <18 years following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Madrid, Spain.
Methods
We used electronic health records to extract the monthly numbers of total and diagnosis-specific mental health ED visits among patients aged <18 years, between October 2018 and April 2021, to La Paz University Hospital. We conducted interrupted time-series analyses and compared trends before and after the day of the first ED COVID-19 case (1st March 2020).
Results
In March 2020, there was a marked initial decrease of -12.8 (95%CI -21.9, -7.9) less monthly mental health ED visits. After April 2020, there was a subsequent increasing trend of 3.4 (95%CI 2.6, 4.2) additional monthly mental health ED visits.
Conclusions
After onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in paediatric psychiatric ED visits, especially due to suicide-related reasons. These data reinforce the crucial role of the ED in the management of acute mental health problems among youth and highlight the need for renovated efforts to enhance access to care outside of and during acute crises during the pandemic and its aftermath.
Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is a disease occurring when antibodies produced by the body’s own immune system attack NMDA receptors in the brain. Their functions are critical for judgement, perception of reality, human interaction, the formation and retrieval of memory, and the control of autonomic functions. The objective of treatment is to reduce the levels of antibodies in the blood and spinal fluid. Treatments include corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis in addition to other immunomodulators, such as cyclophosphamide or rituximab.
Objectives
To present a case of a 64 year-old patient who came to the emergency service of our hospital with long-standing anxiety, irritability, recurrent amnestic failures, visual hallucinations and recent-onset episodes of aggressiveness with his family. He required admission to the psychiatry department and was finally diagnosed with autoimmune anti-NMDA encephalitis by detecting antibodies in blood and CSF.
Methods
Clinical case presentation and literature review of cases, focusing on psychotic symptoms.
Results
A 65-year-old patient who was being studied by neurology and psychiatry departments for cognitive impairment and psychotic symptoms was admitted to Neurology after a positive lumbar puncture result for NMDA antibodies.During admission, the patient continued with a significant behavioral alteration that gradually remitted with the use of Quetiapine, corticosteroids and rituximab.
Conclusions
NMDA-encephalitis has a highly variable clinical presentation, which can lead to confusion with infectious etiology or psychiatric disorders, making the diagnosis difficult, which is only possible by detecting anti-NMDA antibodies in CSF. Recognition of the disease and coordination between services is essential for early diagnosis and treatment.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing ethanol or isopropanol are being used in order to prevent person-to-person transmission during the COVID-19. Early signs and symptoms of this ingestion include nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, blurred vision, loss of coordination, and decreased level of consciousness. After hand sanitizer ingestion we have to suspect about methanol poisoning, monitoring the start of anion-gap metabolic acidosis, seizures, and blindness is essential. Treatment includes supportive care, acidosis correction, and the administration of an alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor. In servere cases hemodialysis may be required.
Objectives
To present a case of an 29-year-old woman who was taken to the emergency department after voluntary ingestion of alcohol-based hand sanitizer in a suicide attempt. To describe the most common side effects of hand sanitizer ingestion and the literature review.
Methods
Clinical case presentation and literature review of similar cases.
Results
A 29-year-old woman, with diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and previous suicide attempts was taken to the emergency department after 3 hours of voluntary ingestion of an unknown quantity of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Initial laboratory findings showed laboratory a blood methanol concentration of 66 mg/dL, with an anion gap of 30 mEq/L, arterial blood pH of 7.2, serum bicarbonate concentration of 12 mEq/L. Patient complained of abdominal pain and nervoussness.
Conclusions
Most common signs and symptoms of alcohol-based hand sanitizer ingestion include nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, blurred vision, loss of coordination, and decreased level of consciousness. Treatment includes supportive care, acidosis correction, the administration of an alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor and sometimes may be required.
We investigated real-world vaccine effectiveness for Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1) and CoronaVac against laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare workers (HCWs).
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study among HCWs (aged ≥18 years) working in a private healthcare system in Brazil between January 1, 2021 and August 3, 2021, to assess vaccine effectiveness. We calculated vaccine effectiveness as 1 − rate ratio (RR), with RR determined by adjusting Poisson models with the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection as the outcome and the vaccination status as the main variable. We used the logarithmic link function and simple models adjusting for sex, age, and job types.
Results:
In total, 13,813 HCWs met the inclusion criteria for this analysis. Among them, 6,385 (46.2%) received the CoronaVac vaccine, 5,916 (42.8%) received the ChAdOx1 vaccine, and 1,512 (11.0%) were not vaccinated. Overall, COVID-19 occurred in 6% of unvaccinated HCWs, 3% of HCWs who received 2 doses of CoronaVac vaccine, and 0.7% of HCWs who received 2 doses of ChAdOx1 vaccine (P < .001). In the adjusted analyses, the estimated vaccine effectiveness rates were 51.3% for CoronaVac, and 88.1% for ChAdOx1 vaccine. Both vaccines reduced the number of hospitalizations, the length of hospital stay, and the need for mechanical ventilation. In addition, 19 SARS-CoV-2 samples from 19 HCWs were screened for mutations of interest. Of 19 samples, 18 were the γ (gamma) variant.
Conclusions:
Although both COVID-19 vaccines (viral vector and inactivated virus) can significantly prevent COVID-19 among HCWs, CoronaVac was much less effective. The COVID-19 vaccines were also effective against the dominant γ variant.
Although multiple studies revealed high vaccine effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines within 3 months after the completion of vaccines, long-term vaccine effectiveness has not been well established, especially after the δ (delta) variant became prominent. We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of long-term vaccine effectiveness.
Methods:
We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Web of Science from December 2019 to November 15, 2021, for studies evaluating the long-term vaccine effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 or COVID-19 hospitalization among individuals who received 2 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccines, or 1 dose of the Janssen vaccine. Long-term was defined as >5 months after the last dose. We calculated the pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) with 95% confidence interval for COVID-19 between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated as 100% × (1 − DOR).
Results:
In total, 16 studies including 17,939,172 individuals evaluated long-term vaccine effectiveness and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled DOR for COVID-19 was 0.158 (95% CI: 0.157-0.160) with an estimated vaccine effectiveness of 84.2% (95% CI, 84.0- 84.3%). Estimated vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization was 88.7% (95% CI, 55.8%–97.1%). Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 during the δ variant period was 61.2% (95% CI, 59.0%–63.3%).
Conclusions:
COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing COVID-19 and COVID-19 hospitalization across a long-term period for the circulating variants during the study period. More observational studies are needed to evaluate the vaccine effectiveness of third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccine effectiveness of mixing COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19 breakthrough infection, and vaccine effectiveness against newly emerging variants.