Journal of Inflammatory Diseases
Volume:26 Issue: 2, Summer 2022

Health promotion among health workers requires appropriate evidence of relevant determinants.

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between mental health and its measured covariates with self-rated health (SRH) among health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in northwest Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 569 health workers from three educational hospitals of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Iran. From July 1 to September 5 (2020), participants were asked to provide demographic and clinical information and to complete the symptom checklist 90 (SCL-90) questionnaire. The relationship between suboptimal SRH with each of the SCL-90 domains and measured covariates were analyzed using logistic regression models.

The Mean±SD age of participants was 34.73(7.95) years. A total of 148 health workers (26%) reported their suboptimal SRH, which was higher in women (odds ratio [OR]: 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21, 3.24), as well as among participants without physical activity (OR: 2.14; 95% CI: 1.35, 3.39). Depression (OR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.64, 2.77) and anxiety (OR: 3.76; 95% CI: 2.78, 5.09) showed significantly higher odds of suboptimal SRH. Also, other SCL-90 domains indicated a positive association with suboptimal SRH during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health, gender, and physical activity were significant variables related to SRH. The current findings suggest that we should pay attention to mental health problems and other important covariates during the COVID-19 epidemic. Hence, policymakers should consider this issue in health promotion programs for health workers.

Adverse effects of high parathormone hormone (PTH) in critical illness have been described in some studies. 

The relationship between high PTH levels with mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was evaluated in the present study.

A total of 123 patients were included in the study. The patients were evaluated in phase 1 (on admission) and phase 2 (days 4-6 of hospitalization). The patients were categorized into four groups based on the PTH status in both phases: normal PTH1/normal PTH2 (group 1), high PTH1/normal PTH2 (group 2), high PTH1/high PTH2 (group 3), and normal PTH1/high PTH2 (group 4). The multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the independent association of late hyperparathyroidism with mortality. After excluding ineligible participants, 115 patients in phase 1 and 96 patients in phase 2 (days 4-6 of hospitalization) were evaluated.

The level of phase 2 PTH in non-survivors was significantly higher than in survivors (57.5±40.9 pg/mL vs. 27.6±16.2 pg/mL, P=0.001). The mortality rate was significantly higher in high-PTH groups in phase 2 compared to normal-PTH groups in this phase (50% and 42.9% in groups 3 and 4 vs. 6.6% and 18.2% in PTH groups 1 and 2, respectively, P=0.007). Late hyperparathyroidism was associated with 11.4 times higher mortality risk (95% CI: 2.3-56.1, P=0.003).

Late hyperparathyroidism remained a significant predictor of mortality after adjusting for the main PTH secretion modulators and disease severity. Late hyperparathyroidism is an independent and strong risk factor for mortality in COVID-19. Further studies are necessary to clarify the mechanisms involved.

Several supplementary approaches have been used to increase the patient’s comfort during phacoemulsification under topical anesthesia.

This study aimed to compare the effects of lidocaine/paracetamol (LP) and midazolam/fentanyl (MF) administration on pain intensity and hemodynamic changes in patients undergoing cataract surgery using phacoemulsification.

This study was designed and implemented as a pilot randomized double-blinded clinical trial. A total number of 80 patients with cataracts scheduled for phacoemulsification were randomly assigned to two groups (40 subjects in each group) to receive lidocaine at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg and then infused with 1 g of paracetamol in 100 cc of normal saline (LP group) or midazolam 0.2 mg/kg and fentanyl 1.5 µg/kg (MF group). Hemodynamic parameters and sedation scores were measured before, 5, and 15 minutes after surgery, and then during recovery. Furthermore, pain (VAS), patient-surgeon satisfaction, propofol, and opioid consumption were all assessed.

The sedation scores during recovery in the LP group were significantly lower (P= 0.04) than those in the MF group. Respiratory depression was also significantly lower (P<0.001) in the LP group compared to that infused by MF. According to other findings, no significant difference was observed between both study groups.

The use of lidocaine-paracetamol as a supplementary approach for patients undergoing cataract surgery under topical anesthesia can cause better sedation scores with lower respiratory depression compared to the use of midazolam-fentanyl.

Statins may be protective against viral infection and have been suggested for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). 

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin on COVID-19 patients.

Our study is a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial that constitutes a population of COVID-19 patients admitted to Bu-Ali Sina Hospital in Qazvin, Iran, from May to August 2021. For the intervention and control groups, in addition to the national standard treatment, atorvastatin 40 mg tablet and placebo were daily administered for 7 days, respectively. A questionnaire including demographic characteristics, history of underlying diseases, vital signs, laboratory and imaging results, and outcome (alive, died) was completed on the first, third, and fifth days of hospitalization. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed by SPSS software, version 25.

One hundred five patients with COVID-19 (62 females and 43 males, mean age 69 years) were studied. On days 3 and 5 after the intervention, no significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of vital signs, laboratory findings, hospitalization time, and need for intensive care unit hospitalization. However, 5.7% of patients in the atorvastatin group and 0% of patients in the control group died (P=0.243). Among the studied variables, C-reactive protein (P=0.227 vs P=0.002), blood urea nitrogen (P=0.055 vs P<0.001), and creatinine (P=0.598 vs P=0.013) decreased significantly in the statin group (no control group during days 0-5).

There was no evidence about the harm and benefits of statin treatment during COVID-19 hospitalization.

The lateral hypothalamus (LH), which produces orexin, is vital for body solution homeostasis. Lateral hypothalamus (LH) lesion causes adipsia and its stimulation increases water intake.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of an intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of orexin-A (OXA) on water-drinking behavior in water-deprived rats.

Metods: 

A total of 32 male Wistar rats (220–250 g) were used and divided into 4 groups, control (no injection), vehicle (Normal saline, 5 µL), OXA (30 µg/rat), SB-334867 (OXA receptor selective antagonist, 30 µg/rat). After the microinjection of drugs or vehicles in the right lateral ventricle, each rat was placed individually into the metabolic cage and the amount of water intake, the delay time for the first water intake, and the referral number for water intake were recorded for 4 h.

This study showed that ICV administration of OXA increased both water intake and the referral number for water intake in water-deprived animals (P<0.05). On the other hand, ICV administration of SB-334867 decreased water intake compared to vehicle and control groups.

It can be concluded that OXA has a regulatory role in water drinking behavior in water-depriving states.

Health risks from asbestos exposures have been evaluated, considering past professional histories when exposures at workplaces were higher than today. A linear no-threshold (LNT) model has been applied, although its relevance is unproven. Fibers are often found in the lungs and pleura of deceased people. Fiber findings do not prove that a disease is caused by asbestos. It is reasonable to assume that a targeted search for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions in asbestos workers resulted in an increased detection rate. Histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of malignant mesothelioma partly overlap with other cancers, which may contribute to the overdiagnosis in exposed populations. The etiology and differential diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma as well as differences in carcinogenicity between different asbestos types are briefly discussed here. In the author’s opinion, current regulations applied in some countries are excessive and should be reconsidered based on independent research. The most promising way to obtain reliable information would be through lifelong bioassays. It can be reasonably assumed that the non-use of asbestos-containing brakes, fireproofing, insulation, etc. increases the harm caused by fires, traffic accidents, and armed conflicts.