Neurological and neurourological complications of electrical injuries

Electrical injury can affect any system and organ. Central nervous system (CNS) complications are especially well recognised, causing an increased risk of morbidity, while peripheral nervous system (PNS) complications, neurourological and cognitive and psychological abnormalities are less predictable after electrical injuries.PubMed was searched for English language clinical observational, retrospective, review and case studies published in the last 30 years using the key words: electrical injury, electrocution, complications, sequelae, neurological, cognitive, psychological, urological, neuropsychological, neurourological, neurogenic, and bladder.In this review, the broad spectrum of neurological, cognitive, psychological and neurourological consequences of electrical trauma are discussed, and clinical features characteristic of an underlying neurological, psychological or neurourological disorder are identified. The latest information about the most recently discovered forms of nervous system disorders secondary to electrical trauma, such as the presentation of neurological sequelae years after electrocution, in other words long-term sequelae, are presented. Unexpected central nervous system or muscular complications such as hydrocephalus, brain venous thrombosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are described. Common and uncommon neuropsychological syndromes after electrical trauma are defined. Neurourological sequelae secondary to spinal cord or brain trauma or as independent consequences of electrical shock are also highlighted

Vaccination Coverage of the Elderly in Greece: A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study

Vaccines are important for older adults, and the morbidity and mortality of vaccine-preventable diseases among older adults are high. There are limited data on vaccination coverage among elderly people in Greece. The aim of this observational study was to record the vaccination coverage for vaccines recommended by the National Vaccination Program in Greece for the elderly people ≥60 years old. Two hundred general practitioners (GPs) around the country from the primary healthcare system were invited to “participate,” and one hundred fifty from them participated in the present study. The GPs were selected using geographically stratified random sampling methodology. Two thousand and seventy-two participants participated in the present study: of which, 1043 were males and 1029 were females. The mean age of the participants was 73.3 years, and 83% vaccination coverage for flu vaccine, 49.5% for conjugate pneumococcal vaccine, and 23.5% for polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine were recorded. In addition, the vaccination coverage for herpes zoster vaccine was 20%, while very low percentages were recorded for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and polio vaccine for adults. We found significant gaps in vaccination coverage, especially with regard to pneumococcal, herpes zoster, and tetanus. On the contrary, influenza vaccination coverage was satisfactory

Neurological and neurourological complications of electrical injuries

Electrical injury can affect any system and organ. Central nervous system (CNS) complications are especially well recognised, causing an increased risk of morbidity, while peripheral nervous system (PNS) complications, neurourological and cognitive and psychological abnormalities are less predictable after electrical injuries. PubMed was searched for English language clinical observational, retrospective, review and case studies published in the last 30 years using the key words: electrical injury, electrocution, complications, sequelae, neurological, cognitive, psychological, urological, neuropsychological, neurourological, neurogenic, and bladder. In this review, the broad spectrum of neurological, cognitive, psychological and neurourological consequences of electrical trauma are discussed, and clinical features characteristic of an underlying neurological, psychological or neurourological disorder are identified. The latest information about the most recently discovered forms of nervous system disorders secondary to electrical trauma, such as the presentation of neurological sequelae years after electrocution, in other words long-term sequelae, are presented. Unexpected central nervous system or muscular complications such as hydrocephalus, brain venous thrombosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are described. Common and uncommon neuropsychological syndromes after electrical trauma are defined. Neurourological sequelae secondary to spinal cord or brain trauma or as independent consequences of electrical shock are also highlighted

Rehabotics: A Comprehensive Rehabilitation Platform for Post-Stroke Spasticity, Incorporating a Soft Glove, a Robotic Exoskeleton Hand and Augmented Reality Serious Games

Spasticity following a stroke often leads to severe motor impairments, necessitating comprehensive and personalized rehabilitation protocols. This paper presents Rehabotics, an innovative rehabilitation platform incorporating a multi-component design for the rehabilitation of patients with post-stroke spasticity in the upper limbs. This system incorporates a sensor-equipped soft glove, a robotic exoskeleton hand, and an augmented reality (AR) platform with serious games of varying difficulties for adaptive therapy personalization. The soft glove collects data regarding hand movements and force exertion levels when the patient touches an object. In conjunction with a web camera, this enables real-time physical therapy using AR serious games, thus targeting specific motor skills. The exoskeleton hand, facilitated by servomotors, assists patients in hand movements, specifically aiding in overcoming the challenge of hand opening. The proposed system utilizes the data collected and (in combination with the clinical measurements) provides personalized and refined rehabilitation plans and targeted therapy to the affected hand. A pilot study of Rehabotics was conducted with a sample of 14 stroke patients. This novel system promises to enhance patient engagement and outcomes in post-stroke spasticity rehabilitation by providing a personalized, adaptive, and engaging therapy experience

Determinants of Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Greek Health Care Workers amid COVID-19 Pandemic

In the context of the evolving current COVID-19 pandemic, influenza vaccination among the public and health care workers is of particular importance. There are sparse data on the influenza vaccination coverage among health care workers amid COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to study possible factors associated with influenza vaccination coverage among Greek physicians, dentists, and pharmacists during the flu season 2020–2021. We formulated the hypothesis that COVID-19 pandemic exerted a positive impact on the influenza vaccination coverage of health care workers. An online survey was conducted among the members of the Larissa, (Thessaly, Central Greece) Medical, Dentists, and Pharmacists Associations. The influenza vaccination coverage was 74% (251/340). Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination coverage was the only factor independently associated with the likelihood of influenza vaccination coverage. In conclusion, we report here a considerable improvement of the influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs and especially among physicians. Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination was the only predictor of influenza vaccination coverage. This finding provides public health workers and policymakers with useful policy-relevant evidence in order to maintain and even further improve the gains of increased vaccination coverage achieved during the flu season 2020–2021

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) of Health Care Professionals in Greece before the Outbreak Period

Introduction: The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 pandemic has expanded globally. The aim of the current study is to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of health care professionals in Greece towards SARS-CoV-2. Methods: From 10–25 February 2020, 500 health care workers were approached. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards SARS-CoV-2 were assessed via a personal interview questionnaire. For knowledge, each correct answer was given 1 point; attitudes, or concerns aimed at prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and practices, or behaviors towards performing preventive practices, were assigned 1 point each. Points were summed and a score for each category was calculated. Results: A total of 461 health care workers returned the questionnaire and were included in the analysis (mean age ± SD: 44.2 ± 10.78 years, 74% females). The majority were nurses (47.5%), followed by physicians (30.5%) and paramedics (19%). The majority of subjects (88.28%) had a good level of knowledge (knowledge score equal to 4, or more). The majority of participants (71%) agreed with the temporary traveling restrictions ban. The uptake of a future vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 was estimated at 43%. Knowledge score was significantly associated with both attitudes score (p = 0.011) and practices score (p < 0.001), indicating that subjects with a high knowledge score demonstrated a more positive perception on preventive measures and would practice more preventive measures. Attitudes score was significantly associated with practices score (p = 0.009) indicating that subjects with a higher attitudes score are more likely to perform practices towards the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Conclusion: There is a high level of knowledge concerning SARS-CoV-2 pandemic among Greek health care workers and this is significantly associated with positive attitudes and practices towards preventive health measures. The high level of knowledge of health professionals about SARS-CoV-2 may have contributed considerably to the successful management of the pandemic in Greece. Tailored educational campaigns aiming to increase the proportion of health care workers willing to accept a potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccine could be of paramount importance in future proactive vaccine educational campaigns

Defining Antibody Seroprevalence and Duration of Humoral Responses to SARS-CoV-2 Infection and/or Vaccination in a Greek Community

Background: In this work, we aimed to evaluate antibody-response longevity to SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or vaccination in one of the Greek communities that was worst hit by the pandemic, Deskati, five months after a previous serosurveillance and nine months after the pandemic wave initiation (October 2020). Methods: The SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant method (Architect, Abbott, IL, USA) was used for antibody testing. Results: A total of 69 subjects, who previously tested positive or negative for COVID-19 antibodies, participated in the study. We found that 48% of participants turned positive due to vaccination. 27% of participants were both previously infected and vaccinated. However, all previously infected participants retained antibodies to the virus, irrespective of their vaccination status. The antibody titers were significantly higher in previously infected participants that had been vaccinated than those who were unvaccinated and in those that had been previously hospitalized for COVID-19 than those with mild disease. Conclusions: Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection were maintained nine months after the pandemic. Vaccination alone had generated an immune response in almost half of the population. Higher antibody titers were found in the case of vaccination in previously infected subjects and especially in those with severe disease leading to hospitalization

Diphtheria and Tetanus Immunity Status among Greek Adults: Results from a Nationwide Seroprevalence Study

Diphtheria and tetanus could lead to serious morbidity. We aimed to evaluate immunity levels by measuring specific IgG antibodies for diphtheria and tetanus in serum samples from a nationally expanded sample of the Greek population. A geographically stratified sampling approach based on regional units (NUTS level 2) was applied by considering variables such as age group (30–80+) and sex. In total, 1201 persons (47.7% males and 52.3% females) participated in the survey. Bivariate analysis revealed a negative relationship between diphtheria and tetanus median antibody titers and age. The overall seropositivity rate for diphtheria IgG antibodies (≥0.10 IU/mL) was estimated at 31.5%. Regarding tetanus, the total seropositivity rate was estimated at 59.5% (tetanus IgG antibodies ≥0.10 IU/mL). Logistic regression analysis indicated that age groups <40 years and 40–59 years were independently associated with tetanus seropositivity. Logistic regression also revealed that male sex and being aged 60–69 years were independent risk factors for diphtheria-related seropositivity. Lastly, being resident of some regions was an independent risk factor for both diphtheria- and tetanus-related seropositivity. The present study shows that Greek adults are still not completely immune to diphtheria and tetanus. It is likely possible to achieve optimal immunization coverage by implementing serviceable public health initiatives after comprehending real community needs