COVID-19 in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): A Narrative Review from Prevention to Vaccination Strategy

The management of the COVID-19 pandemic represents a challenging process, especially for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to the serious economic and health resource problems it generates. In this article, we assess COVID-19 situation in LMICs and outline emerging problems and possible solutions. The prevention and control of COVID-19 would be based on focused tests exploiting those systems (e.g., GeneXpert®) already used in other scenarios. This would be less stressful for the healthcare system in LMICs. Avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections, frequent handwashing, and avoiding unprotected contact with farm or wild animals are recommended infection control interventions. The appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is required, despite its procurement being especially difficult in LMICs. Patients’ triage should be based on a simple and rapid logarithm to decide who requires isolation and targeted testing for SARS-CoV-2. Being able to estimate which patients will develop severe disease would allow hospitals to better utilize the already limited resources more effectively. In LMICs, laboratories are often in the capital cities; therefore, early diagnosis and isolation become difficult. The number of ICU beds is often insufficient, and the equipment is often old and poorly serviced. LMICs will need access to COVID-19 treatments at minimal prices to ensure that all who need them can be treated. Year-to-date, different vaccines have been approved and are currently available. The main obstacle to accessing them is the limited ability of LMICs to purchase significant quantities of the vaccine

Cefiderocol for Carbapenem-Resistant Bacteria: Handle with Care! A Review of the Real-World Evidence

(1) Background: healthcare-associated infections are one of the most frequent adverse events in healthcare delivery worldwide. Several antibiotic resistance mechanisms have been developed, including those to carbapenemase. Cefiderocol (CFD) is a novel siderophore cephalosporin designed to treat carbapenem-resistant bacteria. (2) Methods: we performed a systematic review of all cases reported in the literature to outline the existing evidence. We evaluated real-world evidence studies of CFD in the treatment of carbapenem-resistant (CR) bacteria. (3) Results: a total of 19 publications treating cases of infection by CR bacteria were included. The three most frequent CR pathogens were Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. A regimen of 2 g every 8 h was most frequently adopted for CFD with a mean treatment duration of 25.6 days. CFD was generally well tolerated, with fewer side effects. The success rate of CFD therapy was satisfactory and almost 70% of patients showed clinical recovery; of these, nearly half showed negative blood cultures and infection-free status. (4) Conclusions: This review indicates that CFD is active against important GN organisms including Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii. CFD seems to have a safe profile

What is the role of locoregional anesthesia in breast surgery? A systematic literature review focused on pain intensity, opioid consumption, adverse events, and patient satisfaction

Breast surgery in the United States is common. Pain affects up to 50% of women undergoing breast surgery and can interfere with postoperative outcomes. General anesthesia is the conventional, most frequently used anaesthetic technique. Various locoregional anesthetic techniques are also used for breast surgeries. A systematic review of the use of locoregional anesthesia for postoperative pain in breast surgery is needed to clarify its role in pain management

Peripheral Nerve Blocks for Postdural Puncture Headache: A New Solution for an Old Problem?

Background/Aim: Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is one of the earliest recognized complications of regional anesthesia after inadvertent dural puncture. Epidural blood patch (EBP) is the "gold standard" for the treatment of PDPH. Several alternatives have been suggested as peripheral nerve blocks. The aim of this systematic review was to find out the potential efficacy and safety of peripheral nerve blocks for the treatment of PDPH. Materials and Methods: The main databases were systematically searched in September 2020 for studies examining regional anesthesia and PDPH. Results: Nineteen studies were identified, including a total of 221 patients. Sphenopalatine ganglion block, greater occipital nerve block, and lesser occipital nerve block were performed. All participants reported a numeric rating scale (NRS) <4 after peripheral nerve blocks at 1, 24 and 48 h. Only patients with PDPH after diagnostic lumbar puncture reported NRS >= 4 after 48 h. No major adverse events were reported. Approximately, 17% of patients underwent a second or more peripheral nerve blocks. In 30 participants, EBP was required. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review on the use of peripheral nerve blocks to treat PDPH. Peripheral nerve blocks can be considered as analgesic options in the management of PDPH

Comparative Efficacy of Tapentadol versus Tapentadol Plus Duloxetine in Patients with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN): A Randomized Non-Inferiority Clinical Trial

Simple Summary Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common complication due to treatment with anti-cancer agents. Our aim was therefore to assess the non-inferiority of the analgesic effect and safety of tapentadol alone compared to duloxetine plus tapentadol administered to patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The use of tapentadol is a safe and effective analgesic therapy in patients with CIPN. Positive effects of tapentadol were noted on the patients' quality-of-life assessments. Introduction: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common complication due to treatment with many commonly used anti-cancer agents. CIPN is a mainly sensory neuropathy that can be characterized by the appearance of motor and autonomic alterations. Clinicians may offer duloxetine (DLX) for patients with cancer experiencing CIPN. Our aim was to assess the non-inferiority of the analgesic effect and safety of tapentadol (TP) alone compared to duloxetine plus tapentadol administered to patients with CIPN. Methods: A total of 114 patients were enrolled in the study and randomized to receive tapentadol in a dosage of 50 to 500 mg/day (n = 56) or tapentadol plus duloxetine in a dosage of 60 to 120 mg/day (n = 58) for a period of 4 weeks. We evaluated the analgesia efficacy, defined as a decrease in pain on the NRS between the first administration and 28 days later. Secondary endpoints included analgesia efficacy at 28 and 42 days, defined by a decrease in DN4 and LEPs, decrease in quality of life, and the incidence of any serious or non-serious adverse events after the first administration. Results: In this randomized, double-blind trial comparing TP and TP plus DLX for CIPN management, TP was feasible and non-inferior to the association with DLX as far as the reduction of pain after chemotherapy at 28 days is concerned. Scores on other rating scales evaluating the quality of life, anxiety and depression, and the characteristics of pain revealed similar improvements associated with tapentadol versus duloxetine at these time points. Conclusion: The use of TP is a safe and effective analgesic therapy in patients with CIPN. Positive effects of TP were noted on the patients' quality-of-life assessments

Non invasive hemodynamic monitoring for fluids and blood resuscitation during placenta praevia accreta cesarean delivery: a retrospective observational study

Abstract Background We carry out a retrospective observational analysis of clinical records of patients with major placenta praevia who underwent cesarean section surgery over a period of 20 months in our hospital. Out of a total of 40 patients, 20 were subjected to Goal-Directed Therapy (GDT) implemented with non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring using the EV1000 ClearSight system (Group I) and 20 to standard hemodynamic monitoring (Group II). Given the risk of conspicuous blood loss, this study evaluate the impact on maternal and fetal health of GDT relative to standard hemodynamic monitoring. Results Average total infusion of fluids was 1600 +/− 350 ml. Use of blood products occurred in 29 patients (72,5%), of which 11 had a hysterectomy and 8 were treated with Bakri Balloons. For 2 patients > 1000 mL of concentrated red blood cells were used. When stroke volume index SVI dropped below 35 mL/m2/beat, it responded well to the infusion of at least 2 crystalloid boluses (5 ml/kg) in 7 patients. Cardiac index (CI) increased in 8 patients in concomitance with a reduction in medium arterial pressure (MAP), but the use of ephedrine (10 mg iv) re-established acceptable baseline values. Group I means are higher than Group II means for MAP, lower for RBC usage, end-of-surgery maternal lactates and fetal pH, and for LOS. Statistical analysis determines that the null hypotheses of equalities between Groups I and II can be rejected for all measures apart from MAP at baseline and induction. Proportions of serious complications in Groups I and II are respectively 10% and 32% and Boschloo’s test rejects the null of equality of proportions against the alternative hypothesis of lower proportion of occurrence in Group I than in Group II. Conclusions Hypovolemia can lead to vasoconstriction and inadequate perfusion with decreased oxygen delivery to organs and peripheral tissues and ultimately cause organ dysfunction. Despite the small sample size due to the rarity of the pathology, our statistical analysis finds evidence in favor of more favorable clinical outcomes for patients who received GDT implemented with non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring infusion relative to patients who received standard hemodynamic monitoring

Mechanisms of Action of Carbapenem Resistance

: Carbapenem antibiotics are the most effective antimicrobials for the treatment of infections caused by the most resistant bacteria. They belong to the category of β-lactams that include the penicillins, cephalosporins, monobactams and carbapenems. This class of antimicrobials has a broader spectrum of activity than most other beta-lactams antibiotics and are the most effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. All β-lactams antibiotics have a similar molecular structure: the carbapenems together with the β-lactams. This combination gives an extraordinary stability to the molecule against the enzymes inactivating the β-lactams. They are safe to use and therefore widespread use in many countries has given rise to carbapenem resistance which is a major global public health problem. The carbapenem resistance in some species is intrinsic and consists of the capacity to resist the action of antibiotics with several mechanisms: for the absence of a specific target, or an intrinsic difference in the composition of cytoplasmatic membrane or the inability to cross the outer membrane. In addition to intrinsic resistance, bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics with several mechanisms that can be gathered in three main groups. The first group includes antibiotics with poor penetration into the outer membrane of bacterium or antibiotic efflux. The second includes bacteria that modify the target of the antibiotics through genetic mutations or post-translational modification of the target. The third includes bacteria that act with enzyme-catalyzed modification and this is due to the production of beta-lactamases, that are able to inactivate carbapenems and so called carbapenemases. In this review, we focus on the mode of action of carbapenem and the mechanisms of carbapenem resistance

Comparison of McGrath Videolaryngoscope versus Macintosh Laryngoscope in Tracheal Intubation: An Updated Systematic Review

: (1) Background: In the last few years, many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have compared direct Macintosh laryngoscopy with McGrath videolaryngoscopy in order to assess the potential benefits of the latter; the results were sometimes controversial. (2) Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search to identify our articles according to inclusion and exclusion criteria: to be included, each study had to be a prospective randomized trial or comparison between the McGrath videolaryngoscope and the Macintosh laryngoscope in an adult population. We did not include manikin trials or studies involving double-lumen tubes. (3) Results: 10 studies met the inclusion criteria necessary. In total, 655 patients were intubated with the McGrath and 629 with the Macintosh. In total, 1268 of 1284 patients were successfully intubated, showing equivalent results for the two devices: 648 of 655 patients with the McGrath videolaryngoscope and 620 of 629 patients with the Macintosh laryngoscope. No differences were noted in terms of hemodynamic changes or the incidence of adverse events. (4) Conclusions: We can assert that the McGrath videolaryngoscope and Macintosh laryngoscope, even if with equivalent tracheal intubation results, supplement each other