Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults: rapid review

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the lives of countless members of the general population. Older adults are known to experience loneliness, age discrimination, and excessive worry. It is therefore reasonable to anticipate that they would experience greater negative outcomes related to the COVID-19 pandemic given their increased isolation and risk for complications than younger adults. Objective: This study aims to synthesize the existing research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated isolation and protective measures, on older adults. The secondary objective is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated isolation and protective measures, on older adults with Alzheimer disease and related dementias. Methods: A rapid review of the published literature was conducted on October 6, 2020, through a search of 6 online databases to synthesize results from published original studies regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults. The Human Development Model conceptual framework–Disability Creation Process was used to describe and understand interactions between personal factors, environmental factors, and life habits. Methods and results are reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Statement. Results: A total of 135 records were included from the initial search strategy of 13,452 individual studies. Of these, 113 (83.7%) studies were determined to be of level 4 according to the levels of evidence classification by the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. The presence of psychological symptoms, exacerbation of ageism, and physical deterioration of aged populations were reported in the included studies. Decreased social life and fewer in-person social interactions reported during the COVID-19 pandemic were occasionally associated with reduced quality of life and increased depression. Difficulties accessing services, sleep disturbances, and a reduction of physical activity were also noted. Conclusions: Our results highlight the need for adequate isolation and protective measures. Older adults represent a heterogeneous group, which could explain the contradictory results found in the literature. Individual, organizational, and institutional strategies should be established to ensure that older adults are able to maintain social contacts, preserve family ties, and maintain the ability to give or receive help during the current pandemic. Future studies should focus on specific consequences and needs of more at-risk older adults to ensure their inclusion, both in public health recommendations and considerations made by policy makers

Les soins d’urgence et l’oncologie : une mise à jour des recommandations

Le personnel soignant oeuvrant à la salle d’urgence peut entrer en contact avec plusieurs médicaments dangereux (p. ex., traitements antinéoplasiques, médicaments antirejet, warfarin) lors de la dispensation des soins, ce qui peut favoriser le développement de problèmes de santé, tels qu’un cancer, fausses couches ou l’infertilité. Toutefois, les recommandations associées à la manipulation de ces médicaments dangereux sont souvent méconnues du personnel soignant qui travaille à la salle d’urgence. Cet article, présente sous la forme d’un vrai ou faux, mettra en lumière certaines recommandations provenant de l’Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail du secteur affaires sociales (ASSTSAS) quant à la manipulation sécuritaire des médicaments dangereux et des excrétas qui y sont associés

Les soins d’urgence et l’oncologie

Un Canadien sur deux développera un cancer au cours de sa vie. En ce sens, il est de plus en plus commun de soigner des usagers recevant des traitements contre le cancer (URTCC) dans les salles d’urgence. Les modalités de traitement offert aux URTCC sont dorénavant nombreuses et plus complexes. Il n’est plus seulement question de chimiothérapie, de radiothérapie ou de chirurgie. À ces modalités se sont ajoutées l’immunothérapie, la thérapie ciblée, l’hormonothérapie et la greffe de cellules souches. Il est d’ailleurs reconnu que la prise en charge de certains URTCC, comme ceux recevant de la chimiothérapie, se distingue des autres clientèles puisque des précautions doivent être mises en place lors de la manipulation des excrétas. Il importe donc de sensibiliser le personnel infirmier (c’est-à-dire les infirmières, les infirmières auxiliaires et les préposés aux bénéficiaires) quant à certaines particularités liées à la prise en charge d’un URTCC à la salle d’urgence. Cet article qui se veut à la fois instructif et ludique est le premier d’une série de deux