Evaluation of medical decision errors during the transition period to telemedicine

The context of the Coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we approach medical services. Beyond setting up new technological possibilities, it has propelled telemedicine to become a reality, bringing undeniable practical benefits. The questions that arise are both justified and worrying: can digitalization replace a direct interpersonal relationship that involves a physical examination, while preserving the quality of the medical act and the degree of patient satisfaction? Isn\u27t there a risk that the digitization of the medical record will cancel out the deep human character of classical medicine that has evolved since the time of Hippocrates? Should the implementation of telemedicine be the state-of-art of modern medicine, in accordance with the co-evolution of digital technology? It is hard to believe that once used in this period, telemedicine will be abandoned. However, telemedicine must be analyzed not only in the short term but also in the long term, in order to be able to evaluate both its usefulness and possible deficiencies

Postpartum depression; associated factors and underdiagnosis

Post-partum depression is one of the most severe types of depression and can be developed at any age, no matter of cultural of social status. Objectives. To determine the factors associated with the psychological impact of pregnancy and to emphasize the psychological and psychiatric risks after giving birth for a woman. Materials and Methods. The study enrolled 35 patients diagnosed with postpartum depression that have been hospitalized in a tertiary-care center for psychiatric disorders between 2016 and 2020. Data were collected from patients’ observation charts. Results. The incidence of postpartum depression is higher in the age range 30-45 years old for primiparous women who are from urban areas, unemployed and not integrated in a family (unbalanced families or single parents), with medium level of education (high school) and alcohol addiction. One of 35 patients committed infanticide. Conclusions. Even if the postpartum depression is known worldwide it is still underdiagnosed, with certain factors concurring to that. Postpartum depression requires the identification of risk conditions in pregnant women and individualized therapy in a patient-centered, holistic manner

Anxio-depressive disorders in a pandemic context: A comparative analysis: year 2019 versus 2020

The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has resulted in increased rates of anxiety and depression worldwide. Objective. To comparatively evaluate factors associated with the psychological impact of Coronavirus disease between 2019 and the pandemic year 2020. Materials and Methods. The study was performed on a group of 3224 patients, of which 197 were hospitalized, selected from Jan 1st 2019 until 30th Dec 2020 in a tertiary care center for psychiatric disorders. Data were collected from the observation charts. Results. The incidence of anxiety disorders is higher in the age range 40-70 years with an average value of 53 years old. In 2019, a third of patients (29,45%) had alcohol-related conditions and developed anxiety-depressive disorder. In 2020, the percentage was lower (9.38%), but also the number of admitted patients significantly decreased (p<0.0001). There were not found significant differences in age, gender or environment. Hypnotic disorders were more predominant in 2019 (54.6% vs 37.5%, p=0.01), whereas in 2020 anxiety and agitation increased significantly (34.4% vs 84.38%, p=0.0001). Relapses were similarly frequent in both years, in half of the cases. Conclusions. Coronavirus pandemic lead to a decrease in both presentations and admission to hospital. Although there were not found significant differences in age or gender, more patients from urban environment were admitted, which can have several explanations. Anxiety and agitation became the main reason for hospitalization in 2020

Antidiabetic Molecule Efficacy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus—A Real-Life Clinical Practice Study

In this paper, we aim to evaluate the efficacy of antidiabetic cardioprotective molecules such as Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors (SGLT-2i) and Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) when used with other glucose-lowering drugs, lipid-lowering, and blood pressure (BP)-lowering drugs in a real-life setting. A retrospective, observational study on 477 patients admitted consecutively in 2019 to the outpatient clinic of a tertiary care unit for Diabetes Mellitus was conducted. Body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) (both systolic and diastolic), and metabolic parameters, as well as A1c hemoglobin, fasting glycaemia and lipid profile, including total cholesterol (C), HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides), were evaluated at baseline and two follow-up visits were scheduled (6 months and 12 months) in order to assess the antidiabetic medication efficacy. Both SGLT-2i and GLP-1 RAs were efficient in terms of weight control reflected by BMI; metabolic control suggested by fasting glycaemia and A1c; and the diastolic component of BP control when comparing the data from the 6 and 12-month visits to the baseline, and when comparing the 12-month visit to the 6-month visit. Moreover, when comparing SGLT-2i and GLP-1 RAs with metformin, there are efficacy data for SGLT-2i at baseline in terms of BMI, fasting glycaemia, and HbA1c. In this retrospective study, both classes of cardioprotective molecules, when used in conjunction with other glucose-lowering, antihypertensive, and lipid-lowering medications, appeared to be efficient in a real-life setting for the management of T2DM