A study of age as a risk factor in ischemic stroke of elderly

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of age as a risk factor and a determinant of outcome in elderly ischemic stroke patients.Methods: This is an observational study. One hundred, successive elderly patients aged 60 years and above, admitted with acute ischemic stroke in PESIMSR over a period of 18 months were prospectively studied. Patients with hemorrhagic stroke, neurological deficits following trauma or following infection were excluded. Demographics, risk factors, stroke severity at admission were estimated by NIHSS. Risk factors and clinical profile were noted and compared among male and female patients. Outcome at discharge was measured by-mRS-modified ranking score.Results: Patients in age group 60-75 years presented with less severe stroke and better mRS when compared to >75 years age group. Complications were significantly higher among the older age group.Conclusions: The risk factors identified for ischemic stroke in the present study are diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, smoking, and alcohol. Severity of stroke at presentation, clinical outcome and complication rate during the in-hospital stay were all significantly affected by the age, more so in ischemic stroke. Age specific factors of stroke prevention are crucial for successful prevention and implementation of well-organized stroke care

Long COVID 19 – Persistent and longitudinal symptoms in covid infected health care personnel

Background: Worldwide health-care personnel are dealing with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at various levels. From fears of protecting themselves and their family while treating COVID patients to succumbing to COVID infection themselves, they are at the receiving end of divergent ramifications of COVID infection. One such aspect that is less known is the long-haul manifestations of COVID infection in health-care workers (HCWs). Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the persisting symptoms in HCWs who had recovered from COVID-19 and to investigate the associated factors contributing to the persistent symptoms. Settings and Design: It was a longitudinal, follow-up study of HCWs who had recovered from acute COVID infection but have lingering symptoms workers in a medical college hospital. Materials and Methods: HCWs were evaluated using standardized questionnaires that included sociodemographic, clinical variables, and persistence of post-COVID symptoms. Health-Related Quality of Life Scale was used to evaluate the quality of life. After detailed clinical evaluation, appropriate and relevant investigations were done where necessary. The data were statistically analyzed using Microsoft Excel Sheet and Stata 14.1 version. Results: The most common manifestations were fatigue, generalized weakness, fever, shortness of breath, chest pain, and palpitations. In the majority, health-related quality of life was affected. Respiratory and cardiovascular systems were most affected, followed by the central nervous system. Conclusion: Patients with COVID 19 infection develop diverse set of symptoms that evolve over time, with infected HCWs being no exception. Recognizing these persisting and ongoing symptoms is the first step taken toward addressing and alleviating them. This highlights that care of COVID patients does not conclude at hospital discharge. Long-term follow-up of these cases is essential in identifying and managing the sequelae of COVID infection. With the growing population recovering from COVID infection, it is imperative to focus on the prolonged effects of COVID infection