Infectious Disease Commons^™

Initiatives In Anesthesia Workspace Hygiene During Covid-19: The Gray Airway Basin And The Epic Hand Hygiene Event, Anna Rabinowitz, Kent Berg, Daniel Casey, Dietrich Gravenstein

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

What’s the Problem?

The COVID-19 Pandemic has highlighted the need for anesthesia providers to decrease workspace contamination, particularly during and after airway management.

Delineation of “clean” and “dirty” spaces in the anesthesia workplace has been historically challenging, but the heightened awareness of microbial contamination presents a new opportunity to effect behavioral change among staff.

Irradiation Of N95 Masks For Their Sterilization And Reuse During The Covid19 Pandemic, Tara Tyson, Phd, Alex Kubli, Ms, Matthew Mistro, Ms, Karen Mooney, Phd, Amy Harrison, Phd, Adam Dicker, Md, Phd

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Research Objective

We sought to investigate the feasibility of irradiation for N95 mask sterilization.

A Strategy For Deploying Large-Scale Volunteer Continuous Bag Valve Tube (Bvt) Ventilation, Robert Ries, Erin Jennings, Michael Velez, Caroline Komlo, Morgan Hutchinson, Md, Robert Pugliese, Pharmd, Bon Ku, Md, Mpp, Matt Fields, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Part 1: Hospital Guide

The hospital guide outlines steps and considerations for the healthcare system to successfully implement a manual ventilation strategy

Part 2: Online BVT Training Module

We created an online articulate evidence based training module for safe and effective Bag-Valve-Tube (BVT) ventilation for medical and nonmedical providers.

Nursing And Provider Safety Checklist For Covid-19 Patients, Michele Decastro, Msn, Crnp, Jennifer Zak, Bs, Rn, Pccn, Andrew Thum, Msn, Ml, Rn-Cc, Ccctm, Kristine Meagher, Rn, Msn, Acns-Bc

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

What's the Problem?

As increasing numbers of Covid-19 patients were admitted to the hospital, multiple Med-Surg and Telemetry units were needed to provide care. All healthcare providers noted difficulty in communicating patient plans of care across multiple units and multiple teams. Providers, Clinical Nurses, and Nursing leadership all noted differences in processes for care and communication among units and teams.

Expansion And Conversion Of Family Medicine And Neurohospitalist Services Into Covid-19 Services, Zachary Klock, Md, Aimee Mcmullin, Md, Jesse Edwards, Md, Christopher Haines, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

What's the Problem?

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an anticipated increase in the number of patients admitted with COVID-19.
• To meet the increased number of admitted patients, additional providers and teams were needed to care for hospitalized patients during the pandemic.
• Pre-existing teams needed to find ways to expand (in the case of the Family Medicine service) and repurpose (in the case of the Neurohospitalist service) in order to care for an increased number of patients.

Covid: Decoded - A Website, Blog, And Social Media Page With Resources And Information For The Public, Jessica Smith, Taylor Jones, Madeline Norris, Benjamin Meyers, Christopher Haines, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

What's the Problem?

Information about COVID19 in the news and on social media platforms is overwhelming, confusing, riddled with jargon and sometimes straight up wrong. Makig it easy for the public to misinterpret facts or simply accept headlines and infographics at facevalue without checking with primary and/or reputable sources.

The nature of social media also allows for a perpetuation of this misinformation without recourse. Recall the one article floating around Facebook reporting that gargling salt/vinegar water could help prevent COVID19. We needede a source of simplified, reliable information about the pandemic for people outside of the health professions.

Medical students …

Development And Implementation Of A Covid-19 Specific Peri-Operative Workflow For Anesthesia Providers, Alexander Olson, David Maguire, David Gratch, Dietrich Gravenstein, Michael Mahla, Anna Rabinowitz

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

What's the Problem?

• Needed to develop and clarify the use of PPE in the COVID-19 era
• New considerations for infection control in OR
• Unique airway equipment and filter placement considerations
• Potential shortages of equipment and medications, need for conservation
• Need to incorporate human factors principles into protocol release and procedural compliance

We realized that there was no standard protocol for these functions existing in a visually compelling graphic form for wide distribution throughout anesthesia care areas, and sought to create one.

Avoid, Delay, Shorten. Results Of Radiation Oncology’S Covid19 Patient Exposure Risk Mitigation Guidelines, Alex Kubli, Ms, Lilya Babinski, Bs, Angelia Landers, Phd, Christian Fernandez, Md, Amy Harrison, Phd

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

We implemented evidence-based COVID19 guidelines on 3/16/20 to minimize patient exposure risks by avoiding, delaying, and shortening patient treatments when possible.

We analyzed the effectiveness of our COVID guidelines by comparing the number of new patient starts and number of treatments before and after implementation.

Our department successfully decreased patient exposure risk by reducing new prescription starts, rates of longer treatment courses, and overall number of treatment encounters in an evidence-based approach.

Sars-Cov-2 Testing Guidelines For Patients Admitted To Mrh For Inpatient Rehabilitation, Deborah Cassidy, Do, Roger Liu, Do, Malav Shah, Md, Kyle Hummerston, Do, Jeanne Doherty, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

We implemented a clinical algorithmic approach with an emphasis on symptoms and risk to stratify patients into 3 groups:

• Acutely Ill COVID Rule Out/PUI
• Stable COVID Rule Out/PUI
• COVID OBS

Skin And Soft Tissue Infections In The Emergency Department, Nicole Martinez

Dissertations

Background/Purpose: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) represent a diverse group of infections varying in clinical presentation and degree of severity. The International Classification of Diseases codes for patients presenting with cellulitis or abscess account for $5.5 billion in annual health care costs and 1.4% of all hospital admissions nationally. Data are needed to inform admission and management decisions. The purpose of this study is to examine relationships among sociodemographic, physical examination findings, and treatment modality and management in patients with SSTIs.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework: Web of Causation Theoretical Framework explores multiple causative factors treated with equal prominence, thus …

The 2019-2020 Novel Coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) Pandemic: A Joint American College Of Academic International Medicine-World Academic Council Of Emergency Medicine Multidisciplinary Covid-19 Working Group Consensus Paper., Stanislaw P. Stawicki, Rebecca Jeanmonod, Andrew C. Miller, Lorenzo Paladino, David F. Gaieski, Anna Q. Yaffee, Annelies De Wulf, Joydeep Grover, Thomas J. Papadimos, Christina Bloem, Sagar C. Galwankar, Vivek Chauhan, Michael S. Firstenberg, Salvatore Di Somma, Donald Jeanmonod, Sona M. Garg, Veronica Tucci, Harry L. Anderson, Lateef Fatimah, Tamara J. Worlton, Siddharth P Dubhashi, Krystal S. Glaze, Sagar Sinha, Ijeoma Nnodim Opara, Vikas Yellapu, Dhanashree Kelkar, Ayman El-Menyar, Vimal Krishnan, S. Venkataramanaiah, Yan Leyfman, Hassan Ali Saoud Al Thani, Prabath Wb Nanayakkara, Sudip Nanda, Eric Cioè-Peña, Indrani Sardesai, Shruti Chandra, Aruna Munasinghe, Vibha Dutta, Silvana Teixeira Dal Ponte, Ricardo Izurieta, Juan A. Asensio, Manish Garg

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

What started as a cluster of patients with a mysterious respiratory illness in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, was later determined to be coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel Betacoronavirus, was subsequently isolated as the causative agent. SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted by respiratory droplets and fomites and presents clinically with fever, fatigue, myalgias, conjunctivitis, anosmia, dysgeusia, sore throat, nasal congestion, cough, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. In most critical cases, symptoms can escalate into acute respiratory distress syndrome accompanied by a runaway inflammatory cytokine response and multiorgan failure. As of this …

Unusual Echocardiographic Findings Of Myocarditis Mimicking An Aortic Run-Off Lesion, Sarah Studyvin, Barbara A. Pahud, Christine Symes

Research Days

No abstract provided.

Hypogeusia As The Initial Presenting Symptom Of Covid-19, Lauren E Melley, Eli Bress, Erik Polan

PCOM Scholarly Works

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which first arose in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has since been declared a pandemic. The clinical sequelae vary from mild, self-limiting upper respiratory infection symptoms to severe respiratory distress, acute cardiopulmonary arrest and death. Otolaryngologists around the globe have reported a significant number of mild or otherwise asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 presenting with olfactory dysfunction. We present a case of COVID-19 resulting in intensive care unit (ICU) admission, presenting with the initial symptom of disrupted taste and flavour perception prior to respiratory …

A Rare Presentation Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Induced Viral Myositis With Subsequent Rhabdomyolysis., Qian Zhang, Khine S. Shan, Artem Minalyan, Conor O'Sullivan, Travis Nace

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

A 38-year-old gentleman with no significant past medical history but had recent COVID-19 exposure presented to the hospital with the chief complaints of fever, shortness of breath, and generalized myalgia. He was unfortunately found to be severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive. Laboratory findings showed creatine kinase (CK) >42,670 U/L along with elevated inflammatory markers and unremarkable creatinine, cardiac troponin level. The cause of his rhabdomyolysis was discovered to be due to COVID-19 as he had no evidence of other viral infections, strenuous exercise, seizure, or other nontraumatic exertional etiologies. He received aggressive fluid resuscitation while we trended …

Planning And Facilitating The Training Of Emergency Medical Services On The Safe Transport Of Patients With Highly Infectious Diseases, Mohammed Alhallaf

Theses & Dissertations

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel are the first line of treatment and are the first exposed health care workers to infectious diseases (IDs). Consequently, the EMS setting is a relatively vulnerable environment for disease transmission and cross-contamination. Also, serious and emerging IDs, such as highly pathogenic viral hemorrhagic fevers and novel Coronaviruses, in a time of increased globalization, require comprehensive EMS training and preparedness. This project had the objective of identifying best practices for the EMS transport of patients with IDs. The methods for this project were done in two phases. In the first stage, we …

Characterization Of A Plasmid-Based Dna Vaccine For Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, Priya Sanipara

Honors Theses

Described as one of the world’s worst pandemics, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infects millions of people each year and is the cause for AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Despite the development of vaccines for numerous infectious diseases such as polio, small pox, and influenza, a vaccine for HIV remains elusive due to the virus’s high mutation rate and ability to evade the immune system. HIV causes depletion of CD4+ lymphocytes, resulting in a weakened immune system. However, the development of a plasmid-based DNA vaccine approach may help revolutionize vaccine development for HIV due to its ability to confer cellular and humoral …

Projected Deaths Of Despair From Covid-19, Stephen Petterson, John M. Westfall, Benjamin F. Miller

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

More Americans could lose their lives to deaths of despair, deaths due to drug, alcohol, and suicide, if we do not do something immediately. Deaths of despair have been on the rise for the last decade, and in the context of COVID-19, deaths of despair should be seen as the epidemic within the pandemic. The goal of this report is to predict what deaths of despair we might see based on three assumptions during COVID-19: economic recovery, relationship between deaths of despair and unemployment, and geography. Across nine different scenarios, additional deaths of despair range from 27,644 (quick recovery, smallest …

The Society For Immunotherapy Of Cancer Perspective On Regulation Of Interleukin-6 Signaling In Covid-19-Related Systemic Inflammatory Response, Fernanda I. Arnaldez, Steven J. O'Day, Charles G. Drake, Bernard A Fox, Bingqing Fu, Walter Urba, Vincenzo Montesarchio, Jeffrey S. Weber, Haiming Wei, Jon M. Wigginton, Paolo Antonio Ascierto

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has placed an unprecedented burden on healthcare systems around the world. In patients who experience severe disease, acute respiratory distress is often accompanied by a pathological immune reaction, sometimes referred to as ‘cytokine storm’. One hallmark feature of the profound inflammatory state seen in patients with COVID-19 who succumb to pneumonia and hypoxia is marked elevation of serum cytokines, especially interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 17 (IL-17), interleukin 8 (IL-8) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Initial experience from the outbreaks in Italy, China and the USA has anecdotally demonstrated improved outcomes …

Chagas Disease In The New York City Metropolitan Area, Crystal Zheng, Orlando Quintero, Elizabeth K. Revere, Michael B. Oey, Fabiola Espinoza, Yoram A. Puius, Diana Ramirez-Baron, Carlos R. Salama, Luis F. Hidalgo, Fabiana S Machado, Omar Saeed, Jooyoung Shin, Snehal R. Patel, Christina M. Coyle, Herbert B. Tanowitz

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, once considered a disease confined to Mexico, Central America, and South America, is now an emerging global public health problem. An estimated 300 000 immigrants in the United States are chronically infected with T. cruzi. However, awareness of Chagas disease among the medical community in the United States is poor.

Methods

We review our experience managing 60 patients with Chagas disease in hospitals throughout the New York City metropolitan area and describe screening, clinical manifestations, EKG findings, imaging, and treatment.

Results

The most common country of origin of our patients …

Pneumonia: An Unexpected Graveyard Visitor?, Daniel A. Casas, Jigar Chauhan, Melanie Williams, Jan Sambataro, David Sukhai, Pablo G. Dubon, Jorge Perez

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

Community acquired pneumonia caused by Influenza can present with superinfection. On rare occasions, an unexpected organism is discovered.

Novel Infection Status Post Electrocution Requiring A 4th Ray Amputation, William R. Judson, John D. Murphy, Phillip H. Sussman, John N. Harker

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

• Prevotella bivia is an anaerobic, non-pigmented, Gram-negative bacillus species that is known to inhabit the human female vaginal tract and oral flora. It is most commonly associated with endometritis and pelvic inflammatory disease.^{1, 2}
• Rarely, P. bivia has been found in the nail bed, chest wall, intervertebral discs, and hip and knee joints.¹ The bacteria has been linked to necrotizing fasciitis, osteomyelitis, or septic arthritis.^{3, 4}
• Only 3 other reports have described P. bivia infections in the upper extremity with one patient requiring amputation2, and one with deep soft tissue infection requiring multiple debridements and extensive tenosynovectomy. …

Can Technology Help Improve Diarrhoea Management?, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

No abstract provided.

A Case Of Babesiosis Seen Outside Of Its Endemic Area And Outside Of Its Incubation Period, Kiran Tirumalasetty, Jinal K. Patel, Gauthier L. Stepman, Bassem Zeidan, K V. Sundaresh, Parth R. Desai, Johnathan Frunzi

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2020

Babesiosis Microti is a parasitic alveolate that is usually transmitted by Ixodes scapularis ticks. In the United States, the endemic areas of Babesiosis include the Northeast and Upper Midwestern regions [1]. Symptoms include fever, malaise, fatigue, vomiting, and jaundice [1]. Current therapy primarily consists of a combination of azithromycin and atovaquone. Clindamycin and quinine may be administered in severe cases. For its emerging health risk worldwide, clinicians must be aware of the several presenting manifestations of babesiosis. Since 2017, the Centers Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has deemed Babesiosis is a reportable disease. This case focuses on the importance of …

Anosmia And Ageusia As The Only Indicators Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), Qian Zhang, Khine S. Shan, Shahrzad Abdollahi, Travis C. Nace

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

The patient is a 60-year-old woman with a history of vertigo and seasonal allergies who presented to the hospital with the chief complaint of headache. Radiological findings were negative for intracranial abnormalities. The headache was due to trigeminal neuralgia. She had concurrent complaints of anosmia and ageusia without fever, respiratory symptoms, or obvious risk factors. However, it was determined to test the patient for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection despite extremely low clinical suspicion. Unfortunately, she was found to be COVID-19 positive after she was discharged from the hospital while she remained asymptomatic. There is currently a lack of published …

Clinical Features, Diagnosis And Management Of Covid-19 Patients In The Outdoor Setting, Bushra Jamil

Department of Medicine

In a brief span of a few months, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has brought a major paradigm shift in operation of clinical services around the world. Infection may be mild, moderate or severe; many remain asymptomatic. High burden of non-communicable and communicable diseases theoretically puts Pakistani population at increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection. Considering the universal risk of infection, the outpatient services in Pakistan need to be redesigned. Starting with risk assessment of the facility and provision of a dedicated telephone connection, structure and workflow need to be redesigned in order to minimise risk of exposure to healthcare professionals, …

Epidemiologic Survey Of Legionella Urine Antigen Testing Within A Large Wisconsin-Based Health Care System, Caroline P. Toberna, Hannah M. William, Jessica J. F. Kram, Kayla Heslin, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Legionella pneumophila pneumonia is a life-threatening, environmentally acquired infection identifiable via Legionella urine antigen tests (LUAT). We aimed to identify cumulative incidence, demographic distribution, and undetected disease outbreaks of Legionella pneumonia via positive LUAT in a single eastern Wisconsin health system, with a focus on urban Milwaukee County.

Methods: A multilevel descriptive ecologic study was conducted utilizing electronic medical record data from a large integrated health care system of patients who underwent LUAT from 2013 to 2017. A random sample inclusive of all positive tests was reviewed to investigate geodemographic differences among patients testing positive versus negative. Statistical comparisons …

How Immune T-Cell Augmentation Can Help Prevent Covid-19: A Possible Nutritional Solution Using Ketogenic Lifestyle, Ravi K. Kamepalli Md,Fidsa,Cwsp

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Covid-19, Colleagues, Confusion, And Conversations, Nathanael R. Sanchez M.D., Katherine S. Lee , M.D., Karen Weaver M.D.

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

During the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors in a community hospital reflect on their decision-making regarding treatment options for COVID-19. Whether to use hydroxychloroquine is the treatment discussed in most detail.

484— Modeling Social Distancing Methods And Their Effectiveness In Combating The Spread Of Ebola, Rachel Fair

GREAT Day Posters

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is a rare but severe disease that is transmitted among humans through direct-contact with, and close proximity to, infected bodily fluids. From 2014-16, West Africa experienced the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, infecting over 28,000 people, and killing over 11,000. Although the symptoms of EVD are treatable, the disease can be extremely deadly, with an average of 50% EVD cases resulting in fatality. In areas where healthcare is scarce and vaccinations are not readily available, the practices of social distancing and self-quarantining have been shown to be highly effective in combating the spread of EVD. To …

Covid-19 In The United States: Insights From Healthcare Systems, Aaron Harris, Nancy Foster, David Reich, Amy Compton-Phillips

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

During this COCA Call, presenters will discuss the current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in the U.S., including key successes and challenges from the hospital response perspective.