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Frontiers in Public Health 2024Injuries are among the leading causes for hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits. COVID-19 restrictions ensured safety to Canadians, but also negatively... (Review)
Review
What was the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on unintentional injuries, in Canada and globally? A scoping review investigating how lockdown measures impacted the global burden of unintentional injury.
BACKGROUND
Injuries are among the leading causes for hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits. COVID-19 restrictions ensured safety to Canadians, but also negatively impacted health outcomes, including increasing rates of certain injuries. These differences in trends have been reported internationally however the evidence is scattered and needs to be better understood to identify opportunities for public education and to prepare for future outbreaks.
OBJECTIVE
A scoping review was conducted to synthesize evidence regarding the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on unintentional injuries in Canada, compared to other countries.
METHODS
Studies investigating unintentional injuries among all ages during COVID-19 from any country, published in English between December 2019 and July 2021, were included. Intentional injuries and/or previous pandemics were excluded. Four databases were searched (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus), and a gray literature search was also conducted.
RESULTS
The search yielded 3,041 results, and 189 articles were selected for extraction. A total of 41 reports were included from the gray literature search. Final studies included research from: Europe ( = 85); North America ( = 44); Asia ( = 32); Oceania ( = 12); Africa ( = 8); South America ( = 4); and multi-country ( = 4). Most studies reported higher occurrence of injuries/trauma among males, and the average age across studies was 46 years. The following mechanisms of injury were reported on most frequently: motor vehicle collisions (MVCs; = 134), falls ( = 104), sports/recreation ( = 65), non-motorized vehicle ( = 31), and occupational ( = 24). Injuries occurring at home (e.g., gardening, home improvement projects) increased, and injuries occurring at schools, workplaces, and public spaces decreased. Overall, decreases were observed in occupational injuries and those resulting from sport/recreation, pedestrian-related, and crush/trap incidents. Decreases were also seen in MVCs and burns, however the severity of injury from these causes increased during the pandemic period. Increases were observed in poisonings, non-motorized vehicle collisions, lacerations, drownings, trampoline injuries; and, foreign body ingestions.
IMPLICATIONS
Findings from this review can inform interventions and policies to identify gaps in public education, promote safety within the home, and decrease the negative impact of future stay-at-home measures on unintentional injury among Canadians and populations worldwide.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Canada; Wounds and Injuries; Global Health; SARS-CoV-2; Quarantine; Male; Child; Female; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38887259
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1385452 -
JAMA Jun 2024
PubMed: 38884969
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.10313 -
JAMA Jun 2024
PubMed: 38884961
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.10310 -
Harmful Algae Jun 2024Sandusky Bay is the drowned mouth of the Sandusky River in the southwestern portion of Lake Erie. The bay is a popular recreation location and a regional source for...
Sandusky Bay is the drowned mouth of the Sandusky River in the southwestern portion of Lake Erie. The bay is a popular recreation location and a regional source for drinking water. Like the western basin of Lake Erie, Sandusky Bay is known for being host to summer cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) year after year, fueled by runoff from the predominantly agricultural watershed and internal loading of legacy nutrients (primarily phosphorus). Since at least 2003, Sandusky Bay has harbored a microcystin-producing bloom of Planktothrix agardhii, a species of filamentous cyanobacteria that thrives in low light conditions. Long-term sampling (2003-2018) of Sandusky Bay revealed regular Planktothrix-dominated blooms during the summer months, but in recent years (2019-2022), 16S rRNA gene community profiling revealed that Planktothrix has largely disappeared. From 2017-2022, microcystin decreased well below the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Spring TN:TP ratios increased in years following dam removal, yet there were no statistically significant shifts in other physicochemical variables, such as water temperature and water clarity. With the exception of the high bloom of Planktothrix in 2018, there was no statistical difference in chlorophyll during all other years. Concurrent with the disappearance of Planktothrix, Cyanobium spp. have become the dominant cyanobacterial group. The appearance of other potential toxigenic genera (i.e., Aphanizomenon, Dolichospermum, Cylindrospermopsis) may motivate monitoring of new toxins of concern in Sandusky Bay. Here, we document the regime shift in the cyanobacterial community and propose evidence supporting the hypothesis that the decline in the Planktothrix bloom was linked to the removal of an upstream dam on the Sandusky River.
Topics: Phytoplankton; Harmful Algal Bloom; Bays; Planktothrix; Microcystins; Environmental Monitoring; Seasons; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Cyanobacteria
PubMed: 38876531
DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2024.102656 -
Journal of Forensic Sciences Jun 2024To date, synovial fluid has not been the subject of targeted analysis as a possible substrate to search for the presence of diatoms in the forensic context of drowning....
To date, synovial fluid has not been the subject of targeted analysis as a possible substrate to search for the presence of diatoms in the forensic context of drowning. However, its unique characteristics of production and isolation from the external environment could make it suitable for this purpose, similar to what has already been demonstrated in the literature for vitreous humor. By considering this, synovial fluid was analyzed in a specific case that came to our attention, where the coexisting signs of polytrauma and drowning were documented during autopsy, demonstrating a period of vitality during immersion. After a thin smear of the supernatant was obtained from the centrifugation of the synovial fluid sample, diatoms were successfully detected, consistent with those found in other organs and the water of the canal. The detection of diatoms in the synovial fluid was an objective finding, but its generalizability is limited because this was a pilot application. However, in cases where death by drowning is suspected and the body has multiple areas breached by trauma, the technique of analyzing diatoms in the synovial fluid could have great potential. Therefore, it is appropriate to further explore this technique in order to obtain more forensic evidence in such a setting.
PubMed: 38876480
DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15563 -
Annual Review of Marine Science Jun 2024Madagascar's celebrated land-vertebrate assemblage has long been studied and discussed. How the ancestors of the 30 different lineages arrived on the island, which has... (Review)
Review
Madagascar's celebrated land-vertebrate assemblage has long been studied and discussed. How the ancestors of the 30 different lineages arrived on the island, which has existed since 85 Mya and is separated from neighboring Africa by 430 km of water, is a deeply important question. Did the colonizations take place when the landmass formed part of Gondwana, or did they occur later and involve either now-drowned causeways or overwater dispersal (on vegetation rafts or by floating/swimming)? Following a historical review, we appraise the geological-geophysical evidence and the faunal-suite colonization record. Twenty-six of the clades are explained by temporally stochastic overwater dispersals, spanning 69-0 Mya, while two others are considered Gondwanan vicariant relicts. Due to a lack of information, the remaining two groups cannot be evaluated. The findings thus appear to resolve a debate that has rumbled along, with sporadic eruptions, since the mid-1800s.
PubMed: 38876115
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-032223-025654 -
Resuscitation Plus Sep 2024The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility of a new resuscitation strategy in which breaths are provided during automated external defibrillator (AED) rhythm...
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility of a new resuscitation strategy in which breaths are provided during automated external defibrillator (AED) rhythm analysis, and to evaluate its impact on chest compressions (CC) quality and the -analysis time.
METHOD
A randomized simulation study, comparing two cardiopulmonary resuscitations strategies, has been conducted: the standard strategy (S1) with strategy involving ventilation during AED analysis (S2). Thirty lifeguards have performed both strategies in a cross-over study design during 10 min of CPR.
RESULTS
The number of ventilations per 10 min increases from 47 (S1) to 72 (S2) ( < 0.001). This results in the delivery of an additional 17.1 L of insufflated air in S2 compared to S1 ( < 0.001). There have been no significant changes in frequency and total number of CC. These findings correspond to a reduction of the non-ventilation period from 176 s (S1) to 48 s (S2).
CONCLUSIONS
This simulation study suggests that it is feasible to increase the number of ventilations during resuscitation following drowning, without affecting the quantity and quality of chest compressions. The results of this study may serve as a foundation for further investigation into optimal ventilation strategies in this context.
PubMed: 38873276
DOI: 10.1016/j.resplu.2024.100674 -
International Journal of Geriatric... Jun 2024In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the burden on caregivers is influenced by various factors, including the stage of disease progression and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS)....
OBJECTIVE
In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the burden on caregivers is influenced by various factors, including the stage of disease progression and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). To date, there has been limited research examining how patient's premorbid personality could affect this burden. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of both premorbid personality and NPS in individuals with prodromal to mild AD on their caregivers' burden.
METHOD
One hundred eighty participants with prodromal or mild AD drown from the PACO (in French: Personnalité Alzheimer COmportement) cohort were included. Personality was assessed by the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R). Neuropsychiatric symptoms were measured with the short version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q), and caregiver burden was evaluated with the Zarit burden scale. Relationships between personality, Neuro-Psychiatric Inventory (NPI) scores, and caregiver burden were determined using multivariate linear regressions controlled for age, sex, educational level, and Mini Mental State Examination.
RESULTS
The total NPI score was related to increased burden (beta = 0.45; p < 0.001). High level of neuroticism (beta = 0.254; p = 0.003) et low level of conscientiousness (beta = - 0.233; p = 0.005) were associated higher burden. Extraversion (beta = -0.185; p = 0.027) and conscientiousness (beta = -0.35; p = 0.006) were negatively associated with burden. In contrast, neuroticism, openness and agreeableness were not correlated with burden. When adjusted on total NPI score, the relationship between extraversion and conscientiousness didn't persist.
CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that premorbid personality of patients with prodromal to mild Alzheimer influence caregivers's burden, with a protective effect of a high level of extraversion and conscientiousness.
Topics: Humans; Alzheimer Disease; Male; Female; Aged; Personality; Aged, 80 and over; Prodromal Symptoms; Caregiver Burden; Middle Aged; Personality Inventory; Caregivers; Cost of Illness; Linear Models; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; France
PubMed: 38858800
DOI: 10.1002/gps.6114 -
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health... Jun 2024Even though racism is pervasive, some people of color may deny experiencing racial discrimination or may report being unaffected by it. This study examines the contexts...
Denial of Personal Racial Discrimination and Its Impact Among People of Color Who Use Substances: Implications for Measuring Racial Discrimination in Substance Use Research.
BACKGROUND
Even though racism is pervasive, some people of color may deny experiencing racial discrimination or may report being unaffected by it. This study examines the contexts and factors that may contribute to these responses among people who use substances.
METHODS
We conducted seven focus groups (5-9 participants per group, total N = 43) among Black, Latino, and Asian American adults between the ages of 21 to 44 years old who reported current use of two or more of the following substances: alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or cannabis. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
RESULTS
Across all three ethno-racial groups, we found some respondents minimized or denied personal experiences of racial discrimination or hesitated to identify their experiences as racial discrimination, which in turn led to respondents to express uncertainty about seeing any sort of connection between racial discrimination and substance use. Themes included a minority comparison effect; a drowning out effect; diversity and racial composition of context; passing as White; and covertness of racism. Also, there were contradictions in accounts, and responses often depended on orienting cues.
CONCLUSIONS
While researchers continue to find associations between racial discrimination and substance use, some people of color may not acknowledge this connection. Recommendations include aligning definitions of racism between academic and public/popular discourse; updating measures to keep up with the evolving forms of racism using context-specific examples; combining subjective measures of racial discrimination with objective measures of racism; and dialoguing with the public to raise awareness around how racism is defined.
PubMed: 38858337
DOI: 10.1007/s40615-024-02033-w -
Journal of Safety Research Jun 2024In this study, we use the media-based database of Beterem-Safe Kids Israel, to provide a 15-year review of unintentional fatal childhood drowning in Israel, between 2008...
INTRODUCTION
In this study, we use the media-based database of Beterem-Safe Kids Israel, to provide a 15-year review of unintentional fatal childhood drowning in Israel, between 2008 and 2022.
METHOD
It total, we identified 257 cases of child mortality due to drowning during this period.
RESULTS
Our results demonstrate a gradual rise in childhood mortality due to drowning, from 72 cases in 2008-2012, to 85 cases in 2013-2017, and to 100 cases in 2018-2022. Especially worth noting is the increase in childhood drowning in domestic swimming pools. We point to a link between low socioeconomic status and cases of drowning, showing that the risk of drowning extends beyond a mere matter of caregiver inattention. We recommend a series of regulatory and legislative steps to reduce fatal childhood drowning, including fencing built around domestic swimming pools, extending lifeguard activity hours, adding declared beaches, forming programs of safe behavior in water environments for adolescents, and establishing swimming lessons during the 2nd grade, for all populations. We further recommend that a special focus will be put in municipalities situated at the bottom of the socioeconomic index.
Topics: Humans; Drowning; Israel; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Male; Infant; Adolescent; Swimming Pools; Child Mortality
PubMed: 38858046
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2024.02.002