Frequency of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Surgical Hospitalized Patients

Cryptogenic Stroke Complicated by Infective Endocarditis: Exploring the Multidisciplinary Interplay

Infective endocarditis (IE) poses a significant clinical challenge due to its non-specific symptoms and variety of complications. Complications can include ischaemic stroke, valve dysfunction, discitis, and osteomyelitis, highlighting the complexity of IE management. We present a case of a male in his 40s, admitted with an ischaemic stroke, eventually being found to have underlying IE with a plethora of complications. This case highlights the importance of collaboration among specialists to form a multidisciplinary team, which is essential for the effective delivery of care. Furthermore, there is a critical need to explore the psychological impact of IE on patient outcomes, advocating for a holistic approach that considers psychological well-being alongside medical management. Future research should address these underexplored facets to improve patient care and outcomes in IE.

The Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms and Their Association With Respiratory Diseases

INTRODUCTION

Patients with respiratory diseases face adverse situations such as symptom management, general condition deterioration, and a hostile perception of the hospital environment, favoring the appearance of anxiety and depression.

METHODS

A total of 317 patients hospitalized for a disease of pulmonary origin were analyzed and divided into the following subgroups: infectious, oncological, acute, and chronic diseases. Patients over 18 years of age with preserved cognitive capacity were included in the study. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was applied to them on the second or fourth day of their hospital stay and five days after the first evaluation. Multiple linear regression models were carried out to analyze the association between anxiety and depression measured over two different periods. The models present the statistically significant variables with a 95% confidence level.

RESULTS

The patients presented with anxiety in 74.4% of cases, mainly those with acute respiratory diseases (42.4%) and neoplastic diseases (27.5%). A total of 69.5% presented with depression, with symptoms more significant in those with chronic and oncological pulmonary diseases and those with no job. Patients with at least one comorbidity presented with anxiety in 53.9% of cases and depression in 52.1% of cases. Linear regression models were carried out and showed that anxiety was 1.75 and 1.84 times more frequent in patients with chronic diseases compared to those with infectious pathologies in the first and second reviews, respectively. The linear regression model also showed a higher frequency of depressive symptoms in patients with chronic conditions (1.62 times) compared to the group with infectious and contagious pathologies, and prolonged hospital stays were associated with depressive symptoms 1.37 times more than short stays.

CONCLUSIONS

Anxiety and depression are frequent disorders in patients with respiratory diseases, negatively affecting the prognosis. Routine mental health screening and multidisciplinary management are essential in this population.

Psychological distress among elderly surgical patients who had their surgery postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Many institutions withheld elective lists and triaged surgeries during the peak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As a result, older surgical patients have had to wait for rescheduled dates in a long waitlist. This study aimed to identify the psychological impact in these patients when they returned for surgery.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study which included 153 patients aged ≥ 65 years undergoing elective surgery. Trained interviewers recruited and assessed psychological status pre-operatively with two validated questionnaires - Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Specific questions were asked about their postponed surgeries, appetite and fear.

Results

A total of 36 out of 153 (23.5%) patients had their procedures deferred during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Postponed cases were significantly based on the nature of surgery (p = 0.002), cancer diagnosis (p = 0.006) and surgical specialty (p = 0.023). Median HADS scores were higher for patients who were postponed (2.00 versus 4.00 for anxiety, p = 0.180 and 0.00 versus 1.00 for depression, p = 0.424) although no statistical significance was shown. In the whole study population, anxiety was a significant predictor for depression and vice versa (p < 0.001) with other predictive risk factors for anxiety that were age ≥ 85 years old (odds ratio [OR] 6.14, p = 0.018), female (OR 2.41, p = 0.024), cancer (OR 2.19, p = 0.039) and major surgery (OR 2.39, p = 0.023). Similarly, older patients ≥ 85 years old (OR 10.44, p = 0.003) and female (OR 6.07, p = 0.006) had higher risk for depression. Both anxiety and depression were significant risks for loss of appetite (p = 0.005 and 0.001). Lastly, the fear of disease progression due to rescheduling was more frequent in cancer patients (p = 0.035).

Conclusion

The mental health and disease burden of older surgical patients should be taken into careful consideration when cases need to be postponed in our healthcare system.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13741-022-00242-7.

Occupational Therapy's Role in Addressing the Psychological and Social Impact of COVID-19

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health care practitioners' primary focus has been on its physical consequences. Yet, the emotional strain of the pandemic exposed the mental health needs of survivors and society as a result of forced changes in occupational choices, habits, and roles. These forced changes caused a collective confusion, fear, loss, and grief. This column focuses on occupational therapy's critical contributions to supporting society's mental health and wellness. Occupational therapy has a unique opportunity to provide interventions to address population-wide mental health and wellness, targeted prevention of mental health concerns for people at risk, and intensive intervention for people with COVID-19-induced mental health diagnoses.

Assessing quality of life in pediatric fibrous dysplasia and McCune Albright syndrome: PEDS-QL and HADS data from the Fibrous Dysplasia Foundation Patient Registry

PURPOSE

The International FD/MAS Consortium recently encouraged using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PEDS-QL) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scales (HADS) in clinical care. This study examines scores on these measures among pediatric fibrous dysplasia and McCune Albright (FD/MAS) patients to initiate consideration of their use in clinical treatment.

METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of pediatric data from 39 minors, ages 2-17, entered in the Fibrous Dysplasia Foundation Patient Registry from July 2016 to December 2018. Sample means and score distributions are compared to general population and chronic disease benchmarks. Associations with medical and demographic variables are also explored.

RESULTS

Mean PEDS-QL scores for children 2-7 were inconclusive in determining at risk status for impaired quality of life (QOL). Individual score distributions suggested up to half experienced extensive physical or social impairment. Means and individual score distributions for the physical and psychosocial components of the PEDS-QL for children 8-17 suggested many were at risk of impaired QOL. Over half of 13-17 year-olds met the clinical benchmark for anxiety. Older males scored better than females on the PEDS-QL and HADS. Pain frequency was associated with physical function for older children.

CONCLUSIONS

Older children with FD/MAS may be more compromised in terms of psychosocial QOL than previously reported. Clinicians should be attentive to the influence of gender on QOL in older children. Online patient registries associated with rare diseases have the potential to serve as efficient and cost-effective mechanisms to jumpstart examination of new measures in consideration for clinical use.