Need for Telehealth in the Era of Covid-19

Need for Telehealth in the Era of Covid-19

 

Sara Ahmed Esmat Shoman (1), Tamer Emara (2), Heba Gamal Saber (3) and Mohamed Farouk Allam (1)

 

1. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt

2. Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt

3. Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt

 

Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research 20202;31(3):24303-24305.

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2020.31.005118

ABSTRACT

Telehealth means the usage of telecommunications and virtual technology in facilitating healthcare services in far areas. Telehealth is a multi- phasic system as it serves patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) by providing them with helpful tool for proper healthcare services and giving HCWs the chance to receive training sessions and conducting research. Telehealth proved to be practical in outbreaks and emergency settings as it provides platforms that are easy in usage and accessible for health, education, training, and others. Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth services have been of great importance in diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and control of corona virus infection. Telehealth application during COVID-19 pandemic appears in screening and triaging the patients according to their symptoms through phone screening, online tools, mobile applications, and virtual visits to evaluate their conditions, and making the appropriate decisions. Also, telehealth is used in contacts tracing to determine whether they are infectious and need to be quarantined. The importance of telehealth extends to include following up of home isolated patients with mild and moderate symptoms to avoid overcrowding of healthcare facilities, in addition to delivering care by a diverse experienced team to provide and adjust treatment plan. Finally, telehealth sustains continuous care by keeping away from negative outcomes that could occur by delaying due to COVID-19.

 

Keywords: Telehealth; Healthcare Services; Virtual care; COVID-19; Remote treatment; Pandemic

 

Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research 20202;31(3):24303-24305.

https://biomedres.us/pdfs/BJSTR.MS.ID.005118.pdf

Vitamin D level in a sample of Egyptian Females of Childbearing Age Attending a Family Medicine Center

Vitamin D level in a sample of Egyptian Females of Childbearing Age Attending a Family Medicine Center

 

Maivel Emile Soby Gerges, Ghada Essam Aldin Amin, Fady Andraous, Diaa Marzouk Abdel Hamid, Mohamed Farouk Allam

 

Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

 

The International Journal of Clinical Practice. First published: 29 September 2020

https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.13738

 

ABSTRACT

Background. Vitamin D deficiency is now recognized as a pandemic. The normal range of Vitamin D in the Arab countries is much lower than the international standards. Several Arab countries have published studies assessing serum Vitamin D levels among women – to date there is no national study assessing Vitamin D levels among Egyptian women.

Objective. The aim of the study is to measure Vitamin D level among Egyptian women of childbearing age.

Patients and Methods. We included 100 healthy adult females of childbearing age, who were attending a Family Medicine Center in Cairo, Egypt. A validated interview questionnaire was conducted with participants, thereafter BMI and serum 25 (OH) Vitamin D levels were measured.

Results. The age of the included women ranged from 19 years to 49 years old with a mean age of 34 ± 8.47 years. Only 39% of participants were employed and 61% were housewives. 76% of participants were married, 20% unmarried and 4% divorced. Most of participants (82%) wore hijab; only 9% wore niqab and 9% wore no scarf. Only 44% of participants had normal levels of Vitamin D (˃20‐150 ng/ml). 43% of the participants were Vitamin D deficient and 13% were Vitamin D insufficiency.

Conclusion. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are prevalent among Egyptian women of childbearing age. A routine monitoring screening for Vitamin D deficiency and Vitamin D health education are required to minimize risk factors among women of childbearing age.

Keywords: Vitamin D, Deficiency, Egypt, Women, Family Medicine Center.

The International Journal of Clinical Practice. First published: 29 September 2020

 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijcp.13738

Use of Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine in Treatment of COVID-19: Is it Ethical?

Use of Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine in Treatment of COVID-19: Is it Ethical?

 

Mohamed Farouk Allam, Fady Andraous

Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

 

Central European Jounral of Public Health 2020; 28 (3): 246-247

 

https://doi.org/10.21101/cejph.a6464

 

To date, the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 treatment is restricted to clinical trials. The efficacy of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine in pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis groups is unknown and pending the outcomes of clinical trials.

This raises the following questions: is the current use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, while awaiting RCTs results, ethical? Should the medical community hold off its use while the RCT results pend? Is it ethical to suggest the prophylactic use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for healthcare workers?

 

Keywords: Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine, COVID-19, Clinical Trials, Ethics.

 

Central European Jounral of Public Health 2020; 28 (3): 246-247

https://cejph.szu.cz/pdfs/cjp/2020/03/13.pdf

Prevalence of Strox Smoking among University Students in Cairo, Egypt

Prevalence of Strox Smoking among University Students in Cairo, Egypt

 

Ahmed M. M. Hashim (1), Ahmed M. Hassan (1), Ghada Essam El-Din Amin (1) and Mohamed Farouk Allam (1,2)

 

1. Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain.

 

The Open Public Health Journal 2020;13:425-429.

DOI: 10.2174/1874944502013010425, 2020, 13, 425-429

 

Abstract:

Background: In Egypt, the prevalence rate of New Psychoactive Substances (NPSs) use is severely underestimated. In the last 5 years, several non-scientific reports have demonstrated the presence of an emergent, cheap NPSs that has taken the name of “Strox” or “Egyptian Spice”. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence rate of Strox smoking among undergraduate students attending Ain Shams University (ASU), Cairo (Egypt).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five non-medical colleges of ASU, namely, Law, Commerce, Computer Science, Engineering, and Literature. Participants were recruited using a convenient sampling method and were asked about NPSs use. Data were collected using the Marijuana Smoking History Questionnaire (MSHQ) developed by Bonn-Miller and Zvolensky (2009). The questionnaire was translated and modified to reflect Egyptian slang and culture.

Results: This study included 558 students, 422 (75.6%) males and 136 (24.4%) females. The results showed that 189 (33.9%) were current tobacco smokers, 51 (9.1%) were smokers of substances other than tobacco, 45 (8.1%) were cannabis smokers, 38 (6.8%) were Strox smokers, and 3 (0.5%) were Voodoo smokers. When students were asked about their reasons for smoking Strox, they cited the following motivations: to achieve a feeling of euphoria(28.9%), depression (23.7%), experimentation (23.7%), peer pressure (21.1%), and having excess money (2.6%). The results showed a clear association between tobacco and cannabis smoking and consumption of Strox.

Conclusion: Although the prevalence rates of NPSs usage as observed in this study were not high, higher rates could be expected in other communities outside of the university. Community-based studies are needed to estimate the magnitude of NPSs use in Egypt and the associated risk factors.

 

Keywords: Smoking, Cannabis, Strox, Voodoo, Drug use, Prevalence.

 

The Open Public Health Journal, 2020, 13: 425-429

https://benthamopen.com/FULLTEXT/TOPHJ-13-425

 

Scoring System for the Diagnosis of COVID-19

Scoring System for the Diagnosis of COVID-19

 

Mohamed Farouk Allam

Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

 

The Open Public Health Journal 2020;13:413-4.

 

DOI: 10.2174/1874944502013010413, 2020, 13, 413-414

 

Abstract:

Due to the international spread of COVID-19, the difficulty of collecting nasopharyngeal swab specimen from all suspected patients, the costs of RT-PCR and CT, and the false negative results of RT-PCR assay in 41% of COVID-19 patients, a scoring system is needed to classify the suspected patients in order to determine the need for follow-up, home isolation, quarantine or the conduction of further investigations. A scoring system is proposed as a diagnostic tool for suspected patients. It includes Epidemiological Evidence of Exposure, Clinical Symptoms and Signs, and Investigations (if available). This scoring system is simple, could be calculated in a few minutes, and incorporates the main possible data/findings of any patient.

 

Keywords: Nasopharyngeal swab, COVID-19, diagnosis, RT-PCR, CT, Score system.

 

The Open Public Health Journal 2020;13:413-4.

https://benthamopen.com/FULLTEXT/TOPHJ-13-413