Background Patients with rheumatic diseases significantly suffer during and after infection with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) refers to signs and symptoms occurring during or following a COVID-19 infection that continue beyond 12 weeks. The study aimed to assess PCS symptoms in rheumatic disease patients compared to a control group not suffering from a rheumatic disease or any other chronic illness. Results The prevalence of PCS symptoms was significantly higher in rheumatic disease patients compared to the control group: fatigue (69.1% vs. 41.25%), myalgia (73.5% vs. 37.5%), attention deficits (57.4% vs. 40%), and muscle weakness (33.8% vs. 13.8%). Objectively, the study group had significantly higher scores for the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) (35.46 ± 13.146 vs. 25.1 ± 7.587), Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ-2) (21.66 ± 10.3 vs. 11.6 ± 3.433), and higher grades of functional disability in the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status scale (PCFS). Rheumatic disease patients had significantly higher frequencies of anxiety and depression, as assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and cognitive impairment, as assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), than the controls (P = 0.023, P = 0.003, P = 0.0001, respectively). Moreover, SLE patients had the most symptoms and the highest FSS, SF-MPQ-2, PCFS, and HADS scores, as well as the lowest MMSE scores (P = 0.0001 for all except cough (P = 0.043), weakness (P = 0.015), paresthesia (P = 0.027), and anosmia (P = 0.039)). Lower disease duration, hospitalization during acute COVID-19, steroid use, smoking, and biologics non-use were significantly associated with higher PCS symptoms. Smoking was a significant risk factor (P = 0.048), and biologics use was protective (P = 0.03). Rheumatic disease patients who received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccinations had better scores on the FSS, HADS for anxiety and depression, and MMSE than those who received a single dose (P = 0.005, P = 0.001, P = 0.009, P = 0.01). Conclusion Rheumatic disease patients have a higher prevalence and risk of PCS, so strict follow-up, avoiding smoking, controlling disease activity, and COVID-19 vaccinations are essential for decreasing the morbidity of PCS.
Background Resilience is the process of adjusting successfully in the face of adversity, trauma, threats, or severe stress, such as serious health problems. It is one of the factors that affect recovery from psychiatric disorders. It was suggested that fibromyalgia patients have low resilience. This study aimed to assess the impact of resilience on disease severity and psychiatric comorbidities in patients with fibromyalgia. Results We found that patients with fibromyalgia had a significantly lower resilience and higher prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities than the control group (P < 0.05). Also, fibromyalgia patients with high disease severity had a significantly lower resilience and a higher percentage of psychiatric problems than those with a better disease state (P = 0.0001). Also, there was a significant negative correlation of resilience with disease severity (as assessed by the FIQ score), visual analog scale (VAS) of anxiety, and VAS of depression (P = 0.0001). Conclusion Resilience significantly impacts the severity and psychiatric comorbidities in patients with fibromyalgia. So, enhancing and improving resilience must be considered in the management protocols of fibromyalgia patients.
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a major physical and psychological burden on nursing staff who provide patient care in difficult circumstances with persistent exposure to infected patients. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among nursing staff working during the COVID-19 pandemic and its relationship with different work-related variables. It was designed as a cross-sectional comparative study in which 102 nurses on duty during the past 6 months were enrolled and divided into two groups. The first group included fifty-one COVID-dealing nurses who provided direct patient care to COVID-19 patients (emergency department, isolation zone, and intensive care unit (ICU)), while the second group included fifty-one non-COVID-dealing nurses on duty during the same period but in other hospital units and not providing direct care to COVID-19 patients (inpatient and outpatient wards). Sociodemographic data, work-related variables, PTSD symptom severity, and diagnosis were all assessed. Results The COVID-dealing nurses had significantly less frequent short breaks (P = 0.007), inadequate organizational support and compensation (P = 0.024), and inadequate time off work (P = 0.004) compared to non-COVID-dealing nursing staff. They were also significantly suffering from PTSD compared to second-line staff (P = 0.025). Conclusions COVID-dealing nurses providing direct care to COVID-19 patients suffered significantly from PTSD with a variety of contributing work-related variables.
Background Epilepsy is a brain disorder affecting nearly 65 million people worldwide. It is characterized by sudden, transient, and uncontrolled episodes of brain dysfunction secondary to hypersynchronous abnormal discharge of cortical neuronal cells resulting in motor, sensory, and behavioral manifestations. Cognitive deterioration can occur in approximately 70–80% of epileptic patients with a variety of epilepsy-related characteristics being implicated. This study aimed to assess cognitive functions in a sample of patients with generalized tonic–clonic epilepsy and determine its relation to different epilepsy-related characteristics. It was designed as a case–control cross-sectional study in which 106 participants were enrolled and divided into two groups: a case group of fifty-three patients diagnosed with generalized tonic–clonic epilepsy and a control group including fifty-three healthy subjects. Sociodemographic and epilepsy-related characteristics and a variety of cognitive functions were assessed for both groups. Results Epileptic patients were significantly suffering from impairment in attention, memory, visuospatial (P = 0.001), and language functions (P = 0.018) compared to the healthy control group. Conclusions Epileptic patients are significantly suffering from cognitive impairment with a variety of contributing epilepsy-related characteristics.
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