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Background and objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors face societal stigma. The study aims to analyze the association of this stigma with the mental health and quality of life of COVID-19 survivors. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we observed 547 adults who were previously documented as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) positive by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, treated in a hospital or an emergency hospital and proven to be SARS-CoV-2 negative by their latest PCR test. We adopted the Berger HIV Stigma Scale to measure stigma; the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Form to measure quality of life; and the Mental Health Inventory-38 to measure mental health. The chi-square and binary logistic regression tests were used to find the correlation between the variables. Results The multivariate analysis revealed that medium stigma was more likely related to quality of life and mental health than low stigma. Females were less likely to experience stigma related to mental health than men, and respondents who worked as laborers and entrepreneurs were less likely to experience stigma related to mental health than those who worked as civil workers/army personnel/teachers/lecturers. COVID-19 survivors experienced medium stigma in society and lower quality of life and mental health status. We found that quality of life and mental health were affected by stigma, sex, and occupation. Conclusion COVID-19 survivors are a vulnerable group that is most at risk when they return to their communities. Creating a safe environment and providing respectful care, including addressing complex stigma factors, is vital for developing appropriate interventions.

In the field of neurosurgery, often the dura mater cannot be sutured, and consequently, it requires a duraplasty procedure using a dural fascial graft. Since 1890, various materials have been researched as dura mater substitutes. Amniotic membrane, for example, is suitable as a dural graft material and has been used in neurosurgery since 2012. However, there has been little research on human patient's dural healing after the use of amniotic membrane in their duraplasty procedure. To address this gap, a clinical experimental study was undertaken to evaluate the human dural healing of 16 patients who had undergone duraplasty in decompressive craniectomy surgery at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya. The amniotic membrane allograft, was sutured to cover the dural defect for eight randomly chosen patients (Group I). The fascial autograft from the temporal muscle had been applied for eight other patients (Group II). Between 10 and 20 weeks after surgery, the patients underwent cranioplasty and dural healing evaluation by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage testing through the edge of the dural defect. The fibrocyte infiltration around the edge of the dural defect was examined histologically. Statistical analysis, using an independent t-test, was performed with a confidence interval of 95%. The results of the clinical and histological analysis suggest that an amniotic membrane graft was able to provide watertight dural closure and adequate fibrocyte infiltration comparable with that provided by temporalis muscle fascia. This study shows that using an amniotic membrane in neurosurgery has a potential advantage over an alternative dural healing.

Bladder migration and transurethral extrusion is an extremely rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. Only eight cases have been reported in the English literature since 1995. We report a case of a 4-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, and VP shunted on both sides who presented with a protruded distal VP shunt from his urethral orifice. The patient was reported for having previous shunt extrusion through the anus. The patient was treated on by a multidisciplinary approach, involving a neurosurgeon and urologist. Shunt removal with simple procedure was smoothly achieved without morbidities. He was discharged home in satisfactory condition.

Background:Various complications after ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery have been reported, but peroral extrusion of peritoneal catheter is an extremely rare complication, and only 20 cases have been reported since 1987. The pathophysiology still remains unclear and the management is challenging.Case Description:A 5-year-old boy presented with a catheter coming out of his mouth. The boy had a posterior fossa tumor surgery and had VP shunt insertion 1 year earlier. Clinical signs and imaging studies showed that the distal end of the catheter had perforated the gaster and migrated upward and extruded through the mouth. Emergency removal of the shunt and proper treatment were done and he made uneventful recovery.Conclusion:Peroral extrusion of VP shunt is extremely rare. Clinicians should be aware of this complication. With early diagnosis and proper management, the prognosis for good recovery is excellent, with only two deaths being reported in the literature. Complication of shunt extrusion is difficult to avoid, but knowing the risk factors, pathophysiology and proper management will decrease the morbidity and mortality of such cases.