Category: Practices & Tips

Exercising During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Editor’s note: Keeping physically active has a great many benefits and, during the current COVID-19 situation, physical activity is recommended for emotional and mental health, as well as to boost your immune system. However, as everyone’s different, please speak with your doctor about finding the right level of fitness activity for you.

By Michael Wong (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety), Lynn G. Razzano, RN, MSN, ONC, CMSRN (Clinical Nurse Consultant, PPAHS), and Thereza B. Ayad, RN, MSN, DNP, CNOR (Clinical Nurse Consultant, PPAHS)

One of the questions we’ve received on the chat line and which we’d like to share the answer to is about exercising during the current COVID-19 pandemic. This is a question that many have probably asked themselves.

There are many benefits to staying physically active, particularly following surgery. However, during the current COVID-19 circumstances that require social distancing and have necessitated the closure of facilities – particularly gyms, pools, and parks – staying physically active can be especially challenging.

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COVID-19 Patients Are at a Greater Risk of Blood Clots

Editor’s note: Our understanding of COVID-19 symptomatology is evolving as the current pandemic unfolds. The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis has collected a number of studies and case reports on thrombosis in COVID-19 patients. The Journal of American College of Cardiology released a review of current understanding, citing many of the studies and case reports which are on the ISTH site. This COVID-19 pandemic challenges us to use current knowledge and innovate new approaches to care for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. This article seeks to summarize some of the current knowledge about thrombosis in COVID-19 patients, knowing that future studies and case reports will undoubtedly refine the statements made below. However, this is science, continually evolving and improving based on current understanding. With that, this article offers some insights about VTE in patients admitted to the hospital who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

By Michael Wong (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety), Laurie Paletz, BSN PHN RN BC SCRN (Manager, Stroke Program Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai), and Thereza B. Ayad, RN, MSN, DNP, CNOR (Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Graduate School of Nursing; Surgical Services Clinical Staff Educator, North Shore Medical Center)

(reviewed by Sue Koob, MPA, Chief Executive Officer, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association and Pat Salber, MD, MBA, Editor-in-Chief, DoctorWeighsIn)

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Going to the Dentist in this COVID-19 Era

Editor’s note: As many states look to “re-open,” some of us may be looking to do what might have been put off during the last few weeks of COVID-19 isolation – such as, going to the dentist. T help Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety) interviewed Bradley T. Truax, MD about what precautions dentists and their patients should consider.

By Michael Wong, JD (Founder/Executive Director, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety)

As many states look to “re-open,” some of us may be looking to do what might have been put off during the last few weeks of COVID-19 isolation – such as, going to the dentist.

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Great COVID-19 Advice and Resources from Our Cardiovascular Partners

If you have questions, the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety launched a free online service (the CV Virtual Clinic) where patients can speak with experienced registered nurses and get personalized answers to their questions.

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Malignant Hyperthermia Is Your Facility Prepared?

[Editor’s note: This poster was accepted for presentation at the 2020 AORN National Conference and Surgical Expo, which unfortunately has been canceled because of the current Covid-19 crisis. However, the information contained on the poster contains important information that all healthcare facilities should be aware of and implement to prevent Malignant Hyperthermia and to minimize patient harm and prevent patient mortality, so we asked the poster authors to discuss their findings here.

By Thereza B. Ayad, RN, DNP, CNOR and Lynn Razzano, RN, MSN, ONC CMSRN

Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) complicates 1:100,000 adult surgical cases. MH is a severe reaction to a dose of anesthetics – infrequently, extreme exercise or a heat stroke can trigger MH in someone with a muscle abnormality where the individual’s muscle cells have an abnormal protein on their surfaces.

Although rare, MH can be fatal.

MH symptoms/ manifestations include:

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Coronavirus Brief for Caregivers

Editor’s notes: Rather than long-winded expressions of concern – which is what seems to be occurring regularly from airlines to grocery stores and everything in between, PPAHS will present coronavirus briefs. We hope that you find this brief on tips for caregivers to be useful and just long enough to be of interest.

The quandary for caregivers during the current Covid-19 crisis is the conflicting recommendations demanding social distancing and the need to make sure that the person that they are caring for is still receiving the attention and care that they need.

Here are 5 steps you can take as a caregiver:

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Blood Clots Can Happen with Anyone, Don’t Think It Can’t Happen to You or Your Loved One

In celebration of World Thrombosis Day 2019, here are four much-watch videos on the need to assess all maternal patients for the risk of VTE and to provide the recommended prophylaxis treatment, depending on whether the mother is antepartum or postpartum.

Blood Clots Are Preventable in Pregnant Mothers

Blood clots are preventable in pregnant mothers, but to make this happen, all maternal patients need to be assessed for the risk of DVT and, if the patient is found to be at risk, the patient must be provided the recommended prophylactic treatments. In this video, Michael Wong, JD (Founder and Executive Director) discusses PPAHS put together an expert panel to develop the OB VTE Safety Recommendations. He encourages all maternal patients to be assessed and treated for VTE.

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3 Tips for Successfully Discharging a Senior Patient from Hospital

According to the Census Bureau, seniors made up 13.3% of the U.S. population in 2011 and will account for at least 20% of the population by 2060. Max Gottlieb discusses 3 tips for successful discharging a senior patient from hospital.

By Max Gottlieb (Senior Planning)

After being discharged from a hospital, seniors and their families not only have to worry about speeding up recovery through post-operation dieting or physical therapy, but they can experience a myriad of issues completely unrelated to physical health. Knowing what to expect when dealing with the American healthcare system, especially when the patient is using Medicare, can ensure that your loved one has the best possible care under your supervision.

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Treatment and Prevention of Peanut Allergy

Allergies to peanuts has increasing significantly. In this guest article, Campion Quinn, MD discusses the treatment and prevention of peanut allergy. Dr. Quinn also considers new therapies for peanut allergy.

By Campion Quinn, MD

The prevalence of peanut allergy in the US has more than quadrupled in the past 13 years going from 0.4% in 1997 to 2% in 2010, amounting to more than 6.5 million people. It has become a significant issue in homes, schools, restaurants, and physician’s offices.

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Five Steps to Managing Concussions in Youth Sports

In this guest article, Dr. Steve Horwitz provides 5 steps that should be taken to manage concussions in youth sports.

By Dr. Steve Horwitz

Concussions and CTE. These have been the two buzz words in the sports headlines for the last few years. We read and see how concussions are managed in professional sports (recent World Cup) and the recent examples of this management are disconcerting. The NFL and NHL lawsuits continue and the more we learn, the uglier it gets. What is the influence of professional sports on the decisions made by youth athletes, parents, coaches, and administrators?

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