All COVID-19 News
Extended Prone Positioning for COVID-19 ARDS
2022 12 Jul
COVID-19 has resulted in an estimated 270,000 hospitalisations in ICUs in Europe between May 2020 and March 2022. Nearly 80% of these patients have required tracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation. While there is still an ongoing debate whether acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) physiopathology is the same in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19... Read more
Hospitals-on-FHIR: Preparing Hospitals for European Health Data Space
2022 08 Jul
Hospitals and other healthcare organisations are where health data is predominantly created. If the European Health Data Space (EHDS) is to become a reality for citizens, both via supporting primary use as well as secondary use of health data, data located in these organisations needs to be able to be shared. Experts, industry, and EU-funded projects... Read more
How Digitisation is Transforming the MedTech Talent Landscape
2022 08 Jul
An overview of the process of digitisation in the medical device industry and important questions that organisations should ask to best prepare for the digital disruption ahead. Key Points Digitisation is in full swing for the medical device industry and will continue to disrupt the sector throughout the 2020s. This has created a need... Read more
Artificial Intelligence and Radiomics at the University of Florence
2022 08 Jul
This paper provides an overview of current research at the Department of Radiology of the University of Florence. It concerns radiomics along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to various medical fields. The need for personalised medicine and the transition from qualitative to quantitative imaging are at the heart of the projects... Read more
Network Modernisation: The Key to the Future of Healthcare
2022 08 Jul
In the post-COVID era, network modernisation will be key for healthcare organisations as they continue to introduce Internet of Things devices to their operations- in fact, it must underpin every institution’s roadmap towards digital transformation. Key Points Outdated networks can act as roadblocks and trying to adapt them to modern demand... Read more
Response to PEEP in COVID-19 ARDS With & Without ECMO
2022 05 Jul
There have been conflicting results concerning lung recruitability of COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and the use of techniques derived from changes in respiratory mechanics and/or gas exchange in response to positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) increase. Various factors may explain the heterogeneity of reports regarding recruitability... Read more
COVID-19 Vaccines Prevented 20 Million Deaths Worldwide
2022 28 Jun
Findings from the first modelling study to quantify the impact of COVID-19 vaccines show that nearly 19.9 million out of a potential 31.4 million deaths were prevented in the first year (December 2020-December 2021) after the introduction of the vaccine. The findings are based on data from 185 countries using COVID-19 death records and total excess... Read more
Omicron Has Half the Risk of Long COVID Compared to Delta
2022 21 Jun
New research shows that the Omicron variant is less likely to cause Long-COVID compared to the Delta variant. The findings are published in The Lancet. This is the first peer-reviewed study to report the risk of Long-COVID associated with the Omicron variant. As per the NICE guidelines, Long-COVID is defined as new or ongoing symptoms four weeks... Read more
COVID-19 Lockdown and Weight Changes
2022 21 Jun
It has been speculated that the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and shutdown of public places may have resulted in weight gain and increased rates of obesity. A recent survey reported that 60% of adults had gained a mean of 5.6 kg in body weight. However, another meta-analysis suggested much smaller gains at about 1.57 kg. The findings are hence quite... Read more
Early Deep Sedation in Mechanically Ventilated COVID-19 Patients
2022 20 Jun
Sedation management is a critical component when managing mechanically ventilated patients. It is important to use a protocol-driven approach, which favours paired spontaneous awakening (SAT) and breathing (SBT) trials, along with light levels of sedation. The initial period of respiratory failure in the emergency department and the first 48 hours... Read more
FDA Approves COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Under Five
2022 19 Jun
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given emergency use authorisation to the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for children under five. Vaccine advisors at the CDC have voted unanimously in support of the measure. As a result, the COVID-19 vaccine can now be given to children as young as six months old. The Pfizer vaccine is good for... Read more
#EA22: Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution Increases Risk of Severe COVID-19
2022 07 Jun
New research presented at Euroanaesthesia 2022 finds that long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to a greater risk of severe COVID-19. Findings from the study show that people living in counties with higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) were more likely to need ICU care and mechanical ventilation if they had COVID-19. Long-term exposure... Read more
Clinical, Organisational Factors and COVID-19 Mortality
2022 31 May
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the most significant challenges faced by critical care workers worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented number of patients with COVID-19 associated pneumonia were admitted to the ICU. As a result, most healthcare facilities faced capacity issues and had to designate clinical areas to accommodate... Read more
Contrast Agent Shortage Sends Ripples through Radiology
2022 23 May
Radiology departments react to a shortage of iodinated contrast media from GE Healthcare, caused by an unexpected COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, China. GE Healthcare’s manufacturing plant in Shanghai produces the iodinated contrast media, Omnipaque (iohexol) and Visipaque (iodixanol), which are used to enhance computed tomography and other imaging... Read more
The Nursing Workforce Needs Greater Investment
2022 13 May
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) released its International Nurses Day (IND) toolkit on 12 May 2022, a report that provides multisectoral guidance to nursing stakeholders globally. In releasing this document, ICN’s goal is to support the implementation of the WHO Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery: 2021-2025 (SDNM) . The... Read more
Telehealth Follow-up Compares Well to In-Person Care For Chronic Conditions
2022 10 May
A Johns Hopkins University study compared in-person and telehealth ambulatory encounter outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic’s first year. They found that telehealth follow-ups compared equally well to in-person visits outcomes for chronic conditions. Telehealth services in the U.S. have expanded since the beginning of the pandemic to provide... Read more
Long COVID and Recovery Following Hospitalisation
2022 10 May
More than 500 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide. Patients infected with COVID-19 are at a higher risk of persisting health impairments six months after hospital discharge associated with reduced physical function and health and quality of life. It is thus important to understand the long-term trajectory of recovery from COVID-19.... Read more
Mental Health and Policy Stringency During COVID-19
2022 03 May
According to two new studies that have reviewed data from 15 countries, pandemic policy measures aimed at controlling rather than eliminating COVID-19 are associated with worse mental health and lower life evaluations. Findings are published in The Lancet. Study results show that countries that aimed to eliminate community transmission within... Read more
Digitalisation in Healthcare – Embracing Digital Front Doors
2022 29 Apr
Herbert Staehr serves as Global Head of Transforming Care Delivery for Siemens Healthineers, driving the company’s activities and messaging around delivering high-value care. In this capacity, he develops and executes programmes and outreach strategies aimed at healthcare providers around the world, as well as stakeholders in every branch of the healthcare... Read more
Hospitalised COVID-19 Patients More Likely to Die Than Those With Influenza
2022 27 Apr
Adults (aged 18 or older) hospitalised with COVID-19 are at higher risk of complications and death than those with influenza, despite being younger and having fewer chronic illnesses, according to a retrospective cohort study conducted at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona. The findings, presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology... Read more