Implementation of Good Clinical Practice in Early COVID-19 Pandemic
Published: December 1, 2021 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2021/48640.15724
Constantin Tudor Luca, Svetlana Mosteoru, Laurence Sperling, Alina Gabriela Negru, Daniela Maximov, Adina Bucur, Simina Crisan, Dan Gaita
1. Associate Professor, Department of Cardiology, Victor Babes¸ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timis¸oara, Timis¸, Romania.
2. Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology, Victor Babes¸ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timis¸oara, Timis¸, Romania.
3. Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Department of Public Health, Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
4. Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology, Victor Babes¸ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timis¸oara, Timis¸, Romania.
5. Senior Clinical Researcher, Department of Research, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Timis¸oara, Timis¸, Romania.
6. Lecturer, Department of Public Health, Victor Babes¸ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timis¸oara, Timis¸, Romania.
7. Lecturer, Department of Cardiology, Victor Babes¸ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timis¸oara, Timis¸, Romania.
8. Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Department of Cardiology, Victor Babes¸ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timis¸oara, Timis¸, Romania.
Correspondence
Alina Gabriela Negru,
Piata Eftimie Murgu Nr 2, Timisoara, Timis, Romania.
E-mail: eivanica@yahoo.com
Introduction: The novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread across the globe generating a pandemic. Every affected country has tried its best to mitigate the virus’s effects.
Aim: This study was designed to implement the good clinical practice in the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Timis¸ oara (ICDT) for Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection by a retrospective search for patients with a possible COVID-19 infection before widespread testing was available in our country.
Materials and Methods: The retrospective study was conducted on selected group of 19 patients admitted to the ICDT, who displayed radiological signs of possible SARS-CoV-2 infection, between September 2019 and May 2020 in collaboration with the Radiology Department. Patients have been followed-up regarding their clinical status and asked to participate in Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody testing at a local laboratory. The patients were divided based on the period they were admitted to the hospital into four groups: September-December 2019, January-February 2020, March-April 2020 and May 2020. The patients tested for coronavirus came from all four timeframes.
Results: Only 13 patients (male: female ratio was 10:3 ; mean age was 71.69 years) from the initial group were available and willing to answer a short interview and only five agreed to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Most of the patients admitted to the hospital were suffering from acute myocardial infarction (30.7%), as well as heart failure (30.7%), followed by coronary heart disease (15.38%). A 30.7% of the patients had atrial fibrillation, 23% were also diagnosed with pneumonia during their hospital admission, 23% were also being treated for arterial hypertension, 7.69% had diabetes mellitus and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD). Out of the five patients tested for IgG antibodies, two tested positive, with a titre above 1.4.
Conclusion: The patients who have gone through the SARS-CoV-2 infection without being previously diagnosed were identified and followed-up on their health status. By conceiving and performing this study, the authors have strived to establish a new set of rules to advance and improve good clinical practice in unprecedented times.
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