New Delhi, Jul 20 (UNI) In an effort to bolster the Union Government’s efforts to reduce Covid-19 mortality, AIIMS New Delhi has started a video-consultation programme with ICU doctors across the country called e-ICU from July 8 by holding case-management discussions among doctors who are at the frontline in treating Covid patients in hospitals and Covid facilities around the country.
Till date, four sessions have been held covering 43 institutions -- Mumbai (10), Goa (3), Delhi (3), Gujarat (3), Telangana (2), Assam (5), Karnataka (1), Bihar (1), Andhra Pradesh (1), Kerala (1), Tamil Nadu (13), an official release here said.
Physicians who manage Covid-19 patients, including those in the ICUs, can raise queries, present their experience and share knowledge with other physicians and experts from AIIMS, New Delhi on this video platform.
During these sessions conducted through video conferencing spanning 1.5 to 2 hours, the discussions cover a gamut of issues related to management of Covid-19 patients. Important issues that have been stressed upon are the need for rational use of 'Investigational Therapies' like Remdesevir, convalescent plasma and Tocilizumab. The treating teams have discussed the current indications and possible harm due to their indiscriminate use and the need to limit social-media pressure based prescriptions.
The programme aims at holding case-management discussions among doctors who are at the frontline in treating Covid-19 patients in hospitals and Covid facilities around the country. Physicians who manage Covid-19 patients, including those in the ICUs can raise queries, present their experience and share knowledge with other physicians and experts from AIIMS, New Delhi on this video platform.
The 'e-ICU' video consultation programme in the coming weeks would cover ICU doctors from smaller healthcare facilities (that is those having 500 beds or more) across the country.
Discussions are held on how to reduce mortality from Covid-19 by learning from shared experience and strengthening best practices among hospitals with 1,000 beds, including isolation beds, oxygen supported and ICU beds.
The use of proning, high flow oxygen, non-invasive ventilation and ventilator settings for advanced disease have also been a common discussion point. The role of various testing strategies in diagnosing COVID-19 has also been an important topic of shared learning.
Issues such as the need for repeat testing, admission and discharge criteria, management of post discharge symptoms, and return to work have been addressed.
Some of the other common concerns have been the methods of communication with patients, screening of health-care workers, managing new-onset diabetes, uncommon presentations such as stroke, diarrhoea and myocardial infarction. The team from AIIMS, New Delhi was able to act as a bridge for new knowledge from one group to the other at each VC, apart from advising from its own experience and the extensive literature reviews done by the domain experts.
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