Symptom Cluster of ICU Nurses Treating COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients in Wuhan, China

Abstract

Background. In treating highly infectious coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses face a high risk of developing somatic symptom disorder (SSD).The symptom clusters in one population may show overlaps and involvements, a phenomenon that should be deliberately resolved to improve the management efficiency.Objectives. The present study aims to investigate the symptoms and causes of SSD of ICU nurses treating COVID-19 pneumonia. The research results are expected to provide evidence for the establishment of a better management strategy.Methods. This study enrolled a total of 140 ICU nurses who were selected by Jiangsu Province Hospital to work in Wuhan (the epicenter of the COVID-19 epidemic in China) on February 3, 2020. A questionnaire, Somatic symptom disorders for ICU nurses in Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, was designed based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to cluster the symptoms and logistic regression analysis to find the risk factors of the symptoms.Results. Five major symptoms were chest discomfort and palpitation (31.4%), dyspnea (30.7%), nausea (21.4%), headache (19.3%), and dizziness (17.9%). In exploratory factor analysis, the symptoms were classified into three clusters: Cluster A of breathing and sleep disturbances (dizziness, sleepiness, and dyspnea); Cluster B of gastrointestinal complaints and pain (nausea and headache), and Cluster C of general symptoms (xerostomia, fatigue, as well as chest discomfort and palpitation). In Cluster A, urine/feces splash, sex, and sputum splash were independent predictive factors. In Cluster B, fall of protective glasses and urine/feces splash were independent predictive factors. In Cluster C, urine/feces splash and urine/feces clearance were independent predictive factors.Conclusion. The ICU nurses in Wuhan showed varying and overlapping SSDs. These SSDs could be classified into three symptom clusters. Based on the characteristics of their SSDs, specific interventions could be implemented to safeguard the health of ICU nurses.

The mental health impact of the covid-19 pandemic on healthcare workers, and interventions to help them: A rapid systematic review

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The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical staff in Guangdong, China: a cross-sectional study

“…The objective of this study was to report on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical staff in the Guangdong province of China using a cross-sectional survey conducted at four large hospitals. To our knowledge, this is one of the earliest evaluations of psychological distress in medical staff treating COVID-19 patients (Huang & Zhao, 2020;Lai et al, 2020;Tang et al, 2020;Xiao, Zhang, Kong, Li, & Yang, 2020). The results of the current study show that in early February 2020, when there were significant public and medical staff concerns Psychological Medicine about a novel infectious disease outbreak, 40-50% of the surveyed medical staff had anxiety or depressive symptoms, and nearly half reported insomnia symptoms.…”

The scientific literature on Coronaviruses, COVID-19 and its associated safety-related research dimensions: A scientometric analysis and scoping review

“…Considering that medical professionals are at a higher risk of exposure, the occupational safety of healthcare professionals has been a major focus of research in relation to COVID-19 (Ambigapathy et al, 2020;Belingheri et al, 2020;Chen et al, 2020e;Cheung et al, 2020;Joob and Wiwanitkit, 2020;Yifan et al, 2020). Cheung et al (2020) argue that medical professionals who are involved in aerosol-generating procedures for COVID-19 patients, such as non-invasive ventilation or intubation, have a particularly higher infection risk.…”