Search

The wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with Omicron variant reached its first peak in Beijing, China in December 2022. We delineated characteristics and factors associated with adverse outcome of patients with plasma cell dyscrasias (PCDs) and COVID-19 during the first month of the wave. A total of 104 patients with a median age of 65 years were included in the study, with multiple myeloma (74%, n=77) and primary Immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (16.3%, n=17) being the two most common disease. Overall, severe or critical COVID-19 was developed in 18 (17.3%) patients, with a total all-cause mortality rate of 4.8% (n=5). The vaccination coverage was 41% and 48.1%, before and during the upsurge of Omicron, respectively, calling for the improvement of vaccination in PCD patients. Multivariable analysis revealed that age was the only independent risk factors (OR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.06–1.26, p = 0.002) associated with the development of severe or critical disease. Among patients with severe or critical group, low levels of albumin (HR=18.29; 95% CI: 1.82–183.44, p = 0.013) and high levels of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) (HR=0.08; 95% CI: 0.01–0.65, p = 0.018) were associated with longer time to negative conversion of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: As the COVID‐19 variant Omicron surge in Beijing, China, a better understanding of risk factors for adverse outcomes may improve clinical management in patients with haematological malignancies (HM) diagnosed with COVID‐19. The study sample includes 412 cases, mainly represented by acute leukaemia, chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), plasma cell disorders and lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. COVID‐19 pneumonia was observed in 10.4% (43/412) of patients, and severe/critical illness was observed in 5.3% (22/412). Among the 86 cases with advanced malignancies, 17.6% (12/86) of patients developed severe/critical COVID‐19, which was significantly higher than reported in patients with stable malignancies (9/326, 2.70%, p < 0.001). Similarly, the advanced malignancy cohort had a higher mortality rate (9/86, 10.5% vs. 0/326, 0%, p < 0.001) and a poor 30‐day overall survival (OS) compared with the stable malignancy cohort (74.2% vs. 100.0%, p < 0.0001). Overall, nine patients (2.2%) died. The primary cause of death was progressive HM in four patients and a combination of both COVID‐19 and HM in five patients. In the multivariable analysis, over 65 years of age, comorbidities and advanced malignancy were correlated with severe/critical COVID‐19 in HM patients. This study sheds light on the poor outcomes among COVID‐19 HM patients with the leading cause of advanced malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Street dusts from Heavy Density Traffic Area, Residential Area, Educational Area and Tourism Area in Beijing, China, were collected to study the distribution, accumulation and health risk assessment of heavy metals. Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb concentrations were in higher concentrations in these four locations than in the local soil background. In comparison with the concentrations of selected metals in other cities, the concentrations of heavy metals in Beijing were generally at moderate or low levels. Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb concentrations in the Tourism Area were the highest among four different areas in Beijing. A pollution assessment by Geoaccumulation Index showed that the pollution level for the heavy metals is in the following order: Cd>Pb>Zn>Cu>Cr>Ni. The Cd levels can be considered “heavily contaminated” status. The health risk assessment model that was employed to calculate human exposure indicated that both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of selected metals in street dusts were generally in the low range, except for the carcinogenic risk from Cr for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations, distribution, and accumulation of platinum group elements (PGEs) were investigated in roadside dusts collected in four different foundational areas in Beijing during February to May 2010. The results showed that PGE levels in all samples were above the average upper crust values, with mean concentrations of 57.5 ng · g−1 Pd, 28.2 ng · g−1 Pt, and 9.8 ng · g−1 Rh, respectively. Palladium concentration has increased rapidly in recent years. The rank of PGE levels in four different functional regions for roadside dusts was: heavy density traffic area > residential area > educational area > tourism area. Palladium, Pt, and Rh concentrations in dusts showed strong positive correlations, indicating a common traffic-related source of these metals. Meanwhile, PGEs in these samples were not correlated with other traffic-related metals except for Cr. The average PGE ratios of road dusts from Beijing were consistent with those in Gemany and Western Australia, but lower than those in the United States and Mexico, indicating that various catalyst productions were used in different countries. In addition, grain-size partitioning of PGEs in dusts indicated that concentrations of PGEs differed from one particle size to another. The coarse fraction had higher PGE concentrations than the fine fraction in roadside dusts. These results showed that autocatalyst PGE contamination estimates in the environment would be significantly underestimated if only a fine-grain size fraction (<0.063 mm) is analyzed. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:1231-1238. © 2012 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE. This study aimed to determine the rate of falls and their relationship with sociodemographic and clinical factors in a psychiatric institution in Beijing, China. DESIGN AND METHODS. The case notes of 7,921 inpatients were scrutinized to identify patients who fell while in the hospital. FINDINGS. The fall rate in this study was 1.2% of all inpatients. Nearly all (89.7%) falls occurred when patients attempted to stand up, get out of bed, or walk. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Effective measures should be provided to prevent falls in psychiatric wards. A prospective study exploring predictors of falls is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]