Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34534228›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Blood cancer care in a resource limited setting during the Covid-19 outbreak; a single center experience from Sri Lanka.

Saman Hewamana, Thurairajah Skandarajah, Chathuri Jayasinghe, Samadhi Deshapriya, Dhananjani Senarathna, Gehan Arseculeratne, Mahesh Harischandra, Gnani Somasundaram, Vadivelu Srinivasan, Surjit Somiah and 7 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 29% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Saman HewamanaClinical Haematology Unit, Lanka Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka.ORCID 0000-0002-5439-8398
Thurairajah SkandarajahNational Cancer Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Chathuri JayasingheUniversity of Sri Jayewardenepura, Colombo, Sri Lanka.ORCID 0000-0003-2891-742X
Samadhi DeshapriyaClinical Haematology Unit, Lanka Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Dhananjani SenarathnaClinical Haematology Unit, Lanka Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Gehan ArseculeratneLanka Hospitals, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Mahesh HarischandraLanka Hospitals, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Gnani SomasundaramLanka Hospitals, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Vadivelu SrinivasanLanka Hospitals, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Surjit SomiahLanka Hospitals, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Nihal MunasingheLanka Hospitals, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Sangeetha HewawasamLanka Hospitals, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Lalith EkanayakeLanka Hospitals, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Rohini WadanambyLanka Hospital Diagnostics, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Geethani GalagodaLanka Hospital Diagnostics, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Thet Thet LinFaculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom.
Jayantha BalawardenaSir John Kotelawala Defence University, Werahera, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Lanka Hospitals · LKCoventry University · GBGeneral Sir John Kotelawala Defence University · LKNational Cancer Institute of Sri Lanka · LKUniversity of Sri Jayewardenepura · LK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Covid-19 pandemic has caused significant morbidity and mortality among patients with cancer. Most countries employed measures to prevent spread of Covid-19 infection which include shielding, quarantine, lockdown, travel restrictions, physical distancing and the use of personal protective equipment. This study was carried out to assess the change in patient attendance and the efficacy of newly implemented strategies to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on services at the Lanka Hospital Blood Cancer Centre (LHBCC) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. METHODOLOGY: Telephone consultation, infection control, personal protective measures and emergency admission policy were implemented with the aim of having a Covid-19 free ward and to prevent cross-infections. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 1399 patient episodes (in-patient care or day-case review). We analysed patients treated as in-patient as well as day-case basis between 01st April 2020 and 31st December 2020.

resultsThere were 977 day-case based episodes and 422 in-patient based episodes. There was a 14% drop in episode numbers compared to same period in 2019. There was no cross infection and no patients with Covid-19 related symptoms or positive test results entered the LHBCC during the study period.

conclusionServices in blood cancer care were maintained to prevent late stage presentation and adverse outcome. Measures implemented to prevent Covid-19 were effective to allow continuation of treatment. This study highlights the importance of implementing strict protocols, clinical screening, use of appropriate personal protective equipment in delivering blood cancer care during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the only documented study relating to outcome and successful applicability of measures to prevent spread of Covid-19 infection and maintaining services among blood cancer patients in Sri Lanka.

Indexed as

COVID-19Cross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHematologic NeoplasmsHumansMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsPersonal Protective EquipmentSri LankaTelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID34534228
PMCPMC8448336
OpenAlexW3201469048

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.