Premium
Features of the provision of inpatient medical care to patients with Alzheimer's disease during the SARS‐COVID‐19 pandemic
Author(s) -
Sushko Viacheslav Viktorovich,
Sushko Viktor Vasilievich
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.050056
Subject(s) - apathy , pandemic , disease , medicine , covid-19 , neurology , dementia , alzheimer's disease , mood , intensive care medicine , psychiatry , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Background With Alzheimer's disease, the patient is not only unable to help himself, but he cannot even ask for such help. This is especially dangerous for a patient during the SARS‐COVID‐19 pandemic. Since the deadly complications of SARS‐COVID‐19 are observed in the age group in which Alzheimer's disease manifests itself. Method We observed 26 women aged 71‐84 with Alzheimer's disease. All patients received treatment according to Alzheimer's disease treatment standards. Both amyloid‐beta and tau were found in their cerebrospinal fluid. They also showed neurodegeneration in the areas classic for Alzheimer's disease on MRI of the brain. During a pandemic, sickness departments must wear masks and change them every 4 hours to prevent SARS‐COVID‐19 disease. In patients with Alzheimer's disease, the fulfillment of these requirements on their own is impracticable, since they have memory disorders for current events, changes in mood (apathy). Therefore, constant monitoring of medical personnel for compliance with these requirements is required. These patients in all inpatient care periods were given masks with a built‐in 4‐hour timer and a sensor that responded to opening contacts when the mask was removed. The end of 4 hours of wearing the mask and the removal of the mask as indicated by sound and light alarms installed in the mask. Result This greatly facilitated the monitoring of compliance with quarantine SARS‐COVID‐19 measures in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Also, the timely change of the mask was the prevention of hypoxia that develops as a result of wetting the mask with prolonged wearing. Conclusion Prevention of hypoxia with the prolonged wearing of a wet mask alleviates the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, allows the patient to convey their thoughts and feelings, and significantly improves the quality of life of patients.