Volume 51, Number 10
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought losses to patients, families and healthcare professionals.
A Singapore scoping review identified the different types of losses leading to grief—the death of family members, patients and colleagues, as well as the loss of usual routines, lifestyles and physical health. The grief experienced was multidimensional, affecting the emotional, physical, social and existential realms. Anger, guilt and fear resulted from unsatisfactory farewells, issues with funerals, social isolation, financial strain and stigmatisation.
Loss and grief identification and management are critical. Strategies include communication, finance, counselling, education and spiritual care.
Illustration by Xinyu Li
Editorial
The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on loss and grief
As of 17 October 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 6.5 million lives globally, with 1,639 deaths reported in Singapore.1 With numerous countries imposing measures such as lockdowns and social distancing measures that isolate individuals, there has been a steady increase in a variety of mental disorders...
Editorial
ICU nutrition: Bracing for the silver tsunami
The global population’s life expectancy is growing with a steady increase in the proportion of older patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).1 Up to 13% of the ICU patients are above the age of 80.2 Older critically ill patients have lower physiological reserves of the various organ...
Original Article
Validation and comparison of the PECARN rule, Step-by-Step approach and Lab-score for predicting serious and invasive bacterial infections in young febrile infants
The diagnostic approach and management of febrile infants <90 days of age remain a challenge, given that the majority of these infants have no localising signs and symptoms, and may appear clinically well at presentation.1 In addition, the majority of these infants have benign viral illnesses, for which hospitalisation...
Original Article
Impact of aortic annular size and valve type on haemodynamics and clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation
The management of severe aortic stenosis (AS) in patients with small aortic annulus (SAA) represents a therapeutic challenge due to the increased mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) seen in this group of patients even after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).1,2
In recent times, the role of transcatheter aortic...
Review Article
Exploring loss and grief during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review of qualitative studies
As of mid October 2022, the World Health Organization recorded that more than 620 million people worldwide have been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, while over 6.5 million have succumbed to the disease. Many have lost family members and friends as well as jobs and familiar lifestyles,...
