Searching Databases
My clinical issue of interest is the severity of COVID-19 symptoms among diabetic patients. In my attempt to address this, I will develop a PICO (T) question that will guide my research on the same. To answer the PICO question, I will search several databases for relevant information pertaining to the topic. The search will be aided by a formulation of specific keywords as well as the employment of certain strategies, such as the use of Boolean operators.
Description of Issue of Interest
COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease spread through personal contact with an infected person and instigated by the novel coronavirus. The majority of COVID-19 victims experience mild symptoms such as a cough, fatigue, a fever, shortness of breath, and a sore throat. However, it has been hypothesized that diabetic patients could have a higher risk of experiencing more severe COVID-19-related complications if they contract the disease (Singh et al., 2020). Incidentally, diabetes is one of the underlying conditions that have been identified to present higher risks to COVID-19 patients (Muniyappa & Gubbi, 2020). Other preexisting medical circumstances include obesity, chronic kidney disease, and heart problems (Abdi et al., 2020). One explanation for the severity of COVID-19 symptoms among diabetic patients is that diabetes interferes with the workings of the body’s immune system (Kumar et al., 2020). This makes it difficult for the body to fight off the virus.
PICO Questions
In developing the PICO question, it will be necessary to first highlight the specific elements that will form the basis of the question. They include the following:
- Patient: These are the diabetic patients suffering from COVID-19
- Intervention: The use of insulin infusion as an appropriate treatment strategy to lower the levels of blood glucose before a diabetic COVID-19 patient transitions into subcutaneous insulin
- Comparison: Alternatively, using the new protocol for the 6-hour interval insulin delivery, which should coincide with a physician check-in
- Outcome: Reduction in the severity of COVID-19 infection
The PICO Question will thus be a summary of all the above elements:
In diabetic COVID-19 patients (P), will direct insulin infusion (I), compared to the 6-hour-interval insulin delivery (C), be more effective in predicting coronavirus complications (O)?
Search Strategy
The search strategy will entail the use of search terms and relevant databases. Search terms refer to word combinations that are keyed into a search engine to narrow down a search on the internet. In answering the PICO question, the search terms to be used include Severity of COVID-19, diabetic patients, diabetes and COVID-19, diabetic symptoms, and COVID-19 symptoms. It is believed that by entering these words in the search box, a list of relevant information will be produced. The articles that carry the most authentic information about the topic will be selected for use. The databases that will be relied upon for entering the search terms will include Thoreau Multi-database search, Ulrich’s: verify peer-reviewed, Google Scholar, and ScholarWorks
Search Results Description
My search experience was informed by the PICO question that I had already developed. Google Scholar was the most efficient and effective as it gave more relevant information about the PICO question. I began by typing the PICO question in the search box, which produced about 385,000 results. I used the search terms highlighted above to narrow down my search to specific content. I applied the Boolean operators of AND, OR, and NOT to connect different information pieces to give me exactly what I was looking for. However, to increase the effectiveness and rigor of my database search, I employed a few additional strategies. First, I applied quotes for the phrases I was using as search terms. For instance, by quoting “diabetes and COVID-19,” I was able to get more relevant information about the same. Second, I was also looking out for peer-reviewed articles that have been authored by experts with authority in COVID-19 and diabetes.
In conclusion, the PICO question can be used to explain why diabetic patients experience more severe symptoms of COVID-19. However, this will only be accomplished if an efficient and rigorous search strategy is applied.
References
Abdi, A., Jalilian, M., Sarbarzeh, P. A., & Vlaisavljevic, Z. (2020). Diabetes and COVID-19: A systematic review on the current evidences. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 166, Web.
Kumar, A., Arora, A., Sharma, P., & Anikhindi, S. A. (2020). Is diabetes mellitus associated with mortality and severity of COVID-19? A meta-analysis. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 14(4), 535-545. Web.
Muniyappa , R., & Gubbi, S. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic, coronaviruses, and diabetes mellitus. American Journal of Psychology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, 318(5), Web.
Singh, A. K., Gupta, R., Ghosh, A., & Misra, A. (2020). Diabetes in COVID-19: Prevalence, pathophysiology, prognosis and practical considerations. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 14(4), 303-310. Web.