Relevant Factors and Intervention Measures of Psychological Stress-Induced Hyperthermia among Medical Staff in Temporary COVID-19 Negative Pressure Wards

Abstract

Background: Medical staff working in COVID-19 wards must be isolated and observed for 14 days upon the occurrence of psychological stress-induced hyperthermia (PSH). Such measures could result in great psychological pressure and incur considerable losses in anti-disease resources. Methods: In this study, the psychological conditions of medical staff were assessed over a period of 7 days in COVID-19 isolation wards of the People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China and 7 days after leaving the wards by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). The relevant factors of PSH were analyzed by t- and rank sum tests. Results: A total of 10 females with an average body temperature of 37.36 ± 0.07 ℃ were included in the PSH group. Another 103 females and 53 males with an average body temperature of 36.66 ± 0.21 ℃ were included in the control group. The PSQI, GAD-7, PHQ-9, IES-R, and PCL-C scores of the PSH group were higher than those of the control group. Binary regression analysis indicated that the odds ratios of the PSQI and GAD-7 scores were 12.98 and 3.81, respectively (P < 0.05). After positive intervention, the body temperature and psychological scale scores of both groups returned to normal ranges. Conclusion: Working in COVID-19 wards could cause susceptible medical staff to suffer from PSH. Female sex, somnipathy, and GAD are independent risk factors of PSH.

Keywords

• Psychological stress-induced hyperthermia
• Somnipathy
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• COVID-19