ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic posed a great strain in health services. AIM: To describe the epidemiological and clinical features of patients with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to a regional hospital in southern Chile between April and August 2020. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical records of all hospitalized patients with RT-PCR (+) for SARS-CoV-2 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: During the study period 226 patients aged 55 ± 18 years (55% men) were admitted. The main comorbidities were high blood pressure in 45%, diabetes in 31% and obesity in 21%. The main symptoms were dyspnea in 70%, cough in 69%, fever in 62% and myalgia in 47%. Pneumonia was the main cause of admission in 66%. Images on admission were compatible with pneumonia in 81%, and with a typical COVID-19 pattern in 84%. In 76% there was five-lobe involvement. Eighty-seven cases (39%) were admitted to critical care, with an APACHE score of 10.9 ± 7.1. Invasive mechanical ventilation was used in 16%, 30% required prone position and 13%, a high-flow nasal cannula. The mean stay in critical care was 13.3 days. The mean duration of invasive mechanical ventilation was 14.1 days. Antimicrobials were used in 55% and dexamethasone in 36%. Twenty-two (9.7%) patients aged 71.7 ± 14 died. A Charlson comorbidity index > 3, heart failure and connection to invasive mechanical ventilation were independent risk factors for death. An age > 65 years alone and other comorbidities were not risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Viral pneumonia is the main cause of hospitalization for COVID-19, usually extensive and bilateral. The greater severity and poor prognosis of these patients are mainly related to comorbidities.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Respiration, Artificial , Dexamethasone , Chile/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Hospitalization , HospitalsABSTRACT
Background: In a decade, we faced two pandemic viruses, influenza A H1N1pdm09 and SARS CoV-2, whose most serious manifestation is pneumonia. Aim: To compare the clinical, epidemiological and management aspects of pneumonias caused by each pandemic virus in adults requiring hospitalization. Material and Methods: Comparative, observational study carried out at a regional Chilean hospital, including 75 patients with influenza A H1N1pdm09 prospectively studied in 2009 and 142 patients with SARS-CoV-2 studied in 2020. Results: Patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia were older (56 and 39.7 years respectively, p < 0.01) and had significantly more comorbidities. Cough, fever and myalgias were more frequent in influenza. Dyspnea was more frequent in COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19 had more extensive lung involvement and a longer hospitalization (13.6 and 8.6 days respectively, p = 0.01). There was no difference on ICU admission requirements and mortality attributable to pneumonia. Patients with influenza had greater APACHE scores and a higher frequency of a PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤ 200. During COVID-19pandemic chest sean replaced x-ray examination. Also high-flow nasal cannulas and awake prone position ventilation were added as treatments. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients were older, had fewer classic flu symptoms but more dyspnea and longer hospitalization periods than patients with influenza.
ABSTRACT
Myxedema is the cause of ascites in less than 1 per cent of new-onset ascites cases, where as only 4 per cent of patients with hypothyroidism present ascites. When ascites is the first manifestation of thyroid insufficiency, there is usually a delay in diagnosis. We report here a case of myxedema ascites occuring in a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis, that was first thought to be the cause of the ascites, and review the features of 48 cases previously reported. Some clinic and analytical findings that have been commonly reported, are the prompt response (with resolution of ascites) to thyroid replacement treatment, a high total protein concentration in ascitec fluid, white moderate white blood cell counts and a lymphocyte predominance. Serum-ascites albumin gradient has been postulated to be high in myxedema ascites, but we believe this has been studied in too few cases thus far, to be conclusive.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ascites/etiology , Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic/complications , Myxedema/complications , Ascites/drug therapy , Hormone Replacement Therapy/methods , Myxedema/diagnosis , Myxedema/drug therapy , Thyroxine/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Con el fin de conocer la patologia atendida y los resultados obtenidos en el servicio de cirugia del Hospital San Juan de Dios de Bogota, se desarrollo un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo, con base en una muestra probatoria. De las historias clinicas estudiadas se obtuvo la información sobre las variables de edad y sexo, tipo de patologia traumatica y no traumatica, dias de estancia, ingreso a la Unidad de Cuidado Intensivo, (UCI) y estado de salud al egreso. Como hallazgos mas importantes se encontró que el 64.0 por ciento del servicio lo utilizan los hombres; la patologia traumatica representó el 45.0 por ciento del total de los egresos; el arma cortopunzante fue el agente de la lesion en el 78.1 por ciento de los casos; la mortalidad ocurrió en el 7.7 por ciento de los pacientes. Con relación a la patologia no traumatica se encontró una mortalidad del 9.5 por ciento, en la cual los tumores y la patologia biliar aportaron el 44.8 por ciento del total de las muertes. Se destaca la necesidad de estudios mas profundos de tipo clinico y administrativo, asi como la urgencia de llegar hasta la prevención del trauma y el diagnostico temprano dentro de la comunidad, a traves del conocimiento de la causalidad, especialmente en lo relacionado con tumores de patologia biliar.