Immunothrombosis and its underlying biological mechanisms

Abstract The evolutionary conserved link between coagulation and innate immunity is a biological process characterized by the thrombosis formation stimulus of immune cells and specific thrombosis-related molecules. In physiological settings, the relationship between the immune system and thrombosis facilitates the recognition of pathogens and damaged cells and inhibits pathogen proliferation. However, when deregulated, the interplay between hemostasis and innate immunity becomes a pathological process named immunothrombosis, which is at the basis of several infectious and inflammation-related thrombotic disorders, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In advanced stages, alterations in both coagulation and immune cell function due to extreme inflammation lead to an increase in blood coagulability, with high rates of thrombosis and mortality. Therefore, understanding underlying mechanisms in immunothrombosis has become decisive for the development of more efficient therapies to treat and prevent thrombosis in COVID-19 and in other thrombotic disorders. In this review, we outline the existing knowledge on the molecular and cellular processes involved in immunothrombosis, focusing on the role of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), platelets and the coagulation pathway. We also describe how the deregulation of hemostasis is associated with pathological conditions and can significantly aggravate a patient's condition, using COVID-19 as a clinical model.

Emicizumab prophylaxis in people with hemophilia A and inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Until recently, the treatment of people with hemophilia A and inhibitors (PwHAi) was based on the use of bypassing agents (BPA). However, the advent of emicizumab as prophylaxis has demonstrated promising results. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare the bleeding endpoints between PwHAi on BPA and those on emicizumab prophylaxis. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review of interventions and meta-analysis conducted at the Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. METHODS: The CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Scopus, and LILACS databases were searched on February 21, 2023. Two authors conducted the literature search, publication selection, and data extraction. The selected publications evaluated the bleeding endpoints between PwHAi on emicizumab prophylaxis and those on BPA prophylaxis. The risk of bias was evaluated according to the Joanna Briggs Institute criteria. A meta-analysis was performed to determine the annualized bleeding rate (ABR) for treated bleeds. RESULTS: Five publications (56 PwHAi) were selected from the 543 retrieved records. Overall, bleeding endpoints were lower during emicizumab prophylaxis than during BPA prophylaxis. All the publications had at least one risk of bias. The only common parameter for the meta-analysis was the ABR for treated bleeds. During emicizumab prophylaxis, the ABR for treated bleeds was lower than during BPA prophylaxis (standard mean difference: −1.58; 95% confidence interval −2.50, −0.66, P = 0.0008; I2 = 68.4%, P = 0.0031). CONCLUSION: Emicizumab was superior to BPA in bleeding prophylaxis in PwHAi. However, both the small population size and potential risk of bias should be considered when evaluating these results. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: CRD42021278726, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=278726.

Screening for the etiology of non-cirrhotic splanchnic vein thrombosis should be taken seriously in clinical practice / 临床肝胆病杂志

Non-cirrhotic splanchnic vein thrombosis （NC-SVT） mainly includes portal vein thrombosis， superior mesenteric vein thrombosis， splenic vein thrombosis， and hepatic vein thrombosis （Budd-Chiari syndrome）， and its prevalence rate is increasing with the increase in the incidence rates of related underlying diseases. Due to the harm of NC-SVT， there have been significant improvements in the awareness and ability for diagnosis among clinicians. However， anticoagulation and intervention therapies for thrombosis are often taken seriously in treatment， while the screening for risk factors or underlying diseases leading to SVT is ignored， which may affect the treatment outcome of thrombus in some patients and delay the diagnosis and treatment of the underlying disease. This article mainly introduces the acquired， hereditary， systemic， and local underlying diseases associated with the development of NC-SVT.

Progress in subclinical research of kidney xenotransplantation / 器官移植

Xenotransplantation is an efficient pathway to solve the problem of transplant organ source deficiency in clinical settings. With the increasing progress of gene editing technique and immune suppression regimen, important development has been achieved on researches regarding pig to non-human primate kidney xenotransplantation, which provides a good condition for the introduction of the technique in the clinical application. In view of the substantial difference between human and non-human primate, and to meet the needs of current ethic requirements, it is necessary to perform subclinical studies for pig to human kidney xenotransplantation. In recent years, such subclinical studies with regard to the genetically modified pig to brain death recipient kidney xenotransplantation had been performed, indicating that kidney xenotransplantation gradually began to transit to the clinical development stage. However, donor/recipient selection and immune suppression regimen has not reached a consensus yet, and has to be clarified in subclinical studies. In this article, the current status and confronted problems of donor/recipient selection, immune suppression regimen and post transplantation management in the subclinical studies of kidney xenotransplantation were reviewed, aiming to promote the clinical transformation of kidney xenotransplantation to the clinical application.

Serum thyroid function, hs-CRP expression, and coagulation function in syphilis patients / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To investigate the serum levels of thyroid function and hs-CRP expression in patients with syphilis and their relationship with coagulation function. Methods A total of 80 syphilis patients admitted to Bazhong Central Hospital from January 2020 to January 2022 were selected as the study subjects and set as the observation group. In addition, 80 healthy individuals were selected as the control group, and 80 psoriasis patients were selected as the disease control group. Thyroid function, hs-CRP and coagulation function among different groups were compared. The correlation between thyroid function, hs-CRP, and coagulation function in patients with syphilis was analyzed, and the effectiveness of these parameters in predicting syphilis was analyzed. Results The values of FT3, FT4, TSH and hs-CRP in the observation group were higher than those in the control group and the disease control group (P<0.05). The abnormal rates of thyroid function and hs-CRP level in the observation group were higher than those in the control group and the disease control group (P<0.05). PT, APTT, and TT of the observation group were higher than those of the control group and the disease control group (P<0.05). The abnormal rate of coagulation function in the observation group was higher than that in the control group and the disease control group (P<0.05). The levels of FT3, FT4, TSH, hs-CRP, PT, APTT, and TT in the first stage were lower than those in the second and third stages, while these parameters in the secondary stage were lower than those in the third stage (P<0.05). The severity of syphilis was positively correlated with FT3, FT4, hs-CRP, APTT, and TT (P<0.05). Among these indicators, TT was more effective in the diagnosis of syphilis. Conclusion Syphilis patients have hyperthyroidism, accompanied by coagulation dysfunction and abnormal increase in hs-CRP, which are all related to the condition of syphilis patients. The combined prediction of syphilis patients has high effectiveness.

Coagulation and platelet profiles of COVID-19 patients admitted to a COVID Referral Center from March 2020 to December 2022

Objective@#This study aimed to determine the demographic profiles of admitted COVID-19 patients, the association of coagulation and platelet tests on COVID-19 severity and compare the coagulation and platelet profile across the spectrum of the disease in terms of severity among adult COVID-19 patients admitted to the Philippine General Hospital from March 2020 to December 2022. @*@#Methodology. Medical records of a sample of adult COVID-19 patients admitted to the emergency room of the Philippine General Hospital from March 2020 to December 2022 were reviewed. The demographics, initial COVID-19 diagnosis and initial coagulation and platelet test results were gathered and tabulated. Comparison of the initial coagulation and initial platelet results were made per disease category. @*Results@#Three hundred eighty-five (385) patients were included; 194 were males, and 191 were females. The mean age of all patients was 56.18 years old. There was a total of 30 patients classified as mild and 105 patients are under moderate category. 141 patients were classified as severe, whereas 109 patients were classified as critical. Platelet count test and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT) were mostly normal in all disease categories. Prothrombin time was normal in a majority of patients from the mild and severe categories. INR and D-dimer were all elevated mostly in all disease categories.@*Conclusion@#Platelet counts and APTT were mostly normal in all disease categories. Prothrombin time and D-dimer had a significant association with disease severity. Platelet count, APTT and INR did not show significant association with disease severity. Prothrombin time, APTT, INR and D-dimer means had significant differences versus disease categories.

Re-understanding of the mechanism of coagulation disorder in liver cirrhosis / 临床肝胆病杂志

The liver plays an important regulatory role in maintaining the dynamic balance of coagulation and anticoagulation in the body. Such dynamic balance is fragile in patients with liver cirrhosis， and the risk of bleeding can be increased due to reductions in coagulation factors and platelet count and excessive fibrinolysis； meanwhile， thrombus can be formed due to the increases in von Willebrand factor and coagulation factor Ⅷ， the reductions in anticoagulant protein C and anticoagulant protein S， the increase in thrombin-generating potential， and alterations in antifibrinolytic components. This article reviews the mechanisms of coagulation disorder in liver cirrhosis， so as to help clinicians with the prevention and treatment of bleeding or thrombotic disorders in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Present situation and progress of xenotransplantation at home and abroad / 器官移植

Organ shortage has become one of the major challenges hindering the development of organ transplantation. Xenotransplantation is one of the most valuable methods to resolve global organ shortage. In recent years, the development of genetic engineering technique and research and development of new immunosuppressant have provided novel theoretical basis for xenotransplantation. International scholars have successively carried out researches on xenotransplantation in genetically modified pigs to non-human primates or brain death recipients, making certain substantial progresses. However, most of the researches are still in the preclinical stage, far from clinical application. Therefore, according to the latest preclinical experimental research progress at home and abroad, the history of xenotransplantation, the development of gene modification technology, xenotransplantation rejection and immunosuppression regimens were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for subsequent research of xenotransplantation, promote clinical application of xenotransplantation and bring benefits to more patients with end-stage diseases.

Study on the risk factors of cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced coagulation dysfunction in adult patients：a systematic review / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the risk factors for cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced coagulation dysfunction in adult patients. METHODS Retrieved from CNKI， VIP， CBM， Wanfang data， PubMed， Embase and Cochrane Library， randomized controlled trial （RCT）， case-control study or cohort study about cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced coagulation dysfunction in adult patients were collected from the inception to Apr. 30th， 2023. After literature screening， data extraction and quality evaluation， meta-analysis was carried out by using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS A total of 13 studies were included， among which 11 studies were case-control studies， and 2 studies were cohort studies， involving 18 387 patients in total. Meta- analysis showed that the proportion of advanced age [OR＝2.04， 95%CI （1.14， 3.64）， P＝0.02]， liver insufficiency [OR＝5.95， 95%CI （4.21， 8.40）， P＜0.000 01]， renal insufficiency [OR＝3.51， 95%CI （3.04， 4.05）， P＜0.001]， hypoproteinemia [OR＝ 1.90， 95%CI（1.37， 2.62）， P＜0.001]， poor diet [OR＝7.25， 95%CI （5.13， 10.24）， P＜0.000 01]， daily dose of cefoperazone/ sulbactam ≥9 g [OR＝3.95， 95%CI （2.45，6.37）， P＜0.001]， medication duration of cefoperazone/sulbactam ≥10 d [OR＝2.43， 95%CI （1.81， 3.28）， P＜0.001]， combined use of anticoagulant drugs [OR＝2.84， 95%CI （2.03， 3.97）， P＜0.001]， combined with malignant tumor [OR＝1.60， 95%CI （1.20， 2.15），P＜0.001] in patients with abnormal coagulation function were significantly higher than those with normal coagulation function. CONCLUSIONS Advanced age， liver insufficiency， renal insufficiency， complicated with malignant tumors and hypoalbuminemia， combined use of anticoagulant drugs， poor diet， daily dose ≥9 g， and medication duration≥10 days are risk factors for coagulation dysfunction caused by cefoperazone/sulbactam.

Place of plasma argon coagulation in the treatment of vascular abnormalities of the digestive tract in adults

The aim of our study is to evaluate the value of Argon Plasma Coagulation in the treatment of gastrointestinal vascular abnormalities. Patients and methods: This is a descriptive and analytical retrospective study, from January 2009 to September 2020. 198 patients who have benefited from treatment with Argon Plasma Coagulation for vascular anomalies of the digestive tract divided into 2 groups: -Group A: Patients with radial rectitis lesions (n = 107). -Group B: Patients with lesions of digestive angiodysplasia (n = 91). Results: The mean age of our patients was 64.95 ± 9.88 years [43 - 83] in group A, while in group B the mean age was 65.19 ± 14.29 years [40 - 91] with a clear male predominance in 72.5%. The majority of patients in group A were followed for prostate cancer in 33,8%, and 26.3% of patients in group B had chronic renal failure, followed by stomach cancer in 15.8%, and esophageal cancer in 10.5%. Clinical symptomatology was dominated by rectories in 40.2% in group A versus 46.8% in group B. Rectal involvement was dominated in group A in 98.1%, whereas in group B the lesions were mainly located in the stomach in 60.5%. The endoscopic evolution was favorable in all our patients with a clear improvement of rectal lesions and digestive angiodysplasia lesions. The total complication rate in our series was nil. Conclusion: Plasma Argon coagulation is a very effective method in the endoscopic treatment of digestive haemorrhages with good tolerability and a low complication rate. (AU)

Influência do tratamento fisioterapêutico na independência funcional de pessoas com hemofilia submetidas à sinovectomia radioativa / Influence of physiotherapeutic treatment on the functional independence of people with hemophilia submitted to radioactive sinovectomy

A sinovectomia radioativa (SR) é considerada o tratamento de eleição no controle da sinovite crônica não responsiva ao tratamento conservador, sendo recomendado tratamento fisioterapêutico para a melhora da funcionalidade. Objetivo: Verificar a influência do tratamento fisioterapêutico na independência funcional e saúde articular de hemofílicos após tratamento com SR. Método: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, retrospectivo, analítico e metodologia quali-quantitativa. Realizou-se avaliação fisioterapêutica, aplicação do HJHS para avaliação da saúde articular e Escore FISH para avaliação da independência funcional. Os participantes foram subdivididos em dois grupos de acordo com a realização ou não da fisioterapia após a SR. Resultados: Participaram do estudo 8 pessoas com hemofilia A, sexo masculino, média de idade de 19±5,3 anos. Foram 12 articulações submetidas a SR, dessas 41,67% cotovelos, 33,33% joelhos e 25% tornozelos. Na comparação dos grupos, não houve diferença estatística entre os eles nas variáveis: saúde articular e a Independência Funcional. Conclusão: O estudo é uma primeira tentativa de descrever o impacto da fisioterapia na independência funcional e saúde articular de hemofílicos submetidos à SR. Embora possua limitações, foi possível observar que o grupo que não realizou fisioterapia apresentava melhor saúde articular e melhor independência funcional previamente à SR em comparação ao grupo que realizou fisioterapia; porém, o grupo fisioterapia apresentava pior quadro global, com a funcionalidade impactada por outras articulações e não somente aquela tratada com SR, apresentando maior número de articulações alvo.

Radioactive synovectomy (RS) is considered the treatment of choice in the control of chronic synovitis resistant to conservative treatment, and physiotherapy is recommended to improve functionality after procedure. Objective: The aim was to verify the effects of physiotherapy on functional independence and joint health after RS. Method: This is a descriptive, retrospective, analytical study with qualitative/quantitative methodology. Physiotherapeutic evaluation, Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) application for joint outcome assessment and Functional Independence Score in Hemophilia (FISH) were used to measure the patient's functional ability. The participants were divided into two groups: one group underwent a physiotherapy program and one not treated with physiotherapy after RS. Results: The study included 8 people with hemophilia A, all male, their mean age was 19±5.3 years. Twelve joints were submitted to RS, in which 41.67% elbows, 33.33% knees and 25% ankles. In the comparison of the groups, there was no statistically significant difference between them in joint health and functional independence. Conclusion: The study is a first attempt to describe the impact of physiotherapy on functional independence and joint health of hemophilic patients submitted to SR. Although this study has limitations, it was possible to observe that the group not treated with physiotherapy had better joint health and better functional independence prior to SR compared to the group that underwent physiotherapy, but the group treated with physiotherapy had worse overall health and have their functionality impacted by joints other than those treated with RS, presenting a higher number of target joints.

Hemofilia adquirida tipo A

La hemofilia adquirida es un trastorno hemostático causado por la presencia de autoanticuerpos inhibidores contra el F VIII de la coagulación. Clínicamente se presenta como sangrado espontáneo, principalmente en piel y tejidos blandos, y a diferencia de la hemofilia congénita, la hemartrosis es rara. Se presenta el caso de un paciente de sexo masculino, de 60 años, previamente sano, que acude a consulta por cuadro de 8 días de evolución de aparición de hematomas a nivel de miembro superior e inferior. Durante su evolución presenta TTPA alargado y concentraciones bajas de F VIII.

Acquired hemophilia is a hemostatic disorder caused by the presence of inhibitory autoantibodies against coagulation F VIII. Clinically it presents as spontaneous bleeding, mainly in the skin and soft tissues, and unlike congenital hemophilia, hemarthrosis is rare. We present the case of a 60-year-old male patient, previously healthy, who came to the clinic due to an 8-day history of hematomas on the upper and lower limbs. During its evolution it presents prolonged APTT and low concentrations of F VIII.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia in childhood and adolescence: treatment results of a modified AIDA protocol at a Brazilian center

ABSTRACT Introduction: Acute promyelocytic leukemia currently presents an excellent chance of cure with protocols based on all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracycline or only differentiation agents. However, high early mortality rates continue to be reported Methods: Between 2000 and 2018, patients were enrolled and retrospectively analyzed by medical records. A modified AIDA protocol, with a 1-year shortening of the treatment duration, reduction in the number of drugs and a strategy to reduce early mortality by the postponement of the initiation of anthracyclines were employed. Overall and event-free survival rates and toxicity were analyzed Results: Thirty-two patients were enrolled, of whom 56% were female, with a median age of 12 years and 34% belonged to the high-risk group. Two patients had the hypogranular variant and three had another cytogenetic alteration, in addition to the t(15;17). The median start of the first anthracycline dose was 7 days. There were two early deaths (6%) due to central nervous system (CNS) bleeding. All patients achieved molecular remission after the consolidation phase. Two children relapsed and were rescued by arsenic trioxide and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) at diagnosis (p = 0.03) was the only factor with survival impact. The five-year event-free survival (EFS) was 84% and 5-year overall survival (OS) was 90% Conclusion: The survival results were comparable to those found in the AIDA protocol, with a low rate of early mortality in relation to the Brazilian reality.

Evaluación preoperatoria de la hemostasia en cirugía mayor electiva / Preoperative evaluation of hemostasis in elective major surgery

Resumen: Introducción: Las pruebas de coagulación carecen de valor para determinar el riesgo de sangrado perioperatorio. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo, y transversal en 2,114 pacientes en la consulta de Anestesiología del Hospital Universitario «Dr. Celestino Hernández Robau¼, los resultados se evaluaron mediante estadística descriptiva. Resultados: El tiempo de coagulación y sangrado se realizó en 100% de los casos y el conteo de plaquetas en 93.99%, mientras que el tiempo de protrombina y tiempo de tromboplastina parcial activado se efectuó en 66.27 y 55.62% de los casos respectivamente. De 8.834 exámenes realizados se encontraron 49 alterados en 0.55%. Los pacientes con exámenes alterados fueron 33 en 1.56%, los enfermos en riesgo de sangrado por exámenes de coagulación fueron 30 en 1.42% y los pacientes en riesgo sin antecedentes de sangrados detectados por exámenes de coagulación fueron tres en 0.14%. Se reportó sangrado perioperatorio en 16 pacientes en 0.76%, siete pacientes con interrogatorio positivo y exámenes normales y nueve pacientes con interrogatorio negativo y exámenes normales. Conclusiones: La historia clínica y el examen físico del paciente son las mejores herramientas para predecir el riesgo de sangrado quirúrgico y los exámenes aislados de coagulación no constituyen un buen predictor del sangrado perioperatorio.

Abstract: Introduction: Coagulation tests are no value to determine the risk of perioperative bleeding. Material and methods: An observational descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2,114 patients in the anesthesiology consultation of the University Hospital «Dr. Celestino Hernández Robau¼. Results: The clotting and bleeding time was performed in 100% of cases, the platels count in 93.99%. While the prothrombin time and activated partial tromboplastin time were performed in 66.27 and 55.62% respectively. Of 8,834 tests carried out, 49 were found to be altered for 0.55%. Patients with altered tests were for 1.56%, patients at risk of bleeding from coagulation tests were 30 for 1.42% and patients at risk with no history of bleeding detected by coagulation tests were three for 0.14%. Perioperative bleeding was reported in 16 patients for 0.76%, seven patients with positive questioning and normal tests and nine patients with negative questioning and normal tests. Conclusions: The patient's medical history and physical examination are the best tools to predict the risk of surgical bleeding and isolated coagulation tests do not constitute a good predictor of perioperative bleeding.

Argon Beam Coagulation as an Adjuvant for Extended Curettage for Giant Cell Tumors of the Bone: A Study of 50 Cases / Coagulação por plasma de argônio como adjuvante à curetagem estendida em tumores de células gigantes do osso: Um estudo de 50 casos

Abstract Objective Extended curettage with adjuvants of giant cell tumors of bone is associated with a lower rate of recurrence of the tumor while preserving the adjacent joint. The present study was conducted to estimate the recurrence rate and functional outcome after using argon beam as an adjuvant for extended curettage. Methods We selected 50 patients with giant cell tumors, meeting all the inclusion criteria, who underwent extended curettage using high speed burr and argon beam photocoagulation between July 2016 to January 2019. On their follow-up visit, they were assessed for any complaints of pain and signs like tenderness, locally raised temperature, and decreased range of motion of the adjacent joint. Radiologically, the patients were assessed for any increased lucency around the cement mantle and uptake of the subarticular graft. Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score (MSTS) was administered to the patients, and range of motion of the adjacent joint was compared with the contralateral joint. Results Recurrence was found in 4 patients, that is, an 8% recurrence rate. Twenty-six out of 28 patients with a tumor in the lower limb had a grade-5 weight bearing status 6 months from the surgery, and their range of motion was comparable to contralateral healthy joint with an average MSTS score of 27 (18-30). Conclusion Extended curettage of giant cell tumors using argon beam coagulation is associated with low recurrence rates of the tumor and is an effective modality in the treatment of these tumors besides having a functional outcome comparable to the healthy limb.

Resumo Objetivo A curetagem estendida com adjuvantes de tumores de células gigantes do osso está associada a uma menor taxa de recidiva da neoplasia e à preservação da articulação adjacente. Este estudo foi feito para estimar a taxa de recidiva e o resultado funcional após o uso de plasma de argônio como adjuvante à curetagem estendida. Métodos Cinquenta pacientes com tumores de células gigantes que atendiam a todos os critérios de inclusão foram selecionados para o estudo e submetidos à curetagem estendida com broca de alta velocidade e fotocoagulação com plasma de argônio entre julho de 2016 e janeiro de 2019. À consulta de acompanhamento, os pacientes foram avaliados quanto a quaisquer queixas de dor e sinais como sensibilidade, aumento local da temperatura e diminuição da amplitude de movimento da articulação adjacente. Radiologicamente, os pacientes foram avaliados quanto à presença de qualquer aumento de radiotransparência ao redor do manto de cimento e incorporação do enxerto subarticular. O questionário Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score (MSTS) foi administrado aos pacientes e a amplitude de movimentação da articulação adjacente foi comparada à articulação contralateral. Resultados Quatro pacientes apresentaram recidiva, o que corresponde a uma taxa de 8%. Seis meses após a cirurgia, 26 de 28 pacientes com tumor no membro inferior tinham capacidade de sustentação de peso de grau 5 e amplitude de movimento comparável à articulação saudável contralateral, com pontuação MSTS média de 27 (intervalo de 18 a 30). Conclusão A curetagem estendida de tumores de células gigantes com coagulação por plasma de argônio está associada a baixas taxas de recidiva da neoplasia; é uma modalidade eficaz no tratamento desses tumores e o resultado funcional é comparável ao do membro saudável.

Experiencia en 24 pacientes con técnica de traqueostomía con incisión vertical por una limitación de la visibilidad secundaria a equipo de protección ocular en el área de cuidados intensivos respiratorios COVID / Experience in 24 patients with vertical incision tracheostomy technique for a lowing visibility for protection security equipment in COVID intensive care respiratory / Experiência em 24 pacientes com tecnica de traqueostomia por incisão vertical devido à visibilidade limitada secundária a equipamentos de proteção ocular na área de terapia intensiva respiratória COVID

Resumen: El uso de equipo de protección personal, en especial protección ocular, limita la visión al momento de llevar a cabo procedimientos quirúrgicos en área COVID. Estas limitaciones nos obligan a hacer modificaciones en procedimientos habituales, en esta ocasión se realizó una modificación a la incisión habitual del procedimiento de traqueostomía abierta. Se hizo una modificación descrita en bibliografías previas en la orientación de la incisión, cambiando la orientación habitual de la incisión horizontal a una incisión vertical, conservando el resto de la técnica y disección de planos habituales así como colocación de cánula. La modificación de la técnica tiene como objetivo disminuir el riesgo de complicaciones ocasionadas por la poca visión por parte del equipo de protección personal. Dentro de estas complicaciones se incluyen disminuir el riesgo de lesión a grandes vasos que por anatomía se encuentran en sitio anatómico a procedimiento, mejorar las condiciones de visión al ser un único plano de disección muscular y aponeurótico, disminuir sangrado transoperatorio al incidir en línea media, con ello reducir el riesgo de complicaciones y mejorar las condiciones de visión del operador.

Abstract: The use of personal protective equipment, especially eye protection, limits vision when performing surgical procedures in the COVID area, these limitations force us to make modifications to usual procedures, on this occasion a modification is made to the usual incision of the procedure open tracheostomy. A modification described in previous bibliographies was made, modifying the orientation of the incision, changing the usual orientation of the horizontal incision to a vertical incision, preserving the rest of the technique and dissection of the usual planes as well as placement of the cannula. The modification of the technique aims to reduce the risk of complications caused by poor vision due to personal protective equipment, within these complications to reduce the risk of injury to large vessels that by anatomy are in the anatomical site of the procedure, improve the vision conditions as it is a single muscle and aponeurotic dissection plane, reduce transoperative bleeding by incising in the midline, thereby reducing the risk of complications, improving the operator's vision conditions and reducing the risk of infection of personal health.

Resumo: O uso de equipamentos de proteção individual, principalmente proteção ocular, limita a visão ao realizar procedimentos cirúrgicos na área COVID. Essas limitações nos obrigam a fazer modificações nos procedimentos usuais, nesta ocasião foi feita uma modificação na incisão usual do procedimento de traqueostomia aberta. Realizou-se uma modificação descrita em bibliografias anteriores modificando a orientação da incisão, mudando a orientação usual da incisão horizontal para uma incisão vertical, mantendo o resto da técnica e dissecção dos planos habituais, bem como a colocação da cânula. A modificação da técnica visa diminuir o risco de complicações causadas pela má visão por equipamentos de proteção individual, dentro dessas complicações diminuir o risco de lesão de grandes vasos que pela anatomia estão no local anatômico do procedimento, melhorar as condições de visão ao ser um único plano de dissecção muscular e aponeurótica, reduzindo o sangramento intraoperatório por incisão na linha média, diminuindo assim o risco de complicações, melhorando as condições de visão do operador.

Haematological indices and coagulation profile as predictors of disease severity and associations with clinical outcome among COVID­19 patients in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: This study aims to evaluate the use of haematological indices and coagulation profiles as possible low cost predictors of disease severity and their associations with clinical outcomes in COVID 19 hospitalized patients in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: We carried out a hospital based descriptive 3 month observational longitudinal study of 58 COVID 19 positive adult patients admitted at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. We used a structured questionnaire to obtain the participants' relevant sociodemographic and clinical data, including disease severity. Basic haematologic indices, their derivatives, and coagulation profile were obtained from patients' blood samples. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to compare these laboratory based values with disease severity. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the patients was 54.4 ± 14.8 years. More than half of the participants were males (55.2%, n = 32) and most had at least one comorbidity (79.3%, n = 46). Significantly higher absolute neutrophil count (ANC), neutrophil­lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), lower absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and lymphocyte­monocyte ratio (LMR) were associated with severe disease (P< 0.05). Patients' hemoglobin concentration (P= 0.04), packed cell volume (P< 0.001), and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (P= 0.03) were also significantly associated with outcome. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of disease severity was significant for the ANC, ALC, NLR, LMR, and SII. The coagulation profile did not show any significant associations with disease severity and outcomes in this study. Conclusion: Our findings identified haematological indices as possible low cost predictors of disease severity in COVID 19 in Nigeria

Prevalência de eventos vasculares associados a pacientes com COVID-19 em um hospital público* / Prevalencia de eventos vasculares asociados a pacientes con COVID-19 en un hospital público / Prevalence of vascular events associated with COVID-19 patients in a public hospital

Objetivo: verificar a prevalência dos principais eventos vasculares associados a pacientes com COVID-19 admitidos em um hospital público do Recife. Método: trata-se de um estudo transversal descritivo, realizado por meio das bases de dados epidemiológicos e prontuários eletrônicos de pacientes, no período de março de 2020 a agosto de 2021. Resultados: analisaram-se 1122 pacientes, (58,8%) com diagnóstico positivo para COVID-19. Os principais eventos vasculares evidenciados foram: Tromboembolismo Venoso Profundo (4,55%); Tromboembolismo Pulmonar (2,5%); Oclusão Arterial Aguda (0,98%) e Isquemia Crítica de Membro Inferior a mais prevalente, sendo 17,64% dos casos. Conclusão: foi possível apontar a prevalência de eventos vasculares associados a pacientes com COVID-19, admitidos em um hospital público do Recife, tal como classificar os principais eventos vasculares, sua repercussão e evolução. Assim, o conhecimento acerca do perfil desses pacientes no contexto da pandemia pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de novas pesquisas na área de saúde.

Objective: to verify the prevalence of the main vascular events associated with patients with COVID-19 admitted to a public hospital in Recife. Method: this is a descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out through epidemiological databases and electronic patient records, from March 2020 to August 2021. Results: 1122 patients (58.8%) with a positive diagnosis for COVID-19 were analyzed. The main vascular events evidenced were: Deep Venous Thromboembolism (4.55%); Pulmonary Thromboembolism (2.5%); Acute Arterial Occlusion (0.98%) and Critical Lower Limb Ischemia, the most prevalent, being 17.64% of the cases. Conclusion: it was possible to point out the prevalence of vascular events associated with patients with COVID-19, admitted to a public hospital in Recife, as well as to classify the main vascular events, their repercussion and evolution. Thus, knowledge about the profile of these patients in the context of the pandemic can contribute to the development of new research in the health area.

Objetivo: verificar la prevalencia de los principales eventos vasculares asociados a pacientes con COVID-19 ingresados en un hospital público de Recife. Método: se trata de un estudio descriptivo transversal, realizado a través de bases de datos epidemiológicas y registros electrónicos de pacientes, de marzo de 2020 a agosto de 2021. Resultados: se analizaron 1122 pacientes (58,8%) con diagnóstico positivo para COVID-19. Los principales eventos vasculares evidenciados fueron: Tromboembolismo Venoso Profundo (4,55%); Tromboembolismo Pulmonar (2,5%); Oclusión Arterial Aguda (0,98%) e Isquemia Crítica de Miembros Inferiores el más prevalente, con el 17,64% de los casos. Conclusión: fue posible señalar la prevalencia de eventos vasculares asociados a pacientes con COVID-19, ingresados en un hospital público de Recife, así como clasificar los principales eventos vasculares, sus repercusiones y evolución. Así, el conocimiento del perfil de estos pacientes en el contexto de la pandemia puede contribuir para el desarrollo de nuevas investigaciones en el área de salud.

Hematological and coagulation parameters as predictors of death by Coronavirus disease in hospitalized patients: a Brazilian follow-up study

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the hematological and coagulation parameters according to the clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We analyzed the hematological and coagulation parameters of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 at admission, and two and three weeks during hospitalization. To assess the performance of these parameters in predicting poor outcomes, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created. We studied 128 patients with COVID-19 (59.2±17.7 years, 56% male). Non-survivors (n=54, 42%) presented significant alterations in hematological and coagulation parameters at admission, such as increased in white blood cells (WBC), neutrophil, and band cell counts, as well as elevated prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time, and D-dimer levels. During follow-up, the same group presented a gradual increase in D-dimer and PT levels, accompanied by a reduction in PT activity, hemoglobin, and red blood cell count (RBC). ROC curves showed that WBC, neutrophil, and band cell counts presented the best area under the curve (AUC) values with sensitivity and specificity of >70%; however, a logistic regression model combining all the parameters, except for RBC, presented an AUC of 0.89, sensitivity of 84.84%, and specificity of 77.41%. Our study shows that significant alterations in hematological and coagulation tests at admission could be useful predictors of disease severity and mortality in COVID-19.

Comparing modified Lee and White method against 20-minute whole blood clotting test as bedside coagulation screening test in snake envenomation victims

Abstract Background: Twenty-minute whole blood clotting test (20WBCT) and Modified Lee and White (MLW) method are the most routinely employed bedside tests for detecting coagulopathic snake envenomation. Our study compared the diagnostic utility of MLW and 20WBCT for snakebite victims at a tertiary care hospital in Central Kerala, South India. Methods: This single-center study recruited 267 patients admitted with snake bites. 20WBCT and MLW were performed simultaneously at admission along with the measurement of Prothrombin Time (PT). The diagnostic utility of 20WBCT and MLW was determined by comparing the sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), positive and negative predictive values, likelihood ratios, and accuracy at admission with an INR value > 1.4. Results: Out of 267 patients, 20 (7.5%) patients had VICC. Amongst those who had venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC), MLW was prolonged for 17 patients, (Sn 85% 95% confidence interval [CI]: 61.1-96.0) whereas 20WBCT was abnormal for 11 patients (Sn 55%, 95% CI: 32.04-76.17). MLW and 20WBCT were falsely positive for the same patient (Sp 99.6%, 95% CI: 97.4-99.9%). Conclusion: MLW is more sensitive than 20WBCT to detect coagulopathy at the bedside amongst snakebite victims. However, further studies are necessary for standardizing bedside coagulation tests in snakebite cases.