Practical guidance for healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic; with special emphasis on the care of cardiovascular patients and personal protection

A novel, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing the COVID-19 pandemic. There are concerns regarding the spread of disease by asymptomatic carriers to healthcare workers who continue to see patients and to perform procedures on them. The infection then could be transmitted through them to other patients who eventually, could infect persons in the community. Further, limitations of existing tests to detect new cases that are negative early in the disease; and the inability to use appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE)also contribute to the spread of infection. This document, from the COVID-19 Working Group of Wellness and Radial Intervention Society, describes considerations for management and care of cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients with the concept of COVID 19 `designated` Vs. enabled` centers for those with symptoms of and/ or confirmed COVID-19 disease Vs. asymptomatic suspects. It also provides guidance to healthcare professionals, hospital administrators, and policymakers in general and to those managing patients with CV and other diseases, regarding the concept of `levels of personal protection` for staff; with suggestions for `equivalent innovative alternatives`, and a` protection plan` for patients to prevent the spread of disease. The guidance can also be broadly applied to surgical branches in general and to other specialties involved with invasive, semi-invasive, and non-invasive procedures such as gastroenterology, urology, anesthesiology, otolaryngology, and ophthalmology which carry a higher risk of exposure for healthcare professionals.

Concurrent Nocardia Related Brain Abscess and Semi-Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in an Immunocompetent Patient

We describe here the first case of a concurrent brain abscess caused by Norcardia spp. and semi-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient. After one year of appropriate antimicrobial therapy and surgical drainage of the brain abscess, the nocardia brain abscess and pulmonary aspergillosis have resolved.

Aspergilosis: una patología a considerar / Aspergillosis: a phatology to be considered

La aspergilosis pulmonar es una infección micótica causada por el Aspergillus fumigatus, saprófito del esputo humano normal. Se estudiaron cinco casos de pacientes con aspergilosis, cuatro de ellos adultos, tres del sexo femenino y uno masculino, todos de presentación no invasiva, y uno, pediátrico, sexo masculino, del tipo invasiva. Fueron estudiados con radiología convencional, tomografía computada (TC) helicoidal, TC multislice y video cápsula endoscópica. Afecta 3:1 a los hombres en relación con las mujeres. Hay tres formas de presentación: a) invasiva: en los pacientes neutropénicos, donde predomina la afectación pulmonar, con diseminación a cerebro, corazón, riñón, tracto gastrointestinal, hígado, tiroides y bazo; tiene mal pronóstico y la mortalidad es muy elevada; b) semiinvasiva: compromete fundamentalmente a pacientes con patología pulmonar preexistente; c) no invasiva: afecta cavidades preexistentes, cavernas TBC ( tuberculosis) o quistes, donde coloniza el hongo, y se denomina aspergiloma o micetoma.

Pulmonary aspergillosis is a mycotic infection caused by the Aspergillus fumigatus, saprophyte of the normal human sputum. Five patients with non invasive aspergillosis were studied, of whom 4 were adults (3 women, 1 man) and one, pediatric, with invasive aspergillosis. All of them were studied by conventional X-ray, spiral CT, multislice CT and video capsule endoscopy. The presentation is predominant among men (3 to 1). There are three forms of presentation: a) invasive: in neutropenic patients it prevails the lung affectation; the brain, heart, kidney gastrointestinal tract, liver, thyroid and spleen spreading has a bad prognosis and mortality rate is very high; b) semiinvasive: it mainly compromises patients with pre-existing pulmonary pathology; c) non invasive: affects pre-existing cavities, TBC caverns or cysts where the fungus establishes; it is called aspergilloma or mycetoma.