Persistent Post-COVID-19 Interstitial Lung Disease. An Observational Study of Corticosteroid Treatment

Rationale: The natural history of recovery from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains unknown. Because fibrosis with persistent physiological deficit is a previously described feature of patients recovering from similar coronaviruses, treatment represents an early opportunity to modify the disease course, potentially preventing irreversible impairment. Objectives: Determine the incidence of and describe the progression of persistent inflammatory interstitial lung disease (ILD) following SARS-CoV-2 when treated with prednisolone.

Covid19 pandemic: Patients' perspective during cancer treatment

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been declared global pandemic and Italy is one of the first and heavily affected countries. Cancer patients are a population at higher risk from COVID-19 both for intrinsic fragility bound to their underlying disease and oncologic treatment delay. Aim of our survey was to investigate how cancer patients perceived their health condition, their clinical management and information communication by their medical oncologists during the pandemic. Methods: Between 15th April and 1st May 2020 a survey was submitted to cancer patients under treatment at hospitals of Marche Region which had been invested by the pandemic. It consisted of questions regarding the perception of personal safety, continuity of cancer care and information quality provided by the Oncology Department and individual psychological distress. Results: A total of 661 patients participated in the survey;60.2% was female and 40.4% was aged between 46 and 65. Almost all of the attendees (97.7%) stated that the Oncologic Department complied with the appropriate safety standards and 78% was reassured about their concerns during the medical interview, but 41% was worried of being at higher risk of infection upon entry into the Oncology Department and 53.3% felt being at greater risk of infection because of chemotherapy treatment in general. The majority of the participants (62.2%) felt that postponing cancer treatment could reduce its efficacy, however 80% declared they did not feel abandoned at the time of treatment delay. 79.4% of the attendees felt more worried for their underlying disease in this emergency situation, but the mood worsened only for 34.2% of the participants. Conclusions: Our survey reveals that Oncology Departments have been considered worthy of the emergency in terms of safety standards and care management by cancer patients. However, the majority of attendees perceived the mutual negative influence between their underlying oncologic disease and risk of Sars-CoV-2 infection and manifested concerns about their health condition highlighting the need for special measures to ensure safe continuity of care.

COVID-19 pandemic: Patients'perspective during cancer treatment

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been declared a global pandemic, and Italyis one of the first and most heavily affected countries. Cancer patients are a population at higher risk from COVID-19 both for intrinsic fragility bound to their underlying disease and oncologic treatment delay. The aim of our survey was to investigate how cancer patients perceived their health condition, their clinical management, and informationcommunication by their medical oncologists during the pandemic. Methods: Between 15th April and 1st May, 2020, a survey was submitted to cancer patients under treatment athospitals of Marche Region that had been invested by the pandemic. It consisted of questions regarding theperception of personal safety, continuity of cancer care, and information quality provided by the OncologyDepartment and individual psychological distress. Results: A total of 661 patients participated in the survey;60.2% were female and 40.4% were aged between 46and 65. Almost all of the attendees (97.7%) stated that the Oncologic Department complied with the appropriatesafety standards, and 78% were reassured about their concerns during the medical interview, but 41% were worriedof being at higher risk of infection upon entry into the Oncology Department and 53.3% felt at greater risk of infectionbecause of chemotherapy treatment in general. The majority of the participants (62.2%) felt that postponing cancertreatment could reduce its efficacy;however, 80% declared they did not feel abandoned at the time of treatmentdelay. 79.4% of the attendees felt more worried for their underlying disease in this emergency situation, but themood worsened for only 34.2% of the participants. Conclusions: Our survey reveals that Oncology Departments have been considered worthy of the emergency interms of safety standards and care management by cancer patients. However, the majority of attendees perceivedthe mutual negative influence between their underlying oncologic disease and risk of Sars-CoV-2 infection andmanifested concerns about their health condition, highlighting the need for special measures to ensure safecontinuity of care.

Pulmonary ischaemia without pulmonary arterial thrombus in COVID-19 patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a cohort study.

AIM: To evaluate the incidence of pulmonary ischaemia in COVID-19 patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and its correlation with pulmonary artery thrombosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Computed tomography (CT) thorax of all patients receiving ECMO with proven COVID-19 pneumonitis between March and May 2020 were analysed for the presence and extension of pulmonary thromboembolic disease. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were reviewed. The mean (range) age of 45 (26-66) years; 38/51 (74.5%) were men. All patients had severe COVID-19 pneumonitis, and 18/51 (35.3%) had macroscopic thrombosis (15 with associated ischaemia); however, 13/51 (25.5%) patients had ischaemia without associated thrombus. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with COVID-19 who received ECMO had areas of ischaemia within consolidated lungs, almost half of these without subtending pulmonary artery thrombosis. Although the prognostic significance of these findings is unclear, they are highly suggestive of lung ischaemia due to isolated microvascular immune thrombosis.

COVID-19 pandemic: Patients’ perspective during cancer treatment

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been declared global pandemic and Italy is one of the first and heavily affected countries. Cancer patients are a population at higher risk from COVID-19 both for intrinsic fragility bound to their underlying disease and oncologic treatment delay. Aim of our survey was to investigate how cancer patients perceived their health condition, their clinical management and information communication by their medical oncologists during the pandemic. Methods: Between 15th April and 1st May 2020 a survey was submitted to cancer patients under treatment at hospitals of Marche Region which had been invested by the pandemic. It consisted of questions regarding the perception of personal safety, continuity of cancer care and information quality provided by the Oncology Department and individual psychological distress. Results: A total of 661 patients participated in the survey;60.2% was female and 40.4% was aged between 46 and 65. Almost all of the attendees (97.7%) stated that the Oncologic Department complied with the appropriate safety standards and 78% was reassured about their concerns during the medical interview, but 41% was worried of being at higher risk of infection upon entry into the Oncology Department and 53.3% felt being at greater risk of infection because of chemotherapy treatment in general. The majority of the participants (62.2%) felt that postponing cancer treatment could reduce its efficacy, however 80% declared they did not feel abandoned at the time of treatment delay. 79.4% of the attendees felt more worried for their underlying disease in this emergency situation, but the mood worsened only for 34.2% of the participants. Conclusions: Our survey reveals that Oncology Departments have been considered worthy of the emergency in terms of safety standards and care management by cancer patients. However, the majority of attendees perceived the mutual negative influence between their underlying oncologic disease and risk of Sars-CoV-2 infection and manifested concerns about their health condition highlighting the need for special measures to ensure safe continuity of care. Legal entity responsible for the study: Università Politecnica delle Marche- AOU Ospedali Riuniti di Ancona. Funding: Has not received any funding. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.