A new non-invasive index for the prediction of endotracheal intubation in patients with SARS COVID-19 infection, in the emergency department, pilot study.

BACKGROUND: In the current context of the SARS COVID-19 pandemic, where the main cause of death is respiratory failure, and since early recognition would allow timely measures to be implemented and probably improve outcomes, it is important to have tools that allow the emergency room to predict quickly and without the use of large resources which will need invasive mechanical ventilation. This study proposes using a new predictive index of noninvasive characteristics, based on the relationship between oxygenation and work of breathing measured by ultrasound-assessed diaphragmatic function, for the need for invasive mechanical ventilation in patients with SARS-COV2 infection who are admitted to the emergency department. METHODS: A prospective predictive cohort study was performed, collecting all patients admitted to the emergency room with respiratory failure (not severe or in imminent respiratory arrest) and a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Diaphragmatic excursion measurements were taken within the first 24 h after admission to the department. The relationship between diaphragmatic excursion and SAFI was calculated, establishing the ultrasound diaphragmatic excursion So2/FiO2 index (U.D.E.S.I). The index's performance was determined by analysis of sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: This pilot study analyzed the first 100 patients enrolled and found in-hospital mortality of 19%, all patients who died required mechanical ventilation, the right index showed a specificity of 82.4% with a sensitivity of 76.9%, likewise for the left index an overall specificity of 90.5% with a sensitivity of 65.3% was found. The ideal cut-off point for the right index is 1.485, and for the left index, the threshold point was 1.856. AUC of the right index is 0.798 (0.676-0.920) and of the left index 0.793 (0.674-0.911), when comparing them no significant differences were found between these values p = 0.871. CONCLUSION: The relationship of So2/FiO2 and diaphragm excursion measured by both right and left ultrasound could predict the need for mechanical ventilation of the patient with COVID-19 pneumonia in the emergency room and could constitute a valuable tool since it uses noninvasive parameters and is easily applicable at the patient's bedside. However, a more extensive study is needed to validate these preliminary results.

Mechanical Valve Thrombosis Secondary to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: A Case Report.

Although the association of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and thromboembolic disease is well known, cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and mechanical valve thrombosis have not been described enough. Mechanical valve thrombosis is a medical emergency that is associated with a great impact on patients' morbidity and mortality. Here, we report a case of a patient with mechanical valve thrombosis secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infections that required valve replacement with satisfactory postoperative recovery. A 52-year old female patient was presented with a previously implanted mechanical prosthesis (type - St. Jude Medical 29 mm; St. Paul, MN: St. Jude Medical, Inc.) eight years ago due to rheumatic fever, under anticoagulation with warfarin and valvular atrial fibrillation (permanent), congenital single kidney (glomerular filtration rate {GFR}: 89.9 mL/min), and hypothyroidism. She was admitted to the hospital with a high level of complexity due to respiratory difficulty and generalized edematous syndrome, and a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed COVID-19 infection (20 days before admission); the patient was anticoagulated with warfarin (international normalized ratio {INR} at admission was 2.63 seconds). As per protocol, a CT-chest scan tomography was performed and showed organized pneumonia in the right apical lobe. We performed a transesophageal echocardiogram, which showed a thrombus (20 x 15 x 20 mm) in the lateral disc of the mechanical prosthesis, restricting its mobility. The patient presented signs of hypoperfusion (lactate levels: 4 mmol/L; urine per hour: 1 cc/kg) with associated low cardiac output syndrome, requiring double vasopressor support at the maximum dose (achieving a mean arterial pressure of 72 mmHg) due to the clinical condition and the large size of the thrombus, the cardiovascular surgeon, in agreement with the family, decides to carry out emergency valve replacement surgery with replacement of a mechanical prosthesis replacement (St. Jude No. 29; St. Paul, MN: St. Jude Medical, Inc.). The patient presented a satisfactory postoperative recovery, achieving INR goals, with subsequent discharge and follow-up at two months with transthoracic ultrasound, where normofunctional mitral prosthesis was demonstrated, without evidence of thrombi or intracavitary masses. Mechanical mitral valve thrombosis, secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infection is a serious complication with poor prognosis that requires a high rate of suspicion, and timely diagnostic aids are essential to confirm the diagnosis. Managing this issue should be interdisciplinary and individualized considering the clinical condition of the patient and the associated comorbidities.