ABSTRACT
Aims: To review published literature on the use of quick response (QR) codes within medical and cardiology settings. Methods and Results: Medline, Scopus Search, and Cochrane Library were used to conduct the research. Title and abstract review of 376 publications were performed. Papers that discussed the application of QR codes in medical setting were included. A total of 151 articles were reviewed and thematic analysis conducted to understand how QR codes are currently used in the medical setting, the medical areas in which they are mostly used, their applications in the cardiovascular area. The analysis of 151 articles revealed that QR code technology is mainly used in the medical field to: (i) collect data via survey, (ii) educate medical staff or students, and (iii) provide information about therapies or surgery. The medical area in which QR codes are most used is the clinical one, but only 3.3% of publications concern cardiovascular settings. A third of the QR code-related articles of 2020 is about Covid-19. Conclusions: Different uses of QR codes in a medical setting are increasing. Quick response codes might represent an easy and convenient digital tool to collect data and implement telemedicine programs on a large scale involving also the cardiovascular setting.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Available reports on the post-discharge management of atrial fibrillation (AF) in COVID-19 patients are scarce. The aim of this case series was to describe the clinical outcomes of new-onset AF in COVID-19 patients referred to a tertiary cardiac arrhythmia center after hospital discharge. METHODS: All consecutive patients referred to our center for an ambulatory evaluation from 18 May 2020 to 15 March 2022 were retrospectively screened. Patients were included in the current analysis if new-onset AF was diagnosed during hospitalization for COVID-19 and then referred to our clinic. RESULTS: Among 946 patients, 23 (2.4%) were evaluated for new-onset AF during COVID-19. The mean age of the study cohort was 71.5 ± 8.1 years; 87.0% were male. Median time from COVID-19 discharge and the first ambulatory evaluation was 53 (41.5-127) days; median follow-up time was 175 (83-336) days. At the in-office evaluation, 14 (60.9%) patients were in sinus rhythm, and nine patients were in AF. In 13.0% of cases, oral anticoagulation was stopped according to CHADS-VASc. Eight patients in AF were scheduled for electrical cardioversion; one patient was rate-controlled. Four patients were treated with catheter ablation (CA) during follow-up. Two post-cardioversion AF recurrences were detected during follow-up, while no recurrences were diagnosed among patients who underwent CA. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that AF may not be considered as a simple bystander of the in-hospital COVID-19 course. Management of new-onset AF in post-COVID-19 patients referred to our clinic did not significantly differ from our usual practice, both in terms of long-term oral anticoagulation and in terms of rhythm control strategy.
ABSTRACT
SARS-CoV-2 mainly affects the respiratory system, from mild upper respiratory symptoms in acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, a significant amount of evidence has demonstrated that Coronavirus disease 2019 affects the cardiovascular system in many ways and has manifestations ranging from asymptomatic increases in cardiac biomarkers for cardiovascular and cardiac collapse arrest. The primary diagnostic method of COVID-19 is reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction of the nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs. There is growing evidence regarding the 2019 coronavirus disease imaging results on chest x-rays and computed tomography but the accessibility to standard diagnostic methods may be limited during the pandemic. Consequently, the significance and potential of bedside diagnostic modalities increases, including pulmonary and cardiac ultrasound, that are cost-effective, widely available, and provide information that can influence management. This review summarizes wide pattern of cardiac and pulmonary anomalies diagnosed by ultrasound, comparing them with other imaging methods such as magnetic resonance and computed tomography, discusses the possible mechanisms involved and the prognostic role.