Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Complicated by Post-operative Coronavirus Infection -- Two Similar Presentations with Dissimilar Outcomes (preprint)

Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection undergoing surgical procedures have been reported to have increased post-operative complications and mortality. These findings are important when considering cardiac surgical procedures, specifically coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This case series describes the clinical course following a CABG procedure in two patients that went on to develop COVID-19 infection post-operatively, having previously tested negative. We aim to illustrate the similarities in clinical presentation, but differences in eventual outcomes for both patients and hypothesize the reasons for the differences. Patients with comorbidities such as advanced age, diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, and COPD are possibly at increased risk of adverse outcomes should they contract the infection, and special care should be taken in this population. Early institution of VV-ECMO may be beneficial, but further studies are needed in this matter.

Emergence of Low-density Inflammatory Neutrophils Correlates with Hypercoagulable State and Disease Severity in COVID-19 Patients (preprint)

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel viral pathogen that causes a clinical disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Approximately 20% of infected patients experience a severe manifestation of the disease, causing bilateral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Severe COVID-19 patients also have a pronounced coagulopathy with approximately 30% of patients experiencing thromboembolic complications. However, the etiology driving the coagulopathy remains unknown. Here, we explore whether the prominent neutrophilia seen in severe COVID-19 patients contributes to inflammation-associated coagulation. We found in severe patients the emergence of a CD16IntCD44lowCD11bInt low-density inflammatory band (LDIB) neutrophil population that trends over time with changes in disease status. These cells demonstrated spontaneous neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, phagocytic capacity, enhanced cytokine production, and associated clinically with D-dimer and systemic IL-6 and TNF- levels, particularly for CD40+ LDIBs. We conclude that the LDIB subset contributes to COVID-19-associated coagulopathy (CAC) and could be used as an adjunct clinical marker to monitor disease status and progression. Identifying patients who are trending towards LDIB crisis and implementing early, appropriate treatment could improve all-cause mortality rates for severe COVID-19 patients.