ABSTRACT
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-Cov-2) may cause various neuro-ophthalmologic manifestations including optic perineuritis. Optic perineuritis is a rare form of orbital inflammatory disease in which optic nerve sheath is inflamed and nonspecific fibrotic thickening with classic radiological finding is a perineural enhancement of optic nerve sheath. A 45-year-old gentleman with known diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia was admitted with a critically ill COVID-19 infection. During the recovery period, the patient developed sudden onset of painless loss of vision. MRI head and orbit with gadolinium was suggestive of optic perineuritis. Other secondary causes of autoimmune or vasculitis myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody disease and other common central nervous system (CNS) infection were excluded. The patient had dramatic response with steroids. This is the first rare case report of COVID-19-related optic perineuritis in critically ill COVID-19 patients with seronegative MOG antibody. Optic perineuritis is a rare orbital inflammatory disease and underlying mechanisms may arise from systemic response to COVID-19 infection as well as direct effects of the virus via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptors on ocular tissues. Optic perineuritis is a rare disease with inflammation restricted to the optic nerve sheath. Neuroimaging of the brain and orbit is the most important modality of choice for visualizing optic nerve sheath and optic nerve. Delay in the diagnosis of COVID-19-related optic perineuritis, may result in permanent optic nerve injury and irreversible vision loss.
ABSTRACT
AIMS: This study aims to establish the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of outpatient intravenous (IV) diuretic treatment for the management of decompensated heart failure (HF) for patients enrolled in the HeartFailure@Home service. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively analysed the clinical episodes of decompensated HF for patients enrolled in the HeartFailure@Home service, managed by ambulatory IV diuretic treatment either at home or on a day-case unit. A control group consisting of HF patients admitted to hospital for IV diuretics (standard-of-care) was also evaluated. In total, 203 episodes of decompensated HF (n = 154 patients) were evaluated. One hundred and fourteen episodes in 79 patients were managed exclusively by the ambulatory IV diuretic service-78 (68.4%) on a day-case unit and 36 (31.6%) domiciliary; 84.1% of patient episodes under the HF@Home service were successfully managed entirely in an out-patient setting without hospitalization. Eleven patients required admission in order to administer higher doses of IV diuretics than could be provided in the ambulatory setting. During follow-up, there were 20 (17.5%) 30 day re-admissions with HF or death in the ambulatory IV group and 29 (32.6%) in the standard-of-care arm (P = 0.02). There was no difference in 30 day HF readmissions between the two groups (14.9% ambulatory vs. 13.5% inpatients, P = 0.8), but 30 day mortality was significantly lower in the ambulatory group (3.5% vs. 21.3% inpatients, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient ambulatory management of decompensated HF with IV diuretics given either on a day case unit or in a domiciliary setting is feasible, safe, and effective in selected patients with decompensated HF. This should be explored further as a model in delivering HF services in the outpatient setting during COVID-19.