Coronavirus disease 2019 and mechanical circulatory support devices: A comprehensive review.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can cause circulatory shock refractory to medical therapy. Such patients can be managed with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices like IABP, Impella, VA ECMO, and Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs). Moreover, patients on long-term durable LVADs are a special population having increased susceptibility and mortality to COVID-19 infection. In this narrative review, we searched PubMed and Medline for studies on COVID-19 patients on short-term MCS devices. We found 36 papers with 110 patients who met our review criteria, including 89 LVAD patients and 21 COVID-19 patients who needed MCS device therapy. These studies were used to extract patient demographics, clinical presentation, MCS device details, management, and outcomes. Mean age of patients with COVID-19 infection on LVADs was 60, 73% were male, and HeartMate 3 was the most common device (53%). Most patients (77.5%) needed hospitalization, and mortality was 23.6%. Among the 21 reported cases of critically ill COVID-19 patients who required MCS, the mean age was 49.8 years, 52% were women, and the most common MCS device used was VA ECMO (62%) in conjunction with an Impella for LV venting. Comorbidities were not present in 43%, but 71% had abnormal ventricular function on echocardiography. MCS is a viable option for managing severe COVID-19 infection with shock, with many reported cases of favorable outcomes.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Delivery of Eye Care to Uninsured Diabetic Patients at a Student-Run Free Clinic: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Eye Clinic Performance.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults in the United States and requires timely screening and management. This study evaluates the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) for uninsured, predominantly Latino patients at the University of California San Diego Student-Run Free Clinic Project (SRFCP). Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of all living diabetic patients at SRFCP who were seen in 2019 (n=196), 2020 (n=183), and 2021 (n=178). Ophthalmology clinic referrals, scheduled patient visits, and visit outcomes were analyzed longitudinally to determine the impact of the pandemic on screening patterns. Results: The study population was 92.1% Latino, 69.5% female, with a mean age of 58.7 years. The distribution of patients seen (p<0.001), referred (p=0.012), and scheduled (p<0.001) in 2020 and 2021 significantly differed from 2019. In 2019, 50.5% of 196 patients eligible for DRS were referred, 49.5% were scheduled, and 45.4% were seen. In 2020, 41.5% of 183 eligible patients were referred, but only 20.2% were scheduled and 11.4% were seen. In 2021, there was a rebound: 63.5% of 178 patients were referred, 56.2% scheduled and 46.1% seen. No shows and cancellations represented 12.4% and 6.2% of the 97 encounters scheduled in 2019, but were markedly higher (10.8% and 40.5% respectively) for the 37 encounters scheduled in 2020. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the delivery of eye care at SRFCP. The need for annual DRS exceeded the capacity of the ophthalmology clinic in all years studied, but the difference was especially pronounced with more stringent COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. SRFCP patients could benefit from telemedicine DRS programs to improve screening capacity.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Delivery of Eye Care to Uninsured Diabetic Patients at a Student-Run Free Clinic: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Eye Clinic Performance.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults in the United States and requires timely screening and management. This study evaluates the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) for uninsured, predominantly Latino patients at the University of California San Diego Student-Run Free Clinic Project (SRFCP). Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of all living diabetic patients at SRFCP who were seen in 2019 (n=196), 2020 (n=183), and 2021 (n=178). Ophthalmology clinic referrals, scheduled patient visits, and visit outcomes were analyzed longitudinally to determine the impact of the pandemic on screening patterns. Results: The study population was 92.1% Latino, 69.5% female, with a mean age of 58.7 years. The distribution of patients seen (p<0.001), referred (p=0.012), and scheduled (p<0.001) in 2020 and 2021 significantly differed from 2019. In 2019, 50.5% of 196 patients eligible for DRS were referred, 49.5% were scheduled, and 45.4% were seen. In 2020, 41.5% of 183 eligible patients were referred, but only 20.2% were scheduled and 11.4% were seen. In 2021, there was a rebound: 63.5% of 178 patients were referred, 56.2% scheduled and 46.1% seen. No shows and cancellations represented 12.4% and 6.2% of the 97 encounters scheduled in 2019, but were markedly higher (10.8% and 40.5% respectively) for the 37 encounters scheduled in 2020. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the delivery of eye care at SRFCP. The need for annual DRS exceeded the capacity of the ophthalmology clinic in all years studied, but the difference was especially pronounced with more stringent COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. SRFCP patients could benefit from telemedicine DRS programs to improve screening capacity.

Nosocomial Infections in COVID-19 Patients Treated with Immunomodulators: A Narrative Review.

Nosocomial infections pose an imminent challenge to hospitalized Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients due to complex interplay of dysregulated immune response combined with immunomodulator therapy. In the pre-pandemic era, immunomodulatory therapy has shown benefit in certain autoimmune conditions with untamed inflammatory response. Efforts to recapitulate these immunomodulatory effects in COVID-19 patients has gained impetus and were followed by NIH COVID-19 expert panel recommendations. The current NIH guideline recommends interleukin-6 inhibitors (tocilizumab and sarilumab) and Janus kinase inhibitors (baricitinib and tofacitinib). Several landmark research trials like COVAVTA, EMPACTA, REMDACTA, STOP-COVID and COV BARRIER have detailed the various effects associated with administration of immunomodulators. The historical evidence of increased infection among patients receiving immunomodulators for autoimmune conditions, raised concerns regarding administration of immunomodulators in COVID-19 patients. The aim of this review article is to provide a comprehensive update on the currently available literature surrounding this issue. We reviewed 40 studies out of which 37 investigated IL-6 inhibitors and 3 investigated JAK inhibitors. Among the studies reviewed, the reported rates of nosocomial infections among the COVID-19 patients treated with immunomodulators were similar to patients receiving standard of care for COVID-19. However, these studies were not powered to assess the side effect profile of these medications. Immunomodulators, by dampening the pyrogenic response and inflammatory markers may delay detection of infections among the patients. This underscores the importance of long-term surveillance which are necessary to discover the potential risks associated with these agents.

Presentation and outcome of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries in coronavirus disease 2019.

Among the cardiac complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), one increasingly reported in the literature is myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronaries (MINOCA). We reviewed all reported cases of MINOCA in COVID-19 patients to summarize its clinical features, evaluation, and treatment. We performed a literature search in Pubmed using the search terms 'COVID-19' and 'MINOCA' or 'non-obstructive coronaries'. Among the reported cases, the mean age was 61.5 years (SD ± 13.4), and 50% were men. Chest pain was the presenting symptom in five patients (62.5%), and hypertension was the most common comorbidity (62.5%). ST-elevation was seen in most patients (87.5%), and the overall mortality rate was 37.5%. MINOCA in COVID-19 is an entity with a broad differential diagnosis. Therefore, a uniform algorithm is needed in its evaluation to ensure timely diagnosis and management.

Infections precipitating Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, an uncommon complication of a common infection.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a non-ischemic cardiomyopathy precipitated by stress. Various infections are reported to precipitate this form of cardiomyopathy. We report a patient presenting with TTC secondary to influenza.  In this article, we also discuss the various infections reported to precipitate this form of reversible cardiomyopathy in literature. We have also included the recent reports of TTC among patients with COVID-19.

Utility of cardiac bioenzymes in predicting cardiovascular outcomes in SARS-CoV-2.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular complications have been increasingly recognized in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Cardiac biomarkers are released because of this ongoing cardiovascular injury and can act as surrogate markers to assess the disease severity. AIM: To review the variation and utility of these biomarkers in COVID-19 to ascertain their role in diagnosis, prognosis and clinical outcomes of the disease. METHODS: We performed a literature search in PubMed, Medline and the Reference Citation Analysis (RCA), using the search terms "COVID-19" and "cardiac bioenzymes" or "cardiac biomarkers". Additionally, we also used the latest reference citation analysis tool to identify more articles. RESULTS: Cardiac troponin has been consistently elevated in patients with COVID-19 associated myocarditis, and strongly correlated with adverse prognosis. Natri-uretic peptides including brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and pro-BNP is elevated in patients with COVID-19 associated cardiac injury, irrespective of their prior heart failure status, and independently correlated with worst outcomes. Alongside these traditional biomarkers, novel cardiac bioenzymes including presepsin, soluble ST2 and copeptin, are also increasingly recognized as markers of cardiovascular injury in COVID-19 and can be associated with poor outcomes. CONCLUSION: Assessment of cardiac bioenzymes at admission and their serial monitoring can help assess the severity of disease and predict mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Future studies are needed to elude the critical importance of novel biomarkers.

Infective endocarditis and COVID -19 coinfection: An updated review.

With the rising number of COVID-19 patients, there have been reports of patients presenting with concomitant infective endocarditis.  In this retrospective review, we included all articles from Medline with COVID-19 and infective endocarditis coinfection.  Ten articles were identified from eight different countries over the world over the past 11 months.  All patients reported with the above coinfections were male with a mean age of 53 years.  Clinical features of COVID-19 and the presence of ground-glass opacity in CT thorax were predominant among patients with positive RT-PCR for COVID-19.  New-onset embolic infarct, pulmonary edema was a contributor to the diagnosis of endocarditis in most patients.  Involvement of the aortic valve was most common.  Delayed diagnosis and cardiac surgery were contributors to increased morbidity.

Heart failure in COVID-19 patients: Critical care experience.

Patients with heart failure (HF) may be at a higher risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and may have a worse outcome due to their comorbid conditions and advanced age. In this narrative review, we aim to study the interaction between COVID-19 and HF from a critical care perspective. We performed a systematic search for studies that reported HF and critical care-related outcomes in COVID-19 patients in the PubMed and Medline databases. From a total of 1050 papers, we identified 26 that satisfied the eligibility criteria for our review. Data such as patient demographics, HF, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, management, and outcome were extracted from these studies and analyzed. We reported outcomes in heart-transplant patients with COVID-19 separately. In hospitalized patients with COVID-19, the prevalence of HF varied between 4% and 21%. The requirement for ICU admission was between 8% and 33%. HF patients with COVID-19 had an overall mortality rate between 20% and 40%. We identified that HF is an independent predictor of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and patients with HF were more likely to require ventilation, ICU admission and develop complications. Patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction did worse than those with HF with midrange ejection fraction, and HF with preserved ejection fraction. COVID-19 patients with HF should be identified early and managed aggressively in an attempt to improve outcomes in this cohort of patients.

Clinical considerations for critically ill COVID-19 cancer patients: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, had declared the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic. The COVID-19 infection continues to be a pandemic and is currently causing overwhelming challenges to healthcare across the nations. Cancer patients represent a unique population vulnerable to COVID-19 infection due to their advanced age, intrinsic frailty, medical comorbidities, immunosuppression, and frequent health care visits for their underlying disease. Robust analysis of COVID-19 infection among cancer patients is crucial to aid in the optimal management of these patients. AIM: To identify contributors of worse outcomes in patients with malignancy and COVID-19 and to describe the role of critical care. METHODS: In this review, we summarized the information from seminal articles on the presentation and management of patients with COVID-19 and malignancy that were published before December 10, 2020. We searched the Pub Med and Medline database for "COVID-19" and "Cancer", "Malignancy". Studies published in English, including adults with malignancy and COVID-19 infection, were eligible to be included in this review. Studies on patients that provided details on malignancy, clinical presentation, management, and outcome were included. Various details of malignancy that were included are the site of cancer, histopathological type, stage, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Details of COVID-19 infection that were obtained are clinical presentation, the modality of testing, imaging, management, and outcome. Critical care details that were obtained were the type of the organ dysfunction and the requirement of organ support measures, requirement of noninvasive, invasive ventilation, management of vasopressor support, and outcome. Articles that did not have patient details, opinions, letters, and articles not published in English were excluded. All articles were reviewed by 2 independent clinicians. Articles were screened for the above terminologies by independent clinicians. RESULTS: We identified two thousand one hundred eighty-six articles, among which fifty-five were studies that had included patient details pertaining to COVID-19 and cancer (Figure 1). Among these, eighteen studies were eligible and were included in this review as shown in Table 1. A total of 5199 cancer patients were reported. The mean age of patients across all the studies was 64.3 years with male predominance was noted in 12 studies. The clinical presentation and diagnosis of these patients were similar to the general population. Most commonly reported malignancies with COVID-19 infection were hematological in 44% of patients, followed by thoracic malignancy in 11% of patients. The mean number of cancer patients with COVID-19 requiring critical care was 16%. The mean mortality reported was 27.4%. Among the studies that reported the presence of organ dysfunction, respiratory failure was reported in 52% of patients, of which 11.7% required mechanical ventilation. 72% of COVID-19 cancer patients required hospitalization across all the studies. The factors which are associated with the worse outcome from COVID-19 infections among the cancer patients were male gender, age ≥ 65 years, presence of higher comorbidity burden based on Charlson comorbidity index and cumulative illness reporting scale > 6, and smoking history. CONCLUSION: The majority of the cancer patients required intensive care due to respiratory failure and the need for mechanical ventilation. Appropriate contingency planning for these patients in terms of goals of care and judicious resource allocation in the resource-poor regions is the key. The factors associated with worse outcomes from COVID-19 infections were independent of oncological features such as tumor stage, disease status, or current provision of active anticancer therapy and it could be continued with caution.

A review of the presentation and outcome of takotsubo cardiomyopathy in COVID-19.

Although the most frequent presentation of the novel Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory syndrome, cardiac involvement is being increasingly recognized. One such entity is takotsubo cardiomyopathy. We sought to review the various cases of takotsubo cardiomyopathy reported during the COVID-19 pandemic and consolidate the information available on its clinical features, evaluation and treatment. We performed a PubMed search using the MeSH terms "Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy" or "Stress Cardiomyopathy" and "COVID-19", and identified 16 case reports, two case series, and one retrospective cohort study. There was a total of 24 reported patients with COVID-19 infection, who developed takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and two patients without COVID-19 who developed takotsubo cardiomyopathy due to the emotional stress associated with the global pandemic. The mean age of the patients was 67.19 years (SD 15.83) and 16(59.3%) were women. Chest pain was reported in only ten patients (38.46 %) and ST-elevation was seen in 11 patients (42.3%). While most patients had typical takotsubo cardiomyopathy, four patients had inverted(reverse) takotsubo cardiomyopathy, two had bi-ventricular involvement, one had median takotsubo and another had global takotsubo with apical sparing variant. Most patients had a positive outcome with complete or near-complete reversal of cardiac dysfunction at the time of discharge. Five deaths (19.23%) were reported. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare, but increasingly reported reversible cardiomyopathy that can be seen in patients with COVID-19 infection and the diagnosis must be actively sought for in these patients.