ABSTRACT
The use of portable ultrasound (US) devices is increasing, due to its accessibility, versatility, non-invasiveness, and its significant support in the patient management, extending the traditional physical examination through the POCUS (point-of-care ultrasound). The pocket-size or handheld ultrasound devices (HUDs) can easily perform focused exams, not aiming to substitute for the high-end US systems (gold standard), since the HUDs usually have more limited functions. The HUDs are promising tools for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of the COVID-19 infection and its related disorders. In conclusion, the routine use of HUDs may ameliorate the management of COVID-19 pandemic, according to the guidelines for the POCUS approach and the procedures for the protection of the patients and the professionals.
ABSTRACT
The so-called long COVID-19 is a set of symptoms that accompanies the patient even for months after discharge from the hospital. These symptoms include easy muscle fatigue, moderate breathlessness, persistent headache, the feeling of a foggy head, and the development of psychiatric disorders. In general, the quality of life of at least half of the patients who come out of the COVID-19 syndrome, both mild and severe, shows a markedly worsening despite having passed a difficult physical and psychological test. Among all the neurological disorders that can most frequently be found in the long COVID-19, it is important to consider the persistent headache symptomatology as a possible chronic sequela of the infection. Since there is not a definition in the International Headache Society classification of this type of headache, we must focus our attention on this long-COVID-19 headache especially because clinical studies are being planned to collect big data for the International Headache Society Classification Committee.
ABSTRACT
Due to its extreme virulence, COVID-19 virus has rapidly spread, developing a severe pandemic. SARS-COV-2 mostly affected the respiratory tract, causing a severe acute lung failure. Although the infection of airways, COVID-19 can be associated with chronic and systemic damages still not so much known. The purpose of this research is to collect recent evidence in literature about systemic diseases caused by COVID-19. The format of the present article has features of a systematic case-based review (level of evidence), and it is structured as a case series report (patients of our COVID-19 Medicine Ward have been selected as cases). Data for this review have been selected systematically, taking evidence only from indexed journals and databases: PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, and Cochrane systems. Papers chosen included systematic reviews, case series, clinical cases, meta-analysis studies, and RCTs. We start collecting studies since 2003. The main keywords used were "COVID-19" "OR" "SARS" "OR" "SARS - COV 2" "AND" "systemic disease" / "nephropathy" / "cardiac pathology" / "central nervous system." Clinical cases belong to our COVID-19 Medicine Ward. One of the most severe COVID-19 clinical presentations includes cardiovascular problems, like myocarditis, pericarditis, and acute hearth failure. Cytokine release syndrome caused by COVID-19 develops severe acute kidney failure. It is still unknown the way coronavirus damages the liver, brain, and reproductive system. Considering the majority of the new studies about this pathology, it issues that COVID-19 is considered to be a multi-organ disease.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Starting from Wuhan (China) where it was firstly reported, it rapidly spread to the rest of the world, causing a pandemic with more than 300,000 deaths to date. We report an extremely severe case of coronavirus pneumonia in an over 80-year-old patient with hypertension, coronary heart disease, chronic heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Despite a clearly poor anamnestic and clinical prognostic forecast, she was successfully discharged thanks to a careful evaluation of the case and of the complications that have arisen. Although a higher vulnerability of geriatric patients has been observed, the literature on elderly COVID-19 patients has remained very scarce, especially in those over 80. The article aims to explore factors that may allow the successful outcome and provides important elements to better understand this disease.