Health Care Transitions for Adolescents.

The transition from pediatric to adult models of care poses many challenges to adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients. Several academic societies have established clinical reports to help providers prepare patients for this transition, facilitate the transfer of care between providers, and integrate patients into adult models of care. Furthermore, several novel care delivery models have been developed to expand health care transition (HCT) services. Despite this, a minority of patients receive transition services meeting the goals of these clinical reports and few data exist on their effectiveness. Given this, ongoing research and clinical innovation in the field are imperative. This article aims to summarize the current landscape of HCT for AYAs, outline the contemporary imperative for its integration into preventive health care given the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and expand the current literature by providing a summary of novel emerging strategies being used to meet the health care transition (HCT) needs of adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients.

Comparison of Early and Late Intubation in COVID-19 and Its Effect on Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Best practices for management of COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure continue to evolve. Initial debate existed over whether patients should be intubated in the emergency department or trialed on noninvasive methods prior to intubation outside the emergency department. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether emergency department intubations in COVID-19 affect mortality. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational chart review of patients who had a confirmed positive COVID-19 test and required endotracheal intubation during their hospital course between 1 March 2020 and 1 June 2020. Patients were divided into two groups based on location of intubation: early intubation in the emergency department or late intubation performed outside the emergency department. Clinical and demographic information was collected including comorbid medical conditions, qSOFA score, and patient mortality. RESULTS: Of the 131 COVID-19-positive patients requiring intubation, 30 (22.9%) patients were intubated in the emergency department. No statistically significant difference existed in age, gender, ethnicity, or smoking status between the two groups at baseline. Patients in the early intubation cohort had a greater number of existing comorbidities (2.5, p = 0.06) and a higher median qSOFA score (3, p ≤ 0.001). Patients managed with early intubation had a statistically significant higher mortality rate (19/30, 63.3%) compared to the late intubation group (42/101, 41.6%). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 patients intubated in the emergency department had a higher qSOFA score and a greater number of pre-existing comorbidities. All-cause mortality in COVID-19 was greater in patients intubated in the emergency department compared to patients intubated outside the emergency department.

Predicting 30 - Day outcomes in emergency department patients discharged with COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Determining disposition for COVID-19 patients can be difficult for emergency medicine clinicians. Previous studies have demonstrated risk factors which predict severe infection and mortality however little is known about which risk factors are associated with failure of outpatient management and subsequent admission for COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational chart review of patients who had a confirmed positive COVID-19 test collected during an ED visit between March 1, 2020 and October 11, 2020. Patients were divided into two groups based on presence or absence of a subsequent 30-day hospitalization. Clinical and demographic information were collected including chief complaint, triage vital signs and comorbid medical conditions. RESULTS: 1038 patients were seen and discharged from a network ED with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. 94 patients (9.1%) were admitted to a hospital within 30 days of the index ED visit while 944 (90.9%) were not admitted to a network hospital within 30 days. Patients that were admitted were more likely to be older (aOR = 1.04 (95% CI 1.03-1.06)), hypoxic (aOR = 2.16 (95% CI 1.14-4.10)) and tachycardic (aOR = 2.13 (95% CI 1.34-3.38)) on initial ED presentation. Preexisting hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease and malignancy were all highly significant risk factors for 30-day hospital admission following initial ED discharge (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Emergency Department providers should consider age, chief complaint, vital signs and comorbid medical conditions when determining disposition for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

The Use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Neuropsychiatric Complications of Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Systematic Literature Review and Case Report.

BACKGROUND: There is a significant prevalence of new onset neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), some severe and persistent, in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). OBJECTIVE: This study reports on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to treat NPS associated with COVID-19. METHODS: A review of the literature pertaining to the use of ECT in patients with COVID-19 and NPS was performed through PubMed, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. Search terms included "Electroconvulsive Therapy" and "ECT," combined with "COVID-19" and "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2)." In addition, we present a case in which ECT was used to achieve complete remission in a patient who developed new onset, treatment-resistant depression, psychosis, and catatonia, associated with COVID-19. RESULTS: A total of 67 articles were reviewed with 3 selected for inclusion. These articles detailed 3 case reports of patients with new onset NPS (mania, psychosis and suicidality, and catatonia) that developed in the context of active COVID-19 and were treated successfully with ECT. CONCLUSIONS: ECT, a broad-spectrum treatment that has been found to be effective in various NPS (independent of etiology), is shown in our case report and others, to be safe and effective for NPS associated with COVID-19. Although we identified only 3 other cases in the literature, we believe that the probable antiinflammatory mechanism of ECT, its safety and tolerability, and the faster time to symptom remission support the need for more research and increased clinician awareness about this life-saving procedure.

Mechanical Ventilation for Pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and COVID-19

* The tidal volume setting on the ventilator should be according to the patient’s ideal body weight as estimated by patient height. * Inspiratory triggering by change in flow (flow-triggering) is better tolerated by intubated patients than pressure-triggering and reduces mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. * The initial ventilator settings after intubating a patient for refractory hypoxia is typically a tidal volume of 6 to 8 mL/kg ideal body weight, a respiratory rate of 12-16 breaths per minute, an FiO2 of 100%, and a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) between 5 and 10 cm H2O. * Titrate the FiO2 setting down to below 80% once the patient stabilizes while maintaining an arterial saturation above 90%. * Patients who are hypoxic despite high PEEP and FiO2 may benefit from being placed in the prone position.