Outcome of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest among Patients with COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) in patients with COVID-19 have been reported by several small single-institutional studies; however, there are no large studies contrasting COVID-19 IHCA with non-COVID-19 IHCA. The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes following IHCA between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We searched databases using predefined search terms and appropriate Boolean operators. All the relevant articles published till August 2022 were included in the analyses. The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted as per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to measure effects. RESULTS: Among 855 studies screened, 6 studies with 27,453 IHCA patients (63.84% male) with COVID-19 and 20,766 (59.7% male) without COVID-19 were included in the analysis. IHCA among patients with COVID-19 has lower odds of achieving return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.62-0.70). Similarly, patients with COVID-19 have higher odds of 30-day mortality following IHCA (OR: 2.26, 95% CI: 2.08-2.45) and have 45% lower odds of cardiac arrest because of a shockable rhythm (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.50-0.60) (9.59% vs. 16.39%). COVID-19 patients less commonly underwent targeted temperature management (TTM) or coronary angiography; however, they were more commonly intubated and on vasopressor therapy as compared to patients who did not have a COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis showed that IHCA with COVID-19 has a higher mortality and lower rates of ROSC compared with non-COVID-19 IHCA. COVID-19 is an independent risk factor for poor outcomes in IHCA patients.

Efficacy and Safety of Pulsed Field Ablation in Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia associated with high morbidity and mortality. AF treatment is guided by a patient-provider risk-benefit discussion regarding drug versus ablation or combination. Thermal ablation has a high rate of adverse events compared to pulsed field ablation (PFA). In this systematic review, we aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of PFA. METHODS: The electronic search for relevant articles in English was completed in PubMed, PubMed Central, Cochrane library, Scopus, and Embase databases till July 2022. The screening was completed via the use of Covidence software. The risk of bias assessment and data extraction from the included studies was performed, and the narrative synthesis was performed accordingly. RESULTS: A total of six studies were selected for review and 1897 patients receiving PFA were involved in these studies. Our review was focused on pulmonary vein isolation success, major adverse events, and arrhythmia recurrence. Successful pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) was completed in 100% of cases except in two studies. In one of them, six out of seven patients (86%) in the epicardial cohort had successful PVI. In the MANIFEST-PF survey, the acute PVI success rate was 99.9%. The major complications were rare and included pericardial tamponade, vascular complications requiring surgery, and stroke. The atrial arrhythmia recurrence was higher in the thermal group than in the PFA group (39% vs. 11%). CONCLUSIONS: The success rate of PVI by PFA is high, and major adverse events are low. PFA is found to decrease the recurrence of atrial arrhythmia compared to thermal ablation. Substantial randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to validate the efficacy and safety of PFA over conventional methods.

Acute Idiopathic Maculopathy Following SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination.

A 49-year-old man presented with acute unilateral blurred vision one week after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. A unilateral serous detachment of the macula, intraretinal hemorrhages, vitritis, and anterior chamber cell was found. Diagnostic testing was negative for infectious and inflammatory causes, and a diagnosis of acute idiopathic maculopathy (AIM) was made. Symptoms and serous detachment resolved over 12 weeks, with residual retinal pigment epithelial changes consistent with the disease course. AIM is a rare diagnosis that presented in close proximity to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination without evidence of coxsackievirus infection. Further research is necessary to clarify an association between this vaccine and uveitis.

Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) Score and Mortality Prediction in Patients With Severe Respiratory Distress Secondary to COVID-19.

Background This study looks at the validity of the sequential organ failure assessment score (SOFA) in detecting mortality in patients with Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Also, it is looking to determine the optimal SOFA score that will discriminate between mortality and survival. Methods It is a retrospective chart review of the patients admitted to Henry Ford Hospital from March 2020 to December 2020 with COVID-19 pneumonia who developed severe respiratory distress. We collected the following information; patient demographics (age, sex, body mass index), co-morbidities (history of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, or cancer), SOFA scores (the ratio of arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) to the fraction of inspired oxygen, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, mean arterial pressure, serum creatinine level, bilirubin level, and platelet count) as well as inpatient mortality. Results There were 320 patients; out of these, 111 were intubated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for SOFA at the moment of inclusion in the study had an area under the curve of 0.883. The optimal point for discrimination between mortality and survival is SOFA of 5. A SOFA score of less than two is associated with 100% survival, while a score of more than 11 is associated with 100% mortality. Conclusions SOFA score in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory distress strongly correlates with the initial SOFA score. It is a valuable tool for predicting mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Hemi- and Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Associated with COVID-19 Infection in Young Patients without Known Risk Factors.

PURPOSE: Venous thromboembolic complications have been reported in association with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. We raised awareness regarding a potential temporal association between COVID-19 infection and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). DESIGN: Multicenter, retrospective, nonconsecutive case series. SUBJECTS: Patients presenting with hemi-RVO (HRVO) or central RVO (CRVO) between March 2020 and March 2021, with confirmed COVID-19 infection, were included. The exclusion criteria were as follows: age >50 years, hypertension, diabetes, glaucoma, obesity, underlying hypercoagulable states, and those requiring intubation during hospitalization. METHODS: This was a multicenter, retrospective, nonconsecutive case series including patients presenting with hemi-RVO (HRVO) or central RVO (CRVO) between March 2020 and March 2021, with confirmed COVID-19 infection. The exclusion criteria were as follows: age >50 years, hypertension, diabetes, glaucoma, obesity, underlying hypercoagulable states, and those requiring intubation during hospitalization. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ophthalmic findings, including presenting and final visual acuity (VA), imaging findings, and clinical course. RESULTS: Twelve eyes of 12 patients with CRVO (9 of 12) or HRVO (3 of 12) after COVID-19 infection were included. The median age was 32 years (range, 18-50 years). Three patients were hospitalized, but none were intubated. The median time from COVID-19 diagnosis to ophthalmic symptoms was 6.9 weeks. The presenting VA ranged from 20/20 to counting fingers, with over half (7 of 12) having a VA of ≥20/40. OCT revealed macular edema in 42% of the eyes; of these, 80% (4 of 5) were treated with anti-VEGF injections. Ninety-two percent (11 of 12) had partial or complete resolution of ocular findings at final follow-up. Four eyes (33%) had retinal thinning, as determined using OCT, by the end of the study interval. The final VA ranged from 20/20 to 20/60, with 11 of the 12 (92%) eyes achieving a VA of ≥20/40 at a median final follow-up period of 13 weeks (range, 4-52 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: Although we acknowledge the high seroprevalence of COVID-19 and that a causal relationship cannot be established, we reported this series to raise awareness regarding the potential risk of retinal vascular events due to a heightened thromboinflammatory state associated with COVID-19 infection.

Injury-Related Emergency Department Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: On March 13, 2020, the U.S. declared COVID-19 to be a national emergency. As communities adopted mitigation strategies, there were potential changes in the trends of injuries treated in emergency department. This study provides national estimates of injury-related emergency department visits in the U.S. before and during the pandemic. METHODS: A secondary retrospective cohort study was conducted using trained, on-site hospital coders collecting data for injury-related emergency department cases from medical records from a nationally representative sample of 66 U.S. hospital emergency departments. Injury emergency department visit estimates in the year before the pandemic (January 1, 2019-December 31, 2019) were compared with estimates of the year of pandemic declaration (January 1, 2020-December 31, 2020) for overall nonfatal injury-related emergency department visits, motor vehicle, falls-related, self-harm-, assault-related, and poisoning-related emergency department visits. RESULTS: There was an estimated 1.7 million (25%) decrease in nonfatal injury-related emergency department visits during April through June 2020 compared with those of the same timeframe in 2019. Similar decreases were observed for emergency department visits because of motor vehicle‒related injuries (199,329; 23.3%) and falls-related injuries (497,971; 25.1%). Monthly 2020 estimates remained relatively in line with 2019 estimates for self-harm‒, assault-, and poisoning-related emergency department visits. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide updates for clinical and public health practitioners on the changing profile of injury-related emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the short- and long-term impacts of the pandemic is important to preventing future injuries.

Effect of Intubation Timing on the Outcome of Patients With Severe Respiratory Distress Secondary to COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Background The optimal timing of intubation for critically ill patients with severe respiratory illness remains controversial among healthcare providers. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has raised even more questions about when to implement this life-saving therapy. While one group of providers prefers early intubation for patients with respiratory distress because these patients may deteriorate rapidly without it, other providers believe that intubation should be delayed or avoided because of its associated risks including worse outcomes. Research question Our objective was to assess whether the timing of intubation in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia was associated with differences in mortality or other outcomes. Study design and methods This was a single-center retrospective observational cohort study. We analyzed outcomes of patients who were intubated secondary to COVID-19 pneumonia between March 13, 2020, and December 12, 2020, at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Patients were categorized into two groups: early intubated (intubated within 24 hours of the onset of severe respiratory distress) and late intubated (intubated after 24 hours of the onset of severe respiratory distress). Demographics, comorbidities, respiratory rate oxygenation (ROX) index, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and treatment received were compared between groups. The primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes were ventilation time, intensive care unit stay, hospital length of stay, and discharge disposition. Post hoc and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed. Results A total of 110 patients were included: 55 early intubated and 55 late intubated. We did not observe a significant difference in overall mortality between the early intubated (43%) and the late intubated groups (53%) (p = 0.34). There was no statistically significant difference in patients' baseline characteristics including SOFA scores (the early intubation group had a mean score of 7.5 compared to 6.7 in the late intubation group). Based on the ROX index, the early intubation group had significantly more patients with a reduced risk of intubation (45%) than the late group (27%) (p = 0.029). The early intubation group was treated with a high-flow nasal cannula at a significantly lower rate (47%) than the late intubation group (83%) (p < 0.001). Significant differences in patient baseline characteristics, treatment received, and other outcomes were not observed. Post hoc analysis adjusting for SOFA score between 0 and 9 revealed significantly higher mortality in the late intubation group (49%) than in the early intubation group (26%) (p = 0.03). Patients in the 0 to 9 SOFA group who were intubated later had 2.7 times the odds of dying during hospital admission compared to patients who were intubated early (CI, 1.09-6.67). Interpretation The timing of intubation for patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia was not significantly associated with overall mortality or other patient outcomes. However, within the subgroup of patients with SOFA scores of 9 or lower at the time of intubation, patients intubated after 24 hours of the onset of respiratory distress had a higher risk of death than those who were intubated within 24 hours of respiratory distress. Thus, patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who are not at a high level of organ dysfunction may benefit from early mechanical ventilation.

Clinical trial enrollment at a rural satellite hospital during COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Controlled clinical trials (CCTs) have traditionally been limited to urban academic clinical centers. Implementation of CCTs in rural setting is challenged by lack of resources, the inexperience of patient care team members in CCT conductance and workflow interruption, and global inexperience with remote data monitoring. METHODS: We report our experience during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in activating through remote monitoring a multicenter clinical trial (the Study of Efficacy and Safety of Canakinumab Treatment for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in Participants with COVID-19-induced Pneumonia [CAN-COVID] trial, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04362813) at a rural satellite hospital, the VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (VCU-CMH) in South Hill, VA, that is part of the larger VCU Health network, with the lead institution being VCU Health Medical College of Virginia Hospital (VCU-MCV), Richmond, VA. We used the local resources at the facility and remote guidance and oversight from the VCU-MCV resources using a closed-loop communication network. Investigational pharmacy, pathology, and nursing were essential to operate the work in coordination with the lead institution. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients with COVID-19 were enrolled from May to August 2020, 35 (69%) at VCU-MCV, and 16 (31%) at VCU-CMH. Among the patients enrolled at VCU-CMH, 37.5% were female, 62.5% Black, and had a median age of 60 (interquartile range 56-68) years. CONCLUSION: Local decentralization of this trial in our experience gave rural patients access to a novel treatment and also accelerated enrollment and more diverse participants' representative of the target population.

Key steps to reduce the aerosolized risk related to total laryngectomy in COVID-19 era: A case report.

Laryngectomy surgery is a highly aerosolizing procedure, and we document the key steps, including the addition of a novel Perspex shield, which can be enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce risk to the patient and healthcare professional.

Undertaking a high stakes virtual OSCE ("VOSCE") during Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: The Covid pandemic and associated lockdown forced medical schools globally not only to deliver emergency remote teaching, but to consider alternative methods of high stakes assessment. Here we outline our approach to the resit virtual OSCE ("VOSCE") for final year medical students that we undertook during "lockdown" in the current pandemic. METHODS: The original 'pre Covid' examination blueprint was reviewed and modified for the virtual environment in both format and content. In anticipation of the new format delivery, a number of pre-training sessions took place for all parties, and standardised templates were developed. RESULTS: A total of 9 students undertook the VOSCE, which took the form of a two-part exam (a communication and clinical examination component, and a practical procedures component). The VOSCE was completed by all students, examiners, simulated patients and invigilators on an online digital platform with no issues with regards to technical problems. CONCLUSIONS: A total of 6 students passed the VOSCE and as such progressed to graduation. The limitation of assessing some particular types of skills across the remote format (such as practical procedures) was recognised. The training and the templates developed were helpful in case the VOSCE format needs to be adopted in future at short notice and/or expanded in future.

Ocular trauma secondary to exercise resistance bands during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize injuries caused by exercise resistance bands. METHOD: Single-site retrospective case series of patients presenting to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute emergency room with ocular injuries secondary to exercise resistance bands from March through September 2020. RESULTS: Eleven patients (9 males, 2 females, 14 eyes) were reviewed. Eight patients had a unilateral injury (3 right eyes, 5 left eyes) while 3 had bilateral injuries. Iritis was the most common presentation, seen in all 11 patients, followed by hyphema (9 patients, 82%), and vitreous hemorrhage (4 patients, 36%). Among affected eyes, the mean presenting visual acuity was approximately 20/100, improving to 20/40 on the last follow up (p = 0.06). However, 4 eyes (33%) had vision ≤20/60 at last follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise resistance bands can cause a wide spectrum of ocular injuries, some leading to long-term vision loss. As such, we recommend that patients strongly consider using eye protection goggles or glasses while using resistance bands for exercise.

UV-Photokeratitis Associated with Germicidal Lamps Purchased during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: To report photokeratitis caused by the improper use of germicidal lamps purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Case series. RESULTS: Seven patients presented with acute ocular surface pain after exposure to UV-emitting germicidal lamps. Visual acuity was 20/30 or better in 13 of 14 eyes (93%). Anterior segment examination revealed varying degrees of conjunctival injection and diffusely distributed punctate epithelial erosions (PEEs) in every patient. No intraocular inflammation was identified across the cohort and all fundus examinations were normal. Treatment varied by provider and included artificial tears alone or in combination with antibiotic ointments and/or topical steroids. Five patients were followed via telehealth, one patient returned for an in-office visit, and one patient was lost to follow-up. Five of six patients endorsed complete resolution of symptoms within 2-3 days. CONCLUSIONS: Patients should follow manufacturer recommendations when using UV-emitting germicidal lamps and avoid direct exposure to the ocular surface.

Emergent Ophthalmic Surgical Care at a Tertiary Referral Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: This study characterized the delivery of emergent ophthalmic surgical care during April 2020 of the coronarvirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic compared with the same interval the previous year. DESIGN: Retrospective observational before-and-after study. METHODS: This study reviewed and characterized each emergent and/or urgent procedure performed during April 2020 and April 2019 at a single tertiary ophthalmology referral center. Information collected included the details of patient presentation, diagnosis, surgical procedure, and preoperative COVID-19 testing. RESULTS: In total, 117 surgical procedures were performed on 114 patients during the month of April 2020 compared with 1,107 performed in April 2019 (P < .0001). Retinal detachment repair was the most common procedure (n = 37; 31.6%) in April 2020, whereas elective cataract surgery (n = 481; 47.3%) was the most common procedure in April 2019. The mean age of patients was 50.0 years in April 2020 compared with 59.0 years (P < .0001) the previous year. During April 2020, the mean age of surgeons performing procedures was 42.3 years compared with 48.4 years (P < .0001) during April 2019. In April 2020, all but 5 patients (96%) had reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction based COVID-19 testing before their procedure. One patient (0.88%) had a positive COVID-19 test. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic decreased our institution's surgical volume in April 2020 to approximately 10% of the usual volume. The pandemic changed the type of cases performed and led to a statistically significant decrease in both the age of our surgeons and patients relative to the same interval in the previous year. Broad preoperative screening led to 1 positive COVID-19 test in an asymptomatic patient.