High incidence of pulmonary thromboembolism in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 infected patients despite thrombo-prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 infected patients present thrombotic complications caused by direct endothelial cells injury of the microvessels. Pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) has been reported by Computed Tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia with high D-dimer levels. OBJECTIVES: We present the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients diagnosed of PE by CTPA in our hospital. We also present the comparison of these findings with non-infected patients with PE data. METHODS: Retrospective observational cohort study that included patients over 18 years of age hospitalised consecutively between 26th February and 20th May 2020 in an European Hospital with SARS-CoV2 virus infection, and with suspected infection at beginning of admission but with negative PCR, who were studied with CTPA for suspicion of VTE, during their hospitalization. RESULTS: During the study period, 52 CTPA were performed in our hospital, sixteen in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, with 4 cases (33%) of PE in the infected group, and 11 (44%) in the non-infected group. No significant differences in age (p = 0.43) and sex (p = 0.31) were found between the two groups, infected and non-infected patients. In the infected group, the patients who had PE had a much lower median age (47.8 years) than those without PE (73.3 years). No differences between infected and non-infected patients were detected in the diagnosis of PE with CTPA, 28.6% versus 27.8% (p = 1.00). Overall patient mortality was 1.9%; one patient died (6.3%) in the infected group, and none in the non-infected group (p = 0.31). CONCLUSION: A considerable incidence of PE diagnosed by CTPA in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients has been observed, despite thrombo-prophylaxis.

Baricitinib against severe COVID-19: effectiveness and safety in hospitalised pretreated patients.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the effectiveness and safety of baricitinib for severe COVID-19 in cytokine storm syndrome based on its potential role as an anti-inflammatory immunomodulator and inhibitor of viral endocytosis. METHODS: This was an observational retrospective study of hospitalised patients treated with baricitinib for severe COVID-19. Outcomes were clinical improvement on an ordinal scale of 1-8 on day 1 of baricitinib compared with day 14 (where 8=death and 1=not hospitalised with no limitations of activities), overall survival, time to recovery since baricitinib treatment started (days until hospital discharge) and laboratory parameters related to COVID-19 poor prognosis. Adverse events related to baricitinib during the admission period were also reported. RESULTS: Forty-three patients (70% men, mean age 70 years (IQR 54-79)) treated with baricitinib daily for 6 days (IQR 5-7) were included. Thirty-six patients were treated with corticosteroids (84%). Clinical improvement was 3 points (IQR 1-4) in patients on an ordinal scale of 4-6, overall survival was 100% at day 30 and day 60 with a mean time to recovery of 12 days (IQR 9-25) from start of baricitinib treatment. No adverse events of interest were found and all poor prognosis risk factors improved at day 14: interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, ferritin, lymphocytes, platelets and D-dimers. CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with baricitinib for severe COVID-19 showed improvements in clinical and analytical values without relevant adverse events and 100% overall survival. Clinical randomised trials are needed to confirm the clinical benefit of baricitinib.

Pharmaceutical care to hospital outpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telepharmacy.

Hospital Pharmacy Service (HPS) in Spain have been impacted by the health  crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the outbreak has forced HPSs to adapt their outpatient consultation services to Telepharmacy to optimize clinical  outcomes and reduce the risk of contagion. The purpose of this article is to  describe and analyze the experience of HPSs with outpatient Telepharmacy  during the COVID-19 pandemic and expose the lessons learned. Measures have  been adopted in on-site outpatient pharmacy clinics to prevent exposure of  patients and professionals to the virus. These measures are based on national  and international recommendations on social distancing and hygiene. With  regard to remote outpatient pharmacy services, teleconsultation with drug  dispensing has been promoted based on five basic procedures, each with its  advantages and limitations: home drug delivery from HPSs, with the advantage  of universal access and the limitation of entailing a substantial investment in  resources; HPS coordination with primary care pharmacists, which requires no  investments but with limited access to some geographic areas; HPS coordination with community pharmacists based on a large network of pharmacies, which  requires the patient to go to the pharmacy, without confidentiality being  guaranteed for any patient; geolocation and hospital-based medication  dispensing, which provides universal access and direct traceability, but entails  investment in human resources; and HPS coordination with associations of  patients, which does not entail any additional cost but limits the information  available on the diseases of society members. Three main lessons have been learned during the pandemic: the satisfactory capacity of HPS to provide outpatient pharmacy consultation services in the setting of a public health crisis; the usefulness of Telepharmacy for the clinical follow-up, healthcare coordination, outpatient counseling, and informed dispensing and delivery of  medication (with a high level of satisfaction among patients); and the need to  foster Telepharmacy as a complementary tool through a mixed model of  outpatient pharmacy consultation service that incorporates the advantages of  each procedure and adapts to the individual needs of each patient in a context of humanized healthcare.

Los servicios de farmacia hospitalaria (SFH) en España se han visto afectados  por la crisis sanitaria provocada por SARS-CoV-2 y han tenido que adoptar sus  procedimientos de atención farmacéutica (AF) al paciente externo (PE) mediante estrategias de Telefarmacia, con los objetivos de maximizar los resultados en  salud y reducir el riesgo de contagio. El objetivo de ese artículo es describir y  analizar los procedimientos AFPE durante la pandemia SARS-CoV-2 y comunicar  las lecciones aprendidas en los SFH. En relación con las consultas externas de AF presenciales, se han adoptado medidas para minimizar el contagio viral de  pacientes y profesionales, siguiendo las recomendaciones nacionales e  internacionales de referencia de distanciamiento temporal, espacial y  recomendaciones higiénicas. En cuanto a las consultas externas de AF no  presenciales, se han potenciado las teleconsultas con dispensación del  tratamiento en base a cinco procedimientos básicos, cada uno de ellos con sus  ventajas y limitaciones: dispensación domiciliaria desde SFH que presenta las  ventajas de la universalidad de acceso, pero requiere una elevada inversión en  recursos; coordinación del SHF con farmacéuticos de atención primaria, que  conlleva una nula inversión en recursos, pero limita el acceso a determinadas zonas geográficas; coordinación del SFH con farmacéuticos comunitarios, que  utiliza una amplia red de oficinas de farmacia, pero exige el desplazamiento del  paciente sin garantías de confidencialidad para todos los casos; geolocalización y dispensación hospitalaria, que permite un acceso universal y trazabilidad directa, pero requiere un incremento en recursos humanos; y coordinación del SFH con  asociaciones de pacientes, que no requiere inversión económica, pero limita el  acceso a las patologías de los asociados. Destacamos finalmente tres lecciones  aprendidas: la capacidad de AFPE de SFH españoles ante una crisis sanitaria; la  utilidad de la Telefarmacia para el seguimiento clínico, la coordinación  asistencial, información al PE, dispensación y entrega informada (con elevada  satisfacción de los pacientes); y la necesidad de potenciar la Telefarmacia como herramienta complementaria, en un modelo mixto de AFPE que incorpore las  ventajas de cada uno de los procedimientos adaptándose a las necesidades individuales de los pacientes en un entorno de humanización de la asistencia  sanitaria.

Involvement of interleukin 6 in SARS-CoV-2 infection: siltuximab as a therapeutic option against COVID-19.

The aim of the study was to explore the involvement of interleukin 6 in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and to position the drug siltuximab in the management of severe forms of COVID-19. A bibliographic search was performed in Pubmed on the immune response to the disease, and in ClinicalTrials.gov on clinical trials with interleukin 6 blockers. Interleukin 6 is involved in the cytokine cascade, which originates as a consequence of an excessive immune response secondary to viral infection, aggravating lung affectation. Blockers of this cytokine (tocilizumab, sarilumab and siltuximab) are being studied as a strategy for treating the disease. Siltuximab is a monoclonal antibody indicated in Castleman's disease that could be administered in a single dose of 11 mg/kg in severe forms of COVID-19 that have increased interleukin 6.