ABSTRACT
Background COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus is characterized by respiratory compromise and immune system involvement, even leading to serious disorders, such as cytokine storm. Methods We then conducted a literature review on the topic of sepsis and covid-19, and in parallel conducted an experimental study on the histological finding of patients who died from SARS-Covid 19 infection and a control group. Results Sepsis associated with covid-19 infection has some similarities and differences from that from other causes. Conclusions In this paper the complex interplay between the two disorders was discussed, focusing on the similarities and on the effect that one could have on the other. A preliminary experimental section that demonstrates the multisystemic involvement in subjects who die from SARS-CoV-2 is also proposed
ABSTRACT
(1) Background: Viral respiratory infections are common triggers for asthma exacerbation, often leading patients to the emergency department (ED). COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, typically presents with respiratory symptoms, from minor symptoms, up to and including severe acute respiratory failure. Data on the association between asthma and COVID-19 are conflicting, and those from an ED setting are scarce. Our aims were to assess the prevalence and outcome of patients with asthma admitted to the ED for COVID-19. (2) Methods: We performed a case-control study, extracting data from a registry of adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 consecutively admitted to the ED of our hospital between March 2020 and January 2021. (3) Results: We identified 83 patients with asthma out of 935 individuals (prevalence 8.9%). There were no significant differences between cases and controls regarding both the proportion of hospital admissions and patients with critical COVID-19. (OR 1.37;95% CI 0.52-3.56;and (OR 0.74;95% CI 0.31-1.78 respectively). (4) Conclusions: In patients admitted to the ED for COVID-19, the prevalence of asthma was not higher than expected, and asthma was not associated with a worse outcome, in terms of the rate of hospitalization and critical COVID-19 disease.
ABSTRACT
Chest pain and dyspnea are common symptoms in patients presenting to the emergency room (ER); oftentimes it is not possible to clearly identify the underlying cause, which may cause the patient to have to return to the ER. In other cases, while it is possible to identify the underlying cause, it is necessary to perform a large number of tests before being able to make a diagnosis. Over the last twenty years, emergency medicine physicians have had the possibility of using ultrasound to help them make and rule out diagnoses. Specific ultrasound tests have been designed to evaluate patients presenting with specific symptoms to ensure a fast, yet complete, evaluation. In this paper, we examine the role of ultrasound in helping physicians understand the etiology behind chest pain and dyspnea. We analyze the different diseases and disorders which may cause chest pain and dyspnea as symptoms and discuss the corresponding ultrasound findings.
ABSTRACT
Myopericarditis is an inflammatory heart condition involving the pericardium and myocardium. It can lead to heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia and sudden death. Its pathogenesis is mainly mediated by viral infections but also can be induced by bacterial infections, toxic substances and immune mediated disorders. All these conditions can produce severe inflammation and myocardial injury, often associated with a poor prognosis. The specific roles of these different pathogens (in particular viruses), the interaction with the host, the interplay with gut microbiota, and the immune system responses to them are still not completely clear and under investigation. Interestingly, some research has demonstrated the contribution of the gut microbiota, and its related metabolites (some of which can mimic the cardiac myosin), in cardiac inflammation and in the progression of this disease. They can stimulate a continuous and inadequate immune response, with a subsequent myocardial inflammatory damage. The aim of our review is to investigate the role of gut microbiota in myopericarditis, especially for the cardiovascular implications of COVID-19 viral infection, based on the idea that the modulation of gut microbiota can be a new frontier in the cardiological field to prevent or treat inflammatory cardiomyopathies.