COVID-19 Related Predisposition to Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

Background and aims Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can exacerbate hyperglycemia and can cause life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The objective of this study is to compare the characteristics of diabetic COVID-19 patients with and without DKA and to determine the predictors of mortality in the setting of COVID-19 and DKA. Methods This is a retrospective single-center cohort study including patients admitted to our hospital with COVID-19 and DM from March 2020 to June 2020. Patients with DKA were filtered as per the diagnostic criteria set by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Patients with hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS) were excluded. A retrospective analysis was performed, which included those who developed DKA and those with neither DKA nor HHS. The primary outcome measurement was mortality rate and predictors of mortality for DKA. Results Out of 301 patients with COVID-19 and DM, 30 (10%) had DKA and five (1.7%) had HHS. Mortality was significantly higher in the DKA group compared to the non-DKA/HHS group (36.6% vs 19.5%; OR: 2.38; p=0.03). After adjusting for parameters used for multivariate logistic model for mortality, DKA was no longer associated with mortality (OR: 2.08, p=0.35). The independent predictors for mortality were age, platelet count, serum creatinine, C-reactive protein, hypoxic respiratory failure, need for intubation, and need for vasopressors. Conclusion Our study demonstrates higher mortality rate in diabetic COVID-19 patients with DKA. Though direct and independent statistical association of mortality with DKA could not be proven in our multivariate logistic model, physicians must be vigilant in risk-stratifying and managing these patients in a timely manner.

Longitudinal Follow-Up of Asymptomatic COVID-19 Myocarditis with Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

BACKGROUND Varying degrees of cardiovascular involvement have been noted with COVID-19, with myocarditis being one of the feared complications. We present the case of a healthy, young individual with persistent myocardial involvement on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at 10 months' follow-up. CASE REPORT A 23-year-old man with no prior medical conditions presented to our outpatient cardiology clinic with a chief concern of left-sided exertional chest discomfort of 1-week duration, lasting 30-60 min before resolving. The patient was previously active and ran 2 miles per day, 6 days a week without any issues. Three months prior to presentation, the patient had a mild case of COVID-19 managed conservatively on an outpatient basis. On evaluation, the vital signs, physical examination, and laboratory work-up were unremarkable. Electrocardiography (EKG) displayed normal sinus rhythm with incomplete right bundle branch block. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was normal. CMR was performed and indicated myopericarditis in several sub-epicardial and pericardial segments, with a quantitative scar burden of 18.6% on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images using the mean+5 SD method. A repeat CMR 7 months later demonstrated persistent sub-epicardial fibrosis with improvement in the LGE burden to 5.1% and resolution of pericarditis. CONCLUSIONS Myopericarditis with persistent myocardial scarring can be detected using CMR in healthy individuals with mild COVID-19 symptoms. The exact prevalence and potential clinical implications of this entity is unclear and warrants further longitudinal research.

Delayed pericarditis in a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia: a case report

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome has been implicated in a wide spectrum of cardiovascular complications, from mild elevation in troponins to more severe cases such as pericarditis, cardiac tamponade, and myocarditis. We present a case of delayed onset of pericarditis in a patient with COVID-19 pneumonia. Case Presentation: A 68-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with fever for 5 days, weakness, and fatigue. Diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia with superimposed bacterial infection was made. By day 22 of hospitalization, new T wave elevations were seen in cardiac monitoring and confirmation was made with EKG and diagnosis of pericarditis was made. Initial troponin was <0.03 ng/ml and repeated one increased to 1.8 ng/ml (upper limit of normal: 0.12 ng/ml). Treatment was initiated with a high dose of aspirin 650 mg oral daily. Repeat set of troponins downtrended to normal values <0.03 ng/ml. The patient died on day 25 of illness due to worsening shock. Recent reports suggest that the development of fulminant myocarditis and severe cardiac damage experiences a 10-15-day delay following the onset of symptoms from COVID-19 pneumonia, presumably after activated T-cells and macrophages infiltrate myocardial cells. Treatment options include the use of colchicine, corticosteroids, and NSAIDs. Other interventions such as the use of azathioprine, non-human immunoglobulins, and anakinra have been described as well, but there is lack of solid evidence for their benefits. Conclusion: Preliminary information about the mechanisms of developing COVID-19 pericarditis may indicate that colchicine and steroids would be a reasonable treatment option. The efficacy and safety of these medications are to be elucidated.

Combined Use of Wells Scores and D-dimer Levels for the Diagnosis of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are key complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study's primary outcome was assessing the utility of Wells DVT, Wells PE scores, and D-dimers in diagnosing DVT and PE. Secondary outcomes were the risk factors for the development of PE and DVT in COVID-19 patients. Materials and methods We compared COVID-19 patients with a positive and negative lower extremity (LE) duplex. A similar approach was made for patients who underwent imaging for PE. Results The prevalence of PE was 23.8% (26 out of 109 patients), and the prevalence of DVT was 33% (35 out of 106). A D-dimer of 500 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 95.6% and 93.7% for the diagnosis of PE and DVT, respectively. A Wells DVT score of 3 points had a specificity of 92.9% and sensitivity of 8.8% for DVT diagnosis in COVID-19. A Wells PE score of 4 had a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 20% for the diagnosis of PE. The combined approach of using a Wells DVT score of 3 in suspected DVT and a Wells PE score of 4 in suspected PE and D-dimers of 500 ng/ml has a sensitivity of 94.2% and 96.1%, respectively. In the suspected DVT group, male gender (OR 3.88, 95% CI 1.55-9.7, P=0.004), lower body mass index (BMI) (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.86-0.99, P=0.037), antiplatelet use (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.04-0.88, P=0.035), systolic blood pressure ≤100 mmhg (OR 4.96, 95% CI 1.37-17.86, P=0.014), absolute lymphocytes ≤1 (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.07-6.12, P=0.033), D-dimer ≥500 ng/ml (OR 6.42, 95% CI 1.40-29.38, P=0.016), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) ≥20 mg/dl (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.00-5.41, P=0.048), and intubation (OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.26-8.78, P=0.015) were found to be statistically significant for DVT. In the suspected PE group, history of cancer (OR 10.69, 95% CI 1.06-107.74, P=0.044), total WBC count (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.95-1.21, P=0.032), platelets ≥ 400,000 (OR 5.13, 95% CI 1.79-14.68, P=0.002), D-dimer levels ≥ 500 ng/ml (OR 25.47, 95% CI 3.27-197.97, P=0.002), Wells PE score (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.50-4.06, P<0.001), pulmonary embolism rule-out criteria (PERC) score (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.05-3.05, P=0.054), and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.16-3.12, P=0.002) were statistically significant. Conclusions The combined approach of using a Wells DVT score of 3 in suspected DVT and Wells PE score of 4 in suspected PE and D-dimers of 500 ng/ml may be used to diagnose PE and DVT in COVID-19. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurrence in COVID-19 is associated with non-traditional risk factors such as intubation and higher severity of systemic inflammation, and these patients may benefit from more aggressive testing for VTE.