[Ocular manifestations in patients with COVID-19]. / Okuläre Manifestationen bei COVID-19-Patienten.

BACKGROUND: There are only few reports on ocular symptoms and manifestations in association with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe ocular manifestations in the anterior and posterior segments of the eye and to analyze viral prevalence in tears of patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated from 16 April 2020 to 7 January 2021 at this hospital were screened for ocular manifestations in the anterior and posterior segments. Conjunctival swabs were analyzed for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA. RESULTS: A total of 37 patients were enrolled in this study. In the anterior segment we found chemosis of the conjunctiva (5), hyposphagma (2) and conjunctivitis (1). In 11 patients vascular alterations and potentially disease-specific manifestations of the fundus were found in one or both eyes: retinal hemorrhages (5), cotton wool spots (5) and tortuosity (5). One patient demonstrated branch artery occlusion, one had branch retinal vein occlusion and two patients had positive conjunctival swab results in one or both eyes. CONCLUSION: Our findings of the anterior segment are commonly known, although not specific for COVID-19. Various vascular fundus abnormalities were found in the study; however, it is unclear whether these were correlated to systemic comorbidities or whether they were caused or exacerbated by COVID-19. This study suggests that the risk of viral transmission via tears is low.

Medical and cardio-vascular emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: is there a collateral damage? A retrospective routine data analysis.

BACKGROUND: In this retrospective routine data analysis, we investigate the number of emergency department (ED) consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 in Germany compared to the previous year with a special focus on numbers of myocardial infarction and acute heart failure. METHODS: Aggregated case numbers for the two consecutive years 2019 and 2020 were obtained from 24 university hospitals and 9 non-university hospitals in Germany and assessed by age, gender, triage scores, disposition, care level and by ICD-10 codes including the tracer diagnoses myocardial infarction (I21) and heart failure (I50). RESULTS: A total of 2,216,627 ED consultations were analyzed, of which 1,178,470 occurred in 2019 and 1,038,157 in 2020. The median deviation in case numbers between 2019 and 2020 was - 14% [CI (- 11)-(- 16)]. After a marked drop in all cases in the first COVID-19 wave in spring 2020, case numbers normalized during the summer. Thereafter starting in calendar week 39 case numbers constantly declined until the end of the year 2020. The decline in case numbers predominantly concerned younger [- 16%; CI (- 13)-(- 19)], less urgent [- 18%; CI (- 12)-(- 22)] and non-admitted cases [- 17%; CI (- 13)-(- 20)] in particular during the second wave. During the entire observation period admissions for chest pain [- 13%; CI (- 21)-2], myocardial infarction [- 2%; CI (- 9)-11] and heart failure [- 2%; CI (- 10)-6] were less affected and remained comparable to the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: ED visits were noticeably reduced during both SARS-CoV-2 pandemic waves in Germany but cardiovascular diagnoses were less affected and no refractory increase was noted. However, long-term effects cannot be ruled out and need to be analysed in future studies.

[University emergency departments in the corona pandemic-Results from the ReCovER registry]. / Universitäre Notaufnahmen in der Coronapandemie ­ Ergebnisse des ReCovER-Registers.

BACKGROUND: The current COVID-19 pandemic, despite the availability of rapid tests and the start of the vaccination campaign, continues to pose major challenges to emergency departments (ED). Structured collection of demographic, clinical, as well as treatment-related data provides the basis for establishing evidence-based processes and treatment concepts. AIM OF THE WORK: To present the systematic collection of clinical parameters in patients with suspected COVID-19 in the Registry for COVID-19 in the Emergency Room (ReCovER) and descriptive presentation of the first 1000 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from patients with suspected COVID-19, regardless of evidence of SARS-CoV­2 infection, are continuously entered into a web-based, anonymized registry in ED at six university hospitals. RESULTS: Between 19 May 2020 and 13 January 2021, 1000 patients were entered into the registry, of whom 594 patients (59.4%) were in the SARS-CoV­2 positive group (PG) and 406 patients (40.6%) were in the negative group (NG). Patients of the PG had significantly fewer pre-existing conditions and a significantly longer latency between symptom onset and presentation to the ED (median 5 vs. 3 days), were more likely to suffer from cough, myalgia, fatigue, and loss of smell/taste and had significantly higher oxygen requirements than NG patients. The rate of severe disease progression was significantly higher in the PG, and persistent symptoms were more common after discharge (11.1 vs. 4.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The multicenter collection of comprehensive clinical data on COVID-19 suspected cases in the ED allows analysis of aspects specific to the situation in Germany in particular. This is essential for a targeted review and adaptation of internationally published strategies.

Which parameters support disposition decision in suspected COVID-19 cases in the emergency department (ED): a German clinical cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: One major goal of the emergency department (ED) is to decide, whether patients need to be hospitalised or can be sent home safely. We aim at providing criteria for these decisions without knowing the SARS-CoV-2 test result in suspected cases. SETTING: Tertiary emergency medicine. PARTICIPANTS: All patients were treated at the ED of the Charité during the pandemic peak and underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing. Patients with positive test results were characterised in detail and underwent a 14-day-follow-up. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Logistic regression and classification and regression tree (CART) analyses were performed to identify predictors (primary endpoint), which confirm safe discharge. The clinical endpoint was all-cause mortality or need for mechanical ventilation during index stay or after readmission. RESULTS: The primary test population of suspected COVID-19 consisted of n=1255 cases, 45.2% were women (n=567). Of these, n=110 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (8.8%). The median age of SARS-CoV-2-positive cases was 45 years (IQR: 33-66 years), whereas the median age of the group tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 was 42 years (IQR: 30-60 years) (p=0.096). 43.6% were directly admitted to hospital care.CART analysis identified the variables oxygen saturation (<95%), dyspnoea and history of cardiovascular (CV) disease to distinguish between high and low-risk groups. If all three variables were negative, most patients were discharged from ED, and the incidence of the clinical endpoint was 0%. The validation cohort confirmed the safety of discharge using these variables and revealed an incidence of the clinical endpoint from 14.3% in patients with CV disease, 9.4% in patients with dyspnoea and 18.2% in patients with O2 satuaration below 95%. CONCLUSIONS: Based on easily available variables like dyspnoea, oxygen saturation, history of CV disease, approximately 25% of patients subsequently confirmed with COVID-19 can be identified for safe discharge. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: DRKS00023117.

Primidone blocks RIPK1-driven cell death and inflammation.

The receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) is a key mediator of regulated cell death and inflammation. Recent studies suggest that RIPK1 inhibition would fundamentally improve the therapy of RIPK1-dependent organ damage in stroke, myocardial infarction, kidney failure, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Additionally, it could ameliorate or prevent multi-organ failure induced by cytokine release in the context of hyperinflammation, as seen in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, we searched for a RIPK1 inhibitor and present the aromatic antiepileptic and FDA-approved drug primidone (Liskantin®) as a potent inhibitor of RIPK1 activation in vitro and in a murine model of TNFα-induced shock, which mimics the hyperinflammatory state of cytokine release syndrome. Furthermore, we detected for the first time RIPK1 activation in the respiratory tract epithelium of hospitalized patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our data provide a strong rationale for evaluating the drug primidone in conditions of hyperinflammation in humans.

Cerebral Imaging in Patients with COVID-19 and Neurological Symptoms: First Experience from two University Hospitals in Northern Germany. / Zerebrale Bildgebung bei Patienten mit COVID-19 und neurologischer Symptomatik: Erste Erfahrung aus 2 norddeutschen Universitätskrankenhäusern.

PURPOSE: To describe findings on cerebral imaging in patients with COVID-19 and neurological symptoms at two German university hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with COVID-19 and neurological symptoms and cerebral imaging (CT or MRI) were included. A chart review regarding neurological symptoms, COVID-19 and imaging findings was conducted. RESULTS: 12 patients (4 females, age 68 ±â€Š12 years) could be included. Three patients had acute findings. Two patients had acute and subacute cerebral ischemia, one patient had additional intracranial hemorrhages and presumed central pontine myelinolysis. One patient had presumed COVID-19-associated pansinusitis. CONCLUSION: Findings on cerebral imaging in patients with COVID-19 are uncommon and nonspecific. However, cerebral ischemia is regularly encountered and patients should be evaluated for stroke symptoms. KEY POINTS: · Approx. 20 % of patients with COVID-19 develop neurological symptoms.. · Findings on cerebral imaging in patients with COVID-19 are heterogeneous and nonspecific.. · The most common findings are cerebral ischemia and hemorrhages.. CITATION FORMAT: · Jensen-Kondering U, Neumann A, Margraf N et al. Cerebral Imaging in Patients with COVID-19 and Neurological Symptoms: First Experience from two University Hospitals in Northern Germany. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2021; 193: 667 - 671.