Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: Can it be a novel supportive therapy in COVID-19?

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). Although 85% of infected patients remain asymptomatic, 5% show severe symptoms such as hypoxaemic respiratory failure and multiple end organ dysfunction (MODS) requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission with a mortality rate of about 2.8%. Since a definitive treatment is yet to be identified, preventive and supportive strategies remain the mainstay of management. Supportive measures such as oxygen therapy with nasal cannula, face mask, noninvasive ventilation, mechanical ventilation and even extreme measures such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) fail to improve oxygenation in some patients. Hence, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been proposed as a supportive strategy to improve oxygenation in COVID-19 patients. HBOT is known to increase tissue oxygenation by increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen in plasma. HBOT also mitigates tissue inflammation thus reducing the ill effects of cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients. Though there is limited literature available on HBOT in COVID-19 patients, considering the present need for additional supportive therapy to improve oxygenation, HBOT has been proposed as a novel supportive treatment in COVID-19 patients.

Bedside Lung Ultrasound for Postoperative Lung Conditions in Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit: Diagnostic Value and Comparison with Bedside Chest Roentgenogram.

BACKGROUND: The postoperative settings in cardiothoracic intensive care unit (ICU) patients pose a certain risk with pulmonary dysfunction causing morbidity and mortality. Lung ultrasound (LUS) has a potential to supplant or replace Chest X-rays (CXR) in these subset of patients, who will require bed side pulmonary pathology diagnosis and interventions. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Aim of the study is to compare the diagnosis predicted from LUS to the diagnosis made from routine bedside CXR and to find the degree of agreement in diagnosis made by both modalities in different cardiopulmonary pathologies in ICUs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study involving 250 postoperative patients, admitted in cardio-thoracic and vascular ICU of a tertiary referral centre. LUS was done in the study patients after the scheduled CXR in the immediate postoperative period and postoperative day one. Findings of pulmonary pathologies by each imaging modality were independently interpreted by two different team of specialist investigators. The findings were evaluated for the degree of agreement between the two imaging modalities using Cohen's kappa statistical test. RESULTS: CXR and LUS imaging showed substantial agreement in the diagnosing cardiopulmonary pathologies (κ = 0.652) in the immediate postoperative period as well as on the postoperative day one (κ = 0.740). For specific cardiopulmonary pathologies, the degree of agreement was moderate for pleural effusion (κ = 0.561), substantial for atelectasis (κ = 0.673) and interstitial edema (κ = 0.707) and perfect for pneumothorax (κ = 0.931). CONCLUSIONS: LUS can effectively replace CXR with reduction in radiation exposure in the immediate postoperative period and also in the follow up period. It can be used as a bedside diagnostic and monitoring tool in postoperative cardiothoracic and ICUs for diagnosing pneumothorax, pleural effusion, atelectasis and interstitial edema.

Windsock deformity of interatrial septum.

Classical "Windsock deformity" is associated with ruptured aneurysmal sinus of Valsalva. The echocardiographic definition for Atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) in children based on dimensions is lacking. Rupture of an ASA, though uncommon, may lead to cardiac failure due to acute RV volume overload. An untreated ASA may be complicated with thrombus formation.

Windsock deformity of interatrial septum.

Classical “Windsock deformity” is associated with ruptured aneurysmal sinus of Valsalva. The echocardiographic definition for Atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) in children based on dimensions is lacking. Rupture of an ASA, though uncommon, may lead to cardiac failure due to acute RV volume overload. An untreated ASA may be complicated with thrombus formation.