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Introduction: By the time of graduation medical students need to be equipped to recognise and manage acute stroke and TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack). Despite inclusion of acute stroke and TIA in our local curriculum less than 10% of students (2/30) reported directly observing stroke thrombolysis. Due to COVID restrictions no student was able to attend TIA clinic. To improve students practical understanding of assessment and management of acute stroke and TIA a simulation-based teaching session was designed. Method(s): The simulation session consisted of a hyperacute stroke assessment (2 scenarios) and management simulation and a simulated TIA clinic (3 scenarios). Students were asked to complete a pre-course and postcourse questionnaire regarding their confidence in 8 domains, on a continuous scale 0 to 5. Result(s): There were 23 participants over 2 sessions. 18/23 completed the pre-course questionnaire and 16/23 the post-course questionnaire. The mean confidence reported by students increased in all domains: recognition of acute stroke from 3.3 to 4.8;identifying candidates for thrombolysis, 3.1 to 4.6;discussing thrombolysis with a patient or carer, 2.3 to 4.1;knowing when to call for senior support, 3.1 to 4.3;asking for a patient to be transferred to facilitate acute stroke care, 2.2 to 4.2;recognising a TIA, 2.8 to 4.9;requesting investigations for TIA, 2.5 to 4.6;and discussing anticoagulation with a patient from 2.9 to 4.4. Conclusion(s): Improvements in confidence of medical students in assessing and managing acute stroke (including thrombolysis) and TIA can be achieved through a stroke medicine themed simulation session.
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Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) provide early experiential education in the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) curriculum in the United States (US). In response to Oregon's 'Stay Home, Save Lives' executive order issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, an online health-system IPPE course was developed to simulate the practice experiences that have historically been conducted in person. This case study describes experience from the online health-system IPPE course offered for incoming second-year student pharmacists enrolled in a three-year Pharm.D. programme at Pacific University in Oregon, US. The goals of the course were: 1) to expose students to pharmacy practice common in health-system settings in the US;and 2) for students to earn 50 experiential clock hours through simulation activities. Copyright © 2020, International Pharmaceutical Federation. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: WHO declared a pandemic of COVID-19 in March 2020. This study analyses the impact of COVID-19 on beta-cell replacement therapy in the UK. Method(s): Pancreas and islet donation and transplant activity in the period March 2020/2021 was compared with the same period the previous year. Result(s): 2,180 patients had a functioning graft during March 2020/2021. 5.8%(n=126) tested positive for COVID-19 and two died (1%). In this period there was a 43% reduction in solid organ donors n=1,615, compared with the previous year, n=2,840. Of the 625 solid organ donors with a pancreas offered, 32% had the pancreas retrieved compared with 51% the previous period. 97 whole pancreas and islet transplants were performed in the UK down 54% from the prior period. Of the 84 pancreas transplant recipients;four tested positive for COVID-19 but none died, and two grafts failed within the first week from vascular thrombosis (neither were COVID-19 positive). Of the 13 SIK and islet alone transplant recipients, two tested positive for COVID-19 but neither died. Of these SIK transplants, one is known to have failed within a month and this is equivalent to that seen in the previous time period. To our knowledge, no patient receiving beta cell replacement therapy died of COVID during the first year of the pandemic despite immunosuppression. Conclusion(s): In the UK, pancreas, and islet transplantation have continued during the pandemic at a lower rate. Outcomes following transplantation within the COVID era are, so far, similar to those in the period prior. Take-home message: Outcomes following transplantation within the COVID era are, so far, similar to those in the period prior.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the many existing inequalities in education systems across the world. Not all children have easy access to educational online resources or digital technologies, a situation more amplified in rural contexts where access, connectivity and affordability play a significant factor. This qualitative account reveals examples of how rural school leaders were able to find innovative ways early in the COVID-19 pandemic to address the remote learning needs of their students and families. This paper shares in-the-moment experiences of rural principals, and those who supported them, in quickly transitioning to address student needs when school buildings closed. Support actions of regional and state education agencies are also described. Principals’ schools are located in rural areas of Kansas, Pennsylvania and Queensland, Australia. Principals’ attention to place and teacher capacity enabled students and families to access educational offerings and supports in new ways. © 2022. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.
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Background: Mammography screening significantly reduces breast-cancer related mortality;however, many women fail to undergo screening as recommended by national guidelines. No-shows are responsible for a significant proportion of delayed or missed cancer screening exams. Further, no-shows disproportionately affect underserved and minority populations. We previously identified a high no-show rate for screening mammograms among patients seeking care our institution. African American (AA) women were almost three times more likely to no-show than non-Hispanic white women. The racial disparity in no-shows persisted after adjustment for socioeconomic factors. The objective of this survey study was to identify reasons for missed mammogram screening appointments among AA women. Methods: We conducted a survey (via mail or telephone) of AA women who missed their screening mammogram appointment in summer 2021. Using a structured survey instrument, we collected information on patient-specific and health service barriers. Patient-specific barriers included procedure-related concerns (e.g., concern about discomfort), cognitive-emotional factors (e.g., fear of finding cancer), and changes in health status. Health service barriers included logistical factors (e.g., transportation), cost (e.g., lack of insurance) and scheduling problems (e.g., forgot about appointment or scheduled at an inconvenient time). Here we describe the most common reasons for missed appointments and compared women who reported patient-specific versus health service barriers. Results: 255 women who no-showed for their appointment were contacted and 91 participated in the study survey (35.6% response rate). Most respondents (90%) attributed their no-show to at least one of the listed barriers. Nineteen (7.5%) attributed their no-show to COVID-19, but only 1 person reported this as their only barrier. Scheduling issues were the most commonly reported barriers (57.8%), followed by transportation (38.9%). Three-quarters of respondents reported health service barriers, while only 40.7% reported patient-related barriers. The most common patient-related barriers were cognitiveemotional (25%), changes in health status (20.9%) and procedure-related concerns (15.6%). The majority of respondents (82.6%) were interested in rescheduling their mammogram. Conclusions: Most appointment no-shows among surveyed AA women resulted from potentially preventable scheduling and transportation issues. Relatively few respondents reported cognitive-emotional or procedure-related concerns. Further, the majority of respondents were interested in rescheduling their mammogram;which suggests that these women remain motivated to undergo breast cancer screening. Programs which address preventable health-service related issues may help these women keep their appointments.
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Introduction: The recent increase in the rate of massive obstetric haemorrhage (MOH) has been associated with an increase in maternal age, body mass index, rate of caesarean sections (CS) and associated co-morbidities [1]. Timely and effective management of MOH is essential for ensuring the safety of both mother and baby. Most literature is aimed at identifying risk factors for MOH and triggers for transfusion. In this service evaluationwe aim to characterise the MOH patients that did not require a blood transfusion and identify any areas for improvement that can be extrapolated to the patients who received transfusions. Methods:We conducted an electronic patient data search (K2 system) to identify all parturients with more than 1500 mL peripartum blood loss, between March 2020 and April 2021. All patientswere included in the service evaluation. We collected demographic data, BMI, parity, cause of haemorrhage, mode of delivery and type of anaesthesia, treatment, initial and post 24 h haemoglobin results, fibrinogen results and COVID-19 status. Approval was requested from the Audit department and the Caldicott Guardian. Results: Data were collected for 139 patients. Mean (±SD) patient age was 31.5 (±5.4) and 38% of patients were ASA1. (Table Presented) Discussion: Patients with an estimated blood loss (EBL) less than 1500 mL were not included as we usually manage them conservatively. Our data support the recommendations of the Royal College of Obstetricians that antenatal anaemia needs investigating and treating appropriately to reduce the morbidity associated with PPH and the need for transfusions [2]. There was higher incidence of CS and atony in the group requiring transfusion suggesting that improved patient information on the use of uterotonics and restricting CS to clear clinical indications could further reduce transfusion rates.
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Introduction: PrecISE is an ongoing Phase II clinical trial sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to investigate the efficacy of several treatments for severe asthma. The threat of COVID-19 has raised interest in obtaining reliable spirometry data for asthma research and clinical care in a remote, “no-touch” fashion. Prior studies of the accuracy of remote spirometry have not included real-time coaching. The PrecISE investigators hypothesized that remote spirometry with real-time video coaching could provide an accurate FEV1 for use as a study endpoint in a clinical trial setting. Methods: PrecISE network participants had remote spirometry post-bronchodilator (4 puffs of albuterol) measured with video coaching from trained research coordinators using the ZEPHYRx platform connected to MIR Spirobank Smart handheld spirometers. Remote spirometry measurements occurred within a +/- 3-day window from scheduled in-person PrecISE visits during which in-person spirometry with bronchodilator challenge was measured with standard equipment (Vyaire Medical). All measurements occurred during the screening/run-in period of the PrecISE protocol. Both remote and in-person spirometry was overread by the PrecISE Spirometry Core and only included in analysis if sessions met ATS acceptability and reproducibility criteria. Correlations between remote and in-person FEV1 and FVC were analyzed, and Bland-Altman plots generated. As a comparison, within subject biological variability was measured using data from separate in-person visits during the screening/run-in period. Results: A total of 128 pairs of remote/in-person spirometry data were obtained. The mean FEV1 for remote spirometry was 2.50 L (SD 0.81) and for inperson spirometry was 2.42 L (SD 0.80), with an estimated correlation of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93, 0.97). The mean difference in FEV1 (in-person - remote) was -0.07 L (95% CI: -0.11, -0.03, SD 0.25). The mean FVC for remote spirometry was 3.72 L (SD 1.01) and for in-person spirometry was 3.53 L (SD 0.93), with an estimated correlation of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.87, 0.93). The mean difference in FVC (in-person - remote) was -0.19 L (95% CI: -0.27, -0.12, SD 0.42). A total of 142 pairs of repeated in-person spirometry measurements were performed (median time between measurements: 43 days), with mean difference in FEV1 of -0.01 L (95% CI: -0.06, 0.03) and FVC of -0.02 L (95% CI: -0.07, 0.03). Bland-Altman plots for FEV1 differences are shown in Figure 1. Conclusions: Remote spirometry with real-time video coaching provides a reliable FEV1 measurement which correlates closely with in-person spirometry and is suitable for use in clinical trials. (Figure Presented).
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RATIONALE: INNA-051 is a Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/6 agonist delivered via intranasal spray, being developed for treatment of respiratory viral diseases. Pre-clinical studies demonstrate that INNA-051 and analogues are effective against a variety of respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV- 2, influenza, and rhinovirus. INNA-051 induces a tissue-localized innate immune response with cytokine expression and infiltration of innate immune cells into the nasal epithelium that play a key role in viral clearance. The primary objective of this study (ACTRN12621000607875p) was evaluation of safety and tolerability in healthy adults. METHODS: This was a randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled, Phase 1 study of single and multiple ascending INNA-051 intranasal doses, with the total dose split evenly across both nostrils. Sixty-four participants ages 18-55 were enrolled, with 5 cohorts (6 active:2 placebo/cohort) receiving single doses of 20μg, 60μg, 150μg, 300μg, or 600μg, and 3 cohorts (6 active:2 placebo/cohort) receiving 4 total doses of 60μg, 150μg, and 300μg administered every third day. Assessments included adverse events, clinical laboratories, peak inspiratory nasal flow (PINF), and peak expiratory flow (PEF).RESULTS: Sixtyfour participants (36 males:28 females) ages 19-55 years were enrolled. Preliminary blinded results demonstrate that INNA-051 was well tolerated across all single and multiple dose cohorts. Adverse events were predominantly mild, limited to the nasopharynx, and resolved within 24-48 hours. Across single dose cohorts, the most frequent events were nasal congestion/blockage (n=20), nasal erythema/inflammation (n=19), rhinorrhea (n=13) and headache (n=11). Except for the 20-μg cohort with only 2 reports of rhinorrhea, all other single dose cohorts had a similar incidence of the other adverse events with no obvious dose relationship. Across all 3 multiple dose cohorts, nasal erythema/inflammation (n=42) was most frequently reported, followed by nasal congestion/blockage (n=26), rhinorrhea (n=9), and headache (n=9), with no dose-dependent relationship. No participants withdrew from the study due to adverse events. There were no clinically significant changes in clinical chemistry and hematology laboratories across all single and multiple dose cohorts. No consistent decrease in post-dose PNIF assessments were observed, and there were no changes in PEF assessments to suggest lower respiratory tract airway response to intranasal INNA- 051.CONCLUSIONS: Intranasal INNA-051 was well tolerated up to single doses of 600μg and multiple doses of 300μg. Mild, self-limited nasal adverse events as described are possible indicators of tissue-localized innate immune response by INNA-051. Investigation of cytokine levels and gene expression of the intranasal epithelium are needed to specifically determine TLR2/6 engagement by INNA-051.
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Methods: Twenty cancer patients who had undergone at least one treatment session of chemotherapy or radiation therapy were randomized into a six-week group drumming intervention or a 6-week attentional control consisting of a group educational film series. Feasibility was determined through evaluation of participant accrual, session attendance adherence rates, and drop out rates. Outcomes of interest were fatigue and anxiety levels over 8 weeks. Participants were also interviewed about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their fatigue and anxiety levels. Results: Recruitment of 26 participants was planned, but 20 participants were recruited and consented, which resulted in 76.9% accrual rate. There was a 95% study retention rate with one withdrawal after consent due to an unexpected death in the family. Attendance at study sessions was also high;92% for the intervention group and 93% for the attentional control group. Over the course of the study, both groups significantly improved on fatigue (drumming p=.006;attentional control p=.034) and anxiety levels (drumming p=.013;attentional control p=.047) but the intervention group was not significantly different from the attentional control. The majority of participants said concerns about COVID-19 did not affect their ratings of fatigue and anxiety during the study. Background: The purpose of this study was to investigateinitial feasibility and potential impact of a 6-week virtual group drumming intervention for cancer patients' fatigue and anxiety as compared to an attentional control. Conclusion: Virtual group drumming was a feasible intervention for cancer patients. Both the drumming intervention and attentional control participants showed improvements in fatigue and anxiety from baseline to study end. The study was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and a virtual group activity may have been welcomed while observing social isolation. Alternately,both group drumming and a group film experience may have therapeutic benefit for cancer-related fatigue and anxiety. More study is needed to determine efficacy.
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Background: Pregnant women are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 and are a priority group for vaccination. The discrepancy in vaccination rates between pregnant and nonpregnant cohorts is concerning. This study aimed to assess the perceptions and intentions of pregnant women toward COVID- 19 vaccination and explored vaccine uptake and reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory design was performed evaluating pregnant women receiving care in two metropolitan maternity units in Western Australia. The main measurable outcomes included vaccination status, intention to be vaccinated, and reasons for delaying or declining vaccination. Results: In total, 218 women participated. Of these, 122 (56%) had not received either dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Sixty (28%) claimed that vaccination was not discussed with them and 33 (15%) reported being dissuaded from vaccination by a healthcare practitioner. Compared to vaccinated women, those who had not accepted vaccination were less likely to have had vaccination discussed by maternity staff, less aware that pregnant women are a priority group, and less aware that pregnancy increased the risk of severe illness. Unvaccinated women were concerned about the side effects of the vaccine for their newborn and their own health, felt there was inadequate information on safety during pregnancy, and felt that a lack of community transmission in Western Australia reduced the necessity to be vaccinated. Conclusion: Vaccine delay and hesitancy is common amongst pregnant women in Western Australia. Education of healthcare professionals and pregnant women on the recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy is required.
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Background. SARS-CoV-2 infection is typically a mild illness in children. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare, post-infectious, hyperinflammatory condition associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The presentation of MIS-C is nonspecific and diagnostic criteria is broad. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines MIS-C as a hospitalized patient < 21 years presenting with fever, laboratory evidence of inflammation, no alternative plausible diagnosis, and with positive exposure history or testing for current or recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Since there is no single diagnostic test for MIS-C, there are other disease processes that can mimic its presentation and delay prompt diagnosis and management. Methods. Between March 2020 and February 2021, we reviewed 282 charts of patients admitted for evaluation of MIS-C at our institution. Results. 101 were found to have MIS-C, 45 found to have Kawasaki Disease (KD), and 129 were ruled out. Of the ruled-out group, the most common final diagnoses were viral infection, urinary tract infection, and acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Other diagnoses included rickettsial infections, pneumonia, rheumatologic conditions, and bloodstream infection. Rhinovirus/enterovirus, adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) were the most common viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 identified. Conclusion. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining a broad differential when evaluating a patient for MIS-C, especially as community seroprevalence rises, making antibody presence less predictive of MIS-C.
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Background: Novel coronaviruses (CoV) caused 3 global outbreaks over the past 2 decades: SARS-CoV (2002), MERS-CoV (2012), and 2019-nCoV in Wuhan, China. Each caused pneumonia with mortality of 10%, 35% and 2%, respectively (2019-nCoV estimated). GLS-5300 DNA vaccine targeting MERS-CoV Spike (S) was first to enter clinical trial, was safe and immunogenic (Lancet ID;2019). In Phase I, a 3 dose series at Day0, 4 and 12 weeks of GLS-5300 at either 0.67, 2 or 6mg was given IM followed by electroporation (EP, IM+EP) with CELLECTRA-5P device. GLS-5300 induced antibodies (Abs) in 94%, Tcell response in 76%, and neutralizing Abs in 50% of participants. No dose response was observed. GLS-5300 response was similar to those recovered from natural MERS-CoV infection. The absence of dose response and prior experience showing benefits of ID+EP vs IM+EP (JID;2019) led us to design this trial of lower ID dosing with an arm for a 2-dose regimen. We report results from MERS-002, the ongoing Phase I/IIa study of GLS-5300. Methods: MERS-002 is an open label, dose ranging, phase I/IIa study of GLS-5300. Participants were enrolled at 2 Korean sites into 3 groups receiving GLS-5300 ID+EP with the CELLECTRA-3P device: Group 1 received three 0.3mg doses at Day0 and weeks 4 and 12;Group 2 received three 0.6mg doses at Day0 and weeks 4 and 12;Group 3 received two 0.6mg doses at Day0 and week 8. Safety and tolerability of GLS-5300 was evaluated at each visit. Samples were collected at baseline, before each dose, and at both 2 and 4 weeks post dose 2 and post dose 3. Study data through 4 weeks after the primary series for a subset of immunoassays were included here. Findings: GLS-5300 given ID+EP was well-tolerated with no vaccine-associated SAEs. Preliminary results were available for: full length S (flS) ELISA, EMC2012-Vero neutralization (MERS-neut) and MERS-CoV S IFNg ELISPOT. GLS-5300 at 0.6mg induced MERS-CoV-specific Abs by flS ELISA and MERS-neut in 74% and 48%, respectively, after 1 dose. After the 2 or 3 dose vaccine series at 0.6mg per dose, flS ELISA response was seen in 100% and 92% of participants, respectively. MERS-neut response was 92% in both 2 and 3 dose 0.6mg groups. Antibody responses and rates were higher during and after primary series in 0.6mg group regardless of regimen than 0.3mg per dose. GLS-5300 induced Tcell responses via MERS-CoV IFNg ELISPOT in 60% and 84% receiving 0.6mg after the 2 or 3 dose series, respectively. Compared to 0.67mg of GLS-5300 given IM+EP in the first trial, 0.6mg of GLS-5300 given ID+EP in MERS-002, binding Abs appeared sooner and neutralizing Abs were observed in a higher fraction of participants (92% vs 50%) while Tcell reactivity was similar between vaccination schema. Conclusions: GLS-5300 was well tolerated with no vaccine-associated SAEs. Like prior studies, DNA vaccines given by ID+EP had fewer injection-related AEs relative to IM+EP. In MERS-002, 0.6mg of GLS-5300 in a 2-dose regimen spanning 8 weeks had similar reactivity and rate to the longer 3-dose regimen. GLS-5300 was safe and immunogenic when given IM+EP and, similarly, when given ID+EP in both 2- and 3-dose regimens in this ongoing MERS-002 Phase I/IIa trial. A Phase II clinical evaluation of the use of GLS-5300 to prevent MERS-CoV infection in endemic regions is planned.
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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many food security challenges. Eat Well Saskatchewan (EWS), a free dietitian contact service in Saskatchewan, implemented a 16-week social media campaign (#eatwellcovid19) using a storytelling approach. This campaign allowed Saskatchewan residents to share their experiences on how they coped with food insecurity challenges during COVID-19 with others. Objectives: To describe implementation and evaluation of #eatwellcovid19 using social media analytics and qualitative interviews of campaign followers. Methods: EWS encouraged Saskatchewan residents to submit personal stories that demonstrated their own coping strategies in dealing with food security challenges during COVID-19. Each week, 1--3 stories were featured on EWS social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), along with social media posts featuring related evidence-based nutrition information. Social media metrics and semi-structured qualitative interviews of campaign followers were used to evaluate campaign impact. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis and NVivo. Results: EWS received 75 stories from Saskatchewan residents and 42 were featured on social media. Stories were on various topics (e.g., traditional food skills, gardening). On Facebook, the campaign reached 100,571 people, left 128,818 impressions and 9,575 engaged with posts. On Instagram, the campaign reached 11,310 people, and made 14,145 impressions. On Twitter, the campaign made 15,199 impressions and received 424 engagements. All EWS social media platforms saw an increase in followers during the campaign;Instagram's growth was the largest (+30%). Not including campaign posters promoted with paid advertising, featured story submission posts made the largest impact on all platforms (except Twitter), followed by supplemental content related to featured stories. Interview participants (n = 20) appreciated the positive, local and reliable content and stated the storytelling format helped them to feel connected to their community during social isolation. Conclusions: Storytelling appeared to be a successful approach for this campaign. Residents appreciated hearing local stories to help deal with food security concerns experienced during the pandemic. Significance: Social media health promotion campaigns are gaining popularity and have potential to reach large audiences and counteract nutrition misinformation. Storytelling is an approach dietitians could use when designing similar campaigns. Funded by: Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation and University of Saskatchewan.
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This case concerns an analyst's task to value Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the largest and only publicly traded U.S. egg production firm. The case takes place in 2020, at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Historically volatile egg prices were even more volatile in April 2020, with a large spike in prices that led the state of Texas to sue the firm for price gouging. Added to this, Cal-Maine had an unexpectedly bad earnings report a few months earlier, and prior to that, the firm cut its dividend. How should the analyst incorporate these shocks - or should they be included at all? How can the analyst assess the risk of a company that has volatile revenues and costs and a widely varying beta? Which factors is the analysis most sensitive to? Was the market overvaluing Cal-Maine? Or, was there potential for investors to profit from investing in the firm?
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Rationale: The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, has led to a global health crisis unlike any our contemporaries have witnessed before. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University was designated as one of three COVID-19-only hospitals on March 28, 2020. This retrospective, single-center observational study grants a unique perspective surrounding the experience of the critical care service at a public institution serving a predominantly Afro-Caribbean, inner city population. Methods: Between March 11 and April 30, 2020, the critical care service was consulted for a total of 271 COVID-19 patients. We queried the electronic medical record for patient visits with critical care consult notes and collected data on demographics, comorbidities, ICU acceptance, treatment strategies, and clinical outcomes. Non-COVIDrelated consults were excluded. Chi-squared tests compared categorical variables, and independent samples ttest assessed differences in continuous variables based on mortality and ICU admission status. Logistic regression models determined if various factors independently predicted the odds of mortality. We conducted retrospective analyses to identify factors associated with survival and ICU acceptance. Results: Of the 271 patients with critical care consults, 33% (n=89) survived and 67% (n=182) expired. At the bivariate level, age, BUN, and neutrophil percentage were significantly associated with mortality, with age showing the strongest correlation (age: survivors, 61.62±1.50 vs. non-survivors, 68.98±0.85, p<0.001). There was a significant association between neutrophil percentage and mortality in the univariate logistic regression model (Q4 vs. Q1, OR 2.73, 95% CI (1.28-5.82), p trend = 0.044). In the multivariate analyses, procalcitonin exhibited a positive correlation with the odds of mortality, adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity (procalcitonin: Q4 vs. Q1, OR 5.65, 95% CI (2.14-14.9), p trend <0.001). Adjusting for the same covariates, platelets exhibited a negative correlation with the odds of mortality (Q4 vs. Q1, OR 0.47, 95% CI (0.22-0.998), p trend = 0.010). Interestingly, of these factors, only elevated procalcitonin levels were associated with an increased likelihood of ICU acceptance. Conclusions: This retrospective, observational study during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic identified key factors linked to disease severity and outcomes. Of note, procalcitonin was the factor most strongly associated with both mortality and likelihood of ICU acceptance at the bivariate level. Respiratory failure is the primary cause of death in COVID-19, and our data suggests that procalcitonin is a useful marker that accurately reflects the severity of lung involvement during SARS-CoV-2 infection.