Anticipated Long-Term Neurobehavioral Outcomes Following COVID-19

First identified in December 2021, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-the virus causing COVID-19, is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality rates. Given the worldwide impact of COVID-19, there is much interest in the anticipated long-term effects for those with history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. While initially presumed as a respiratory infection, there is now evidence of a broader array of pathophysiological mechanisms which result in a wide spectrum of reported acute and chronic symptoms in patients with confirmed COVID-19. These include including memory and other neurocognitive changes as well as psychiatric and behavioral symptoms. These nonspecific, but often debilitating, sequalaeare complex and difficult to disentangle from more common causes of neurobehavioral change. The goal of this chapter is to discuss anticipated chronic neurocognitive and psychiatric outcomes of COVID-19 survivors based on emerging peer-reviewed literature, data from prior pandemics, and outcome studies from well-characterized, clinically similar syndromes. This unpacking of long-term complications from COVID-19 will seek to set expectations and provide guidance for clinicians who will undoubtably encounter increased volumes of patients with residual post-COVID-19 neurobehavioral changes. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Post COVID-19 condition diagnosis: A population-based cohort study of occurrence, associated factors, and healthcare use by severity of acute infection.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence and healthcare use trajectory of post COVID-19 condition (PCC) is poorly understood. Our aim was to investigate these aspects in SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals with and without a PCC diagnosis. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of adults in Stockholm, Sweden, with a verified infection from 1 March 2020 to 31 July 2021, stratified by the severity of the acute infection. The outcome was a PCC diagnosis registered any time 90-360 days after a positive test. We performed Cox regression models to assess baseline characteristics associated with the PCC diagnosis. Individuals diagnosed with PCC were then propensity-score matched to individuals without a diagnosis to assess healthcare use beyond the acute infection. RESULTS: Among 204,805 SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals, the proportion receiving a PCC diagnosis was 1% among individuals not hospitalized for their COVID-19 infection, 6% among hospitalized, and 32% among intensive care unit (ICU)-treated individuals. The most common new-onset symptom diagnosis codes among individuals with a PCC diagnosis were fatigue (29%) among nonhospitalized and dyspnea among both hospitalized (25%) and ICU-treated (41%) individuals. Female sex was associated with a PCC diagnosis among nonhospitalized and hospitalized individuals, with interactions between age and sex. Previous mental health disorders and asthma were associated with a PCC diagnosis among nonhospitalized and hospitalized individuals. Among individuals with a PCC diagnosis, the monthly proportion with outpatient care was substantially elevated up to 1 year after acute infection compared to before, with substantial proportions of this care attributed to PCC-related care. CONCLUSION: The differential association of age, sex, comorbidities, and healthcare use with the severity of the acute infection indicates different trajectories and phenotypes of PCC, with incomplete resolution 1 year after infection.

Hospital Memories and Six-Month Psychological Outcome: A Prospective Study in Critical Ill Patients with COVID-19 Respiratory Failure.

ICU survivors suffer from various long-term physical and psychological impairments. Memories from the critical illness may influence long-term psychological outcome. In particular, the role of ICU memories in COVID-19 critically ill patients is unknown. In a prospective observational study, we aimed to investigate patients' memories from the experience of critical illness and their association with a six-month psychological outcome involving quality of life evaluation. Patients' memories were investigated with ICU Memory tool, while psychological outcome and quality of life were evaluated by means of a battery of validated questionnaires during an in-person interview at the follow-up clinic. 149 adult patients were enrolled. 60% retained memories from pre-ICU days spent on a general ward, while 70% reported memories from the in-ICU period. Delusional memories (i.e., memories of facts that never happened) were reported by 69% of patients. According to a multivariable analysis, the lack of pre-ICU memories was an independent predictor of worse psychological outcomes in terms of anxiety, depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTDS). Factors associated with long-term outcome in ICU survivors are not still fully understood and patients' experience during the day spent before ICU admission may be associated with psychological sequelae.

Analysis of the impact of various risk factors on short-term and long-term outcomes in patients with COVID-19 on maintenance hemodialysis.

Patients receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the form of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) belong to a group of particularly high risk of infection and the course of COVID-19. The new coronavirus infection also has a great impact on long-term outcomes. Material(s) and Method(s): A retrospective observational study included 510 patients on MHD, hospitalized from April 1, 2020 to April 01, 2021. The outcome of hospitalization was chosen as the primary endpoint of the study: discharge or 28-day mortality. Death within 6 months after discharge and the development of complications related to COVID-19 during this period were considered as secondary endpoints. Data collection was carried out by analyzing electronic and archival medical records. Quantitative variables: age, duration of hospitalization, days in the intensive care unit, laboratory blood parameters: the level of D-Dimer, Glucose, Interleukin-6, Procalcitonin, Lymphocytes and Platelets, CRP, CPK, CPK-MB, LDH, Fibrinogen, Ferritin. Qualitative indicators: gender, ventilator, ARDS, the presence of diabetes, the presence of obesity, the presence of complications: cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, septic, macrothrombotic, stage of pneumonia. To identify statistically significant predictors of the risk of an event, the odds ratio (OR) method was used. Result(s): average age 57.8+/-14 years, men - 59.5%, average bed day 17.6+/-10.6 days. In concomitant diseases, diabetes mellitus was indicated in 24% of patients, obesity was registered in 4.3% of patients. Hospital mortality (28-day) in the total cohort of follow-up was 16.05%, in total with out-of-hospital mortality of 22%. Mortality in intensive care reached 62.7%, on ventilator more than 86%, with ARDS 94.3%. No statistical significance was revealed by gender and the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in concomitant diseases. When comparing short-term outcomes, the age groups over 65 differed statistically. The following laboratory blood parameters showed a significant difference (P<0.001): D-Dimer, Glucose, IL-6 lymphocytes, Leukocytes, Neutrophils, Platelets, LDH, Ferritin. The following odds ratios (OR) were obtained: ARDS (OR 143.78;95% CI 33.4-616.2;p=0.0001), on ventilator (OR 57.96;95% CI 23.1-144.5;p=0.0001), the presence of septic complications (OR 26.4;95% CI 13.8-50;p=0.0001), the course of the disease is defined as severe (OR 25;95% CI 12.9-48.2;p=0.0001), the course of the disease is defined as complicated (OR 11.6;95% CI 6.8-19.7;p=0.0001), the presence of gastrointestinal complications (OR 6.5;95% CI 2.28-18.4;p=0.0007), the presence of obesity (OR 2.57;95% CI 1.0-6.5;p=0.039). Mortality of patients receiving two main treatment regimens T-1 and T-2 did not differ (15.8% vs 15.7%). Significant differences (p=0.0001) appeared when compared with the T-0 and T-4 schemes, in which mortality was recorded at 8.8% and 85.7%, respectively. When comparing long-term outcomes, the analysis did not reveal statistical significance by gender. The statistical difference was noted by age. Among laboratory indicators, the PCT level was higher in survivors with complications. A significant difference among all survivors and deceased (P<0.001) was shown by: D-Dimer, blood glucose level, IL-6, CRP. The highest OR was calculated for the following indicators: the presence of gastrointestinal complications (OR 7.7;95% CI 1.0-57.7;p=0.03), the initial LDH blood level of 622 units /l (OR 4.7;95% CI 1.63-13.63;p=0.0086), the course of the disease defined as complicated (OR 4.05;95% 1.97-8.33;p=0.003), the course of the disease is defined as severe (OR 2.4;95% CI 1.17-5.0;p=0.03). Conclusion(s): gastrointestinal complications had the greatest impact on unfavorable short-term and long-term outcomes in patients on programmed hemodialysis. In relation to such laboratory markers as Ferritin, CRH, LDH, threshold values of a significant increase in the chances characteristic of dialysis patients were obtained. During the first year of the epidemic, therapy remained largely supportive and aimed at prevent ng complications, the main isolated treatment regimens showed no significant differences in the impact on the outcomes of COVID-19.Copyright © 2022 Interregional public organization Association of infectious disease specialists of Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region (IPO AIDSSPbR). All rights reserved.

Analysis of the impact of various risk factors on short-term and long-term outcomes in patients with COVID-19 on maintenance hemodialysis

Patients receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the form of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) belong to a group of particularly high risk of infection and the course of COVID-19. The new coronavirus infection also has a great impact on long-term outcomes. Materials and methods: A retrospective observational study included 510 patients on MHD, hospitalized from April 1, 2020 to April 01, 2021. The outcome of hospitalization was chosen as the primary endpoint of the study: discharge or 28-day mortality. Death within 6 months after discharge and the development of complications related to COVID-19 during this period were considered as secondary endpoints. Data collection was carried out by analyzing electronic and archival medical records. Quantitative variables: age, duration of hospitalization, days in the intensive care unit, laboratory blood parameters: the level of D-Dimer, Glucose, Interleukin-6, Procalcitonin, Lymphocytes and Platelets, CRP, CPK, CPK-MB, LDH, Fibrinogen, Ferritin. Qualitative indicators: gender, ventilator, ARDS, the presence of diabetes, the presence of obesity, the presence of complications: cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, septic, macrothrombotic, stage of pneumonia. To identify statistically significant predictors of the risk of an event, the odds ratio (OR) method was used. Results: average age 57.8±14 years, men – 59.5%, average bed day 17.6±10.6 days. In concomitant diseases, diabetes mellitus was indicated in 24% of patients, obesity was registered in 4.3% of patients. Hospital mortality (28-day) in the total cohort of follow-up was 16.05%, in total with out-of-hospital mortality of 22%. Mortality in intensive care reached 62.7%, on ventilator more than 86%, with ARDS 94.3%. No statistical significance was revealed by gender and the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in concomitant diseases. When comparing short-term outcomes, the age groups over 65 differed statistically. The following laboratory blood parameters showed a significant difference (P<0.001): D-Dimer, Glucose, IL-6 lymphocytes, Leukocytes, Neutrophils, Platelets, LDH, Ferritin. The following odds ratios (OR) were obtained: ARDS (OR 143.78;95% CI 33.4-616.2;p=0.0001), on ventilator (OR 57.96;95% CI 23.1-144.5;p=0.0001), the presence of septic complications (OR 26.4;95% CI 13.8-50;p=0.0001), the course of the disease is defined as severe (OR 25;95% CI 12.9-48.2;p=0.0001), the course of the disease is defined as complicated (OR 11.6;95% CI 6.8-19.7;p=0.0001), the presence of gastrointestinal complications (OR 6.5;95% CI 2.28-18.4;p=0.0007), the presence of obesity (OR 2.57;95% CI 1.0-6.5;p=0.039). Mortality of patients receiving two main treatment regimens T-1 and T-2 did not differ (15.8% vs 15.7%). Significant differences (p=0.0001) appeared when compared with the T-0 and T-4 schemes, in which mortality was recorded at 8.8% and 85.7%, respectively. When comparing long-term outcomes, the analysis did not reveal statistical significance by gender. The statistical difference was noted by age. Among laboratory indicators, the PCT level was higher in survivors with complications. A significant difference among all survivors and deceased (P<0.001) was shown by: D-Dimer, blood glucose level, IL-6, CRP. The highest OR was calculated for the following indicators: the presence of gastrointestinal complications (OR 7.7;95% CI 1.0-57.7;p=0.03), the initial LDH blood level of 622 units /l (OR 4.7;95% CI 1.63-13.63;p=0.0086), the course of the disease defined as complicated (OR 4.05;95% 1.97-8.33;p=0.003), the course of the disease is defined as severe (OR 2.4;95% CI 1.17-5.0;p=0.03). Conclusions: gastrointestinal complications had the greatest impact on unfavorable short-term and long-term outcomes in patients on programmed hemodialysis. In relation to such laboratory markers as Ferritin, CRH, LDH, threshold values of a significant increase in the chances characteristic of dialysis patients were obtained. During the first year of the epidemic, therapy remained largely supportive and aimed at preventing comp ications, the main isolated treatment regimens showed no significant differences in the impact on the outcomes of COVID-19. © 2022 Interregional public organization Association of infectious disease specialists of Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region (IPO AIDSSPbR). All rights reserved.

Analysis of the impact of various risk factors on short-term and long-term outcomes in patients with COVID-19 on maintenance hemodialysis.

Patients receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the form of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) belong to a group of particularly high risk of infection and the course of COVID-19. The new coronavirus infection also has a great impact on long-term outcomes. Material(s) and Method(s): A retrospective observational study included 510 patients on MHD, hospitalized from April 1, 2020 to April 01, 2021. The outcome of hospitalization was chosen as the primary endpoint of the study: discharge or 28-day mortality. Death within 6 months after discharge and the development of complications related to COVID-19 during this period were considered as secondary endpoints. Data collection was carried out by analyzing electronic and archival medical records. Quantitative variables: age, duration of hospitalization, days in the intensive care unit, laboratory blood parameters: the level of D-Dimer, Glucose, Interleukin-6, Procalcitonin, Lymphocytes and Platelets, CRP, CPK, CPK-MB, LDH, Fibrinogen, Ferritin. Qualitative indicators: gender, ventilator, ARDS, the presence of diabetes, the presence of obesity, the presence of complications: cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, septic, macrothrombotic, stage of pneumonia. To identify statistically significant predictors of the risk of an event, the odds ratio (OR) method was used. Result(s): average age 57.8+/-14 years, men - 59.5%, average bed day 17.6+/-10.6 days. In concomitant diseases, diabetes mellitus was indicated in 24% of patients, obesity was registered in 4.3% of patients. Hospital mortality (28-day) in the total cohort of follow-up was 16.05%, in total with out-of-hospital mortality of 22%. Mortality in intensive care reached 62.7%, on ventilator more than 86%, with ARDS 94.3%. No statistical significance was revealed by gender and the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in concomitant diseases. When comparing short-term outcomes, the age groups over 65 differed statistically. The following laboratory blood parameters showed a significant difference (P<0.001): D-Dimer, Glucose, IL-6 lymphocytes, Leukocytes, Neutrophils, Platelets, LDH, Ferritin. The following odds ratios (OR) were obtained: ARDS (OR 143.78;95% CI 33.4-616.2;p=0.0001), on ventilator (OR 57.96;95% CI 23.1-144.5;p=0.0001), the presence of septic complications (OR 26.4;95% CI 13.8-50;p=0.0001), the course of the disease is defined as severe (OR 25;95% CI 12.9-48.2;p=0.0001), the course of the disease is defined as complicated (OR 11.6;95% CI 6.8-19.7;p=0.0001), the presence of gastrointestinal complications (OR 6.5;95% CI 2.28-18.4;p=0.0007), the presence of obesity (OR 2.57;95% CI 1.0-6.5;p=0.039). Mortality of patients receiving two main treatment regimens T-1 and T-2 did not differ (15.8% vs 15.7%). Significant differences (p=0.0001) appeared when compared with the T-0 and T-4 schemes, in which mortality was recorded at 8.8% and 85.7%, respectively. When comparing long-term outcomes, the analysis did not reveal statistical significance by gender. The statistical difference was noted by age. Among laboratory indicators, the PCT level was higher in survivors with complications. A significant difference among all survivors and deceased (P<0.001) was shown by: D-Dimer, blood glucose level, IL-6, CRP. The highest OR was calculated for the following indicators: the presence of gastrointestinal complications (OR 7.7;95% CI 1.0-57.7;p=0.03), the initial LDH blood level of 622 units /l (OR 4.7;95% CI 1.63-13.63;p=0.0086), the course of the disease defined as complicated (OR 4.05;95% 1.97-8.33;p=0.003), the course of the disease is defined as severe (OR 2.4;95% CI 1.17-5.0;p=0.03). Conclusion(s): gastrointestinal complications had the greatest impact on unfavorable short-term and long-term outcomes in patients on programmed hemodialysis. In relation to such laboratory markers as Ferritin, CRH, LDH, threshold values of a significant increase in the chances characteristic of dialysis patients were obtained. During the first year of the epidemic, therapy remained largely supportive and aimed at prevent ng complications, the main isolated treatment regimens showed no significant differences in the impact on the outcomes of COVID-19.Copyright © 2022 Interregional public organization Association of infectious disease specialists of Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region (IPO AIDSSPbR). All rights reserved.

Surgical satisfaction and quality of life outcomes reported by transgender men and women at least one year post gender-affirming surgery: A systematic literature review.

Background: Many transgender women and men undergo gender-affirming surgeries. Existing work shows that early surgery outcomes are generally positive, suggesting high surgical satisfaction and positive quality of life outcomes. Less work, however, examines these outcomes in the longer-term. Aims: To conduct a systematic literature review into the longer-term (i.e., ≥ 1 year) surgical satisfaction and quality of outcomes following various forms of gender-affirming surgery in transgender populations. Specifically, we aim to examine research on such outcomes at least one-year post gender-affirming chest, genital, facial, vocal cord, and Adam's apple removal surgeries. Methods: Studies were identified through Google Scholar, PsycINFO, Scopus, and PubMed databases, as well as through Google Scholar search alerts. We considered all studies published until October 2021. Two reviewers extracted data from suitable studies using Covidence. Both reviewers also independently assessed the identified studies' risk of bias and strength of evidence. Results: Seventy-nine low quality (e.g., small sample sizes, lack of control/comparison groups) studies suggest that most transgender patients are satisfied with surgical outcomes when assessed at least one-year post-surgery. Low quality research also indicates that transgender women and men typically report positive psychological and sexual wellbeing post-surgery, and similar wellbeing outcomes as those who have not had surgery. Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, this literature review is the first to critically summarize and evaluate all published studies on the longer-term quality of life outcomes following chest, genital, facial, voice and Adam's apple removal surgeries for transgender women and men. While the results suggest promising surgical satisfaction and quality of life outcomes following surgery, many studies only draw on small samples, and most studies do not allow for causal conclusions. Further, few studies have compared surgical outcomes between transgender women and men. We conclude by offering concrete suggestions for future research.

Clinical and Anamnestic Characteristics, Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy and Long-term Outcomes in Multimorbid Patients after COVID-19

Aim. To study the clinical and anamnestic characteristics, pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and long-term outcomes in post-COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular multimorbidity (CVMM), enrolled in the prospective hospital registry. Material and methods. In patients with confirmed COVID-19 included in the TARGET-VIP registry, the CVMM criterion was the presence of two or more CVDs: arterial hypertension (AH), coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic heart failure (CHF), atrial fibrillation (AF). There were 163 patients in the CVMM group and 382 - in the group without CVD. The information was obtained initially from hospital history sheet, and afterwards - from a telephone survey of patients after 30-60 days, 6 and 12 months, from electronic databases. The follow-up period was 13.0 +/- 1.5 months.Results. The age of post-COVID patients with CVMM was 73.7 +/- 9.6 years, without CVD - 49.4 +/- 12.4 years (p<0.001), the proportion of men was 53.9% and 58.4% (p=0.34). In the group with CVMM the majority of patients had AH (92.3-93.3%), CHD (90.4-91.4%), and minority - CHF (42.7-46.0%) and AF (42.9-43.4%). The combination of 3-4 CVDs prevailed (58.9-60.3%). The proportion of cases of chronic non-cardiac pathologies was higher in the CVMM group (80.9%) compared to the group without CVD (36.7%;p<0.001). The frequency of proper cardiovascular pharmacotherapy during the follow-up period decreased from 56.8% to 51.3% (p for trend = 0.18). The frequency of anticoagulant therapy in AF decreased significantly: from 89.1% at the discharge from the hospital to 56.4% after 30-60 days (p=0.001), 57.1% and 53.6% after 6 and 12 months of monitoring (p for a trend <0.001). There were no other significant changes in the frequency of other kinds of the proper cardiovascular pharmacotherapy (p>0.05). There were higher rate of all-cause mortality among patients with CMMM (12.9% vs 2.9%, p<0.001) as well as rates of hospitalization (34.7% and 9.9%, p<0.001) and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) - 2.5% vs 0.5% (p=0.048). The proportion of new cases of CVD in the groups with CVMM and without CVD was 5.5% and 3.7% (p=0.33). The incidence of acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI)/influenza was higher in the group without CVD - 28.3% vs 19.0% (p=0.02). The proportion of cases of recurrent COVID-19 in groups with CVMM and without CVD was 3.7 % and 1.8% (p=0.19).Conclusion. Post COVID-19 patients with CVMM were older and had the bigger number of chronic non-cardiac diseases than patients without CVD. The quality of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy in patients with CVMM was insufficient at the discharge from the hospital with following non-significant decrease during 12 months of follow-up. The frequency of anticoagulant therapy in AF decreased by 1.6 times after 30-60 days and by 1.7 times during the year of follow-up. The proportion of new cases of CVD was 5.5% and 3.7% with no significant differences between compared groups. The rate of all-cause mortality, hospitalizations and non-fatal MI was significantly higher in patients with CVMM, but the frequency of ARVI/influenza was significantly higher in patients without CVD. Recurrent COVID-19 was registered in 3.7% and 1.8% of cases, there were no significant differences be-tween compared groups.

Long-Term Cardiovascular Outcomes of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated with COVID-19 Using an Institution Based Algorithm.

Cardiovascular involvement is a major cause of inpatient and intensive care unit morbidity related to Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The objective of this study was to identify long-term cardiovascular manifestations of MIS-C. We included 80 consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit with MIS-C who were evaluated for a year in our follow-up clinic using an institution protocol. The outcome measures were cardiac biomarkers (troponin and BNP), electrocardiogram changes, echocardiographic findings cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and graded-exercise stress test (GXT) findings. The cohort included patients aged between 6 months and 17 years (median 9 years; 48.8% females). At the peak of the disease 81.3% had abnormal BNP and 58.8% had troponin leak which reduced to 33.8% and 18.8% respectively at discharge with complete normalization by 6 weeks post-discharge. At admission 33.8% had systolic dysfunction, which improved to 11.3% at discharge with complete resolution by 2 weeks. Coronary artery abnormalities were seen in 17.5% during the illness with complete resolution by 2 weeks post discharge except one (1.9%) with persistent giant aneurysm at 1 year-follow up. CMR was performed at 6 months in 23 patient and demonstrated 4 patients with persistent late gadolinium enhancement (17.4%). Normal exercise capacity with no ectopy was seen in the 31 qualifying patients that underwent a GXT. There is significant heterogeneity in the cardiovascular manifestations of MIS-C. Although majority of the cardiovascular manifestations resolve within 6 weeks, diastolic dysfunction, CAA and myocardial scar may persist in a small subset of patients warranting a structured long-term follow-up strategy.

Clinical and Anamnestic Characteristics, Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy and Long-term Outcomes in Multimorbid Patients after COVID-19

Aim. To study the clinical and anamnestic characteristics, pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and long-term outcomes in post-COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular multimorbidity (CVMM), enrolled in the prospective hospital registry. Material and methods. In patients with confirmed COVID-19 included in the TARGET-VIP registry, the CVMM criterion was the presence of two or more CVDs: arterial hypertension (AH), coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic heart failure (CHF), atrial fibrillation (AF). There were 163 patients in the CVMM group and 382 - in the group without CVD. The information was obtained initially from hospital history sheet, and afterwards - from a telephone survey of patients after 30-60 days, 6 and 12 months, from electronic databases. The follow-up period was 13.0+/-1.5 months. Results. The age of post-COVID patients with CVMM was 73.7+/-9.6 years, without CVD - 49.4+/-12.4 years (p<0.001), the proportion of men was 53.9% and 58.4% (p=0.34). In the group with CVMM the majority of patients had AH (92.3-93.3%), CHD (90.4-91.4%), and minority - CHF (42.7-46.0%) and AF (42.9-43.4%). The combination of 3-4 CVDs prevailed (58.9-60.3%). The proportion of cases of chronic non-cardiac pathologies was higher in the CVMM group (80.9%) compared to the group without CVD (36.7%;p<0.001). The frequency of proper cardiovascular pharmacotherapy during the follow-up period decreased from 56.8% to 51.3% (p for trend = 0.18). The frequency of anticoagulant therapy in AF decreased significantly: from 89.1% at the discharge from the hospital to 56.4% after 30-60 days (p=0.001), 57.1% and 53.6% after 6 and 12 months of monitoring (p for a trend <0.001). There were no other significant changes in the frequency of other kinds of the proper cardiovascular pharmacotherapy (p>0.05). There were higher rate of all-cause mortality among patients with CMMM (12.9% vs 2.9%, p<0.001) as well as rates of hospitalization (34.7% and 9.9%, p<0.001) and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) - 2.5% vs 0.5% (p=0.048). The proportion of new cases of CVD in the groups with CVMM and without CVD was 5.5% and 3.7% (p=0.33). The incidence of acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI)/influenza was higher in the group without CVD - 28.3% vs 19.0% (p=0.02). The proportion of cases of recurrent COVID-19 in groups with CVMM and without CVD was 3.7 % and 1.8% (p=0.19). Conclusion. Post COVID-19 patients with CVMM were older and had the bigger number of chronic non-cardiac diseases than patients without CVD. The quality of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy in patients with CVMM was insufficient at the discharge from the hospital with following non-significant decrease during 12 months of follow-up. The frequency of anticoagulant therapy in AF decreased by 1.6 times after 30-60 days and by 1.7 times during the year of follow-up. The proportion of new cases of CVD was 5.5% and 3.7% with no significant differences between compared groups. The rate of all-cause mortality, hospitalizations and non-fatal MI was significantly higher in patients with CVMM, but the frequency of ARVI/influenza was significantly higher in patients without CVD. Recurrent COVID-19 was registered in 3.7% and 1.8% of cases, there were no significant differences between compared groups. Copyright © 2022 Stolichnaya Izdatelskaya Kompaniya. All rights reserved.

Physical and psychological impairment in survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are at risk of long-term comorbidities. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and physical and psychological impairments in ARDS survivors from 3 months to 5 yr follow-up after ICU discharge. METHODS: Systematic search of PubMed, AMED, BNI, and CINAHL databases from January 2000 to date. The primary outcome was HRQoL. Secondary outcomes included physical, pulmonary, and cognitive function, mental health, and return to work. A secondary analysis compared classical ARDS with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease-2 (SARS-CoV-2) ARDS. RESULTS: Forty-eight papers met inclusion criteria including 11 693 patients; of those 85% (n=9992) had classical ARDS and 14% (n=1632) had SARS-CoV-2 ARDS. The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) physical component summary score mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 46 (41-50) at 3 months, 39 (36-41) at 6 months, and 40 (38-43) at 12 months. The SF-36 mental component summary mean score was 53 (48-57) at 3 months, 45 (40-50) at 6 months, and 44 (42-47) at 12 months. SF-36 values were lower than those found in the normal population up to 5 yr. The predictive distance walked in 6 min was 57% (45-69), 63% (56-69), and 66% (62-70) at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Classical ARDS and SARS-CoV-2 ARDS showed no difference in HRQoL and physical function; however, patients with classical ARDS had higher incidence of anxiety and depression (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: ARDS survivors can experience reduced HRQoL and physical and mental health impairment. These symptoms might not recover completely up to 5 yr after ICU discharge. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO: CRD42021296506.

The Case for Integrating Medical-Legal Partnerships Into Trauma Care.

INTRODUCTION: Medical-legal needs are health-harming adverse social conditions with a legal remedy. Medical-legal partnerships in primary care settings have been proposed to address these needs for at-risk patients already seeking medical care. Our hypothesis is that trauma patients represent a unique population that may be more likely to have baseline medical-legal needs. METHODS: A trauma-specific medical-legal needs survey was developed. Adult trauma patients who were able to give consent and were admitted to our urban Level I hospital were surveyed. Medical-legal needs were tabulated from the surveys. Those patients in the top decile of medical-legal needs were categorized as having a High Burden of medical-legal needs. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify those independent risk factors for having a High Burden of medical-legal needs. RESULTS: A total of 566 participants completed the survey (78.2% response rate). The mean number of medical-legal needs for our population was 2.5 (SD = 3.1). 73% of our respondents had at least one medical-legal need. The most common needs were Housing (n = 229, 40%) and Education/Employment (n = 223, 39%). Older age (aOR = 3.01, 95% CI 1.2-8.1, P = 0.02), being separated or divorced (aOR = 4.25, 95% CI 1.2-14.0, P = 0.02), self perceived poor health (aOR = 8.4, 95% CI 2.61-26.86, P < 0.001), penetrating mechanism of injury (aOR = 2.52, 95% CI 1.22-5.2, P = 0.01), and having been admitted to the hospital for a longer period of time (aOR = 5.48, 95% CI 1.55-19.4, P = 0.008) were all independently associated with a High Burden of medical-legal needs. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma patients have a high baseline burden of medical-legal needs. Medical-legal partnerships embedded in trauma teams may offer an innovative strategy to help address long-term health outcomes in a highly vulnerable population that would not otherwise have contact with the healthcare system.

Atrial Fibrillation in the Setting of Acute Pneumonia: Not a Secondary Arrhythmia

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the setting of critically ill patients. Pneumonia, and in particular community-acquired pneumonia, is one of the most common causes of illness and hospital admission worldwide. This article aims to review the association between AF and acute diseases, with specific attention to pneumonia, from the pathophysiology to its clinical significance. Even though the relationship between pneumonia and AF has been known for years, it was once considered a transient bystander. In recent years there has been growing knowledge on the clinical significance of this arrhythmia in acute clinical settings, in which it holds a prognostic role which is not so different as compared to that of the so-called "primary" AF. AF is a distinct entity even in the setting of pneumonia, and acute critical illnesses in general, and it should therefore be managed with a guidelines-oriented approach, including prescription of anticoagulants in patients at thromboembolic risk, always considering patients' individuality. More data on the significance of the arrhythmia in this setting will help clinicians to give patients the best possible care.

Comparison of 6-Month Outcomes of Survivors of COVID-19 versus Non-COVID-19 Critical Illness.

Rationale: The outcomes of survivors of critical illness due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) compared with non-COVID-19 are yet to be established. Objectives: We aimed to investigate new disability at 6 months in mechanically ventilated patients admitted to Australian ICUs with COVID-19 compared with non-COVID-19. Methods: We included critically ill patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 from two prospective observational studies. Patients were eligible if they were adult (age ⩾ 8 yr) and received ⩾24 hours of mechanical ventilation. In addition, patients with COVID-19 were eligible with a positive laboratory PCR test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Measurements and Main Results: Demographic, intervention, and hospital outcome data were obtained from electronic medical records. Survivors were contacted by telephone for functional outcomes with trained outcome assessors using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. Between March 6, 2020, and April 21, 2021, 120 critically ill patients with COVID-19, and between August 2017 and January 2019, 199 critically ill patients without COVID-19, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Patients with COVID-19 were older (median [interquartile range], 62 [55-71] vs. 58 [44-69] yr; P = 0.019) with a lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (17 [13-20] vs. 19 [15-23]; P = 0.011). Although duration of ventilation was longer in patients with COVID-19 than in those without COVID-19 (12 [5-19] vs. 4.8 [2.3-8.8] d; P < 0.001), 180-day mortality was similar between the groups (39/120 [32.5%] vs. 70/199 [35.2%]; P = 0.715). The incidence of death or new disability at 180 days was similar (58/93 [62.4%] vs. 99/150 [66/0%]; P = 0.583). Conclusions: At 6 months, there was no difference in new disability for patients requiring mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 compared with non-COVID-19. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04401254).

The Predictive Ability of the C-reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio As A Mortality Predictor in Hospitalized Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases

Aim: Although there are few studies on the predictive value of C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients, to the best of our knowledge, there are no studies specifically conducted in COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study assessed the use of baseline CAR levels to predict death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with CVD. Methods: This study was designed as a single-center cross-sectional study. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who were admitted to the University of Health Sciences Turkey, Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital between April 16 and May 20, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those who died and those who survived, considering the follow-up period. The CAR values of the study population, as well as patients with CVD, were calculated, and the association of CAR with in-hospital mortality was evaluated. Results: The in-hospital mortality rate was 11.1% (49/442 pts) in all populations. Deceased patients had significantly more frequent CVD (p<0.001) and the mortality rate was 34.4% (30/96 pts) in those patients. Median CAR values were higher in nonsurvivors than among survivors (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that CAR was an independent predictor of mortality in patients with CVD [hazard ratio 1.013 (95% confidence interval: 1.002-1.022), p=0.018]. Conclusion: CAR is an inflammatory risk marker that independently predicts mortality in all COVID-19 hospitalized patients and patients with CVD.

Early posthospitalization recovery after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in survivors of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the influence of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) on outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 during the first 120 days after hospital discharge. METHODS: Five academic centers conducted a retrospective analysis of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 admitted during March through May 2020. Survivors had access to a multidisciplinary postintensive care recovery clinic. Physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits were measured using validated instruments and compared based on ECMO status. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty two mechanically ventilated patients were compared with 46 patients cannulated for venovenous ECMO. Patients receiving ECMO were younger and traveled farther but there was no significant difference in gender, race, or body mass index. ECMO patients were mechanically ventilated for longer durations (median, 26 days [interquartile range, 19.5-41 days] vs 13 days [interquartile range, 7-20 days]) and were more likely to receive inhaled pulmonary vasodilators, neuromuscular blockade, investigational COVID-19 therapies, blood transfusions, and inotropes. Patients receiving ECMO experienced greater bleeding and clotting events (P < .01). However, survival at discharge was similar (69.6% vs 70.6%). Of the 217 survivors, 65.0% had documented follow-up within 120 days. Overall, 95.5% were residing at home, 25.7% had returned to work or usual activity, and 23.1% were still using supplemental oxygen; these rates did not differ significantly based on ECMO status. Rates of physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that COVID-19 survivors experience significant physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits following intensive care unit admission. Despite a more complex critical illness course, longer average duration of mechanical ventilation, and longer average length of stay, patients treated with venovenous ECMO had similar survival at discharge and outcomes within 120 days of discharge.

Nine-month outcomes of tracheostomy in patients with COVID-19: A retrospective study.

PURPOSE: The outcome of performing a tracheostomy in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) seems promising based on the reported 30-day survival rate. However, long-term outcomes are still lacking. Therefore, our aim in this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of tracheostomy performed in critically ill COVID-19 patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 27 COVID-19 patients on whom tracheostomy was performed between February 28, 2020, and April 7, 2020, at Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, China). Patients' clinical characteristics, complications, and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: All patients underwent successful bedside tracheostomy. Thirteen patients (48.1%) were successfully weaned off ventilation within 1 month. The survival rate at one, three, and nine months after tracheostomy were 63.0%, 37.0%, and 29.6%, respectively. At nine months after tracheostomy, 8/27 patients had survived, with five (62.5%) being discharged home while the remaining were dependent on nursing care. CONCLUSION: The survival rate of COVID-19 patients who underwent tracheotomy decreased markedly from 1 to 3 months after tracheotomy, remaining stable between 3 and 9 months. Medical support is much needed for COVID-19 patients over the first 90 days after tracheotomy.

Congenital Zika Syndrome: Genetic Avenues for Diagnosis and Therapy, Possible Management and Long-Term Outcomes.

Zika virus (ZIKV) was discovered in Uganda in 1947 and was originally isolated only in Africa and Asia. After a spike of microcephaly cases in Brazil, research has closely focused on different aspects of congenital ZIKV infection. In this review, we evaluated many aspects of the disease in order to build its natural history, with a focus on the long-term clinical and neuro-radiological outcomes in children. The authors have conducted a wide-ranging search spanning the 2012-2021 period from databases PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, Medline, Scopus. Different sections reflect different points of congenital ZIKV infection syndrome: pathogenesis, prenatal diagnosis, clinical signs, neuroimaging and long-term developmental outcomes. It emerged that pathogenesis has not been fully clarified and that the clinical signs are not only limited to microcephaly. Given the current absence of treatments, we proposed schemes to optimize diagnostic protocols in endemic countries. It is essential to know the key aspects of this disease to guarantee early diagnosis, even in less severe cases, and an adequate management of the main chronic problems. Considering the relatively recent discovery of this congenital infectious syndrome, further studies and updated long-term follow-up are needed to further improve management strategies for this disease.

Short- and mid-term multidisciplinary outcomes of newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in utero or during the perinatal period: preliminary findings.

The long-term outcomes of newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection in utero or during the first hours of life are still unknown. We performed a single-center, prospective, observational study of newborns born from mothers with microbiologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy or at time of delivery. Infants were offered a multidisciplinary follow-up consisting of nasopharyngeal Polymerase Chain Reaction test at birth and at 48-72 h of life, auxological growth and neurological development, serologic testing, and audiological and ophthalmological assessments. One-hundred ninety-eight mothers and 199 newborns were enrolled. Of the 199 newborns, 171 underwent nasopharyngeal swab, four (2.3%) and two (1.15%) children tested positive at birth and 48-72 h of life, respectively. None had SARS-CoV-2 related symptoms. Auxologic and neurologic development were normal in all children during follow-up. Nine out of 59 infants had SARS-CoV-2 IgG at 3 months of life, which was associated with a positive nasopharyngeal swab at birth (P = 0.04). Twenty seven out of 143 (18.8%) newborns had pathologic transitory evoked otoacoustic emissions at birth, although 14/27 repeated after 1 month were normal. Audiological evaluation was completed with Auditory Brainstem Response between the third and sixth month of life in 34 children, showing in all normal hearing threshold. The ophthalmological evaluation found retinal vascular anomalies in 3/20 (15%) children, immature visual acuity in 5/20 (25%) children, and reduced distance attention in 6/20 cases (30%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the neonatal and mid-term multidisciplinary outcomes of newborns exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection in utero or during the first hours of life are mostly positive, with the exception of ophthalmologic findings which, in a preliminary cohort, were abnormal in about 15% of cases. Further prospective, longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the clinical outcomes of children exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in utero and in the early postnatal life. WHAT IS KNOWN: • In utero mother-to-child transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been documented by several independent studies. • Neonatal COVID-19 is a systemic disease that can be severe, although rarely. WHAT IS NEW: • Newborns exposed in utero to SARS-CoV-2 have mostly a normal auxological, audiological, and neurological development during the first months of life. • Fundus fluorescein angiography revealed that up to 5% of newborns exposed in utero to SARS-CoV2 can show retinal and choroidal abnormalities, including peripheral hypofluorescence of the choroid and increased vascular tortuosity.

Long-term outcomes after NeuroCOVID: A 6-month follow-up study on 60 patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Long-term outcomes after neurological manifestations due to COVID-19 are poorly known. The aim of our study was to evaluate the functional outcome and identify the risk factors of neurologic sequelae after COVID-19 associated with neurological manifestations (NeuroCOVID). METHODS: We conducted a multi-center observational study six months after the acute neurological symptoms in patients from the French NeuroCOVID hospital-based registry. RESULTS: We obtained data on 60 patients. NeuroCOVID had a negative impact on the quality of life (QoL) of 49% of patients. Age was a predictor of residual QoL impairment (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01-1.13, p=0.026). At six months, a significant residual disability was found in 51.7% of patients, and impaired cognition in 68.9% of cases. The main persistent neuropsychiatric manifestations were a persistent smell/taste disorder in 45% of patients, memory complaints in 34% of patients, anxiety or depression in 32% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: NeuroCOVID likely carries a high risk of long-term neuropsychiatric disability. Long-term care and special attention should be given to COVID-19 patients, especially if they had neurological manifestations during acute infection.