Outcome predictors in COVID-19: An analysis of emergent systemic inflammation indices in Mexican population.

Introduction: The systemic viral disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be a public health problem worldwide. Objective: This study is aimed to evaluate the association and predictive value of indices of systemic inflammation with severity and non-survival of COVID-19 in Mexican patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was carried out on 807 subjects with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Clinical characteristics, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), severity according to PaO2/FiO2 ratio, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and non-survival outcome were considered to assess the predictive value and the association of 11 systemic inflammatory indices derived from hematological parameters analyzed at the hospital admission of patients. The receiver operating characteristics curve was applied to determine the thresholds for 11 biomarkers, and their prognostic values were assessed via the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: 26% of the studied subjects showed COVID-19 severe (PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤ 100), 82.4% required IMV, and 39.2% were non-survival. The indices NHL, NLR, RDW, dNLR, and SIRI displayed predictive values for severe COVID-19 and non-survival. NHL, SIRI, and NLR showed predictive value for IMV. The cut-off values for RDW (OR = 1.85, p < 0.001), NHL (OR = 1.67, p = 0.004) and NLR (OR = 1.56, p = 0.012) were mainly associated with severe COVID-19. NHL (OR = 3.07, p < 0.001), AISI (OR = 2.64, p < 0.001) and SIRI (OR = 2.51, p < 0.001) were associated with IMV support, while for non-survival the main indices associated were NHL (OR = 2.65, p < 0.001), NLR (OR = 2.26, p < 0.001), dNLR (OR = 1.92, p < 0.001), SIRI (OR = 1.67, p = 0.002) and SII (OR = 1.50, p = 0.010). The patients with an RDW, PLR, NLR, dNLR, MLR, SII, and NHL above the cut-off had a survival probability of COVID-19 50% lower, with an estimated mean survival time of 40 days. Conclusion: The emergent systemic inflammation indices NHL, NLR, RDW, SII, and SIRI have a predictive power of severe COVID-19, IMV support, and low survival probability during hospitalization by COVID-19 in Mexican patients.

More Evidence of the Link of Interleukin-6 and Interleukin-10 with Critical COVID-19: A Report in Mexican Patients.

BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization, Mexico presents one of the highest mortality rates due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The "cytokine storm" phenomenon has been proposed as a pathological hallmark of severe COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of serum cytokine levels with COVID-19 severity. METHODS: We studied the cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and the IFN-γ serum levels through flow cytometry in 56 COVID-19 patients (24 critical and 32 non-critical) from Northwest Mexico. RESULTS: We observed a significant increase in the IL-6 and the IL-10 levels in the sera of critical patients. These cytokines were also associated with mechanical ventilation necessity and death, IL-6 showing AUC values above 0.7 for both variables; and correlated with Na+, creatinine, and platelet levels. On the other hand, no association was found between IL-2, IL-4, TNF-α, and IFN-γ with tested variables. CONCLUSION: Our results corroborate previous observations regarding IL-6 and IL-10 involvement in the severity of COVID-19.

Superinfección por Stenotrophomonas maltophilia en pacientes con COVID-19 críticamente enfermos. Análisis de una serie de casos

Resumen En pacientes con neumonía por SARS-CoV-2 el aumento de infección secundaria por microorganismos nosocomiales ha alertado al sistema de salud. Esto debido, al incrementar la estancia hospitalaria y el desenlace final fatal en los pacientes críticamente enfermos. La siguiente serie de casos se realizó teniendo como objetivo evaluar en muestras de secreción bronquial el aislamiento de la Stenotrophomonas maltophilia en pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19. Se encontraron 7 pacientes asociados a una excesiva prescripción de antibióticos con baja susceptibilidad para Stenotrophomonas maltophilia y la presencia de infección secundaria bacteriana por este microorganismo asociado al uso de ventilación mecánica invasiva. Esto genera un dilema en las estrategias y recomendaciones médicas utilizadas en muchas instituciones para los pacientes con neumonía por SARS-CoV-2 con necesidad de unidad de cuidados intensivos. In patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, the increase in secondary infection by nosocomial microorganisms has alerted the health system. This is due to the increase in hospital stay and the final fatal outcome in critically ill patients. The following series of cases was carried out to evaluate the isolation of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in bronchial secretion samples. Seven patients were found associated with an excessive prescription of antibiotics with low susceptibility to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and the presence of secondary bacterial infection by this microorganism associated with the use of invasive mechanical ventilation. This creates a dilemma in the medical strategies and recommendations used in many institutions for patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in need of an intensive care unit.

Previous Vitamin D Supplementation and Morbidity and Mortality Outcomes in People Hospitalised for COVID19: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim: The study aim was to assess the association of vitamin D supplementation before hospital admission and severe outcomes in subjects admitted for COVID-19. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of pseudonymised medical record data from subjects admitted to the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona, Spain) for COVID-19 during March and April 2020. The composite primary study outcome was defined as death and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Association between risk factors and study outcomes was evaluated by bivariate analysis, followed by logistic regression analysis. Results: In total, 1,267 persons were hospitalised during the observation period. Overall, 14.9% of the subjects were on active vitamin D supplementation treatment before admission. The subjects in the vitamin D group were significantly older than subjects without vitamin D supplementation. We observed higher rates of the primary outcome (death and/or IMV) among the persons with previous use of vitamin D (30.1 vs. 22.9% in those not receiving treatment). In the bivariate analysis, previous use of vitamin D was positively associated with death and/or IMV [odds ratio (OR): 1.45 95% CI: 1.03; 2.04]; however, after adjustment for other risk factors this association disappeared (OR: 1.09 95%CI: 0.65; 1.81). Conclusion: We did not find an association between vitamin D supplementation before hospital admission and death and/or IMV in subjects admitted for COVID-19. The age and the burden of age-associated comorbidities were independently associated with the in-hospital events.

Alternative to traditional noninvasive ventilation using a modified snorkel mask in a patient with SARS-COV2: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: The lack of mechanical ventilators for patients with COVID-19 has necessitated the use of other noninvasive ventilation (NIV) systems. One of these NIV systems is the use of an adapted snorkel mask with inspiration valves and pressure valve (PEEP). CASE AND OUTCOMES: A 48-year-old man with no previous history of lung disease was admitted to the emergency room with a diagnosis of acute respiratory failure due to SARS-COV2. The patient did not improve saturation with the use of the reservoir mask. Oxygenation was started using an adapted snorkel mask with a PEEP valve with an alveolar recruitment function and double oxygen flow. The patient presented clinical and radiological improvement after 2 days of use and was discharged 16 days later. DISCUSSION: The use of a snorkel mask is an important, viable, and simpler NIV modality for the management of patients with COVID-19 with respiratory failure who fail to use a reservoir mask, and it can be an alternative before the use of a mechanical ventilator. CONCLUSION: The use of the adapted snorkel mask with Charlotte valve and PEEP is a feasible alternative for the treatment of patients with COVID-19.

Tracheostomy in the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: The role of tracheostomy in COVID-19-related ARDS is unknown. Nowadays, there is no clear indication regarding the timing of tracheostomy in these patients. METHODS: We describe our synergic experience between ENT and ICU Departments at University Hospital of Modena underlining some controversial aspects that would be worth discussing tracheostomies in these patients. During the last 2 weeks, we performed 28 tracheostomies on patients with ARDS due to COVID-19 infection who were treated with IMV. RESULTS: No differences between percutaneous and surgical tracheostomy in terms of timing and no case of team virus infection. CONCLUSION: In our experience, tracheostomy should be performed only in selected patients within 7- and 14-day orotracheal intubation.