Is there an increased incidence of bacteraemia among COVID-19 patients requiring critical care admission who have received IL-6 inhibitors?

Is there an increased incidence of bacteraemia among COVID-19 patients requiring critical care admission who have received IL-6 inhibitors? Introduction: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors have been shown to reduce mortality in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. There is, however, concern that induced immunosuppression may increase the risk of secondary nosocomial infection. Objective(s): Our primary aim was to determine if there was increased incidence of bacteraemia in COVID-19 patients requiring critical care admission who had received IL-6 inhibitors compared to those who had not. Method(s): A retrospective review of all COVID-19 admissions to two critical care units in Liverpool from 4th March 2020 to 31st October 2021. Patients were divided into those who received an IL-6 inhibitor (sarilumab or tociluzimab) and those who did not. Hospital antimicrobial policy was to administer a five day prophylactic course of co-amoxiclav and clarithromycin for patients with severe COVID-19 during the study period. Blood culture results from 14 days before admission to critical care and 90 days after admission were included. The blood culture results comprised cultures taken in both critical care and on the wards. Data were linked and analysed using Stata V15.1 (StataCorp, Stata Statistical Software: Release 15, College Station, Texas, USA). Result(s): 894 patients were included in the study. 134 patients had at least one positive blood culture result. The most commonly identified pathogens were Coliforms (23/134, 17.2%), Enterobacter (22/134, 16.4%) and Escherichia coli (16/134, 11.9%). Of patients administered an IL-6 antagonist, 16.8% (114/565) developed a positive blood culture compared to 11.6% (20/172) who did not, p=0.096. We did not observe an increased frequency of antimicrobial resistant culture in the IL-6 administered group 22.8% (26/114) vs. 20.0% (4/20) in this cohort, p=0.781. Data have not been adjusted for demographic and clinical factors in this preliminary analysis. Conclusion(s): We observed a trend toward increased frequency of blood culture positivity in patients administered an IL-6 antagonist within this COVID-19 positive cohort but this was not statistically significant. Further analysis is required to adjust for relevant demographic and clinical factors.

A Thorn in his Side

History: A 20 year old D1 men's basketball player with a history of COVID the month prior presented with worsening low back pain. He denied any injury, but reported the pain started as low back discomfort after a basketball game the week prior. He noted a progression and radiation of pain down his right lower extremity to his toes. He had tried physical therapy and dry needling, as well as cyclobenzaprine and naproxen from team physicians with mild improvement. The pain worsened and he went to the ED for evaluation. He was afebrile and had a lumbar radiograph with no acute fracture, grade 1 anterolisthesis of L5 on S1. He was discharged home with norco. Over the next 2 days, he developed chills and in the context of his worsening back pain, his team physicians ordered an MRI. Physical Exam: BMI 26.9 Temp 97.9degree Heart rate: 73 Respiratory rate 14 BP: 124/64 MSK: Spine- Intact skin with generalized pain over lumbar area, worse over the right paraspinal musculature. 5/5 strength of bilateral lower extremity flexion and extension of his hips, knees, and plantar and dorsiflexion of ankles and toes. Bilateral intact sensibility in the sciatic, femoral, superficial, and deep peroneal, sural, and saphenous nerve distributions. Slightly diminished sensibility over the right deep peroneal nerve distribution compared to left. 2/4 patellar and achilles DTRs. No clonus, downgoing Babinski sign. Positive straight leg raise at 45 degrees with the right lower extremity. Differential Diagnosis: 141. Sciatica 142. Lumbar Muscle Strain 143. Disk Herniation 144. Spondylolisthesis 145. Vertebral Osteomyelitis Test Results: CBC:WBC10, HGB13.2, neutrophils 75.7% (red 45%-74%). Unremarkable CMP. CRP =7.31, ESR 23 Blood culture negative, throat culture negative. TB test negative. COVID test negative. Flu test negative. Urine culture and UDS negative. HIV test negative. Procalcitonin of 0.07. IR guided aspiration and bacterial Culture yielded MSSA. MRI w/contrast: showing L1-L4 facet edema concerning for infectious spondylitis, intramuscular, and epidural abscess. Final Diagnosis: Acute intramuscular abscess, vertebral osteomyelitis, with epidural abscess. Discussion(s): Vertebral osteomyelitis is a serious but quite rare disease in the immunocompetent, elite athlete population. Staphylococcus Aureus is the culprit a majority of the time, with only 50% of cases showing neurologic symptoms. This case was unique given the proximity to a dry needling treatment which is the only explainable vector of infection, normal blood cultures in this disease which hematogenously spreads, negativeHIV and other infectious disease testing, and otherwise benign history. Early recognition of this disease yields better outcomes and reduces incidence of severe debility. 5% to 10%of patients experience recurrence of back pain or osteomyelitis later on in life. Outcome(s): Patient was hospitalized and started on Cefepime and Vancomycin. Had an echocardiogram revealing changes consistent with athlete's heart without signs of vegetation on his cardiac valves. Neurosurgery declined to treat surgically. He continued to improve until he was ultimately discharged on hospital day 4 with a picc line and Nafcillin and was later changed to oral augmentin per ID. Follow-Up: By his 6 week follow-up visit with infectious disease and the team physicians, his back pain had completely resolved and was cleared to start a return to play protocol. There was no progression of disease since starting antibiotics, and no recurrence of back pain since treatment.

Attitudes, Practices and Knowledge of Honduran Physicians in the Prescription of Antibiotics in Covid-19

Intro: Antimicrobial resistance has been considered a global health problem, being one of the 10 most important public health problems worldwide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of antibiotics were used without any control, both on an outpatient basis and in hospitalization, which can have serious consequences. Method(s): Prior informed consent, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a sample of 322 physicians. A survey was carried out in Google forms, and it was shared by telephone messages and social networks. Finding(s): 322 physicians, 60.9% women and 39.1% men, mean age 33.4 years, 85.9% general practitioners, 11.5% specialist physicians. 47.2% work in private institutions, 36% in public centers. Antibiotic policies in institutions: 50.3% do not have regulations for the use of antibiotics in COVID-19, only 29.5% work with policies to control the use of antibiotics and control measures against antibiotic resistance, 73.9% lack a committee for infection control and prevention of antibiotic resistance. Use of antibiotics: only 20.8% never used antibiotics in COVID-19, 45.6% used antibiotics in severe COVID-19, 40.4% hospitalized patients, and 33.5% outpatients. The most used antibiotics were azithromycin (67.1%), levofloxacin (53.4%), ceftriaxone (53.4%), and amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid (34.8%). 43.2% consider that using antibiotics can reduce mortality in moderate and severe COVID-19, 50.3% believe antibiotics should be suspended if there is clinical improvement, 96.3% believe there is an increase in self-medication of antibiotics, 59.8% consider that they used antibiotics inconrrectly at some point, 58.1% consider antibiotic resistance to be a problem in their workplace. 86.3% currently make less use of antibiotics in patients with COVID-19. Conclusion(s): In Honduras, there are deficiencies in policies for the use of antibiotics and control of antimicrobial resistance. Most doctors consider that they have used antibiotics incorrectly, including antibiotics that can generate resistance.Copyright © 2023

Antibiotics in Paediatrics: A Boon or a Bane?

Antibiotics play an essential role in antimicrobial therapy. Among all the medications in children, the most commonly prescribed therapy is antibiotics and is currently the indispensable means to cure transmissible diseases. Several categories of antibiotics have been introduced into clinical practice to treat microbial infections. Reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics is a global need and priority. This article aims to provide better knowledge and understanding of the impact of the early use of antibiotics. This article highlights the proper use of antibiotics in chil-dren, detailing how early and inappropriate use of antibiotics affect the gut microbiome during normal body development and consequently affect the metabolism due to diabetes mellitus, obe-sity, and recurrence of infections, such as UTI. Several new antibiotics in their development stage, newly marketed antibiotics, and some recalled and withdrawn from the market are also briefly discussed in this article. This study will help future researchers in exploring the latest information about antibiotics used in paediatrics.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.

Outcomes of coblation tonsillectomy versus bipolar electrocautery tonsillectomy in pediatric population

Background: Bipolar electrocautery tonsillectomy has been the preferred technique for many otolaryngologists, yet coblation tonsillectomy is gaining popularity in the current practice. This study aims at comparing both techniques in terms of pain, bleeding, and healing. Result(s): A total of 120 patients were randomly divided into two equal groups. Overall mean pain score associated with coblation tonsillectomy was statistically less than that caused by bipolar electrocautery throughout the follow-up period (p < 0.001). The difference in pain duration was statistically longer for the bipolar group. The incidence of postoperative hemorrhage-both reactionary and secondary-was statistically higher in the bipolar group. Coblation tonsillectomy showed statistically shorter duration of healing (p < 0.001). Conclusion(s): Coblation tonsillectomy is associated with less pain severity and shorter pain duration, fewer bleeding incidents, and more prompt healing.Copyright © 2022, The Author(s).

Effects of some biological factors on Coronavirus

This research was been adopted to study the relationship between Covid and some necessary biological factors in human body and how these factors affected, This studying included three stages (Sever - Moderate - Mild) it was studied 20 patient for every stage and monitor the biological factors during infection and after infection.Copyright © 2023, Codon Publications. All rights reserved.

Molecular detection of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes among clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae during Covid-19 pandemic

Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes confer low resistance to Fluoroquinolones (FQs). This study aims to detect five PMQR genes among FQs-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from various clinical specimens. Out of 120 K. pneumoniae isolates, 68 FQs-resistance K. pneumoniae were included in a molecular study. Standard microbiological tests were used for identification and antimicrobial susceptibility. For the detection of PMQR genes, conventional polymerase chain reaction was used. A molecular study revealed that (73.5%) of samples harbored PMQR genes, and among them, 58% were co-carriages of PMQR gene variants. Aac (6')-Ib-cr gene was predominant (47.1%) among samples, and qepA had the lowest percentage (11.8%), qnr genes were (32.4%) (29.4%) (20.6%) qnrS, qnrB, and qnrA respectively. Overall, high percentages of PMQR genes were detected, and almost all of samples were phenotypically resistant to ciprofloxacin. As well, there was a significant statistical relationship between phenotypically ESBL-producers and qnrB and qepA genes.Copyright © Abdulkareem MM et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Polyethylenglycol and polysorbate evaluation for COVID vaccines in two patients with multiple drug allergies

Background: Covid 19 is a global epidemic. One of the most important steps in the fight against this epidemic is vaccination. mRNA vaccines are used in vaccination in our country. Among the additives in the vaccine, the substance with the highest allergenic risk is polyethylene glucose (PEG). There are different molecular weights of PEG. Another additive that has a high risk of cross-reaction with PEG as an additive is POLISORBAT 80. Skin tests with drugs containing PEG and POLISORBAT 80 and, if available, tests with vaccines are instructive. Among the drugs containing PEG: Moxifloxacin tablet, ciprofloxacin tablet, Amoxicillin clavulanic acid tablet;Medicines containing polysorbate include: Omalizumab vaccine, Mepolizumab vaccine. The results of the skin test with PEG-containing methylprednisolone (DEPO-MEDROL) and POLYSORBAT-containing triamcinolone (KENACORT-A) in order to be evaluated in terms of vaccine in our 2 patients who had multiple drug sensitivities before were shared. Method(s): Case 1: 33 y, F *There are diagnoses of urticaria and angioedema. Urticaria 30 minutes after taking aspirin, levofloxacin, cefdinir tablet;5 minutes after taking ciprofloxacin tablets, he has anaphylaxis. *Applies before Biontec vaccine. *The patient had a history of anaphylaxis with PEG-containing ciprofloxacin. In the skin tests performed with DEPO-MEDROL and KENACORT-A, 1/100 intradermal test was positive. *The patient for whom Biontec vaccine was not recommended received Synovac vaccine without any problems. Case 2: 52 years, F * He has a diagnosis of urticaria. 5 minutes after general anesthesia and local anesthesia;The patient who had cardiac arrest 3 times was evaluated. The patient, who had Synovac for 2 times without any problems, wanted to have the 3rd dose of Biontec vaccine. *Tested with general -local anesthetic agents. *Ciprofloxacin skin tests are negative;Urticaria plaques developed after 30 minutes of 1/4 tb in oral provocation. In the skin tests performed with DEPO-MEDROL and KENACORT-A, 1/100 intradermal test was positive. *Biontec vaccine is not recommended. Result(s): A safer vaccination is ensured by testing with additives in Covid 19 vaccines. Conclusion(s): Drug additives should also be kept in mind in patients with multiple drug allergies.

Rashes caused by arbidol in a patient with novel coronavirus pneumonia.

A 50-year-old male patient with agitated depression and hyperlipemia received oral amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium 0.5 g once daily and 2 lopinavir and ritonavir tablets twice daily for novel coronavirus infection, based on previous drugs including quetiapine, clonazepam, and atorvastatin calcium. After 3 days, lopinavir and ritonavir was changed to oral arbidol 200 mg, thrice daily due to suspicious drug interaction. After taking arbidol for 3 days, the patient developed red papules on the whole body. Considering that it might be related to amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium, the drug was stopped and loratadine was given. But the rashes were aggravated. Considering that the drug eruption was caused by arbidol, arbidol was discontinued and the rashes subsided in a large area the next day. Then vitamin C injection, calcium gluconate injection, and ribavirin were added. After 5 days, the rashes subsided completely. After 17 days, the patient recovered from pneumonia.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.

Idiopathic anomalous congenital band causing small intestinal obstruction in a 5-month-old dog

A 5-month-old, intact male, yellow Labrador retriever was presented with a 24-hour history of anorexia and vomiting. Abdominal imaging revealed the presence of a mechanical obstruction in the jejunum and peritoneal effusion. Cytologic evaluation and culture of the effusion prior to surgery identified a suppurative exudate with bacteria consistent with septic peritonitis and suspected to be related to the intestinal lesion. An exploratory laparotomy was performed, and a segment of jejunum was circumferentially severely constricted by an off-white, fibrous band of tissue. Resection and anastomosis of the strangulated segment of jejunum and excision of the constricting band provided resolution of the clinical signs. The dog made a complete recovery. Histologic evaluation revealed the band to be composed of fibrovascular and smooth muscle tissue, consistent with an idiopathic anomalous congenital band. No other gastrointestinal lesions were observed, either grossly at surgery or histologically in the resected segment of intestine. To our knowledge, a similar structure has not been reported in the veterinary literature.Copyright © 2022 Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 in a patient with Good's syndrome and in 13 patients with common variable immunodeficiency

Antibody deficiencies constitute the majority of primary immunodeficiencies in adults. These patients have a well-established increased risk of bacterial infections but there is a lack of knowledge regarding the relative risks upon contracting COVID-19. In this monocentric study the disease course of COVID-19 in 1 patient with Good's syndrome and in 13 patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is described. The severity of disease ranged from very mild to severe. Several patients required hospitalization and immunomodulatory treatment but all survived. Although viral infections are not a typical feature of humoral immunodeficiencies we recommend that vigilance is increased in the management of patients with Good's syndrome and CVID during the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2021

T-branch endovascular graft, a good option to treat acute aortic mycotic aneurysm?

Background: Complex mycotic aortic aneurysm (MAA) is a rare and life-threatening disease with a high mortality rate. Open surgical treatment has always been considered as gold standard. However, it carries a high mortality and morbidity rate. Endovascular repair is a feasible option with encouraging results, especially in frail patients. Due to the production lead time, Fenestrated/Branched Endovascular Aortic Repair cannot be proposed in urgent cases. In those cases, an alternate solution could be the use of "Off the shelf" (OTS) fenestrated stent grafts. Objective(s): We aimed to assess the feasibility of OTS fenestrated stent grafts in the acute treatment of a MAA. Method(s): We present the case of a frail 74-year-old woman with an acute MAA undergoing a successful treatment by Zenith t-Branch Thoracoabdominal Endovascular Graft associated with antibiotic therapy. Result(s): Thoraco-abdominal computed tomography (CT) at 1-year follow up showed good result with total exclusion of the thoracic aneurysm and size reduction. No migration of the stent was found, and all branch vessels remained patent. Conclusion(s): OTS endovascular T-branch is a feasible option to treat acute MAA and could be considered in frail patient. Further studies are required to define the place of this strategy in the management of acute MAA.Copyright © 2022

A Clinical and Demographic Profile of Tonsillitis Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Tonsillitis is a common public health problem seen by otorhinolaryngology surgeons. It has socio-occupational and economic impact. Most of the tonsillitis is treated by antibiotic but some can lead to life threatening complication if not treated on time and not diagnosed the impending complication. Aim and Objectives: The objective of this work was to study the epidemiological and complications profile of acute and chronic tonsillitis and their distribution, followed by final outcome of the treatment adopted in the ANIIMS Portblair, ENT Department. Material(s) and Method(s): This is a retrospective study over a 12-month period from September 2020 to Aug 2021 including 225 patients who presented with tonsillitis and/or their complications were analysed. Their demography, clinical findings, types of tonsillitis, month wise distribution of types of disease and final outcome after medical treatment was analyzed. Result(s): Two hundred and twenty five (225) patients were studied. The mean +/- SD of cases studied was 23.32 +/- 12.98 years with minimum - maximum age range was 02 - 60 years. In this study there were 92/225 (40.9%) males and 133/225 (59.1%) females with a male to female ratio of 1:1.44. 76.88% of the patients showed a good outcome, 14.22% showed a moderate outcome, 07.55% showed an average outcome and 00.88% showed poor outcome. 19/ 225 (08.44%) of the patients who showed poor and average response were advised tonsillectomy after the COVID-19 pandemic in this study. Conclusion(s): Chronic Tonsillitis was a common throat disorder observed during COVID-19 pandemic. Males were more commonly affected. The increased attendance of patient's throat complaints was high due to awareness and similarity of symptoms of tonsillitis and COVID-19 disease. Low socio economic groups were more affected. The common types of tonsillitis were parenchymatous type, follicular type. Complications due to acute infection frequently observed were peritonsillar abscess, neck abscess. Medical treatment with Amoxycillin and clavulinic acid combination was highly responsive with 76.88% responding well.Copyright © 2023, Dr Yashwant Research Labs Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved.

Major Drugs Used in COVID-19 Treatment: Molecular Mechanisms, Vali-dation and Current Progress in Trials

Background: Currently, the present world is facing a new deadly challenge from a pandemic disease called COVID-19, which is caused by a coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. To date, no drug or vaccine can treat COVID-19 completely, but some drugs have been used primarily, and they are in different stages of clinical trials. This review article discussed and compared those drugs which are running ahead in COVID-19 treatments. Method(s): We have explored PUBMED, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, as well as press releases of WHO, NIH and FDA for articles related to COVID-19 and reviewed them. Result(s): Drugs like favipiravir, remdesivir, lopinavir/ritonavir, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, ivermectin, corticosteroids and interferons have been found effective to some extent, and partially approved by FDA and WHO to treat COVID-19 at different levels. However, some of these drugs have been disapproved later, although clinical trials are going on. In parallel, plasma therapy has been found fruitful to some extent too, and a number of vaccine trials are going on. Conclusion(s): This review article discussed the epidemiologic and mechanistic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, and how drugs could act on this virus with the comparative discussion on progress and drawbacks of major drugs used till date, which might be beneficial for choosing therapies against COVID-19 in different countries.Copyright © 2022 Bentham Science Publishers.

Study of Prescription Pattern of Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital

COVID- 19 was the most challenging public health problem worldwide for better part of 2 years (2019 - 2021). Although several of the medication have not demonstrated promising benefits in the majority of research, they are nonetheless utilized. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the hospital pharmaceutical care of COVID-19 patients by sex, age group, and with regards to oxygen consumption classifying and grouping them with comorbidities seen and auxiliary medication given . Hospital based retrospective observational study was conducted among 123 patients with antigen positive Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction confirmed COVID- 19 infection admitted in the ICU for 24 hours prior. As the age increased the chance for ICU admission also increased. The most affected age group was above 50 years of age. The total number of patients requiring oxygen was 100% in COVID- 19 ICU patients. Some of the most common comorbidities were heart disease (18%) followed by Diabetes Mellitus (15%) and Hypertension (15 %). Only 48 % of patients received antivirals. Remdesivir which was the mainstay antiviral was given (41%). Amoxicillin and clavulanate combination (Augmentin 625 mg) was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic (27%).The antipyretic of choice was paracetamol which was given to 100% of patients. Almost all patients (78%) were given enoxaparin sodium as the anticoagulant of choice. Regardless of equivocal results, multivitamins and supplements were recommended to all patients. All prescription guidelines as given by ICMR for COVID- 19 ICU patients were followed with the exception of the extensive antimicrobial use.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.

Safety profile of CoviShield (ChAdOx1nCoV-19) vaccine among healthcare workers in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Coronavirus 2019 was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Bereft of specific treatment for the disease, vaccinations and COVID appropriate behavior have come to be the main approaches to combat the pandemic. A number of vaccines have been approved after clearing clinical trials. Hence, it is essential to evaluate the safety profile of each vaccine for ensuring optimum health of the general population. This study was conducted to evaluate the adverse events following CoviShield vaccination in a tertiary care center. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the pattern of adverse effects, treatment given, and comorbidities seen in healthcare workers (HCW) who reported to the adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring center in the department of pharmacology Government T.D. Medical College, Alappuzha, following CoviShield vaccination from January 2021 to October 2021. Material(s) and Method(s): A retrospective and descriptive study was carried out at Department of Pharmacology, GTDMCA involving all HCW who reported side effects following CoviShield vaccination in the ADR monitoring centre (AMC) in the Department of Pharmacology, GTDMCA from January 2021 to Oct 2021. Result(s): Out of 620 HCWs who reported adverse event following vaccination, majority (45%) were from the age group 21-30 years. About 83% of HCWs who reported adverse effect were women. Majority of the respondents (96%) experienced the adverse effects within 24 h. About 88% of respondents experienced these adverse effects after the initial dose alone. Commonly encountered adverse effects were fever (57%), headache (43%), myalgia (38%) etc. Hypertension (7%) was the most common comorbidity seen. Majority of the beneficiaries (70%) took paracetamol for the treatment of the adverse effect. Conclusion(s): Majority of the vaccinated HCWs experienced minor and self-limiting adverse event following immunization (AEFI) with Chimpanzee Adenovirus Oxford novel CoronaVirus-19. No serious AEFI were reported to the AMC. Despite the record speed at which the vaccine has been developed, it has shown to have a good safety profile considering the millions of doses that have been administered.Copyright © 2023 Sai Nathan R, et al.

COVID-19 Infection: A Review of Summarized Clinical Trials Study for the Treatment

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a widely infectious and pathogenic viral infection. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was reported in Wu-han, China, and spread throughout the world. Coronavirus is indeed an enveloped RNA virus of the ge-nus Betacoronavirus, which is transmitted to birds, humans as well as other mammals. The fastest human to human transition has been generally established. On July 19, 2020, the WHO has reported total confirmed cases: 1,40, 43,176, total confirmed new cases: 1,66,735, total deaths: 5,97,583, and total new deaths: 4,496 globally. Material(s) and Method(s): In this review, the Clinical trial database is analyzed and systematically summarized drugs which are in the recruiting phase and the completion phase of the clinical trial. Result(s): Total 383 clinical trials are listed, involving more than 350 medicines such as Deferoxamine, Favipiravir, DAS181, Tocilizumab Injection, Sarilumab, Placebo, Sildenafil citrate tablets, Sargramo-stim, Lopinavir/ritonavir, Remdesivir, Bevacizumab, Tetrandrine, Fingolimod, Methylprednisolone, Plaquenil, Tocilizumab, Hydroxychloroquine, Abidol hydrochloride, Bevacizumab Injection, Methyl-prednisolone, Amoxicillin-clavulanate, Moxifloxacin, Sarilumab, Darunavir, Cobicistat, etc. Conclusion(s): There is no commercially authorized antiviral treatment or vaccine suitable for use against COVID-19. However, clinical trials represent an effective approach because they facilitate the development of new types of pharmaceutical drugs.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Pediatric Emergency Room: The Dilemma of Cycle Threshold Value

Objective The havoc caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic could not have been predicted, with children being affected worldwide. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection helped to define the interventions against the spread of the disease. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test has been the mainstay of diagnostic testing. Cycle threshold (Ct) is a semiquantitative value that indicates approximately how much viral genetic material was in the sample. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Ct values among children with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods Between May 3, 2020 and August 3, 2020, clinical laboratory input and the data of patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests were retrospectively studied. Results There was no statistical significance between Ct values and the patient's status, symptoms other than fever, or other laboratory findings. However, the Ct value of patients who had symptoms at the time of admission to the hospital was significantly lower. Conclusion In this study, symptomatic patients had lower Ct than asymptomatic patients that reflected higher viral loads. In evidence-based medicine applications, it might be useful to correlate the clinical history with laboratory test results. Even symptomatic patients with high Ct value coinfections, or an alternative acute infection, should be considered. © 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.