HOCl as a Promising Candidate for Effective Containment of Covid 19 From Biological and Non-Biological Surfaces

Covid 19 is a pandemic disease spread almost in the whole world. To date, no medical advancement to curb the virus. Coronavirus is an enveloped virus transmitted from the biological and non-biological surface by direct or indirect contact. Limited literature revealed that the enveloped virus can be killed by disinfectants. There are many biocidal agents used for decontamination of the virus, yet they have many issues like toxicity, killing time, activation requirement, etc. Some are specific to the inanimate surface but not used by a human being. This current situation showed an urgent need for a biocidal agent which can act on biological as well as non-biological surfaces without any potential toxicity. Moreover, it should be easy to handle, inexpensive, and safe for the environment. Hypochlorous acid is a weak acid that acts as a powerful disinfectant and shows biocidal efficacy against a wide range of microorganisms. Hypochlorous acid is simple to use, inexpensive, eco-friendly, non-toxic, and stable. The properties of HOCl can be regulated at the site of preparation and therefore, its compliance is high. Hypochlorous acid seems to be a promising agent in disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities. Due to its diverse biocidal actions, it may be used as a potent disinfectant against novel coronavirus.Copyright © 2022 Bentham Science Publishers.

Evaluation of the effect of hyperchloremia on the prognosis and mortality of medical intensive care patients: a single-center study.

BACKGROUND: While chloride (Cl) is the most abundant anion in the serum, it is unfortunately one of the most commonly disregarded laboratory test results routinely drawn upon admission into the medical intensive care unit (MICU). We aimed to investigate the relation between in-hospital mortality, different pathologies requiring admission to the MICU, serum Cl levels, and other biochemical tests in a tertiary center. METHODS: The prospective study included data from 373 patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary care center between 2017 and 2019. Data of patients under 18, pregnant patients or patients who were in the MICU for under 48 h were excluded. Comorbidity status, complete blood count, biochemistry tests, and blood gas analysis results of all patients included in the study were collected and recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the obtained data. RESULTS: : Of the patients included in the study, 158 (42.4%) were discharged, and 215 (57.6%) died. In the receiver operator characteristics curve analysis performed to determine the discriminating power of Cl levels with a cut-off value of >98 mEq/L in relation to mortality, its sensitivity was found to be 84% and specificity 60%. According to Kaplan-Meier analysis results, mortality rate was higher (60% vs 46%) and survival time was lower (19.0 ± 1.46 vs. 23.0 ± 4.36 days; p = 0.035) in the patient group with high Cl levels compared to the patient group with normal or low Cl levels. In the Cox regression analysis, it was found that the survival time of the patients hospitalized in the MICU was associated with the variables of Cl, presence of cancer diagnosis and pCO2 (hazard ratio: 1.030 (1.008-1.049), 2.260(1.451-3.500), and 1.020 (1.003-1.029); p < 0.05, respectively). DISCUSSION: Mortality in MICU patients were found to increase in association with higher Cl levels at admission, presence of cancer disease, and higher pCO2 levels. In addition, it should not be ignored that there may be an important relationship between renal failure and hyperchloremia in MICU patients.

Evaluation of Pattern and Impact of Electrolytes Abnormalities in Critically Ill Covid-19 Patients

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pattern of serum electrolytes abnormalities and their impact on ICU admitted Covid-19 patient outcomes. METHODOLOGY: This retrospective study was carried out at OMI hospital and Dr. Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, between August to December 2020. Total 102 PCR positive, ICU admitted with severe Covid-19 patients as per WHO criteria were included. The patient's demographic characteristics, clinical features including co-morbidities, electrolytes reports at the time of admission, length of ICU and/or hospital stay, and outcome (expired/survived) were evaluated. RESULTS: Biochemical testing found abnormal electrolyte levels in 90.2% ICU admitted Covid-19 patients. Electrolytes abnormalities including hyponatremia 45.1%, hypermagnesemia 40.2%, hypocalcemia 31.4%, hyperchloremia23.5% and hyperphosphatemia in 20.6% patients. Out of the total, 28.4% of patients needed invasive respiratory support, and 37.3% could not survive. A higher incidence of mortality (39.1% vs. 20%) was seen in patients with electrolytes abnormalities compared to those presented with normal values. CONCLUSION: Electrolyte abnormalities were found in 90% of the ICU Admitted Covid-19 patients. The most common abnormalities found among the patients were hyponatremia, hypermagnesemia, and Hypocalcemia. The findings revealed that several electrolyte imbalances harm patients' in-hospital outcomes. Electrolyte assessment of Covid-19 patients at the time of admission would be helpful in risk stratification for adverse outcomes.