Histomorphological Spectrum of Lung Lesions at Autopsy-A Tertiary Care Centre Experience

Background and aims: A wide variety of pathological conditions involve the lungs. In autopsy, the lungs are examined for disease, injury and other findings suggesting cause of death or related changes.Aims & Objectives: The present study aimed to study the histomorphological spectrum of lung lesions at autopsy and to assess the frequency of different types of lesions;and to associate histomorphological changes with cause of death.Material and Methods: It was a one-year observational study conducted in the Department of Pathology, Govt. Medical College, Jammu. Lung tissue pieces from all medicolegal autopsies received were fixed, examined grossly, processed;paraffin embedded sections obtained were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin stain and examined under microscope. Findings were recorded and tabulated. Result(s): Out of 264 cases, males were predominantly affected (84%);median age was 38 years. The various changes observed were congestion (68%), edema (45.4%), pneumonia (5%), granulomatous inflammation (3%), diffuse alveolar damage (1.5%), haemorrhage (14.4%), interstitial changes (60%), malaria (0.4%) and malignancy (0.4%). Natural deaths were the commonest cause (75, 28%) followed by asphyxial deaths (65, 24.6%). Conclusion(s): Histopathological examination of lung autopsies highlights many incidental findings, establishes underlying cause of death, serves as a learning tool and also holds scope for detection of newer diseases.Copyright © 2023 JK Science.

Subacute Rhinovirus Myocarditis Complicating Nonischemic Alcohol-Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Unusual Mixed Etiologies of Biventricular Heart Failure

Background Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is caused by many conditions, including ischemia, genetics, infection, chemotherapy, or idiopathic. Clinical suspicion is needed to identify reversible etiologies. Case A middle-aged truck-driver presents with exertional dyspnea, cough, lower extremity edema, and low-grade fever for 2 weeks. He had 20-pack-year smoking history and 3-4 alcoholic drinks weekly. Chest x-ray showed pulmonary congestion. BNP was elevated. ECHO showed severely dilated ventricles with LVEF < 10% and no wall abnormalities. Decision-making Perfusion stress test showed no inducible ischemia. Coronary angiogram showed no epicardial disease. Cardiac MRI (CMR) showed severely dilated biventricular failure, pericardial thickening, circumferential pericardial effusion, epicardial involvement suggestive of subacute myopericardial inflammation and scarring with delayed gadolinium-enhancement and RVEF < 5%. Liver ultrasound showed no cirrhosis. Viral PCR was positive for rhinovirus, negative COVID-19. He was treated medically requiring inotropes then transferred to heart failure center for assist device evaluation. Conclusion Our patient reported moderate alcohol use, which alone would not explain the myopericardial changes seen on CMR. Given the findings, his DCM was attributed to alcohol complicated by possible subacute rhinovirus myocarditis. Our association is further supported by recent respiratory viral prodrome along with exclusion of other etiologies. [Formula presented]Copyright © 2023 American College of Cardiology Foundation

Acute STEMI During the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Regional Hospital: Incidence, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during the early COVID-19 pandemic at Piedmont Athens Regional (PAR), a 330-bed tertiary referral center in Northeast Georgia. Method(s): A retrospective study was conducted at PAR to evaluate patients with acute STEMI admitted over an 8-week period during the initial COVID-19 outbreak. This study group was compared to patients admitted during the corresponding period in 2019. The primary endpoint of this study was defined as a composite of sustained ventricular arrhythmia, congestive heart failure (CHF) with pulmonary congestion, and/or in-hospital mortality. Result(s): This study cohort was composed of 64 patients with acute STEMI;30 patients (46.9%) were hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with STEMI in both the COVID-19 and control groups had similar comorbidities, Killip classification score, and clinical presentations. The median (interquartile range) time from symptom onset to reperfusion (total ischemic time) increased from 99.5 minutes (84.8-132) in 2019 to 149 minutes (96.3-231.8;P= .032) in 2020. Hospitalization during the COVID-19 period was associated with an increased risk for combined in-hospital outcome (odds ratio, 3.96;P= .046). Conclusion(s): Patients with STEMI admitted during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak experienced longer total ischemic time and increased risk for combined in-hospital outcomes compared to patients admitted during the corresponding period in 2019. Copyright © 2022 Turner White Communications Inc.. All rights reserved.

Acute heart damage and COVID-19: a case study

Background: COVID-19 disease is characterized by respiratory symptoms, but acute cardiovascular complications are reported in severe infections that adversely affect prognosis. Clinical Case: A patient is hospitalized for fever, chest pain, and dyspnoea. Clinical examination: pulmonary and peripheral congestion, low blood pressure values, oxygen saturation in ambient air 91%. Increased myocardiocytolysis and inflammatory indices. Nasopharyngeal swab: positive for COVID-19. Chest CT scan: interstitial pneumonia. ECG: sinus tachycardia, changes in ventricular repolarization. Echocardiogram: left ventricle dilated, hypertrophic and with severe global systolic dysfunction. Therapy: furosemide, high flow oxygen alternating CPAP, antiretrovirals, antibiotics, low molecular weight heparin, beta blocker. Cardiac MRI: focal edema of the anterior wall. Coronary angiography: moderate coronary artery disease. Control chest CT scan: resolution of pulmonary interstitial disease. Cardiac MRI after 2 months: improvement of the overall systolic function of the left ventricle. Conclusions: An entity defined as “acute myocardial damage” characterized by an increase in troponin with ECG and/or echocardiographic changes, is reported in COVID patients. These forms are not related to coronary artery disease but are the consequence of the septic state and the excessive activation of the infectious- inflammatory systems and can manifest themselves with myocarditis/stress myocardiopathy causing heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Acute myocardial infarction in the Covid-19 era: incidence, clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes - a multicenter registry

Background: A reduction in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) hospitalizations during the coronavirus pandemic has been previously documented. We aimed to describe the characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of AMI patients during the Covid-19 era compared to a recent previous registry. Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, observational study involving 13 intensive cardiac care units (ICCUs) to evaluate consecutive AMI patients admitted throughout an 8-week period during the Covid-19 outbreak. Data were compared to the corresponding period in 2018 using an acute coronary syndrome survey conducted in all ICCUs in Israel. The primary end-point was defined as a composite of sustained ventricular arrhythmia, pulmonary congestion, and/or in-hospital mortality. Results: The study cohort comprised 1466 patients, of whom 774 (53%) were hospitalized during the Covid-19 outbreak. Overall, 841 patients were diagnosed with ST-elevation MI (STEMI): 424 (50.4%) during the Covid-19 era and 417 (49.6%) during the parallel period in 2018. No differences were detected in the admission rate of patients between the two study periods. STEMI patients admitted during the Covid-19 period tended to have fewer co-morbidities, but a higher Killip class (p value = 0.03). The median time from symptom onset to reperfusion was extended from 180 minutes (IQR 122-292) in 2018 to 290 minutes (IQR 161-1080, p<0.001) in 2020. Hospitalization during the Covid-19 era was independently associated with an increased risk of the combined endpoint of heart failure, malignant arrhythmia, or death in the multivariable logistic regression model (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.02-2.65, p value = 0.05). Conclusion: While the admission rate of AMI and STEMI in Israel remained similar during both the Covid-19 era and the corresponding period in 2018, total ischemic time extended significantly during the Covid-19 period, which translated into a more severe disease status upon hospital admission, and a higher rate of in-hospital adverse events.

Dexamethasone in acute cardiopulmonary syndrome with hyperinflammatory state

Introduction: Elderly patient hospitalized due to acute heart failure often have a concomitant acute lung disease (acute bronchitis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD- exacerbation). Establishing the role of each disease in a clinical picture of acute cardiopulmonary syndrome can be challenging. Procalcitonin has been used as a guide to antibiotic therapy with contrasting results. A common thread of these diseases is inflammation;a hyperinflammatory response determines more serious symptoms and a worse prognosis. Purpose: We evaluated the effectiveness of a treatment with dexamethasone in patients with acute cardiopulmonary syndrome and a strong inflammatory response. Materials and methods:We evaluated 157 consecutive HFPEF (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction) patients ≥80 years of age, with concomitant symptoms attributable to acute bronchitis, pneumonia, or COPD exacerbation, hospitalized due to worsening dyspnoea, with an NT-proBNP ≥3,000 pg/ml, and a finding X-ray of lung congestion with or without a consolidation. Reactive C Protein was measured. Patients with SARS-CoV-2, indication to corticosteroids use for other clinical conditions or need for mechanical ventilation were excluded. The 96 patients with values>20 mg/dl were randomized into 2 groups: 48 patients were treated open-label with dexamethasone at a dose of 8 mg iv/day for a maximun of ten days, in addition to the usual therapies for acute heart failure and lung disease, while the same number of patients were treated with the usual therapy. In both groups the antibiotic was administered only if the procalcitonin was≥0.25 μg/L. Clinical recovery time, length of hospitalization, in-hospital mortality, the need for a new hospitalization and mortality at one month were evaluated. Results: The mean age of the patients was 88±4 years in the dexamethasone group and 87±5 in the usual therapy group. The results are shown in Table 1. Patients treated with dexamethasone experienced a faster clinical recovery and a shorter length of hospitalization. No significant differences were found regarding either in-hospital mortality or need for rehospitalization and mortality at 30 days. Conclusions: Very elderly patients with acute cardiopulmonary syndrome and hyperinflammatory state associated with an excessive increase in Reactive Protein C have a favorable response to dexamethasone therapy in addition to the usual therapy in terms of clinical improvement and length of hospitalization. Our case history is small to evaluate a possible improvement in mortality. These findings need to be consolidated from double-blind randomized controlled trials.

COVID-19 Impact on Medical Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa; The Need to Guard Against Medical Negligence: A Case Report in a Health Care Facility in Kumasi, Ghana.

With the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) still in pandemic mode, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the African continent has experienced continued growth in the total tally. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus has spread to almost all 54 recognized African countries. Figures from the CDC indicate that the highly affected countries include South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, and Ghana (with more than 55 000 cases and 400 deaths as of the time of writing). The WHO and the United Nations have projected the ongoing pandemic could push medical practitioners toward high rates of clinical misdiagnosis. So far, the coronavirus pandemic has been more devastating and life-threatening than the usual seasonal flu. As of the time of writing, here is presently no proven vaccine or treatment for the disease, with the vaccines still under development; hence, a timely and accurate diagnosis could prove critical. Patients can also receive supportive care earlier if they are diagnosed early. Considering the fact that the coronavirus infection mimics the signs and symptoms of normal flu and other respiratory infections, a problem now emerges, where these symptoms are treated as manifestations of the deadly virus. This has caused a diagnostic dilemma in the absence of laboratory tests with new cases adding to the pool daily. In Ghana, many patients on suspicion of flu-like symptoms are sometimes denied the care so deserved due to the stigma associated with the disease, often in cases where laboratory tests are absent. This study is a postmortem report of a client who died while on admission at a private medical facility. It was an unconfirmed case of COVID-19, and the client was left unattended to and died, having spent 8 days on the ward. His test report was not done initially, but the diagnosis was purely based on suspicion. Nasopharyngeal swabs conducted on the fifth day of admission proved negative. Results became available on the day of the client's demise. Postmortem findings established the actual cause of death, and it was not COVID-19 related.