COVID-19: comparison lung CT signs and biochemical parameters in the groups of patients with three-time positive RT-PCR and with triple negative RT-PCR test during the period of hospitalization.

Research goal. Comparative characteristics of the dynamics of CT semiotics and biochemical parameters of two groups of patients: with positive RT-PCR and with triple negative RT-PCR. Reflection of the results by comparing them with the data already available in the literature. The aim of the study is to compare the dynamics of CT semiotics and biochemical parameters of blood tests in two groups of patients: with positive RT-PCR and with triple negative RT-PCR. We also reflect the results by comparing them with the data already available in the literature. Materials and methods. We have performed a retrospective analysis of CT images of 66 patients: group I (n1 = 33) consists of patients who had three- time negative RT-PCR (nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 RNA) during hospitalization, and group II (n2 = 33) includes patients with triple positive RT-PCR. An important selection criterion is the presence of three CT examinations (primary, 1st CT and two dynamic examinations - 2nd CT and 3rd CT) and at least two results of biochemistry (C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, prothrombin time, procalcitonin) performed in a single time interval of +/- 5 days from 1st CT, upon admission, and +/- 5 days from 3st CT. A total of 198 CT examinations of the lungs were analyzed (3 examinations per patient). Results. The average age of patients in the first group was 58 +/- 14.4 years, in the second - 64.9 +/- 15.7 years. The number of days from the moment of illness to the primary CT scan 6.21 +/- 3.74 in group I, 7.0 (5.0-8.0) in group II, until the 2nd CT scan - 12.5 +/- 4, 87 and 12.0 (10.0-15.0), before the 3rd CT scan - 22.0 (19.0-26.0) and 22.0 (16.0-26.0), respectively. In both groups, all 66 patients (100%), the primary study identified the double-sided ground-glass opacity symptom and 36 of 66 (55%) patients showed consolidation of the lung tissue. Later on, a first follow-up CT defined GGO not in all the cases: it was presented in 22 of 33 (67%) patients with negative RT-PCR (group I) and in 28 of 33 (85%) patients with the positive one (group II). The percentage of studies showing consolidation increased significantly: up to 30 of 33 (91%) patients in group I, and up to 32 of 33 (97%) patients in group II. For the first time, radiological symptoms of "involutional changes" appeared: in 17 (52%) patients of the first group and in 5 (15%) patients of the second one. On second follow-up CT, GGO and consolidations were detected less often than on previous CT: in 1 and 27 patients of group I (3% and 82%, respectively) and in 6 and 30 patients of group II (18% and 91%, respectively), although the consolidation symptom still prevailed significantly . The peak of "involutional changes" occurred on last CT: 31 (94%) and 25 (76%) patients of groups I and II, respectively.So, in the groups studied, the dynamics of changes in lung CT were almost equal. After analyzing the biochemistry parameters, we found out that CRP significantly decreased in 93% of patients (p < 0.001) in group I;in group II, there was a statistically significant decrease in the values of C-reactive protein in 81% of patients (p = 0.005). With an increase in CT severity of coronavirus infection by one degree, an increase in CRP by 41.8 mg/ml should be expected. In group I, a statistically significant (p = 0.001) decrease in fibrinogen was recorded in 77% of patients;and a similar dynamic of this indicator was observed in group II: fibrinogen values decreased in 66% of patients (p = 0.002). Such parameters as procalcitonin and prothrombin time did not significantly change during inpatient treatment of the patients of the studied groups (p = 0.879 and p = 0.135), which may indicate that it is inappropriate to use these parameters in assessing dynamics of patients with a similar course of the disease. When comparing the outcomes of the studied groups, there was a statistically significant higher mortality in group II - 30.3%, in group I - 21.2% (p = 0.043). Conclusion. According to our data, a course of the disease does not significantly differ in the groups o patients with positive RT-PCR and three-time negative RT-PCR. A negative RT-PCR analysis may be associated with an individual peculiarity of a patient such as a low viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract. Therefore, with repeated negative results on the RNA of the virus in the oro- and nasopharynx, one should take into account the clinic, the X-ray picture and biochemical indicators in dynamics and not be afraid to make a diagnosis of COVID-19.Copyright © 2021 ALIES. All rights reserved.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: clinical and laboratory peculiarities

This study aims to study the clinical-laboratory peculiarities of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) course in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). There were examined 60 patients with the coronavirus disease COVID-19. Patients were divided into two groups: group I - 30 patients with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with concomitant type 2 diabetes mellitus;group II - 30 patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) without diabetes mellitus;control group - 20 people. There were studied peculiarities of clinical-laboratory changes in patients with coronavirus disease with type 2 diabetes mellitus. General clinical laboratory tests, determination of biochemical parameters, coagulogram, ferritin, CRP, procalcitonin, D-dimer and endothelin-1 were performed. Blood saturation was measured. Out of the instrumental methods, an ultrasound examination of the lungs and RTG of thoracic organs was performed. Patients were admitted on the 5.46+/-0.87 day of the disease. The length of the hospital stay for patients of group I was 19.9+/-1.66 bed days and 14.7+/-0.91 bed days for the patients of group II. A severe course of the disease was observed in 83.3% of patients of group I and 33.3% of group II;a moderate severity course was observed in 16.7% of patients with concomitant DM and 66.7% of patients without concomitant DM. Respiratory failure (RF) of 1 degree was observed in 30% of patients of group 1, RF of the 2 degree - in 16.7% of patients, and RF of the 3 degree - in 10% of patients. In patients without DM, RF of 1 degree - was in 30% of patients, and RF of the 2 degree - was in 13.3% of patients. The laboratory diagnostic methods determined that the levels of leukocytes, D-dimer, endothelin-1, IL-6, procalcitonin, and ferritin were higher in patients with concomitant type 2 DM. In patients with type 2 DM, the course of the coronavirus disease is more severe and longer, with the development of pneumonia and respiratory failure. It is accompanied by leukocytosis, lymphopenia, increased ESR, prothrombin index, IL-6, CRP level, procalcitonin and endothelin-1. Copyright © 2023 The Authors.

Clinical and laboratory indicators in predicting the risk of chronic heart failure in COVID-19 survivors.

Coronavirus disease has many systemic disease symptoms and has severe consequences for the cardiovascular system. Objective. To assess the role of clinical and laboratory indicators in determining the risk of chronic heart failure (CHF) in COV-ID-19 survivors. Material and methods. In total, 151 patients treated in a monoinfectious hospital from 03.11.20 to 10.02.21 with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were retrospectively selected. Medical history and laboratory data were collected by reviewing electronic medical records. The data included age, gender, body mass index, smoking status, and comorbidities. The laboratory data included the results of hematology and blood chemistry, coagulation, and the levels of acute-phase proteins. The CHF occurrence was used as the study endpoint. Results and discussion. The study patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence of CHF: group 1 included 46 patients with CHF, and group 2 included 105 patients without CHF. The median age was 66.2 (50-92) years;91 (60.3%) were females. Laboratory tests, such as levels of the hs-C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, procalcitonin, creatinine, and bilirubin, were statistically significantly different in patients of the study groups, and the median values were higher in patients with CHF. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) showed statistically significant differences between groups: in patients with CHF, the median was 4.97% compared to 3.62% (p=0.011) in those without CHF. The most significant predictors of an increased risk of CHF were age >=66 years (OR=8.038, p<0.001), procalcitonin level >=0.09 ng/mL (increased the CHF risk by 3.8 times, p<0.001), thrombocy-topenia <=220x109/L (p=0.010), an NLR ratio >=4.11% (p=0.010), and a history of chronic kidney disease (p=0.018). Conclusion. A model has been developed to determine the factors closely associated with the risk of chronic heart failure in CO-VID-19 survivors.Copyright © 2023, Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Procalcitonin as a Prognostic Marker of Complicated Appendicitis

Introduction: Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain as well as one of the most frequently performed procedures in general surgery. Different prognostic laboratory markers have been studied to identify patients with complicated appendicitis and it is unknown whether the level of procalcitonin in adults could be used as a predictive marker. From a cut-off point, Does procalcitonin have predictive value for complicated appendicitis? Methods: Prospective, observational study. Patients from the Civil Hospital of Guadalajara with a diagnosis of Appendicitis, presurgical laboratory studies and Procalcitonin, and undergo appendectomy in this institution. A calculated sample was obtained based on the surgeries performed annually. Result(s): 80 appendicectomies were performed in the 12-month period (2021;COVID pandemic) obtaining: 37 patients with uncomplicated appendicitis (Phase I and II) 43 patients with complicated appendicitis (Phase III and IV) The procalcitonin levels of both groups were analyzed to demonstrate differences between them, Mann-Whitney U test gives us as a result a p value <0.05. For the cut-off point at the most suitable procalcitonin level for this sample we decided to use the Yauden index method in the analysis of the ROC curve: it is observed that the cut-off point with a sensitivity of 72.1% and a specificity of 81.1% for the sample is 0.305. Conclusion(s): Procalcitonin has been shown to be a useful marker for discriminating the severity of appendicitis and that the best cutoff point for this sample is 0.3 ng/dl.

Direct bilirubin and the neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio timely predict intensive care unit admission in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection (COVID-19)

Objective: Intensive care units (ICUs) collapsed under the global wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, we designed a clinical decision-making model that can help predict at hospital admission what patients with COVID-19 are at higher risk of requiring critical care. Method(s): This was a cross-sectional study in 119 patients that met hospitalization criteria for COVID-19 including less than 30 breaths per minute, peripheral oxygen saturation < 93%, and/or >= 50% lung involvement on imaging. Depending on the need for critical care, patients were retrospectively assigned to ICU and non-ICU groups. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were collected at admission and analyzed by classification and regression tree (CRT). Result(s): Forty-five patients were admitted to ICU and 80% of them were men older than 57.13 +/- 12.80 years on average. The leading comorbidity in ICU patients was hypertension. The CRT revealed that direct bilirubin (DB) > 0.315 mg/dl together with the neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio (NMR) > 15.90 predicted up to correctly in 92% of the patients the requirement of intensive care management, with sensitivity of 93.2%. Preexisting comorbidities did not influence on the tree growing. Conclusion(s): At hospital admission, DB and NMR can help identify nine in 10 patients with COVID-19 at higher risk of ICU admission.Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Medica del Hospital General de Mexico.

Assessment of some Immunological and biochemical parameters in diabetic type 2 patients suffered of Covid-19

COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has threatened every civilian as a global pandemic. The immune system poses the critical interactive chain between the human body and the virus. The current study aimed to assessment whether comorbidity with type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects the immunological response in COVID-19 patients. This case-control study (comparative) was carried out in Baghdad Al-karkh hospitals/ isolation units for Patients covid19, which included 90 subjects from November 2021 to the end of April 2022, as of which 30 participants were with T2D patients, 30 were T2D patients suffer of covid-19, with positive RTPCR for covid-19 and the remaining 30 were nondiabetic (NDM) of aged (50-85) years. To study Ferritin, D-dimer, HbA1c, blood urea(BU), and serum creatinine . The current study showed a significant increase in IL-6 (362.4 +/- 60.01pg/ml), IL-2R beta (8.8 +/- 2.7%), PCT (205 +/- 25.7mg/dl), T2D with COVID-19 patients compared to the control group ( 222.8 +/- 30.7pg/ml, 4.6 +/- 1.3%, 99 +/- 15.1mg/dl, 35 +/- 9.6mg/dl, 0.65 +/- 0.03mg/dl respectively, at the probability value (P<0.05). The COVID-19 patients comorbid with T2D demonstrated distinguishable immunological parameters, which represented clinical relevancies with the predisposed disease severity in T2D.

Hemoperfusion with CytoSorb as Adjuvant Therapy in Critically Ill Patients with SARS-CoV2 Pneumonia

Background: Several pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines involved in COVID-19 and it is reasonable to speculate that their removal from blood might limit organ damage. Hemoperfusion with CytoSorb is a technique developed to adsorb molecules in the middle molecular weight range (up to 55 kDa). Studies in vitro and in vivo have shown that HP is highly effective in clearing blood from a number of cytokines. Method(s): We report a case series of 9 consecutive COVID-patients admitted to our COVID Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Five of them were treated with HP using CytoSorb (T), due to the heavy emergency overload it was impossible to deliver blood purification in the other 4 patients (C), who were also considered as potential candidates by the attending medical team. All patients had pneumonia and respiratory failure requiring continuous positive airway pressure. Different antibacterial prophylaxes, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory therapies including steroids were delivered. Result(s): Our results show a better clinical course of T compared to control patients (C), in fact all T except 1 survived, and only 2 of them were intubated, while all C required intubation and died. CRP decreased in both groups, but to a greater extent after HP. Lymphocytopenia worsened in control patient but not in treated patient after HP. Procalcitonin increased in 2 of the not treated patients. In all survived patients (n = 4) HP reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, as IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-8. Notably, a striking effect was observed on IL-6 levels that at the end of the second session were decreased by a 40% than before the first treatment. Serum levels of IL-8 and TNF-alpha were lowered within normal range. In all patients the treatment was safe and there were no complications. Conclusion(s): Our study suggests a potential efficacy of HP in an early phase of viral infection not only for improving survival in the treated patients but also by the remodeling treatment-associated cytokine levels.

Clinical and laboratory characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection in overweight and obese patients.

Objective. To assess the impact of obesity and overweight on the course of COVID-19. Patients and methods. This prospective study included 218 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection aged 18 to 94 years hospitalized between June 2020 and March 2021. We evaluated their clinical and laboratory parameters and their association with body weight. All patients were divided into 3 groups depending on their body mass index (BMI). Group 1 included 81 patients with grade 1-3 obesity (BMI >=30);group 2 comprised 71 overweight patients (BMI >=25 and <30);group 3 included 66 patients with normal body weight (BMI >=18.5 and <25). We analyzed clinical symptoms (including shortness of breath, fever, myalgia, headache, fatigue, changes in the oropharynx, cough, rhinorrhea, sore throat, anosmia, and diarrhea), prevalence of concomitant disorders and complications, findings of computed tomography and pulse oximetry, and findings of instrumental and laboratory examinations (complete blood count, urine test, electrocardiography, echo cardiography, biochemical assays, including C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin index, D-dimer, ferritin). Data analysis was performed using the Statistica 6.0 software. Results. We found that overweight and obese patients were more likely to have the main COVID-19 symptoms and comorbidities than those with normal weight. Overweight and obese patients also required respiratory support more frequently than patients with normal weight. Obese and overweight patients had more severe systemic inflammation (CRP, procalcitonin), cytolysis (ALT, AST), and thrombosis (D-dimer). Conclusion. Our findings suggest that obesity and overweight are the factors associated with a more severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, which should be considered when planning their treatment and developing resource strategies.Copyright © 2022, Dynasty Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Hematological features of patients with type 2 diabetes depending on the variant of SARS-COV-2

The aim of our work was to investigate the peculiarities of hematological indicators in patients with COVID-19 depending on the variant of SARS-CoV-2. A retrospective study of the electronic medical records of 19 patients with the delta variant (7 patients had comorbidity with type 2 diabetes (T2D);12 patients without T2D - control group) and 46 patients with the omicron variant (26 patients had comorbidity with T2D;20 patients without T2D - control group). No statistically significant differences were found in gender, the number of leukocytes, lymphocytes, and granulocytes in peripheral blood, C-reactive protein, and D-dimer. The results also showed a significant difference in procalcitonin level and monocyte count in patients with delta variant and T2D. A predictive model was developed using binary logistic regression to determine the SARS-CoV-2 variant based on hematological parameters (sensitivity - 76.5%, specificity - 84.8%). Thus, the peculiarities of hematological indicators of patients with T2D depending on the variant of SARS-CoV-2 (delta or omicron) were established. © P. Petakh, K. Loshak, A. Kamyshnyi.

Potential role of Pancreatic Stone Protein (PSP) as early marker of bacterial infection in COVID-19 patients

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that needs immediate diagnosis and treatment to maximize the chances of survival. Bacterial superinfection is a severe and frequent complication among COVID-19 patients and its diagnosis is challenging. Previous reports suggested that Pancreatic Stone Protein (PSP) may be a predictive biomarker for sepsis in critically ill patients. We report a case series of three COVID- 19 patients admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) with risk of sepsis. Method(s): We daily monitored PSP, procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in three COVID- 19 patients admitted to our ICU. Microbiological sampling and antibiotic treatment were performed according to the ward organization and in case of clinical suspects for infection. Positive cultures and antibiotic treatment were retrieved from clinical charts and patients were followed from ICU admission up to a maximum of 20 days. Result(s): Patient 1 (male, 55 years-old, overweight, no other comorbidity) was admitted to the ICU in treatment with Ceftriaxone then interrupted on day 7. On day 2 he was intubated and piperacillin/tazobactam was started on day 12 for suspected hospital acquired pneumonia. PSP levels markedly increased on day 10 with no significant changes in CRP and PCT levels. On day 13 a positive bronchospirate for Klebsiella pneumoniae was found. Similarly, patient 2 (male, 70 years-old, mild emphysema and diabetes) was admitted to ICU without antibiotic and with a PSP level of 287 ng/ml. His conditions rapidly worsened in severe septic shock requiring intubation. CRP markedly raised 48-72 hours after PSP with only mild increase of PCT. Patient 3 (male, 78 years-old, no comorbidities) was admitted to ICU with high levels of PSP and piperacillin/tazobactam therapy was started. After 48-72 hours CRP levels increased with no significant changes of PCT. A positive bronchospirate for Ps. aeruginosa was collected on day 3. Conclusion(s): Our findings suggest a potential role of PSP as early biomarker of sepsis in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Daily PSP monitoring may anticipate an appropriate treatment of COVID-19 patients with a septic complication in comparison with the actual laboratory markers. Further studies are needed to confirm our hypothesis.

Procalcitonin and NLR Measurements in COVID-19 Patients

The disease COVID-19 is brought on by SARS-CoV-2, a brand-new coronavirus. Following its detection by the WHO, this novel virus was found on December 31, 2019, in a number of individuals in Wuhan, People's Republic of China, who had viral pneumonia. This study was carried out in Al-Amal Hospital in Najaf Governorate on a group of 50 patients who had been infected with Coronavirus. The results revealed substantial disparities among the infected, as the average rates of PCT in the serum were practically identical. Those in critical condition had a three-fold higher fatality risk than patients in moderate condition, according to our data. That there is a substantial difference in NLR between the groups of moderate and severe COVID-19 patients, as they have considerably greater NLR in all patients. Statistical analysis revealed that in the severe group, NLR and PCT were strongly linked infected with COVID-19 pneumonia (P 0.05).In the severe group, NLR and PCT were positively associated. Furthermore, in the severe group, multifactorial logistic regression analysis for NLR, PCT, and NLR was found to be an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19 pneumonia and severe COVID-19 pneumonia.Copyright © 2023, Colegio de Farmaceuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis of bacterial infection in patients with COVID-19: is it a simple task? (literature review)

Diagnosing bacterial infection in patients with novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is not an easy task. Available data suggest that bacterial infection in patients with COVID-19 is rare and occurs in less than 10% of cases. At the same time, data of individual studies and systematic reviews indicate that more than 70% of patients with COVID-19 receive mainly empirical antimicrobial therapy with broad-spectrum antibiotics often before the diagnosis of COVID-19 has been verified. Therefore, this widespread empirical use of antibiotics is not supported by data on the need for their use. The article discusses the literature data on the significance of commonly accepted methods for diagnosing bacterial infection, with an emphasis on laboratory presence / absence tests. In everyday practice, the likelihood of bacterial coinfection in patients with COVID-19 is assessed by clinical presentation of the disease and the results of standard laboratory tests and imaging methods. However, when viral respiratory infection develops, this approach does not always allow to diagnose bacterial coinfection with sufficient significance. This issue may be handled by available modern test systems, the use of a combination of signs or additional laboratory criteria (for example, procalcitonin), and the analysis of the overall clinical presentation by the doctor using knowledge about patient risk groups.

The Association of COVID-19 Severity with Laboratory Parameters, Radiologic Findings, Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregnant Women: A Multicenter Study in Indonesia

Objectives: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2/COVID-19 infection is still a global concern, with pregnant women are considered as vulnerable population. Until now, the characteristics of pregnant women in Indonesia who are infected with COVID-19, as well as pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, are still unknown. This study aims to obtain national data, which are expected to be useful for the prevention and management of COVID-19 in pregnant women in Indonesia. Method(s): There were 1,427 patients recruited in this retrospective multicenter study. This study involved 11 hospitals in 10 provinces in Indonesia and was carried out using secondary patient data from April 2020 to July 2021. COVID-19 severity was differentiated into asymptomatic-to-mild symptoms and moderate-to-severe symptoms. The collected data include maternal characteristics, laboratory examinations, imaging, pregnancy outcomes, and neonatal outcomes. Result(s): Leukocyte, platelets, basophil, neutrophils segment, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), C-reactive protein (CRP), urea, and creatinine were found to be significantly associated with severity differences (p < 0.05). Moderate-severe symptoms of COVID-19 also shown to have suggestive pneumonia findings on chest X-ray findings. Patients with asymptomatic-to-mild symptoms had significantly (p < 0.001) higher recovery rate, shorter hospital stay, less intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and had more vaginal delivery. Neonates from mother with mild symptoms also had significantly (p < 0.001) higher survival rate, higher birth weight, and higher APGAR score. Conclusion(s): Several laboratory and radiology components, as well as maternal and neonatal outcomes are related to the severity of COVID-19 in pregnant women in Indonesia.Copyright © The Author(s). 2023.

Extracorporeal cytokine hemadsorption in severe COVID-19 respiratory failure

Background: At least 20% of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients develop acute hypoxemic respiratory failure requiring admission to intensive care unit in 5-32% of the cases. Hyper-inflammatory activation characterized by immune cell infiltration and elevated levels of cytokines was reported as the main mechanism leading to critical illness and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). CytoSorb is currently used for all the conditions where elevated levels of cytokines are present. Along with the beneficial effect on systemic inflammation, CytoSorb can be easily integrated with all extracorporeal circulation systems. Case Presentation: Here, we present the laboratory and clinical outcomes of 11 patients with microbiological confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. These patients were treated with CytoSorb to remove the excess of cytokine. All patients were male, overweight and only 3 (27%) were over 70 years old. Median age was 62 years and median body mass index was 28. Best supportive care was provided according to hospital guidelines of that moment and included antibiotic therapy, antiretroviral therapy and protective ventilation. Result(s): Cytokines levels were evaluated before and after treatment. A significant reduction of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-1beta was observed. A significant drop of C-reactive protein (CRP) median levels was observed starting from 48 hours after treatment start levels. The decrease in the inflammatory status was associated with a progressive improvement in the respiratory function, with a significant increase in P/F from the first day after the end of the therapy. A similar trend was observed for procalcitonin. Conclusion(s): CytoSorb therapy proved to be safe in COVID-19 patients. A clinical improvement was observed in most of the treated patients despite the severity of the disease. In this study CytoSorb was used empirically for 24- 48 hours based on previous experience in septic shock. The persistence of significant levels of IL-6 and CRP after CytoSorb treatment may suggest that a prolonged treatment can improve the efficacy in controlling COVID-19 hyperinflammatory status.

Clinical profile and outcomes of COVID-19 infection during the first wave in children with hematological illnesses and cancer: An observational study from a tertiary care center in North India

Background: Patients with cancer are at a higher risk of getting infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 owing to their immunocompromised state. Providing care to these patients amidst the first wave of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was extremely challenging. Objective(s): This study was aimed at evaluating the clinical profile and disease-related outcomes of pediatric patients with hematological illnesses and cancer. Material(s) and Method(s): This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care center in North India during the first wave of the pandemic from March 2020 to December 2020. Children aged up to 18 years, who were treated for a hematological illness or malignancy or underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and tested positive for COVID-19 regardless of symptoms were included in the study. Baseline demographic data related to the age, diagnosis, treatment status, and chemotherapy protocol used were collected. Outcomes including the cure rates, comorbidities, and sequelae were recorded. Result(s): A total of 650 tests for COVID-19 were performed for 181 children;22 patients were found to be COVID-19 positive. The most common diagnosis was acute leukemia (63.6%). None of the patients developed COVID-19 pneumonia. The majority of patients had asymptomatic infection and were managed at home. Among those with a symptomatic infection, the most common symptoms were fever and cough. A total of 3 (13.6%) patients needed oxygen therapy, one developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome of children leading to cardiogenic shock. Three patients required intensive care or respiratory support;all the patients had favorable clinical outcomes. The median time from the onset of COVID-19 to a negative result on the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test was 21.3 days. Cancer treatment was modified in 15 patients (68.2%). Conclusion(s): Our results suggest that children with hemato-oncological illnesses rarely experience severe COVID-19 disease. The impact of the first wave of COVID-19 primarily manifested as disruptions in the logistic planning and administration of essential treatment to these children rather than COVID-19 sequelae.Copyright © 2021 Cancer Research, Statistics, and Treatment Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of patients with COVID-19 developing barotrauma

Background: At our hospital, people with COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) had a high rate of pulmonary barotrauma. Therefore, the current study looked at barotrauma in COVID-19 patients getting invasive and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation to assess its prevalence, clinical results, and features. Methodology: Our retrospective cohort study comprised of adult COVID-19 pneumonia patients who visited our tertiary care hospital between April 2020 and September 2021 and developed barotrauma. Result(s): Sixty-eight patients were included in this study. Subcutaneous emphysema was the most frequent type of barotrauma, reported at 67.6%;pneumomediastinum, reported at 61.8%;pneumothorax, reported at 47.1%. The most frequent device associated with barotrauma was CPAP (51.5%). Among the 68 patients, 27.9% were discharged without supplemental oxygen, while 4.4% were discharged on oxygen. 76.5% of the patients expired because of COVID pneumonia and its complications. In addition, 38.2% of the patients required invasive mechanical breathing, and 77.9% of the patients were admitted to the ICU. Conclusion(s): Barotrauma in COVID-19 can pose a serious risk factor leading to mortality. Also, using CPAP was linked to a higher risk of barotrauma.Copyright © 2021 Muslim OT et al.

Clinical characteristics of children with multisystemic inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 Clinical characteristics of MIS-C associated with COVID-19

Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a public health threat to people all over the world in 2020 and 2021. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO (World Health Organization) have named a novel disease multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Herein we aimed to present a group of pediatric patients with MIS-C, who were followed up in our clinic. Material(s) and Method(s): We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who were followed up at our University Hospital with the diagnosis of MIS-C between January 2021 and May 2021. Result(s): The mean age of 9 patients was 87.4 +/-17.8 years (range 6-161 months);six of the patients were male. All patients had fever at admission. The duration of the fever was between 3 and 7 days. Four patients (44.4%) had terminal ileitis on ultrasonic examination. The laboratory tests of the patients revealed leukocytosis in 4 (44.4%) patients, anemia in 5 (55.5%) patients, thrombocytopenia in 1 (11.1%) patient, and a high CRP level in 8 (88.8%) patients. All patients had high sedimentation rates and procalcitonin levels. One (11.1%) patient was operated on for terminal ileitis. All patients were treated with steroids (1-2 mg/kg prednisolone) and IVIG (2gr/kg). Patients who needed ICU admission were also treated with vasoactive drug infusion (intravenous dopamine). Discussion(s): There is a need for increased awareness among pediatricians that MIS-C should come to mind, especially in patients with long-lasting fever and signs and symptoms that resemble Kawasaki disease.Copyright © 2022, Derman Medical Publishing. All rights reserved.

A baby girl with TBX1 haploinsufficiency who died after elective cardiac repair surgery due to suspected enteroviral meningitis

Introduction: TBX1 haploinsufficiency is an inborn error of immunity with the phenotype of DiGeorge Syndrome. DiGeorge Syndrome has variable immunodeficiency associated with grade of thymic hypoplasia ranging from mild with no infections to severe requiring thymus implant. Enterovirus is an example of an opportunistic infection that can be fatal in these patients. Case Presentation: A 1 year old girl with TBX1 haploinsufficiency complicated by Tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia, high arched palate, and vesicovaginal fistula presented for elective cardiac repair surgery from another country due to failure to thrive and cyanosis. She had no prior infectious history but was on sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim for prophylaxis. She was asymptomatic with a negative COVID test but no other infectious studies performed. Immediately postoperatively, she was febrile and nasal respiratory viral panel was positive for rhinovirus/enterovirus with increased procalcitonin and leukocytosis with left shift. She decompensated with multi-organ failure and cardiac arrest on postoperative day two. She was cannulated to veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Pre-operatively, she had a normal absolute lymphocyte count. No thymus tissue was observed in surgery. She had profound CD3 lymphopenia to 130 cells/cmm when critically ill. Enteroviral meningitis was suspected as no infectious, cardiac, or other pathology could be identified causing decompensation. Enteroviral serum polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was negative while lumbar puncture deferred due to clinical status. She was treated with immunoglobulin. Offlabel investigational drug pocapavir was considered but deferred to patient's irreversible neurological status. The patient was disconnected from ECMO and expired. Discussion(s): Though we cannot confirm that this patient had enteroviral meningitis, invasive enteroviral infections are associated with elevated transaminases, coagulopathy, and seizures all present in our patient. There has also been reported negative serum enteroviral PCR but positive CSF enteroviral PCR in an immunodeficient patient. Additionally, this case highlights the importance of immunologic evaluation in patients with DiGeorge Syndrome and questions if asymptomatic viral screening for viruses like enterovirus should be considered pre-operatively in patients with inborn errors of immunity. This case highlights potential treatment options for invasive enteroviral infections in patients with inborn errors of immunity: high dose immunoglobulin, fluoxetine, and pocapavir.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Biomarker-guided duration of antibiotic treatment in children hospitalised with confirmed or suspected bacterial infection: statistical analysis plan for the BATCH trial and PRECISE sub-study.

INTRODUCTION: The BATCH trial is a multi-centre randomised controlled trial to compare procalcitonin-guided management of severe bacterial infection in children with current management. PRECISE is a mechanistic sub-study embedded into the BATCH trial. This paper describes the statistical analysis plan for the BATCH trial and PRECISE sub-study. METHODS: The BATCH trial will assess the effectiveness of an additional procalcitonin test in children (aged 72 h to 18 years) hospitalised with suspected or confirmed bacterial infection to guide antimicrobial prescribing decisions. Participants will be enrolled in the trial from randomisation until day 28 follow-up. The co-primary outcomes are duration of intravenous antibiotic use and a composite safety outcome. Target sample size is 1942 patients, based on detecting a 1-day reduction in intravenous antibiotic use (90% power, two-sided) and on a non-inferiority margin of 5% risk difference in the composite safety outcome (90% power, one-sided), while allowing for up to 10% loss to follow-up. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics will be summarised overall, by trial arm, and by whether patients were recruited before or after the pause in recruitment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the primary analysis, duration of intravenous antibiotic use will be tested for superiority using Cox regression, and the composite safety outcome will be tested for non-inferiority using logistic regression. The intervention will be judged successful if it reduces the duration of intravenous antibiotic use without compromising safety. Secondary analyses will include sensitivity analyses, pre-specified subgroup analyses, and analysis of secondary outcomes. Two sub-studies, including PRECISE, involve additional pre-specified subgroup analyses. All analyses will be adjusted for the balancing factors used in the randomisation, namely centre and patient age. CONCLUSION: We describe the statistical analysis plan for the BATCH trial and PRECISE sub-study, including definitions of clinical outcomes, reporting guidelines, statistical principles, and analysis methods. The trial uses a design with co-primary superiority and non-inferiority endpoints. The analysis plan has been written prior to the completion of follow-up. TRIAL REGISTRATION: BATCH: ISRCTN11369832, registered 20 September 2017, doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN11369832. PRECISE: ISRCTN14945050, registered 17 December 2020, doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14945050.

Lipoprotein(a) Does Not Predict Thrombotic Events and In-Hospital Outcomes in Patients with COVID-19.

The prothrombotic and proinflammatory properties of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) have been hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19; however, the prognostic impact of Lp(a) on the clinical course of COVID-19 remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate whether Lp(a) may be associated with biomarkers of thrombo-inflammation and the occurrence of thrombotic events or adverse clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. We consecutively enrolled a cohort of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and collected blood samples for Lp(a) assessment at hospital admission. A prothrombotic state was evaluated through D-dimer levels, whereas a proinflammatory state was evaluated through C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, and white blood cell (WBC) levels. Thrombotic events were marked by the diagnosis of deep or superficial vein thrombosis (DVT or SVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and critical limb ischemia (CLI). The composite clinical end point of intensive care unit (ICU) admission/in-hospital death was used to evaluate adverse clinical outcomes. Among 564 patients (290 (51%) men, mean age of 74 ± 17 years) the median Lp(a) value at hospital admission was 13 (10-27) mg/dL. During hospitalization, 64 (11%) patients were diagnosed with at least one thrombotic event and 83 (15%) patients met the composite clinical end point. Lp(a), as either a continuous or categorical variable, was not associated with D-dimer, CRP, procalcitonin, and WBC levels (p > 0.05 for all correlation analyses). In addition, Lp(a) was not associated with a risk of thrombotic events (p > 0.05 for multi-adjusted odds ratios) nor with a risk of adverse clinical outcomes (p > 0.05 for multi-adjusted hazard ratios). In conclusion, Lp(a) does not influence biomarkers of plasma thrombotic activity and systemic inflammation nor has any impact on thrombotic events and adverse clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19.