Safe administration of sotrovimab to a COVID-19 patient with acute phase type 1 diabetes mellitus

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and poor glycemic control are risk factors for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Sotrovimab can treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in patients at a high risk of progression to severe COVID-19. However, its safety and efficacy in T1DM patients remain to be elucidated. We report the case of a 12-yr-old patient who was treated with sotrovimab for COVID-19 immediately after treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) due to new-onset T1DM. He presented with nausea and sore throat and was diagnosed with severe DKA and COVID-19. A productive cough and sputum developed after admission. On the 3rd day of admission, the DKA resolved, and sotrovimab was administered to prevent exacerbation of COVID-19. Although the blood glucose levels increased after the administration of sotrobimab, there was no recurrence of DKA. Hyperglycemia may be a sotrovimab-related adverse event in T1DM patients. Nevertheless, the benefits of sotrovimab treatment may far outweigh the potential risks. Thus, sotrovimab was considered safe for patients with T1DM immediately after treatment of severe DKA.

Preface for the 66th Special Feature "Novel Aspects and Approaches to Experimental Methods for ElectrochemistryӠ

The Kansai Branch of the Electrochemical Society of Japan publishes a collection of papers in Electrochemistry, which serve as a commentary to the 51st Electrochemistry Workshop. This attempt is motivated by the fact that the domestic seminars are now widely publicized through the on-demand event triggered by COVID-19. This preface consists of the significance of the publication and an introduction of the lecturers as a part of special future for "Novel Aspects and Approaches to Experimental Methods for Electrochemistry.” in this issue of Electrochemistry. © 2022 Electrochemical Society of Japan. All rights reserved.

The 66th special feature "Novel Aspects and Approaches to Experimental Methods for Electrochemistry"

The Kansai Branch of the Electrochemical Society of Japan publishes a collection of papers in Electrochemistry, which serve as a commentary to the 51st Electrochemistry Workshop. This attempt is motivated by the fact that the domestic seminars are now widely publicized through the on-demand event triggered by COVID-19. This preface consists of the significance of the publication and an introduction of the lecturers as a part of special future for "Novel Aspects and Approaches to Experimental Methods for Electrochemistry." in this issue of Electrochemistry. (C) The Author(s) 2022. Published by ECSJ.

Sustainable, collaborative EEG learning with a nationwide webinar

Purpose: To under stand the needs and issues of electr oencephalogr aphy (EEG) education following the onset of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and report our current EEG webinar management. Methods: We conducted a weekly online EEG lectur e at Hir oshima Univer sity Hospital in a hybrid format from July 2020 to December 2021. We recruited trainees using multiple types of social network services (SNS). We assessed the background of trainees in terms of postgraduate year, hospital size and location, area of expertise, entry route for registration, and clinical interests. We also investigated the current EEG educational needs and other relevant issues. Results: A total of 468 tr ainees (419 clinicians, 49 technicians) r egister ed fr om var ious insti-tutes nationwide (229 hospitals and 9 clinics). As more than 60 webinars were presented over a year, a cumulative total of more than 3,000 trainees joined the webinars. Trainees’ background was variable. SNS were helpful for recruitment. Major reasons for participation were to learn the minimum essentials of reading an EEG (70.1%) and to be able to read a digital EEG (56.5%). Privacy policies and web communication failures were major challenges. Discussion: The study identified r obust and nationwide needs for lear ning EEG r egar dless of area of expertise. Reduced face-to-face chance due to the pandemic greatly affected EEG educa-tion, as the education conventionally took a form of multidisciplinary collaboration in person. Our experience suggests that in addition to face-to-face education, information and communication technology can provide a sustainable learning platform.

The causal effects of long-term PM2.5 exposure on COVID-19 in India

This study investigates the causal effects of long-term particulate matter 2.5 exposure on COVID-19 deaths, fatality rates, and cases in India by using an instrumental variables approach based on thermal inversion episodes. The estimation results indicate that a 1 percent increase in long-term exposure to particulate matter 2.5 leads to an increase in COVID-19 deaths by 5.7 percentage points and an increase in the COVID-19 fatality rate by 0.027 percentage point, but this exposure is not necessarily correlated with COVID-19 cases. People with underlying health conditions such as respiratory illness caused by exposure to air pollution might have a higher risk of death following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This finding might also apply to other countries where high levels of air pollution are a critical issue for development and public health.

Three coronavirus disease 2019 cases with acute progression of respiratory failure were improved after methylprednisolone therapy

The main target of anti-inflammatory drug therapies for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is reducing the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), an important risk factor for acute death. In the RECOVERY trial, 6 mg/day of dexamethasone for up to 10 days improved 28-day mortality compared with those who received usual care alone. Here, we present three COVID-19 cases who improved after treatment with methylprednisolone (MPSL) and/or following prednisolone (PSL) for acute progression of respiratory failure. Three male COVID-19 patients, aged 56, 84, and 49 years old, developed acute respiratory failure after admission. MPSL therapy (500 mg/day for 3 days) was started for these patients at 4, 4, and, 2 days after admission, respectively, when oxygen administration was required. Following this therapy, two of the three present cases received 30 or 40 mg/day of PSL for an additional 6 and 8 days, respectively. The remaining case discontinued corticosteroid after MPSL therapy. All three cases survived, had fever reduction at 6, 2, and 1 days after start of MPSL therapy, could discontinue oxygen therapy at 6, 6, and 11 days after start of MPSL therapy, and showed negative results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction at 8, 6, and 22 days after start of MPSL therapy, respectively. No serious side effects due to drug discontinuation of treatment for COVID-19 were observed. MPSL is a candidate drug for corticosteroid therapy for COVID-19. Corticosteroid therapy should be started in the early stage of respiratory failure. Optimal drug selection, timing of intervention, dose, and duration of corticosteroid therapy for COVID-19 should be analyzed in the further studies. © Journal of Xiangya Medicine. All rights reserved.

Peritoneal dialysis for COVID-19-related acute kidney injury: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is strongly associated with poor prognosis of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The great pandemic made it challenging to allocate renal replacement therapy (RRT) such as hemodialysis or continuous hemodiafiltration to anuria patients in terms of infection control and medical resources. Herein, using an actual case, we argue that peritoneal dialysis (PD) could become a more practical and safer RRT, particularly during this pandemic crisis. METHODS: Our case was a 62-year-old male with a PCR test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). He had a medical history of lung cancer and some commodities of hypertension, hyperuricemia, and hyperlipidemia. The next day after the admission, his oxygenation and hemodynamics rapidly deteriorated. We started mechanical ventilation, and administered vasopressors, favipiravir, and ciclesonide. Additionally, serum creatinine also became gradually elevated (creatinine: day1 0.77 mg/dL → day5 7 mg/dL). We diagnosed with COVID-19-associated AKI, because urine tests and sonography did not indicate any other cause. It progressed to anuria and made it difficult to control the serum potassium and the hemodynamics due to acidemia. On day 6, using a portable X-ray machine, we inserted the peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter to the recto-vesical pouch at the bedside and infused the peritoneal dialysate. Although the anuria persisted for a while, the increased amount of peritoneal dialysate easily normalized the acidemia and serum potassium level. After the normalization, the vasopressors could be tapered off, and the inflammation status was also improved. On day 14, the patient was discharged from our ICU with the PD catheter. SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in sputum, but not in the peritoneum and PD waste. The whole procedure of PD catheter insertion and dialysate exchange did not influence the respiratory status and hemodynamics at any time. RESULTS: Taken together, PD could be a useful option for the AKI management, particularly in the COVID-19 pandemics.