Implementing a novel protocol for withdrawal of CPAP support in COVID-19 patients: a case series.

BACKGROUND: No published protocol to guide the withdrawal of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for patients with COVID-19 exists. CASE SERIES: Description of the introduction of a novel protocol, developed by consensus to guide the withdrawal of CPAP for patients diagnosed as dying with COVID-19 in an acute hospital. OUTCOME: 19 patients died on the high-dependency respiratory unit following treatment with CPAP. 89% died with CPAP withdrawn. The dying trajectory was difficult to predict. Symptoms were managed promptly and effectively with a combination of opioids, benzodiazepines and close medical supervision. No concerns were raised by families regarding the decision making or withdrawal process. DISCUSSION: The use of the protocol ensures a comfortable and dignified death and supports the delivery of individualised care at the end of life. Future research on this topic should focus on qualitative outcomes and consider the applicability of this protocol in other patient groups.

Management of community-acquired pneumonia: essential tips for the physician on call.

Community-acquired pneumonia is a common clinical problem requiring admission to hospital, with a particularly high incidence in the elderly population and those with significant comorbidities. Diagnosis is made on the combination of a short history of respiratory symptoms and systemic ill-health with new examination and/or radiological features of consolidation. Multiple other infective and non-infective conditions can mimic community-acquired pneumonia, leading to misdiagnosis in 5-17% of cases. The CURB-65 score can identify patients with community-acquired pneumonia with a higher risk of mortality, but is insensitive at identifying patients requiring intensive care support and needs to be combined with clinical markers of potential severity. Both high admission levels of C-reactive protein and the failure of levels of C-reactive protein to decline by >50% by day 4 after admission are associated with higher risk of complications, need for ventilation or inotropic support, and mortality. Empirical antibiotic therapy for most patients admitted to hospital is combination of a ß-lactam and a macrolide. Short courses of antibiotics do not result in significantly different outcomes to longer courses unless the patient has developed complications such as a complex parapneumonic effusion. Implementation of a community-acquired pneumonia care bundle into clinical practice reduces mortality, and should be a high priority for all acute hospitals.

Cor triatriatum sinistrum: presentation of syncope and atrial tachycardia.

We present a rather unusual cause for syncope associated with atrial tachycardia. A man aged 39 years presented with an episode of syncope and narrow complex tachycardia. Further investigations, including transoesophageal echocardiography, identified cor triatriatum sinistrum (CTS), a rare congenital abnormality characterised by the atrium being divided by a fibrous membrane. Although it is rare, there has been an increase in diagnosis due to developments in diagnostic imaging techniques. Symptoms are related to the size of fenestrations within the fibrous membrane. Presenting symptoms can mimic those seen in mitral stenosis. It is a condition that can occur in isolation, but it can also be associated with other cardiac abnormalities such as an atrial septal defect (ASD) (as in this case). Surgery is the definitive treatment (this man had surgical repair of CTS and closure of ASD) and should be considered at any age if there are any associated symptoms or complications.