Swimming-Induced Pulmonary Edema Masquerading as Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Case Report.

Immersion pulmonary edema, also known as swimming-induced pulmonary edema (SIPE), manifests with cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and hypoxemia from flash pulmonary edema after surface swimming, often in healthy young individuals with no predisposing conditions. SIPE commonly resolves spontaneously within 24-48 hours but can be fatal. Post-mortem findings demonstrate heavy, edematous lungs and frothy airways. Although these pathologic findings are like those seen in patients with drowning, SIPE, by definition, is associated with pulmonary edema that develops with a closed glottis without drowning/aspiration. However, patients who develop SIPE during swimming could lose consciousness and drown. Its pathophysiology is poorly understood, and the medical literature infrequently describes SIPE. Due to the multifactorial and complex pathophysiology and the scarcity of medical literature describing SIPE, the diagnosis could be difficult at presentation. This case report elaborates on diagnosing and treating swimming-induced pulmonary edema in a hypertensive and obese female who presented to our emergency room with an acute onset of shortness of breath after recreational swimming in a pool.

Spindle Cell Hemangioma of the Lung: A Case Report.

Spindle cell hemangioma (SCH) is an uncommon tumor that usually presents as a subcutaneous or deep dermal nodule affecting the extremities of young people. It is primarily a benign vascular neoplasm with a tendency to recur locally. Reports describing SCH diagnosed in muscles, retroperitoneum, mediastinum, and even in the spinal cord occasionally surface in the literature. We report a very rare case of SCH diagnosed in the lung.

Sex Disparity in the Effect of Obesity in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study From the New York City Metropolitan Area.

INTRODUCTION:  Obesity has been recognized as a risk factor for poor outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) illness. We analyzed the impact of patient characteristics including obesity on hospital mortality and specifically analyzed the effect of obesity by body mass index (BMI) class and by sex. METHODS:  This retrospective case series included adult patients consecutively hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 illness between March 12, 2020 and May 13, 2020, at a teaching hospital in the New York City (NYC) metropolitan area. Data were manually extracted from electronic health records by the authors and included demographics, comorbidities, laboratory parameters, and outcomes (hospital mortality or discharge). We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods to explore the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. RESULTS:  Some 348 patients were included in this study, of whom 207 were discharged and 141 died in the hospital. Multivariable regression showed increasing odds of in-hospital death with older age and excess weight. Interestingly obesity increased mortality in women [odds ratio (OR) 4.4, confidence interval (CI) (1.4-13.5) p=0.01] but not among men [OR 1.4, CI (0.5-3.6) p=0.5]. Among women, the effect of excess weight on mortality was seen in a "dose-effect" fashion, with increasingly higher odds of mortality from progressively worsening obesity (OR ranging between 2.7 and 6.9). Out of all the comorbidities, only obesity positively correlated with peak levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). CONCLUSION:  Advancing age is a risk factor for in-hospital death during COVID-19 illness. Obese women could be at a higher risk for mortality due to COVID-19 and should take extra precautions to prevent contamination by social distancing and other measures. Immunomodulators may be more effective in obese women affected by COVID-19. Further studies are needed to help elucidate this association.

Arrhythmia prevalence among patients with polymyositis-dermatomyositis in the United States: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation has been associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) and arrhythmia occurrence in rheumatologic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Polymyositis and dermatomyositis (PD) are rare rheumatologic conditions characterized by symmetrical proximal muscle weakness and, in the case of dermatomyositis, cutaneous eruption. Although there is literature associating PD with ASCVD, no population-level studies have analyzed arrhythmia risk in PD. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of arrhythmia and its subtypes by age and sex in patients with PD and to determine associations between arrhythmia and PD. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included adults for whom hospitalizations had been recorded in the National Inpatient Sample database in the United States between 2016 and 2018. Patients with PD were matched (1:10) by age to patients without PD. Prevalence of arrhythmia was calculated in the 2 groups and compared by sex and age groups. Associations between PD and arrhythmia were determined after adjustment for common arrhythmia risk factors. RESULTS: From 107,001,355 hospitalizations, 32,085 adults with PD were matched to 320,850 controls. Patients with PD aged <70 years had a higher prevalence of arrhythmia and higher adjusted odds of arrhythmia compared with controls. This increased risk was only seen for supraventricular arrhythmias. Adults with PD had increased odds of in-hospital mortality if they had an arrhythmia diagnosis (odds ratio 3.3; 95% confidence interval 2.5-4.5; P <.001). CONCLUSION: We found a higher prevalence and odds of arrhythmias, particularly supraventricular arrhythmias, in young and middle-aged patients with PD compared with matched controls. Arrhythmias were associated with significant mortality among patients with PD.

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence Among Patients With Celiac Disease in the United States: An Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) by age and sex in patients with celiac disease and to determine associations between ASCVD and celiac disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study which included adults (>18 years old) who had hospitalizations recorded in the National Inpatient Sample database in the United States from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2014. Patients with celiac disease were matched (1:5) by age, sex, race, and calendar year to patients without celiac disease. Prevalence of ASCVD was calculated in patients with celiac disease and controls, and compared by sex and age groups. Associations between celiac disease and ASCVD were determined after adjustment for common cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Among 371,776,860 patients hospitalized in the United States between 2005 and 2014, 227,172 adults with celiac disease were matched to 1,133,701 controls. Young women with celiac disease (age <40 years) had a higher prevalence of ASCVD and higher adjusted odds (aOR) of ASCVD when compared with controls (aged 18 to 29 years aOR, 2.22 [95% CI 1.41 to 3.5]; P<.001; and aged 30 to 39 years aOR 1.54 [95% CI 1.19 to 1.99]; P<.001). Adults with celiac disease of all ages and sexes had increased adjusted odds of death if they had ASCVD (aOR aged <40 years 7.31 [95% CI 2.49 to 21.46]; P<.001; and aOR aged ≥40 years 2.02 [95% CI 1.68 to 2.42]; P<.001). CONCLUSION: We found significantly higher prevalence and adjusted odds of ASCVD in young women with celiac disease when compared with matched controls. ASCVD was associated with significant mortality among patients with celiac disease.

End-Stage Renal Disease Patients on Chronic Hemodialysis Fare Better With COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study From the New York Metropolitan Region.

Introduction Several comorbid conditions have been identified as risk factors in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, there is a dearth of data describing the impact of COVID-19 infection in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis (ESRD-HD). Methods This retrospective case series analyzed 362 adult patients consecutively hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 illness between March 12, 2020, and May 13, 2020, at a teaching hospital in the New York City metropolitan area. The primary outcome was severe pneumonia as defined by the World Health Organization. Secondary outcomes were the (1) the Combined Outcome of Acute respiratory distress syndrome or in-hospital Death (COAD), and (2) need for high levels of oxygen supplementation (HiO2). Results Patients with ESRD-HD had lower odds for poor outcomes including severe pneumonia [odds ratio (OR) 0.4, confidence interval (CI) 0.2-0.9, p=.04], HiO2 [OR 0.3, CI (0.1-0.8), p=.02] and COAD [OR 0.4, CI (0.2-1.05), p=.06], when compared to patients without ESRD. In contrast, higher odds for severe pneumonia, COAD and HiO2 were seen with advancing age. African Americans were over-represented in the hospitalized patient cohort, when compared to their representation in the community (35% vs 18%). Hispanics had higher odds for severe illness and HiO2 when compared to Caucasians. Conclusions Patients with ESRD-HD had a milder course of illness with a lower likelihood of severe pneumonia and a lesser need for aggressive oxygen supplementation when compared to patients not on chronic dialysis. The lower odds of severe illness in ESRD-HD patients might have a pathophysiologic basis and need to be further explored.

Analysis of Male Sex as a Risk Factor in Older Adults With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study From the New York City Metropolitan Region.

Background Advancing age and male sex have been identified as risk factors for poor outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, there is a dearth of data investigating the impact of age on the risk reported with male sex. We aimed to determine the risk associated with male sex in people of different age groups, that is, in people younger or older than 65 years of age. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study that included 370 adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 12, 2020, and May 13, 2020, at a 242-bed teaching community hospital in the New York City metropolitan region. Patients were classified into younger (age<65 years, n=132) and older individuals (age>=65, n=238). We calculated odds ratios for poor outcomes in men compared to women separately in these two groups. Results Among older individuals, there was no difference in the odds of poor outcomes between men and women. In contrast, among younger people, men had higher odds of severe pneumonia, need for high oxygen support, acute kidney injury and acute liver injury when compared to women. Conclusions Among people older than 65 years, sex did not impact disease severity and outcomes in COVID-19. Thus, older women were equally likely to have severe COVID-19 when compared to age-matched men. In contrast, among younger middle-aged adults (29-64 years), men had higher odds of end-organ damage from COVID-19 compared to women. Based on these observations, age is a more important driver of poor outcomes in COVID-19 than sex. Public health policies need to create awareness for the increased risk of older individuals to COVID-19, regardless of sex.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Acute Kidney Injury and Its Effect on Mortality in Patients Hospitalized From COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of and risk factors for the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) and investigate the association between AKI and mortality in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective case series includes the first 370 patients consecutively hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 illness between March 10, 2020, and May 13, 2020, at a 242-bed teaching hospital. To determine independent associations between demographic factors, comorbid conditions, and AKI incidence, multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios adjusted for clinical covariates. RESULTS: Median age of patients was 71 (interquartile range, 59-82) years and 44.3% (145 of 327) were women. Patients with AKI were significantly older with a higher comorbid condition burden and mortality rate (58.1% [104 0f 179] vs 19.6% [29 of 148]; P<.001) when compared with those without AKI. Increasing age, chronic kidney disease, hyperlipidemia, and being of African American descent showed higher odds of AKI. Patients with AKI had significantly higher odds of mortality when compared with patients without AKI, and this effect was proportional to the stage of AKI. Increasing age and acute respiratory distress syndrome also revealed higher adjusted odds of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Acute kidney injury is a common complication among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection. We found significantly higher odds of AKI with increasing age and among patients with hyperlipidemia, those with chronic kidney disease, and among African Americans. We demonstrate an independent association between AKI and mortality with increasingly higher odds of mortality from progressively worsening renal failure in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection.

Dextrocardia: When right is wrong!

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND: Dextrocardia is a malposition of the heart in the thoracic cavity. Dextrocardia has been known to cause diagnostic dilemmas with atypical presentations in acute coronary syndrome, as well as technical challenges in patients who require interventions such as coronary catheterization, transcutaneous aortic valve replacement, ablation for arrhythmias, or pacemaker/defibrillator placement. Transcription factor Pitx2 has been shown to have a fundamental role during cardio-genesis, and its misexpression has been implicated in arrhythmogenesis and congenital heart diseases including visceral situs inversus. This association between congenital heart diseases and arrythmias is intriguing and need exploring. We aimed to quantify the likelihood of arrhythmias in patients with dextrocardia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive, retrospective study was conducted on the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) databases for the year 2016. Patients with dextrocardia and arrhythmias were selected based on appropriate diagnostic codes. We used propensity score-matching to assemble a matched cohort in which adults with dextrocardia and controls balanced on measured baseline characteristics. This was done to reduce the confounding effect of between-group imbalances on outcomes. Complex survey design, weights, and clustering were accounted for during analysis. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship of arrhythmias and length of hospitalization with dextrocardia. RESULTS: The prevalence of arrhythmias in patients with dextrocardia was significantly higher than the control group. Overall, the odds of arrhythmia were higher for patients in the dextrocardia group when compared to a propensity matched control group [adjusted Odds ratio OR 2.60, Confidence Interval (CI) (1.67-4.06), p<0.001]. When looking at only principal/primary diagnosis on admission, the odds of an admitting diagnosis of arrhythmia were significantly higher in the dextrocardia group when compared to the matched cohort [adjusted OR 3.70, CI (1.26-10.89), p 0.02]. The increased odds of arrhythmia in dextrocardia patients were mostly accounted for by the increased odds of atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter [OR 3.06, CI (1.02-9.18), p 0.046] in these patients. No significant difference was found in the odds of other arrhythmias or the length of stay between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In a large inpatient population, patients with dextrocardia were more likely to have arrhythmias especially atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter than patients without dextrocardia. Ours is the first study that investigates the clinical manifestations of molecular and embryologic associations between congenital heart disease and arrhythmias.

The paradox prevails: Outcomes are better in critically ill obese patients regardless of the comorbidity burden.

During critical illness, obese patients have better outcomes compared to patients with normal BMI, and this is known as the obesity paradox. The difference in comorbidity burden have been implied to be responsible for the paradox. We performed a retrospective review from 2001 to 2012 of critically ill patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care database. We included 11,433 patients and classified them according to body mass index (BMI) and comorbidity burden (Elixhauser comorbidity measure). The odds of inpatient mortality were lower in obese patients compared to patients with normal BMI; in group with the least comorbidity score (Elixhauser <0) [OR: 0.47, CI (0.28-0.80), p-value 0.006] and higher comorbidity scores, (Elixhauser 1-5) [(OR: 0.66, CI (0.46-0.95), p-value 0.02)] and (Elixhauser 6-13) [OR: 0.69, CI (0.53-0.92), p-value 0.01]. 30-day mortality was also significantly lower in obese patients, in groups with the lowest (Elixhauser <0) [OR:49, CI (0.31-0.77), p-value 0.002] as well as the highest comorbidity burden (Elixhauser >14) [OR:0.59, CI (0.45-0.77), p-value <.001]. Subgroup analysis in patients with various comorbidities showed better outcomes in obese patients. These findings show that the decreased odds of mortality in critically ill obese patients is independent of the comorbidity burden or type of comorbidity.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients with Chronic Lung Impairment from Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Setting Our study was conducted at a tertiary care center for respiratory illnesses (Viswanathan Chest Hospital, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI), University of Delhi, Delhi, India). Patients were enrolled in the study from the outpatient clinic. Objective To assess the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients with chronic lung impairment from previously treated tuberculosis (CLIPTB), on exercise capacity (six-minute walk distance), pulmonary function tests, quality of life and markers of systemic inflammation. Design Prospective cohort study including 29 patients who had finished anti-tubercular therapy and currently had symptoms of dyspnea with or without cough secondary to CLIPTB. Result Significant improvement in six-minute walk distance (488 meters at baseline vs 526 meters post PR intervention, p-value 0.033) and chronic respiratory questionnaire score (17.21 at baseline vs 18.96 post PR intervention, p-value 0.025) with pulmonary rehabilitation was noted. Pulmonary function tests, inflammatory markers and mid-thigh muscle mass trended towards improvement with pulmonary rehabilitation but were not statistically significant. Conclusion Our study shows that pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective intervention in post-tuberculosis patients and should be recommended.

Dermatomyositis and HIV.

HIV has been linked to several autoimmune disorders since its emergence in the 1980s. By affecting different cells and pathways in the immune system, HIV induces the development of certain autoimmune diseases while prohibiting the emergence of others. Dermatomyositis has been rarely described in patients with HIV. We present a case of dermatomyositis in a patient with HIV and explore the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders in HIV focusing on dermatomyositis.

Leukemoid reaction to Clostridium difficile infection.

Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) are increasing in incidence and severity. Leukemoid reaction is rarely seen with CDI, and indicates severe disease with grave prognosis. We present an elderly female who developed leukemoid reaction in response to CDI. The patient died despite early antibiotic therapy with surgical evaluation.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis - case report and review of literature.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a severe fungal infection with a high mortality rate. The incidence of IPA is on the rise due to an increase in the number of patients undergoing transplants and receiving chemotherapy and immunosuppressive therapy. Diagnosis is challenging due to the non-specific nature of symptoms. Voriconazole is the mainstay of therapy. We present a case of an elderly woman presenting with acute bronchitis and asthma exacerbation, who succumbed to overwhelming IPA. It is uncommon for IPA to develop in patients on short-term steroid therapy for asthma exacerbation. The possibility of aspergillosis in immunocompetent patients should be considered in those on systemic steroids and deteriorating pulmonary functions.