Clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality of hospitalized cancer patients with COVID-2019 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients are particularly vulnerable during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics and mortality among cancer patients with COVID-19. METHODS: This retrospective, observational cohort study included 53 patients with a malignancy and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection in a tertiary care center in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, from March 14, 2020, to October 29, 2020. Clinical, laboratory, and radiological data were collected from institutional electronic records and analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 53 patients (62% male) were enrolled. The mean age of the patients was 54.9 ± 19.0 years, with 76% aged <65 years. The most common symptoms were fever (66%), dry cough (40%), and dyspnea (36%). Most infections (89%) were community acquired. Hematological malignancies (36%) were the most common cancer type. The most common solid tumors were breast cancer (23%) and colon cancer (9%). Just over half (51%) had a stage 4 tumor, and 30% of the patients had received chemotherapy within 2 weeks before the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Initial chest radiographs showed pneumonia in 43% of patients; 38%, 9%, and 6% required oxygen support, intensive care unit admission, and invasive mechanical ventilation, respectively. The most common complication was secondary bacterial infection (13.2%). The all-cause mortality rate was 17%. In the multivariable logistic regression, dyspnea, leukocytosis, use of systemic steroids, and secondary bacterial infection were found to be risk factors for death. CONCLUSION: Hospitalized cancer patients with COVID-19 have a high mortality rate. Our study finds a correlation between multiple independent risk factors and mortality. Patients with dyspnea, leukocytosis, systemic steroid use, or secondary bacterial infection require more care, attention, and possibly more aggressive treatment.

Prevalence of depression and its associated factors among patients with confirmed COVID-19 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Background: In early December 2019, a cluster of acute pneumonia of viral etiology had been identified in Wuhan, China. Later on, it has been named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing a worldwide pandemic. This pandemic triggered unprecedented health-related psychiatric sequalae. We aim in this study to evaluate the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among confirmed patients with COVID-19. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study, we included adult patients more than 18 years old who have been diagnosed with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 and managed in a hospital, home, or hotel. A self-administered online questionnaire based on Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) Quick Depression Assessment questionnaire was used. Results: A total of 143 subjects completed the PHQ-9 questionnaire. The prevalence of moderate to severe depression was 34%. Prevalence of depression was positively associated with the female gender (p-value = 0.013). Location of COVID-19 management and financial status did not affect the prevalence of depression. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression among patients with COVID-19 is high, which underscores the importance of active screening and management of depression in this population.

COVID-19 Patients Presenting with Post-Intubation Upper Airway Complications: A Parallel Epidemic?

During the current pandemic, we witnessed a rise of post-intubation tracheal stenosis (PITS) in patients intubated due to COVID-19. We prospectively analyzed data from patients referred to our institution during the last 18 months for severe symptomatic post-intubation upper airway complications. Interdisciplinary bronchoscopic and/or surgical management was offered. Twenty-three patients with PITS and/or tracheoesophageal fistulae were included. They had undergone 31.85 (±22.7) days of ICU hospitalization and 17.35 (±7.4) days of intubation. Tracheal stenoses were mostly complex, located in the subglottic or mid-tracheal area. A total of 83% of patients had fracture and distortion of the tracheal wall. Fifteen patients were initially treated with rigid bronchoscopic modalities and/or stent placement and eight patients with tracheal resection-anastomosis. Post-treatment relapse in two of the bronchoscopically treated patients required surgery, while two of the surgically treated patients required rigid bronchoscopy and stent placement. Transient, non-life-threatening post-treatment complications developed in 60% of patients and were all managed successfully. The histopathology of the resected tracheal specimens didn't reveal specific alterations in comparison to pre-COVID-era PITS cases. Prolonged intubation, pronation maneuvers, oversized tubes or cuffs, and patient- or disease-specific factors may be pathogenically implicated. An increase of post-COVID PITS is anticipated. Careful prevention, early detection and effective management of these iatrogenic complications are warranted.

Correlation Between the COVID-19 Respiratory Triage Score and SARS-COV-2 PCR Test.

Background: COVID-19 clinical presentation is usually non-specific and includes commonly encountered symptoms like fever, cough, nausea, and vomiting. It has been reported that COVID-19 patients can potentially transmit the disease to others before developing symptoms. Thus, extensive surveillance and screening of individuals at risk of the disease is required to limit SARS-COV-2 spread. The COVID-19 respiratory triage score has been used for patient screening. We aimed to determine its diagnostic performance characteristics, which have not been adequately studied before. Methodology: This is a retrospective observational study involving all patients screened for COVID-19 at a tertiary care facility. Patients were tested using nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-COV-2 PCR. The Saudi CDC COVID-19 respiratory triage score was measured for all subjects. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predicted value of COVID-19 respiratory triage score were measured with reference to SARS-COV-2 PCR test. Multivariate regression analysis was done to identify factors that can predict a positive SARS-COV-2 PCR test. Result: A total of 1,435 subjects were included. The COVID-19 respiratory triage score provided a marginal diagnostic performance with a receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) area under the curve value of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.57-0.64). A triage score of 5 provided the best cut-off value for the combined sensitivity and specificity. Clinical characteristics that independently predicted positive COVID-19 PCR test include male sex (adjusted OR: 1.47; p = 0.034), healthcare workers and their family members (adjusted OR: 1.99; 95%; p = 0.016), fever (adjusted OR: 2.98; p < 0.001), and moderate disease severity (adjusted OR: 5; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The current COVID-19 respiratory triage score has marginal diagnostic performance characteristics. Its performance can improve by including additional predictors to the respiratory symptoms in order to avoid missing COVID-19 patients with atypical presentation and to limit unnecessary SARS-COV-2 PCR testing.

Restless legs syndrome and sleep quality among adult sickle cell disease patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine and compare the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) between adult patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and non-SCD anemia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2013 to July 2014. Patients with SCD and non-SCD anemia were recruited from a hematology clinic at a large university hospital. Patients with secondary RLS were excluded. Data were collected on demographic features, clinical evaluations, laboratory tests, sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, RLS symptoms using the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group Criteria, severity of RLS using the International Restless Leg Syndrome Rating Scale, and daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 44 patients with SCD and 45 with non-SCD anemia. The two groups were comparable in age, gender, body mass index, smoking habit, and comorbidities. Poor sleep quality was found in 63% of the SCD group compared to 53% of the non-SCD group. The prevalence of RLS among SCD group and non-SCD group was 13.6% (6/44) and 8.8% (4/45), respectively. These differences, however, were not statistically significant, p > 0.05. Excessive daytime sleepiness was also similar in both groups, with the rate being 20.5 and 17.8% in the SCD and non-SCD groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that poor sleep quality and RLS were both common among adult patients with SCD; however, they did not differ significantly from patients with non-SCD anemia.