Diagnostic utility of the Covichem score in predicting COVID-19 disease.

BACKGROUND: Identifying which patients with COVID-19 have a high risk of severe illness is essential to optimizing management and resource utilization strategies. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to externally validate the diagnostic utility of the Covichem score for predicting COVID-19 disease severity, and secondarily to evaluate its utility in predicting intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality. METHODS: All consecutive COVID-19 patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) were included, and patients' demographic data, comorbidities, vital signs, oxygen requirement, and laboratory results were recorded. We calculated patients' Covichem scores and estimates (using a threshold of 0.5) and evaluated the utility of the Covichem score for predicting disease severity, ICU admission, and mortality. RESULTS: The median Covichem score was significantly higher for patients with severe illness (Covichem score: 0.170, IQR: 0.298, n = 300 vs. Covichem score: 0.026, IQR: 0.065, n: 191; p < 0.001). Based on their Covichem scores, 12.4% (61/491) of the patients were predicted to experience severe illness (threshold: 0.5), the accuracy of the Covichem score was poor, as the area under curve (AUC) was 48.5% (18.1% sensitivity and 93.8% specificity). When we calculated a new ideal threshold, the AUC reached 82%, but the sensitivity was 79.9% and the specificity was 71.2%. CONCLUSION: In this external validation of the Covichem score, we found that it performed worse than in the original derivation and validation study, even with the assistance of a new cutoff.

Association of acute phase reactants with prognostic scores in community acquired pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin with commonly used prognostic scoring systems, hospitalisation and mortality in cases of community-acquired pneumonia. METHODS: The prospective study was conducted from April 2014 to April 2015 at the emergency department of Marmara University Pendik Research and Training Hospital, Turkey, and comprised community-acquired pneumonia patients diagnosed according to the British Thoracic Society criteria. Prognosis was estimated using confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure and age >65, Pneumonia Severity Index-Pneumonia Patient Outcome Research Team score, and severe community-acquired pneumonia scores. Data was analysed using MedCalc 15.8. RESULTS: Of the 203 patients assessed, community-acquired pneumonia was confirmed in 152(74.8%). Procalcitonin had moderate correlation with the three scales used (p<0.001), while C-reactive protein had weak correlation with them (p<0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Both procalcitonin and C-reactive protein levels were found to be correlated with prognostic risk scores.

Prognostic value of 2-hour lactate level and lactate clearance for 30-day mortality and comparison with trauma scores in multi-trauma patients.

OBJECTIVE: Trauma scores are prone to misreading. Therefore, a readily available, objective way to estimate the mortality of the trauma patients is needed. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic utility of lactate levels, and clearance for 30-days mortality, and compare with the physiological trauma scores. METHODS: All adult trauma patients (two hundred) admitted to ED were enrolled. Initial and 2-hour serum lactate levels were measured and components of GAP, MGAP, RTS, VIEWS and VIEWS-L trauma scores were calculated. RESULTS: Final study population was 200 patients with a median age of 33 years. Mortality was 7/200 (3.5%) in 30-days. Both initial (2.3 vs. 7.7 mmol/L) and 2h-lactate (1.7 vs. 8.4 mmol/L) levels were significantly lower, and lactate clearance was significantly higher (23.8% vs. -12.0%) in survivors. Also, the change in the lactate level from 0h to 2h (2.3 vs. 1.7mmol/L) was significant in survivors, contrary to non-survivors (7.7 vs. 8.4mmol/L). VIEWS-L, VIEWS, two hour-lactate level and EMTRAS showed high specificity at the 100% sensitivity cut-offs, therefore, were the most valuable prognostic parameters in this study. CONCLUSION: Calculation of 2h-lactate clearance and evaluation of a 2h-lactate level may not be needed to predict long-term mortality if the initial lactate level is below 2.8mmol/L.

Normal values of cervical vertebral measurements according to age and sex in CT.

INTRODUCTION: Atlantodental interval (ADI), basion-dental interval (BDI) and the thickness of prevertebral soft tissue (TOPST) measured in lateral cervical radiographs were reported to be useful indicators and indirect signs of underlying cervical spine injuries. However, cervical computed tomography (MDCT) is the first method of imaging used in all trauma patients and upper normal limits (UNLs) of cervical distances according to age and sex are undetermined. Therefore, we aimed to calculate these metrics. METHODS: 500 adult trauma patients with cervical MDCT at the time of admission were retrospectively selected. ADI, BDI, and TOPSTs were measured by two blinded researchers. RESULTS: 488 cervical spine CT scans were reported to be normal and 12 has pathological findings. Mean ADI, BDI and TOPST of C1, C2, C6 and C7 were statistically significantly wider in males. In females, ADI and BDI were significantly narrower with the increase in age. In males, only ADI was significantly narrower, and TOPST of C6 and C7 vertebra were significantly wider with the increase in age. We found the optimal UNLs as follows: ADI 2.5mm, BDI 8.5mm, C1 6.5mm, C2 5.7mm, C3 6.3mm (6mm for C1-3 for practical purposes), C4 11.7 and C5-7 17mm. DISCUSSION: We believe that the increase in distances with age may be affected by the height losses of discs and vertebral bodies, formation of anterior osteophytes and regional kyphosis by age. Those results were compatible with the previous reports.