Guidelines for Urological Surgeries in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Is it Time for Revision?

In this correspondence the authors try to show that guidelines and recommendations including what was published by EAU rapid reaction group must be further updated and tailored according to different epidemiologic data in different countries. The authors assign the countries worldwide in three categories. First category comprises countries that experience the secondary surges smoother than the first one. The second category include countries with stronger or -merging and rising-secondary surges and the third category encompasses countries with successful initial response and secondary stronger but still more controllable surges. Authors proclaim that after passing the first baffling impact we find out that postponement strategies preached in many of these scout treatises are no more suitable at least for the countries delineated in the second category and can culminate in performance of procedures in worse. The authors proffer Iranian Urology Association COVID-19 Taskforce Pamphlet(IUA-CTP) as a paragonic document mentioning it's the time we must recognise the wide variability of the situation in different regions and any advisory position must consider this huge variance in epidemiologic profile.

The impact of sofosbuvir/daclatasvir or ribavirin in patients with severe COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: Sofosbuvir and daclatasvir are direct-acting antivirals highly effective against hepatitis C virus. There is some in silico and in vitro evidence that suggests these agents may also be effective against SARS-CoV-2. This trial evaluated the effectiveness of sofosbuvir in combination with daclatasvir in treating patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Patients with a positive nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 on RT-PCR or bilateral multi-lobar ground-glass opacity on their chest CT and signs of severe COVID-19 were included. Subjects were divided into two arms with one arm receiving ribavirin and the other receiving sofosbuvir/daclatasvir. All participants also received the recommended national standard treatment which, at that time, was lopinavir/ritonavir and single-dose hydroxychloroquine. The primary endpoint was time from starting the medication until discharge from hospital with secondary endpoints of duration of ICU stay and mortality. RESULTS: Sixty-two subjects met the inclusion criteria, with 35 enrolled in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir arm and 27 in the ribavirin arm. The median duration of stay was 5 days for the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir group and 9 days for the ribavirin group. The mortality in the sofosbuvir/daclatasvir group was 2/35 (6%) and 9/27 (33%) for the ribavirin group. The relative risk of death for patients treated with sofosbuvir/daclatasvir was 0.17 (95% CI 0.04-0.73, P = 0.02) and the number needed to treat for benefit was 3.6 (95% CI 2.1-12.1, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Given these encouraging initial results, and the current lack of treatments proven to decrease mortality in COVID-19, further investigation in larger-scale trials seems warranted.

The effects of magnesium and vitamin E co-supplementation on wound healing and metabolic status in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of magnesium and vitamin E co-supplementation on wound healing and metabolic status in patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). The current randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 57 patients with grade 3 DFU. Participants were randomly divided into two groups to take either 250 mg magnesium oxide plus 400 IU vitamin E (n = 29) or placebo per day (n = 28) for 12 weeks. Compared with the placebo, taking magnesium plus vitamin E supplements reduced ulcer length (ß [difference in the mean of outcomes measures between treatment groups] -0.56 cm; 95% CI, -0.92, -0.20; p = 0.003), width (ß -0.35 cm; 95% CI, -0.64, -0.05; p = 0.02) and depth (ß -0.18 cm; 95% CI, -0.33, -0.02; p = 0.02). In addition, co-supplementation led to a significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose (ß -13.41 mg/dL; 95% CI, -20.96, -5.86; p = 0.001), insulin (ß -1.45 µIU/ml; 95% CI, -2.37, -0.52; p = 0.003), insulin resistance (ß -0.60; 95% CI, -0.99, -0.20; p = 0.003) and HbA1c (ß -0.32%; 95% CI, -0.48, -0.16; p < 0.003), and a significant elevation in insulin sensitivity (ß 0.007; 95% CI, 0.003, 0.01; p < 0.001) compared with the placebo. Additionally, compared with the placebo, taking magnesium plus vitamin E supplements decreased triglycerides (ß -10.08 mg/dL; 95% CI, -19.70, -0.46; p = 0.04), LDL-cholesterol (ß -5.88 mg/dL; 95% CI, -11.42, -0.34; p = 0.03), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (ß -3.42 mg/L; 95% CI, -4.44, -2.41; p < 0.001) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (ß -0.30 µmol/L; 95% CI, -0.45, -0.15; p < 0.001), and increased HDL-cholesterol (ß 2.62 mg/dL; 95% CI, 0.60, 4.63; p = 0.01) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels (ß 53.61 mmol/L; 95% CI, 4.65, 102.57; p = 0.03). Overall, magnesium and vitamin E co-supplementation for 12 weeks to patients with DFU had beneficial effects on ulcer size, glycemic control, triglycerides, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, hs-CRP, TAC, and MDA levels.