Cardiovascular complications in COVID-19: A comparative study of clinical characteristics and their effect on the outcome of first wave and second wave

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Bläckberg ◽

Christian Morenius ◽

Lars Olaison ◽

Andreas Berge ◽

Magnus Rasmussen

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Infective Endocarditis ◽

Mortality Rate ◽

Haemophilus Influenzae ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Clinical Characteristics ◽

Prosthetic Valve ◽

Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis ◽

Common Cause ◽

Prosthetic Valves

AbstractInfective endocarditis (IE) caused by bacteria within Haemophilus (excluding Haemophilus influenzae), Aggregatibacter, Cardiobacterium, Eikenella and Kingella (HACEK) is rare. This study aimed to describe clinical features of IE caused by HACEK genera in comparison with IE due to other pathogens. Cases of IE due to HACEK were identified through the Swedish Registry of Infective Endocarditis (SRIE). Clinical characteristics of IE cases caused by HACEK were compared with cases of IE due to other pathogens reported to the same registry. Ninety-six patients with IE caused by HACEK were identified, and this corresponds to 1.8% of all IE cases. Eighty-three cases were definite endocarditis, and the mortality rate was 2%. The median age was 63 years, which was lower compared to patients with IE caused by other pathogens (66, 70 and 73 years respectively, p ≤ 0.01). Patients with IE caused by Haemophilus were younger compared to patients with IE due to Aggregatibacter (47 vs 67 years, p ≤ 0.001). Patients with IE due to HACEK exhibited longer duration from onset of symptoms to hospitalization and had more prosthetic valve endocarditis compared to patients with IE due to Staphylococcus aureus (10 vs 2 days, p ≤ 0.001, and 35 vs 14%, p ≤ 0.001). This is, to date, the largest study on IE due to HACEK. Aggregatibacter was the most common cause of IE within the group. The condition has a subacute onset and often strikes in patients with prosthetic valves, and the mortality rate is relatively low.

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Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy during the COVID-19 pandemic - findings from the university teaching hospital in Slovenia

European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging ◽

10.1093/ehjci/jeab111.053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽

Author(s):

B Guzic Salobir ◽

M Dolenc Novak ◽

M Stalc

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Medicine ◽

Myocardial Perfusion ◽

Clinical Characteristics ◽

Myocardial Perfusion Scintigraphy ◽

Stress Tests ◽

Pharmacological Stress ◽

Perfusion Scintigraphy ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

The University ◽

Second Wave

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Department for nuclear medicine in the University medical centre Ljubljana provides nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures for approximately 1.000.000 inhabitants of Slovenia. As many countries in Europe, Slovenia was faced with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in early spring of 2020. Since our country is situated next to the northern part of Italy, where the situation was critical, our Ministry of health issued specific recommendations in March 2020. The aim was to increase hospital capacities for COVID-19 patients through limiting non-urgent diagnostic tests including myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and to minimize the spread of the virus into hospital departments. The epidemiologic situation of the first wave resolved within 3 months. In the second wave of the pandemic in autumn 2020, the recommendations on patient care in non COVID-19 cases were less limiting to avoid worsening of non COVID-19 related diseases and patient prognosis. Purpose The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on MPS in our medical institution. Methods Data on numbers of MPS, clinical characteristics of the patients and findings of MPS were prospectively collected for the first wave (in spring from March 15th to June 15th 2020) and second wave (in autumn from September 15th to December 15th 2020) of the pandemic and were compared with the same periods in 2019. Results During the first wave we performed 40% less MPS, significantly more patients had pharmacological stress and were outpatients than in spring 2019. There were no significant differences in other clinical characteristics and MPS findings (Table 1 and Figure 1). In autumn 2020 we reorganized our schedule to increase the number of patients, which was once again comparable to previous year’s autumn. Although the number of patients was comparable, patients were now significantly older and had more often pharmacological stress, but there were no significant differences in other clinical data or MPS findings (Table 1 and Figure 1). Conclusions In our hospital, during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, we performed significantly less MPS than in the same period of the previous year. To minimize the possibility of virus transmission from asymptomatic patients, we followed international recommendations and avoided exercise stress tests but increased the percentage of pharmacological stress tests. A similar approach regarding the type of stress tests was chosen for the second wave in autumn of 2020. However, we decided to increase the number of MPS performed, in order to lessen the negative impact of the pandemic on non COVID-19 related diseases, focusing on coronary artery disease.

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Aleitamento materno exclusivo em prematuros de hospitais Amigo da Criança: estudo comparativo

Online Brazilian Journal of Nursing ◽

10.17665/1676-4285.20175627 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 319

Author(s):

Ariane Thaise Alves Monteiro ◽

Edilaine Giovanini Rossetto ◽

Kauana Olanda Pereira ◽

Mariana Charif Lakoski ◽

Marcela Maria Birolim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Comparative Study ◽

Hospital Discharge ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Premature Infants ◽

Exclusive Breastfeeding ◽

Clinical Characteristics ◽

Demographic Characteristics ◽

University Hospital ◽

Factors Associated ◽

The University

Aim: to compare the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and to verify the factors associated with its interruption in premature infants hospitalized at Baby-Friendly hospitals. Method: this is a comparative study performed with 107 premature infants admitted to the neonatal unit of two hospitals in Paraná. Data were obtained through interviews with mothers and analysis of infant records at hospital discharge and 15 days after delivery. Results: the prevalence of EBF was 29.2% in the University Hospital and 15.3% in the Philanthropic Hospital. At hospital discharge, associations with clinical characteristics of infants predominated, and 15 days after discharge there was a greater association with the socio-demographic characteristics of the parents. Conclusion: the prevalence of EBF, which was shown to be low at the time of hospital discharge in both hospitals, decreased after discharge, reinforcing the need for other strategies, in addition to those provided at Baby-Friendly hospitals, for the promotion and support of EBF in preterm infants.

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