scholarly journals Role of Chest Imaging in Viral Lung Diseases

Author(s):  
Diletta Cozzi ◽  
Eleonora Bicci ◽  
Alessandra Bindi ◽  
Edoardo Cavigli ◽  
Ginevra Danti ◽  
...  

The infection caused by novel beta-coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. However, in the last 20 years, this has not been the only viral infection to cause respiratory tract infections leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide, referring in particular to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), influenza H1N1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Although in this pandemic period SARS-CoV-2 infection should be the first diagnosis to exclude, many other viruses can cause pulmonary manifestations and have to be recognized. Through the description of the main radiological patterns, radiologists can suggest the diagnosis of viral pneumonia, also combining information from clinical and laboratory data.

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 531-541
Author(s):  
Ali Mustafa Qamar ◽  
Rehan Ullah Khan ◽  
Suliman A. Alsuhibany

Coronavirus constitutes a family of RNA viruses causing respiratory tract infections in both humans and birds. A mild disease appears like the common cold, and in other cases, causes Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), or COVID-19. As compared to COVID-19, SARS and MERS were limited to certain countries. On the other hand, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on Mar. 11, 2020. In this research, we perform the bibliometric assessment of Coronavirus research using the Scopus database. We studied 27,824 articles written by 64,903 researchers from 1951 till June 20, 2020, published in 3,858 different sources. More than 65% of research appeared in the form of articles. More than 34% of publications appeared in 2020, coinciding with the appearance of COVID-19. This also resulted in a sharp increase in the average citation from 2.2 observed in 2019 to 14.5 seen in the year 2020. The USA is the most-cited country, followed by China. Nevertheless, Russia appears as the most-cited country per year.


2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Elvira Cruz Jiménez ◽  
Liliana Quintanar Vera ◽  
J. Armando Lujan-Montelongo

Abstract. Covid-19 has resulted in a worldwide epidemic (pandemic) with high morbidity and mortality, which has generated efforts in various areas of research looking for safe and effective treatments to combat the virus that generates this disease: SARS-CoV-2. However, several viruses have been emerged/adapted in the last few decades, also affecting the respiratory system. According to the world health organization (WHO), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and viruses are playing important roles as the cause of these infections. In contrast to the vast repertoire of antibiotics that exist to treat bacteria-caused LRTIs, there are a very few antivirals approved for the treatment of virus-caused LRTIs, whose approach consists mainly of drug reuse. This minireview deals on the main viral pathogens that cause LRTIs and some of the most relevant antivirals to counter them (available drugs and molecules in research/clinical trials), with concise comments of their mechanism of action.   Resumen. Covid-19 ha resultado en una epidemia mundial (pandemia) con alta morbilidad y mortalidad, lo que ha generado esfuerzos en diversas áreas de investigación en la búsqueda de tratamientos seguros y eficaces para combatir el virus que genera esta enfermedad: el SARS-CoV-2. Sin embargo, un número de virus han surgido o se han adaptado en las últimas décadas, que también afectan el sistema respiratorio. Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), las infecciones en vías respiratorias inferiores (LRTIs, por sus siglas en inglés) son una de las principales causas de muerte a nivel mundial, siendo los virus de los principales patógenos causantes de estas infecciones. En contraste con el repertorio amplio de antibióticos que existen para tratar LRTIs causadas por bacterias, existen muy pocos antivirales aprobados para su tratamiento, cuyo enfoque consiste principalmente en la reutilización de fármacos. Este ensayo consiste en una breve revisión de los principales agentes virales que causan LRTIs y de los antivirales más relevantes para combatir los virus que las causan (tanto fármacos disponibles como moléculas en fases de investigación o clínicas), con comentarios concisos sobre su mecanismo de acción.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-87
Author(s):  
Kamila Tuzim ◽  
Tomasz Tuzim ◽  
Magdalena Urbańczuk ◽  
Marcin Urbańczuk ◽  
Katarzyna Schab

According to the data of the World Health Organization, every year influenza develops in up to 1.575 billion people, and 1 million of them die. Although influenza viruses are the leading cause of the upper respiratory tract infections, severe neuromuscular complications occur as well, frequently leading to disability or even death. Children under five years of age and elderly people are at the highest risk of complications and mortality. The article discusses the selected neuromuscular complications of influenza, bringing particular attention to their etiology, symptomatology, diagnostics, and therapy.


Author(s):  
Rehab Abdel Rahman El Bakry ◽  
Ayman Ibrahim Tharwat Sayed

Abstract Background In March 2020, the World Health Organization announced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic, and because of the primary pulmonary manifestations of the disease, chest CT is essential in the evaluation of those patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of chest CT findings and chest CT scoring along with serum ferritin and LDH in the prognosis of COVID-19 patients in a cohort of the Egyptian population. Results This retrospective study included 250 patients with positive RT-PCR for COVID-19, 138 males [55.2%] and 112 females [44.8%], age range 17–82 years with median 49.5. Two hundred patients had a positive significant correlation between age, serum ferritin, serum LDH, and CT score. Bilateral affection was 88% while unilaterality was 12%, and peripheral chest CT findings were stratified as follows: mild [score from 1 to 10], 114 patients [57%]; moderate [score from 11 to 19], 65 patients [32.5%]; and severe [score from 20 to 25], 21 patients [10.5%]. In severe cases, males constitute 85.7% while females were only 14.3%. Statistical and central distribution was 67%, peripheral was 31%, and central was 2%. Ground glass opacity (GGO) was the highest pattern 39.2%, consolidation 31.2%, fibrosis 15.2%, and CP 13.7%, with lymph nodes only 0.6%. Fifteen cases [6%] were critical; all showed severe scores ranging from 21 to 23 with three times increase in serum ferritin and four times increase in LDH. A follow-up study done to 8 cases [3.2%] showed an increase in CT scoring, serum ferritin, and serum LDH. Conclusion Chest CT findings are crucial for early diagnosis of COVID-19 disease especially for asymptomatic patients with old age and male sex considered risk factors for poor prognosis. Chest CT score, serum ferritin, and serum LDH help in predicting the short-term outcome of the patients aiming to decrease both morbidity and mortality.


2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saulo Duarte Passos ◽  
Rosa Estela Gazeta ◽  
Ana Paula Felgueiras ◽  
Patrícia Costa Beneli ◽  
Micheline de S. Z. S. Coelho

To review if pollution and climate changes can influence respiratory tract infections in children. Data source: articles published on the subject in PubMed, SciELO, Bireme, EBSCO and UpTodate were reviewed. The following inclusion criteria were considered: scientific papers between 2002 and 2012, study design, the pediatric population, reference documents such as the CETESB and World Health Organization Summary of the data: We analyzed research that correlated respiratory viruses and climate and/or pollution changes. Respiratory syncytial virus has been the virus related most to changes in climate and humidity. Other "old and new" respiratory viruses such as Human Bocavirus, Metapneumovirus, Parechovirus and Parainfuenza would need to be investigated owing to their clinical importance. Although much has been studied with regard to the relationship between climate change and public health, specific studies about its influence on children's health remain scarce.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (02) ◽  
pp. 953-960
Author(s):  
Afaf A. Amin ◽  
◽  
Gulsen A. Saleh ◽  
Ahmed S. Khedr ◽  
◽  
...  

COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus to which humans have not got immunity. It originated in China and has quickly spread around the world.It is a disease caused by an infection by SARS-CoV-2 virus, first identified in the city of Wuhan, in Chinas Hubei province in December 2019. COVID-19 was previously known as 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) respiratory disease before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the official name as COVID-19 in February 2020. Like the other coronaviruses, the SARS-CoV-2 virus primarily causes respiratory tract infections, and the severity of the COVID-19 disease can range from mild to fatal.


Author(s):  
Hira Karim ◽  
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan

Emerging and reemerging pathogens is a global challenge for public health. Recently, a novel coronavirus disease emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province of China, in December 2019. It is named COVID-19 by World Health Organization (WHO). It is known to be caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that affects the lower respiratory tract and manifests as pneumonia in humans. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are structurally more complicated as compared to other RNA viruses. This viral epidemic has led to the deaths of many, including the elderly or those with chronic disease or compromised immunity. Viruses cause infection and diseases in humans of varying degrees, upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) cause common cold while lower respiratory tract infections induce pneumonia, bronchitis, and even severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The costs of COVID-19 are not limited. It equally affects all the medical, sociological, psychological, and economic aspects globally. This is regarded as the third deadly outbreak in the last two decades after Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome SARS (2002–2003) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome MERS (2012). Based on the sequence homology of SARS-CoV-2, different animal sources including bats, snakes, and pangolins have been reported as potential carriers of this viral strain. Real-time RT-PCR represents the primary method for the diagnosis of new emerging viral strain SARS-CoV-2. The transmission dynamics suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted from person-to-person through direct contact or coughing, sneezing, and by respiratory droplets. Several anti-viral treatments including lopinavir/ritonavir, remdesivir, chloroquine phosphate, and abidor are also suggested with different recommendations and prescriptions. Protective and preventive strategies as suggested by various health organization i.e. WHO and US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must be adopted by everyone. This review covers the important aspects of novel COVID-19 including characteristics, virology, symptoms, diagnostics, clinical aspects, transmission dynamics, and protective measures of COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51
Author(s):  
MM Bodiuzzaman

COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease caused by a newly discovered SARS-CoV-2 virus and identified in the city of Wuhan, China in December 2019. World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this disease as a pandemic, and warned other countries. Presently this has affected 221 countries, areas or territories worldwide, Spreading of this disease is very fast in USA, India, Brazil, and Russia than in the country of its origin China. Like other coronaviruses, this may develop respiratory tract infections in the patients range from mild to fatal illness like pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Bangladesh, a country of 170 million people, is not an exception regarding COVID-19; it has been reported 5,70,800 confirmed cases with 8690 documented deaths. Still now no effective drug, vaccine, or any procedure is available and experiments are underway. However, empirical therapy is being followed to manage and save the lives of the patients. There is a need for pharmacological alternatives to combat this deadly virus and its complications. Based on the previous experiences with similar coronavirus management and present preliminary data from uncontrolled studies, drugs like Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, and Favipiravir have been recommended by the researchers to manage COVID-19. This review had assessed the potential mechanisms, safety profile, availability and cost of these drugs. This review concludes that the drugs mentioned above are having different properties and act differently in combating the COVID-19 viruses. Faridpur Med. Coll. J. 2021;16(1):45-51


2020 ◽  
pp. 78-78
Author(s):  
L.D. Todoriko ◽  
І.О. Сем’янів

Objective. To evaluate the features of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in a pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Materials and methods. Leading foreign technical sources on the course of TB during the COVID-19 pandemic have been developed. Results and discussion. Respiratory tract infections remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases worldwide. The list of World Health Organization (WHO) priority projects for research and development at the end of December 2019 included only three pathogens: coronavirus of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV), coronavirus of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV), mycobacterium TB. In January 2020, SARS-CoV-2, which is the cause of COVID-19, was added to the list of priorities. On March 11, 2020, the WHO announced a pandemic of a new dangerous disease – COVID-19. The pandemic has bypassed all other health problems and has become key worldwide and continues to spread, especially in countries with a high burden of TB, including Ukraine. Modern measures for social distancing and staying at home make it difficult to implement a program to provide quality TB care. This can have serious consequences for existing and undiagnosed TB patients worldwide, in particular in low- and middle-income countries where TB is endemic and health services are poorly equipped. It will be important to ensure access to uninterrupted quality care and care for everyone with TB. Conclusions. On average, TB detection in Ukraine decreased by 27.4 %, and the incidence of TB among children decreased by 34.5 %. These are alarming figures, because we know very well that within 6 months the number of TB patients has not decreased, they have simply stopped being diagnosed. Launched cases began to be registered more and more often, and in the conditions of strict quarantine patients – active bacterial isolates pose a threat to contact persons, especially from risk groups according to COVID-19. All of the above is a clear example of the future problem we will deal with in the coming years.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document