scholarly journals Quantifying and reporting cardiac findings in imaging of COVID-19 patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar Mishra ◽  
Amos Lal ◽  
Kamal Kant Sahu ◽  
Mark Kranis ◽  
Jennifer Sargent
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Improvement ◽  
Acute Myocarditis ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Fulminant Myocarditis ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Acute Myocardial Injury ◽  
Significant Clinical Improvement ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Mediastinal Involvement ◽  
And Function

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection continues to be a public health emergency and a pandemic of international concern. As of April 31st,  the reported cases of COVID-19 are three million in 186 countries. Reported case fatality has crossed 200 thousand among which more than fifty thousand has been in the USA. Most patients present with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath following exposure to other COVID-19 patients. Respiratory manifestations predominate in patients with mild, moderate, severe illness. Imaging of patients with COVID-19 consistently reports various pulmonary parenchymal involvement. In this article we wanted to reinforce and review the various reported imaging patterns of cardiac and mediastinal involvement in COVID-19 patients. Among patients with COVID 19 who underwent various imaging of chest various cardiac findings including pericardial effusion, myocarditis, cardiomegaly has been reported. Most of these findings have been consistently reported in patients with significant acute myocardial injury, and fulminant myocarditis. Acute biventricular dysfunction has also been reported with subsequent improvement of the same following clinical improvement. Details of cardiac MRI is rather limited. In a patient with clinical presentation of acute myocarditis, biventricular myocardial interstitial edema, diffuse biventricular hypokinesia, increased ventricular wall thickness, and severe LV dysfunction has been reported. Among patients with significant clinical improvement in LV structure and function has also been documented. With increasing number of clinical cases, future imaging studies will be instrumental in identifying the various cardiac manifestations, and their relation to clinical outcome.

scholarly journals Epidemiological, Virological and Serological Features of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Cases in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Wuhan: A Population-based Cohort Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiao Huang ◽  
Nianhua Xie ◽  
Xuejiao Hu ◽  
Han Yan ◽  
Jie Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
Viral Shedding ◽  
Signal Value ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract Background We aimed to describe the epidemiological, virological, and serological features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH). Methods This population-based cohort study identified all COVID-19 cases among all PLWH in Wuhan, China, by 16 April 2020. The epidemiological, virological, and serological features were analyzed based on the demographic data, temporal profile of nucleic acid test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the disease, and SARS-CoV-2–specific immunoglobin (Ig) M and G after recovery. Results From 1 January to 16 April 2020, 35 of 6001 PLWH experienced COVID-19, with a cumulative incidence of COVID-19 of 0.58% (95% confidence interval [CI], .42–.81%). Among the COVID-19 cases, 15 (42.86) had severe illness, with 2 deaths. The incidence, case-severity, and case-fatality rates of COVID-19 in PLWH were comparable to those in the entire population in Wuhan. There were 197 PLWH who had discontinued combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), 4 of whom experienced COVID-19. Risk factors for COVID-19 were age ≥50 years old and cART discontinuation. The median duration of SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding among confirmed COVID-19 cases in PLWH was 30 days (interquartile range, 20–46). Cases with high HIV viral loads (≥20 copies/mL) had lower IgM and IgG levels than those with low HIV viral loads (<20 copies/ml; median signal value divided by the cutoff value [S/CO] for IgM, 0.03 vs 0.11, respectively [P < .001]; median S/CO for IgG, 10.16 vs 17.04, respectively [P = .069]). Conclusions Efforts are needed to maintain the persistent supply of antiretroviral treatment to elderly PLWH aged 50 years or above during the COVID-19 epidemic. The coinfection of HIV and SARS-CoV-2 might change the progression and prognosis of COVID-19 patients in PLWH.

scholarly journals Complement C9 expression is associated with damaged myocardial cells in pediatric sudden death cases of fulminant myocarditis

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akari Takaya Uno ◽  
Masahito Hitosugi ◽  
Mami Nakamura ◽  
Tomoyuki Nakanishi ◽  
Takahiro Mima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sudden Death ◽  
Acute Myocarditis ◽  
Lymphocytic Infiltration ◽  
Pericardial Fluid ◽  
Sirtuin 1 ◽  
Fulminant Myocarditis ◽  
Myocardial Cells ◽  
Hematoxylin And Eosin ◽  
Hematoxylin And Eosin Staining ◽  
Complement C9

Abstract Background Because disease progression is so fast in sudden death of acute fulminant myocarditis, damage of myocardial cells is not evident in routine hematoxylin and eosin staining. To understand damage to myocardial cells and the mechanism of sudden death, immunohistochemical staining was performed for two forensic autopsy cases. Case presentation The patients were a healthy 5-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy. They suddenly died within 2 days of appearance of flu-like symptoms. An autopsy showed accumulation of yellowish-clear pericardial fluid containing fibrin deposits, fluid blood in the heart, and congestion of visceral organs. Histologically, minor necrosis or degeneration of myocardial cells with mainly lymphocytic infiltration was observed sometimes in tissue sections. Immunohistochemically, positive complement C9 staining and negative sirtuin 1 staining were found. These findings suggested wide damage of myocardial cells, even in regions with no marked changes in myocardial cells with hematoxylin and eosin staining. These areas corresponded to those with strong accumulation of lymphocytes. Conclusions Immunohistochemistry for complement C9 and sirtuin 1 might become a new tool for evaluating damage of myocardial cells of fulminant acute myocarditis.

Abstract 16010: Congestive Heart Failure and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Illness Severity

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Ruge ◽  
Joanne Michelle D Gomez ◽  
Gatha G Nair ◽  
Setri Fugar ◽  
Jeanne du Fay de Lavallaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Congestive Heart Failure ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Severity Of Illness ◽  
Severe Infection ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Male Sex

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has killed hundreds of thousands worldwide. Those with cardiovascular disease represent a vulnerable population with higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and worse prognosis with higher case fatality rates. Congestive heart failure (CHF) may lead to worsening COVID-19 symptoms. However, it is unclear if CHF is an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection or if other accompanying comorbidities are responsible for the increased risk. Methods: From March to June 2020, data was obtained from adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection who were admitted in the Rush University System for Health (RUSH) in Illinois. Heart failure patients, determined by ICD code assignments extracted from the electronic medical records, were identified. Multivariable logistic regression was performed between predictor variables and a composite outcome of severe infection consisting of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, intubation, or in-hospital mortality. Results: In this cohort (n=1136), CHF [odds ratio (OR) 1.02] alone did not predict a more severe illness. Prior myocardial infarction [(MI), OR 3.55], history of atrial fibrillation [(AF), OR 2.14], and male sex (OR 1.55) were all significantly (p<0.001) associated with more severe COVID-19 illness course when controlling for CHF (Figure 1). In the 178 CHF patients, more advanced age (68.8 years vs. 63.8 years; p<0.05) and female sex (54.5% vs. 39.1%; p<0.05) were associated with increased severity of illness. Conclusions: Prior MI, history of AF, and male sex predicted more severe COVID-19 illness course in our cohort, but pre-existing heart failure alone did not. However, CHF patients who are females and older in age are at risk for severe infection. These findings help clinicians identify patients with comorbidities early at risk for severe COVID-19 illness.

scholarly journals Rituximab Therapy in Renal Amyloidosis Secondary to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Biomolecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Levent Kilic ◽  
Abdulsamet Erden ◽  
Yusuf Sener ◽  
Berkan Armagan ◽  
Alper Sari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Clinical Improvement ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Case Series ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Renal Amyloidosis ◽  
Secondary Amyloidosis ◽  
Aa Amyloidosis ◽  
Amyloid A ◽  
Significant Clinical Improvement

Secondary amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis is a late and serious complication of poorly controlled, chronic inflammatory diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with poorly controlled, longstanding disease and those with extra-articular manifestations are under risk for the development of AA amyloidosis. Although new drugs have proven to be significantly effective in the treatment of secondary AA amyloidosis, no treatment modality has proven to be ideal. To date, only in small case series preliminary clinical improvement have been shown with rituximab therapy for AA amyloidosis secondary to RA that is refractory to TNF-α inhibitors (TNF-i) therapy. In these case series, we assessed the efficacy and safety of rituximab therapy for patients with RA and secondary amyloidosis. Hacettepe University Biologic Registry was developed at 2005. The data of the RA patients who were prescribed a biological drug were recorded regularly. Patients with biopsy proven AA amyloidosis patients were screened. Of 1022 RA patients under biologic therapy, 0.7% patients had clinically apparent histologically confirmed amyloidosis. Four of seven patients who were prescribed rituximab at least one infusion enrolled to those case series. Two of four patients showed significant clinical improvement and one of them also had decrease in proteinuria and the other one had stable renal function and proteinuria. The main goal for the treatment of AA amyloidosis is to control the activity of the underlying disorder. In this study, we showed that rituximab may be an effective treatment in RA patients with amyloidosis who were unresponsive to conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and/or TNFi.

scholarly journals The Predictive Value of Myoglobin for COVID-19-Related Adverse Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaoqun Ma ◽  
Dingyuan Tu ◽  
Jiawei Gu ◽  
Qiang Xu ◽  
Pan Hou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Troponin I ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Cardiac Injury ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Cardiac Biomarkers ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Poor Outcomes ◽  
Meta Analyses

Objective: Cardiac injury is detected in numerous patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has been demonstrated to be closely related to poor outcomes. However, an optimal cardiac biomarker for predicting COVID-19 prognosis has not been identified.Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched for published articles between December 1, 2019 and September 8, 2021. Eligible studies that examined the anomalies of different cardiac biomarkers in patients with COVID-19 were included. The prevalence and odds ratios (ORs) were extracted. Summary estimates and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were obtained through meta-analyses.Results: A total of 63 studies, with 64,319 patients with COVID-19, were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The prevalence of elevated cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and myoglobin (Mb) in the general population with COVID-19 was 22.9 (19–27%) and 13.5% (10.6–16.4%), respectively. However, the presence of elevated Mb was more common than elevated cTnI in patients with severe COVID-19 [37.7 (23.3–52.1%) vs.30.7% (24.7–37.1%)]. Moreover, compared with cTnI, the elevation of Mb also demonstrated tendency of higher correlation with case-severity rate (Mb, r = 13.9 vs. cTnI, r = 3.93) and case-fatality rate (Mb, r = 15.42 vs. cTnI, r = 3.04). Notably, elevated Mb level was also associated with higher odds of severe illness [Mb, OR = 13.75 (10.2–18.54) vs. cTnI, OR = 7.06 (3.94–12.65)] and mortality [Mb, OR = 13.49 (9.3–19.58) vs. cTnI, OR = 7.75 (4.4–13.66)] than cTnI.Conclusions: Patients with COVID-19 and elevated Mb levels are at significantly higher risk of severe disease and mortality. Elevation of Mb may serve as a marker for predicting COVID-19-related adverse outcomes.Prospero Registration Number:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020175133, CRD42020175133.

scholarly journals Alternative Leprosy Treatment Using Rifampicin Ofloxacin Minocycline (ROM) Regimen – Two Case Reports

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-93
Author(s):  
Yohanes Widjaja ◽  
Khairuddin Djawad ◽  
Saffruddin Amin ◽  
Widyawati Djamaluddin ◽  
Dirmawati Kadir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Improvement ◽  
Alternative Treatment ◽  
Histopathological Examination ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Erythematous Plaque ◽  
First Case ◽  
Satisfactory Outcome ◽  
Significant Clinical Improvement ◽  
The Right

Abstract Introduction. Leprosy is a disease that predominantly affects the skin and peripheral nerves, resulting in neuropathy and associated long-term consequences, including deformities and disabilities. According to the WHO classification, there are two categories of leprosy, paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB). The standard treatment for leprosy employs the use of WHO MDT (Multi Drug Treatment) regimen, despite its multiple downsides such as clofazimine-induced pigmentation, dapsone-induced haematological adverse effects, poor compliance due to long therapy duration, drug resistance, and relapse. Multiple studies and case reports using ROM regimen have reported satisfactory results. Nevertheless, there are still insufficient data to elucidate the optimum dosage and duration of ROM regimen as an alternative treatment for leprosy. Previous experience from our institution revealed that ROM regimen given three times weekly resulted in a satisfactory outcome. Case Reports. We report two cases of leprosy treated with ROM regimen from our institution. The first case was PB leprosy in a 64-year-old male who presented with a single scaly plaque with erythematous edge on the right popliteal fossa. Sensibility examination showed hypoesthesia with no peripheral nerve enlargement. Histopathological examination confirmed Borderline Tuberculoid leprosy. ROM regimen was started three times weekly for 6 weeks and the patient showed significant clinical improvement at the end of the treatment with no reaction or relapse until after 6 months after treatment. The second case was MB leprosy in a 24-year-old male patient with clawed hand on the 3rd-5th phalanges of the right hand and a hypoesthetic erythematous plaque on the forehead. Histopathology examination confirmed Borderline leprosy. The patients received ROM therapy 3 times a week with significant clinical improvement after 12 weeks. Conclusion. ROM regimen given three times weekly for 6 weeks in PB leprosy and 12 weeks in MB leprosy resulted in a significant clinical improvement. Thus, ROM regimen could be a more effective, safer, faster alternative treatment for leprosy.

scholarly journals ANTI M. leprae IgM ANTIBODY DETERMINATION BY ULTRAMICROIMMUNOENZYMATIC (UMELISA HANSEN) FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING LEPROSY

1998 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana TORRELLA ◽  
Rosa L. SOLIS ◽  
Esther PEREZ ◽  
Yadira MEDINA ◽  
Carlos KERGUELEN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibody Response ◽  
Clinical Improvement ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Igm Antibody ◽  
Smear Examination ◽  
Early Signal ◽  
Significant Clinical Improvement ◽  
Antibody Levels ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Antigenic Load

The relationship between the IgM antibody response, antigenic load as well as the clinical improvement after chemotherapy was studied in order to obtain useful data for the early diagnosis and monitoring leprosy. A level of 82% (94/115) agreement was obtained between IgM UMELISA HANSEN and slitskin smear examination. Discrepant results were observed in 16 patients who showed positive IgM response despite negative by the skin smear examination. In these patients, the IgM response was seen to be associated to the early signal for bacilli recurrence in the skin. In one of these patients the presence of bacilli was demonstrated in the skin, two months after IgM antibodies being detected by UMELISA HANSEN. Also in one of the treated patients positive by both diagnostic techniques, a remarkable decrease in the IgM antibody levels was seen, correlating with a significant clinical improvement. Moreover it was found a direct relationship between the IgM antibody response and bacterial antigenic load, regardless the time elapsed in the disease's evolution.

Application of survival analysis techniques to determine the optimal number of acupuncture therapy sessions for stroke patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-200
Author(s):  
Siriluck Sangtin ◽  
Thanan Supasiri ◽  
Rungroat Tangsathitporn ◽  
Krit Pongpirul
Keyword(s):  
Survival Analysis ◽  
Acupuncture Therapy ◽  
Clinical Improvement ◽  
Barthel Index ◽  
Optimal Number ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Significant Clinical Improvement ◽  
Late Treatment ◽  
Therapy Sessions

Background: Acupuncture has shown clinical benefits in stroke patients but there is currently no clear recommendation on the number of acupuncture sessions that should be offered. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal number of acupuncture therapy sessions, following which significant clinical improvement could be anticipated. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study in stroke patients who had received acupuncture therapy as an adjunct treatment at Trang Hospital—a non-academic provincial hospital in Southern Thailand—between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. Significant clinical improvement in activities of daily living (ADLs) was defined as an increase in the Barthel Index of ⩾10 points from baseline. Survival analysis techniques were applied to determine the optimal number of acupuncture therapy sessions. Results: Of 89 patients, 78% had a significant clinical improvement. Kaplan–Meier analysis estimated that 50% of the patients exhibited significant improvements by the eighth acupuncture therapy session. By the 16th session, the proportion of patients increased to 81%. Subgroup analyses revealed that the clinical improvement did not depend on baseline Barthel index, whereas early treatment (within 3 months of stroke onset) was associated with a faster response than late treatment. The median numbers of sessions required to achieve a significant improvement in the early and late treatment groups were 8 and 11, respectively. Conclusion: Stroke patients who were going to improve saw a significant improvement in Barthel index by the 16th acupuncture session and the marginal improvement declined substantially afterward. Our approach required minimal data available from the medical records of a non-academic facility, yet practical implication could be achieved. Trial Registration: The study was retrospectively registered on 18 August 2017 with the Thai Clinical Trials Registry (ref. TCTR20170822002).

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