Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP
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We present a case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVİD-19) re-infection where the time interval between two COVİD-positive episodes is the longest in the literature. A 40-year male patient was admitted to the Emergency Department with complaints of sore throat, cough and diarrhea; and was re-diagnosed as COVİD-19 positive after a virus-free period. He did not have a chronic disease in his anamnesis and used no medication. ⋯ In this case, the time to second COVİD-19 infection was 94 days from the first positive PCR test and 86 days from the complete resolution of symptoms. This is one of the longest COVID-19-free period between two episodes of infection in the literature. Key Words: COVID-19, Recurrence, Re-infection, Recovery.
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J Coll Physicians Surg Pak · Jan 2021
Observational StudyImaging Patterns of Encephalopathy in Patients with COVID-19.
The aim of this retrospective observational study was to describe the neuroimaging manifestations of patients with COVID-19. This study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan from March to July 2020. COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms and positive neuroimaging were included after confirmation of COVID-19 by polymerase chain reaction test (PCR). ⋯ Three cases had acute watershed infarcts (25%), two cases had posterior cerebral artery territorial infarcts (16.7%), two cases had periventricular corona radiata infarcts (16.7%), three cases had hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (25%), two cases had posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (16.7%), and there was one case each of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, pontine infarct, and bithalamic lesions (8.3%). This study highlights the diagnostic approaches in COVID-19-associated encephalopathy and the variable imaging features that clinicians and neuroradiologists should be aware of, as the pandemic progresses. Key Words: COVID-19, Neuroimaging, Encephalopathy, Magnetic resonance imaging, Coronavirus.
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J Coll Physicians Surg Pak · Jan 2021
Efficacy and Safety of an Aerosol Box for Percutaneous Tracheostomy in Patients with COVID-19 in an Intensive Care Unit.
To assess whether the use of an aerosol box for percutaneous tracheostomy in patients with COVID-19 can protect healthcare workers and affect the procedure-related outcomes and complications. ⋯ Use of the aerosol box had adequate efficacy and safety for performance of the percutaneous tracheostomy procedure in intubated patients with COVID-19, who were being followed up in the intensive care unit. This procedure could be used as an alternative to traditional tracheostomy methods in patients with contagious respiratory infections. Key Words: Tracheostomy, Intensive care unit, COVID-19, Aerosol box.
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J Coll Physicians Surg Pak · Jan 2021
Case ReportsShort-term Changes on Follow-up Chest X-rays of Familial Cluster of COVID-19 Cases.
In this study, we report a familial cluster of cases which included five patients and two close contacts who were confirmed to have coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These participants had received real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and chest X-rays (CXRs) before diagnosis. ⋯ Therefore, the results of follow-up CXRs in the short-term may be an adjunctive diagnostic method for COVID-19 disease diagnosis and its progression. Key Words: Chest X-ray, COVID-19, RT-PCR, Familial clustering.
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To compare the diagnostic accuracies of HRCT chest and RT-PCR results in diagnosis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a tertiary care hospital in Lahore. ⋯ The sensitivity of HRCT chest is higher (92%) as compared to first RT-PCR (45%). Key Words: COVID-19, RT-PCR, HRCT chest, Sensitivity, Specificity.