Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis
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The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV2 has stressed health care systems worldwide. The high volume of patients, combined with an increased need for intensive care and potential transmission, has forced reorganization of hospitals and care delivery models. In this article, are presented approaches to minimize risk to Otolaryngologists during their patients infected with COVID-19 care. ⋯ Personal protective equipment (PPEs) availability and adequate healthcare providers training on their use should be ensured. Preventive measures are especially important in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, as the exposure to saliva suspensions, droplets and aerosols are increased in the upper aero-digestive tract routine examination. Morever, the frequent invasive procedures, such as laryngoscopy, intubation or tracheotomy placement and care, represent a high risk of contracting COVID-19.
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a broadly diffused curable chronic low-grade inflammatory disease sharing impressive clinical and pathogenetic features with Covid-19. Moreover, a potential role of OSA as a detrimental factor for Covid-19 severity has been hypothesized. ⋯ Although several papers have analyzed the overlaps and outcomes of OSA and Covid-19, limited attention has been dedicated to ventilatory adherence and management of OSA cohorts exposed to Covid-19. We briefly review the literature data, pointing out the main risks and benefits of CPAP for OSA patients in the pandemic setting.
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Italy is one of the most exposed countries worldwide to COVID-19, and Lombardy is the most affected region in Italy. In this context, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia, one of the largest University hospitals in the region, has been involved in the management of the outbreak since its inception. Immediately after the communication of the first Italian COVID-19+ patient, the Pediatric Unit has been completely reorganized to face the approaching outbreak. The optimization of the Pediatric Unit resources for COVID-19 emergency is reported as an example to safely preserve health activity during the pandemic.
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COVID-19 first presented in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. Since then, it has rapidly spread across the world, and is now formally considered a pandemic. As of 4th of May more than 3.2 million people have been infected and over 250,000 people has died. ⋯ To date, more than 9,000 academic papers have been published since December 2019. The quality of publications varies from a plane letter to editor to randomized studies. This review aims to analyse the current published literature related to COVID-19 and assess the quality of such articles.
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Kawasaki disease is an acute systemic febrile illness of unknown aetiology, which usually affects children under 5 years of age. It is well known that Kawasaki disease is one of the most common causes of acquired heart diseases in children in the developed countries. Many studies, have suggested that heterogeneous infectious agents, such as common viruses, may trigger Kawasaki disease in young children with genetic background. Nowadays we are facing a pandemic caused by a Novel Coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. Consequently, it could be possible that once exposed to this new coronavirus, some children, genetically predisposed, may mount an exaggerated inflammatory response which clinically manifests as Kawasaki Disease. ⋯ Usually, infants and children present milder symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 disease with a better outcome than adults. At variance, some children may be genetically disposed to a more robust inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2, similar to Kawasaki disease. In fact, Kawasaki disease is the result of an abnormal immune response, in susceptible children, to an external trigger such as an infection. Thus, according to the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease, paediatricians may expect an increase in cases of Kawasaki disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.