Articles: sars-cov-2.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Dec 2022
ReviewPERINATAL ASPECTS OF SARS-CoV-2 INFECTION DURING PREGNANCY: A POTENTIAL CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
Ever since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty regarding clinical presentation and differences among various subpopulations exist. With more than 209,870,000 confirmed cases and more than 4,400,000 deaths worldwide, we are facing the new era of health crisis which will undoubtedly impair global health, economic and social circumstances. ⋯ Although neonates diagnosed with COVID-19 were mostly asymptomatic or presented with mild disease, the effect on early pregnancy is yet to be evident. While positive finding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in some samples such as amniotic fluid, placental tissue, cord blood and breast milk exists, additional research should confirm its association with transplacental transmission.
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Many COVID-19 infected people remain asymptomatic, and hence the diagnosis at first presentation remains a challenge. Assessment at a presentation in primary care settings is usually done by visual triaging and basic clinical examination. This retrospective study involved investigating the medical e-records of COVID-19 positive patients who presented to a COVID-19 centre in Qatar for July 2020. ⋯ Compared to the asymptomatic group, the symptomatic group had lower Ct values (age groups [21-30], [31-40], [41-50] and [51-60]), higher temperature (age groups [21-30] and [31-40], Ct ranges [20.01-25.00] and [25.01-30.00]), higher HR (age groups [21-30] and [31-40], Ct range [15.01-20.00]); and lower SpO2 (age groups [41-50] and [51-60], Ct ranges [15.01-20.00] and [35.01-40.00]). Compared with asymptomatic patients, symptomatic patients with COVID-19 are most likely to be febrile, tachycardic, hypoxic and having higher viral load. Higher viral load was associated with higher HR, higher temperature, lower SpO2, but there was no relation between viral load and age.
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Acta clinica Croatica · Dec 2022
Review Case ReportsHIGH-FLOW NASAL CANNULA COMBINED WITH PRONE POSITIONING AS AN INTUBATION ALTERNATIVE IN COVID-19: A CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.
The use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in COVID-19 patients is a controversial topic due to the benefits and risks which may occur in patients and healthcare workers. The goal of this treatment modality is potential avoidance of invasive mechanical ventilation, but generation of aerosol and increased healthcare professional infection risk must be considered. We present a case of a SARS-CoV-2-positive 71-year-old male with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, who was successfully treated with HFNC combined with prone positioning. Furthermore, we discuss recent literature concerning potential issues of HFNC treatment in COVID-19 patients.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Dec 2022
Low skeletal mass predicts poor prognosis of elderly patients after emergency laparotomy: A single Asian institution experience.
Sarcopenia, defined as low skeletal muscle mass and poor muscle function, has been associated with worse postoperative recovery. This study aims to evaluate the significance of low muscle mass in the elderly who require emergency surgeries and the postoperative outcomes. ⋯ Patients with low muscle mass have significantly higher post-surgical complication rates and increased mortality.
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Observational Study
Baseline plasma SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection predicts an adverse COVID-19 evolution in moderate to severe hospitalized patients.
SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA virus, known to be the causative agent of COVID-19. As the resulting disease shows a very heterogeneous range of clinical manifestations, the identification of early biomarkers allowing patients stratification according to the expected disease severity is still an unmet clinical need. ⋯ Our data thus suggest that plasma viral RNA load at the time of hospital admission could represent a useful independent biomarker allowing early patients' stratification according to the expected disease evolution, and driving clinical decisions tailored on the specific needs of the individual patient.