Articles: sars-cov-2.
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Low-dose dexamethasone reduces mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of high-dose dexamethasone in patients with COVID-19-related ARDS and evaluated factors affecting the composite outcome (death or invasive mechanical ventilation). From March 4th to April 1st 2020, 98 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were included. ⋯ In hospitalized patients with COVID-19-related ARDS, high-dose dexamethasone rapidly improves the clinical status and decreases inflammatory biomarkers. CVD was found to increase the risk of the composite outcome. These data support the importance of randomized clinical trials with high-dose dexamethasone in COVID-19 patients.
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Objective Due to the lack of specific clinical manifestations and symptoms, it is difficult to distinguish COVID-19 from mimics. A common pitfall is to rush to make a diagnosis when encountering a patient with COVID-19-like symptoms. The present study describes a series of COVID-19 mimics using an outpatient database collected from a designated COVID-19 healthcare facility in Tokyo, Japan. ⋯ The prevalence of potentially fatal diseases was 14.2% (298/2,098) among non-COVID-19 patients. Conclusion Several potentially fatal diseases remain masked among the wave of COVID-19 mimics. It is imperative that a thorough differential diagnostic panel be considered prior to the rendering of a COVID-19 diagnosis.
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Guidance for pregnant women has been particularly problematic since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection and their newborns. ⋯ This study supports other published articles regarding maternal and neonatal outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women, including the absence of short-term adverse outcomes with rooming-in and breastfeeding.