Assessment of the pneumonia severity score in community-acquired and nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia due to COVID-19

IntroductionThe Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS) pneumonia guidelines recommend simple predictive rules, the A-DROP scoring system, for assessment of the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia (NHCAP). We evaluated whether the A-DROP system can be adapted for assessment of the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.MethodsData from 1141 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were analyzed, comprising 502 patients observed in the 1st to 3rd wave period, 338 patients in the 4th wave and 301 patients in the 5th wave in Japan.ResultsThe mortality rate and mechanical ventilation rate were 0% and 1.4% in patients classified with mild disease (A-DROP score, 0 point), 3.2% and 46.7% in those with moderate disease (1 or 2 points), 20.8% and 78.3% with severe disease (3 points), and 55.0% and 100% with extremely severe disease (4 or 5 points), indicating an increase in the mortality and mechanical ventilation rates in accordance with severity (Cochran–Armitage trend test; p = <0.001). This significant relationship between the severity in the A-DROP scoring system and either the mortality rate or mechanical ventilation rate was observed in patients with COVID-19 CAP and NHCAP. In each of the five COVID-19 waves, the same significant relationship was observed.ConclusionsThe mortality rate and mechanical ventilation rate in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia increased depending on severity classified according to the A-DROP scoring system. Our results suggest that the A-DROP scoring system can be adapted for the assessment of severity of COVID-19 CAP and NHCAP.     

Usefulness of the Legionella Score for differentiating from COVID-19 pneumonia to legionella pneumonia

Legionella pneumophila is a major causative pathogen of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), but recently the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) became the most common causative pathogen of CAP. Because L. pneumophila CAP is clinically distinct from bacterial CAPs, the Japan Society for Chemotherapy (JSC) developed a simple scoring system, the Legionella Score, using six parameters for the presumptive diagnosis of L. pneumophila pneumonia. We investigated the clinical and laboratory differences of L. pneumophila CAP and COVID-19 CAP and validated the Legionella Score in both CAP groups. We analyzed 102 patients with L. pneumophila CAP and 956 patients with COVID-19 CAP. Dyspnea and psychiatric symptoms were more frequently observed and cough was less frequently observed in patients with L. pneumophila CAP than those with COVID-19 CAP. Loss of taste and anosmia were observed in patients with COVID-19 CAP but not observed in those with L. pneumophila CAP. C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase levels in L. pneumophila CAP group were significantly higher than in the COVID-19 CAP group. In contrast, sodium level in the L. pneumophila CAP group was significantly lower than in the COVID-19 CAP group. The median Legionella Score was significantly higher in the L. pneumophila CAP group than the COVID-19 CAP group (score 4 vs 2, p < 0.001). Our results demonstrated that the JSC Legionella Score had good diagnostic ability during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, physicians should consider COVID-19 CAP when loss of taste and/or anosmia are observed regardless of the Legionella Score.     

COVID-19 Seroprevalence in ED Health Care Professionals Study: A Cross-Sectional Study

IntroductionED health care professionals are at the frontline of evaluation and management of patients with acute, and often undifferentiated, illness. During the initial phase of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, there were concerns that ED health care professionals may have been at increased risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 due to difficulty in early identification of patients. This study assessed the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among ED health care professionals without confirmed history of COVID-19 infection at a quaternary academic medical center.MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional design. An ED health care professional was deemed eligible if they had worked at least 4 shifts in the adult emergency department from April 1, 2020, through May 31, 2020, were asymptomatic on the day of blood draw, and were not known to have had prior documented COVID-19 infection. The study period was December 17, 2020, to January 27, 2021. Eligible participants completed a questionnaire and had a blood sample drawn. Samples were run on the Roche Cobas Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay.ResultsOf 103 health care professionals (16 attending physicians, 4 emergency residents, 16 advanced practice professionals, and 67 full-time emergency nurses), only 3 (2.9%; exact 95% CI, 0.6%-8.3%) were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.DiscussionAt this quaternary academic medical center, among those who volunteered to take an antibody test, there was a low seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among ED clinicians who were asymptomatic at the time of blood draw and not known to have had prior COVID-19 infection.     

COVID-19 and non–COVID-19 pneumonia: a comparison

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused the relocation of huge financial resources to departments dedicated to infected patients, at the expense of those suffering from other pathologies.AimTo compare clinical features and outcomes in COVID-19 pneumonia and non-COVID-19 pneumonia patients.Patients and methods53 patients (35 males, mean age 61.5 years) with COVID-19 pneumonia and 50 patients (32 males, mean age 72.7 years) with non-COVID-19 pneumonia, consecutively admitted between March and May 2020 were included. Clinical, laboratory and radiological data at admission were analyzed. Duration of hospitalization and mortality rates were evaluated.ResultsAmong the non-COVID patients, mean age, presence of comorbidities (neurological diseases, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Charlson Comorbidity Index and risk factors (tobacco use and protracted length of stay in geriatric healthcare facilities) were higher than in COVID patients. The non-COVID-19 pneumonia group showed a higher (24% vs. 17%), although not statistically significant in-hospital mortality rate; the average duration of hospitalization was longer for COVID patients (30 vs. 9 days, p = .0001).ConclusionsIn the early stages of the COVID pandemic, our centre noted no statistical difference in unadjusted in-hospital mortality between COVID and non-COVID patients. Non-COVID patients had higher Charlson Comorbidity Scores, reflecting a greater disease burden in this population.

Key Messages

• In March 2020, the COVID-19 disease was declared a pandemic, with enormous consequences for the organization of health systems and in terms of human lives; this has caused the relocation of huge financial resources to departments dedicated to infected patients, at the expense of those suffering from other pathologies.
• Few published reports have compared COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 pneumonia. In our study, performed in a geographic area with a low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we found few statistically significant differences in terms of clinical characteristics between the two groups analyzed.
• In the early stages of the COVID pandemic, our centre noted no statistical difference in unadjusted in-hospital mortality between COVID and non-COVID patients. Non-COVID patients had higher Charlson Comorbidity Scores, reflecting a greater disease burden in this population

     

Management of neonatal sepsis with COVID-19 infection in a premature newborn - A case report

IntroductionNeonates appear to be less affected by COVID-19 than adults, yet COVID-19 has been a challenge for all medical specialties, including neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) specialists. Unfortunately, current knowledge about the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is limited. This case report explains how COVID-19 neonatal sepsis was treated with immunomodulatory agents.Case presentationIn this case, we present a premature male newborn who was ill. He was born to a mother with a negative nasopharyngeal swab test for SARS-CoV-2. On the fifth day of life, the baby developed respiratory distress, and a nasopharyngeal swab test for SARS-CoV-2 tested positive. The baby was Intubated, and intratracheal surfactant was administered. The infant was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and corticosteroids for 14 days.Patient's demographicsAge: under 1 month, Sex: Male, Ethnicity: Iranian.ConclusionThe basics of treatment for neonatal COVID-19 is supportive care. Some studies have treated infants with various drugs such as Hydroxychloroquine, Favipiravir, and Remedsivir; however, in our case, a 5-day-old baby boy was treated with corticosteroids and IVIg. We achieved good outcomes after 2 weeks of treatment with dexamethasone 0.3 mg/kg per day and IVIg 2 g/kg/day (for 3 days). It appears that these treatments, along with adjuvant ventilation and the administration of endotracheal surfactant, can improve a patient's general condition.     

Liver dysfunction-related COVID-19: A narrative review

The coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) is caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. This disease was designated by the World Health Organization as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, which is not seen before. There are no classical features among the cases of the disease owing to the involvement of nearly all body tissues by the virus. Hepatic involvement is one of the characteristics of the COVID-19 course. There are six possible mechanisms of such involvement: Direct virus injury, drug-induced effect, inflammatory cytokine storm, hypoxia-ischemic destruction, abnormalities in liver function tests, and pre-existing chronic liver diseases. Liver abnormalities are seen commonly in the severe or critical stage of COVID-19. Therefore, these abnormalities determine the COVID-19 severity and carry a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The elderly and patients with comorbidities like diabetes mellitus and hypertension are more vulnerable to liver involvement. Another issue that needs to be disclosed is the liver manifestations following the COVID-19 vaccination, such as autoimmune hepatitis. Of note, complete vaccination with third and fourth booster doses is necessary for patients with previous chronic liver diseases or those who have been subjected to liver transplantation. This review aims to explore the various aspects of liver dysfunction during the COVID-19 course regarding the epidemiological features, predisposing factors, pathophysiological mechanisms, hepatic manifestations due to COVID-19 or following vaccination, role of liver function tests in the assessment of COVID-19 severity, adverse effects of the therapeutic agents for the disease, and prognosis.     

Convalescent plasma therapy in patients with COVID-19

IntroductionPassive antibody therapy has been used to immunize vulnerable people against infectious agents. In this study, we aim to investigate the efficacy of convalescent plasma (CP) in the treatment of severe and critically ill patients diagnosed with COVID-19.MethodThe data of severe or critically ill COVID-19 patients who received anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody-containing CP along with the antiviral treatment (n = 888) and an age-gender, comorbidity, and other COVID-19 treatments matched severe or critically ill COVID-19 patients at 1:1 ratio (n = 888) were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsDuration in the intensive care unit (ICU), the rate of mechanical ventilation (MV) support and vasopressor support were lower in CP group compared with the control group (p = 0.001, p = 0.02, p = 0.001, respectively). The case fatality rate (CFR) was 24.7 % in the CP group, and it was 27.7 % in the control group. Administration of CP 20 days after the COVID-19 diagnosis or COVID-19 related symptoms were associated with a higher rate of MV support compared with the first 3 interval groups (≤5 days, 6?10 days, 11?15 days) (p=0.001).ConclusionCP therapy seems to be effective for a better course of COVID-19 in severe and critically ill patients.     

新型冠状病毒肺炎临床表现与影像学特征分析

目的:分析新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)的临床表现与影像学征象,提高对该病的认识。方法:回顾分析解放军总医院第五医学中心确诊的58例COVID-19患者的临床资料和胸部影像学表现。根据新型冠状病毒肺炎诊疗方案(试行第6版),将所有患者分为轻型(7例)、普通型(34例)、重型(7例)和危重型(10例)并分析影像学表现。结果:COVID-19患者常见临床表现为发热(47例,81.0%)、咳嗽(31例,53.4%)、乏力(10例,17.2%)。实验室检查:白细胞计数正常或减低52例(89.7%),淋巴细胞计数减低14例(24.1%),C-反应蛋白升高18例(31.0%)。CT表现为双下肺分布阴影(46例,90.2%),COVID-19普通型患者CT主要表现为磨玻璃影(23/34,67.6%)或混合型(17/34,50.0%),周边分布为主(28/34,82.4%),重型及危重型患者CT主要表现为实变(13/17,76.5%)及混合型(14/17,82.4%),周边及中心同时受累(14/17,82.4%)。其他常见征象包括胸膜平行征、晕征、血管增粗征、铺路石征、空气支气管征等。5例重型及危重型患者有胸腔积液。结论:COVID-19患者的胸部影像学表现具有一定特征,不仅能做为早期诊断参考,还能对临床病程及严重程度进行评估。     

COVID-19 and the digestive system: A comprehensive review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading at an alarming rate, and it has created an unprecedented health emergency threatening tens of millions of people worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid could be detected in the feces of patients even after smear-negative respiratory samples. However, demonstration of confirmed fecal-oral transmission has been difficult. Clinical studies have shown an incidence rate of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms ranging from 2% to 79.1% in patients with COVID-19. They may precede or accompany respiratory symptoms. The most common GI symptoms included nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In addition, some patients also had liver injury, pancreatic damage, and even acute mesenteric ischemia/thrombosis. Although the incidence rates reported in different centers were quite different, the digestive system was the clinical component of the COVID-19 section. Studies have shown that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the receptor of SARS-CoV-2, was not only expressed in the lungs, but also in the upper esophagus, small intestine, liver, and colon. The possible mechanism of GI symptoms in COVID-19 patients may include direct viral invasion into target cells, dysregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, immune-mediated tissue injury, and gut dysbiosis caused by microbiota. Additionally, numerous experiences, guidelines, recommendations, and position statements were published or released by different organizations and societies worldwide to optimize the management practice of outpatients, inpatients, and endoscopy in the era of COVID-19. In this review, based on our previous work and relevant literature, we mainly discuss potential fecal-oral transmission, GI manifestations, abdominal imaging findings, relevant pathophysiological mechanisms, and infection control and prevention measures in the time of COVID-19.     

补充维生素D在新型冠状病毒肺炎辅助治疗中的作用研究进展

新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）引起的大流行给全球公共卫生健康带来了严峻的挑战。维生素D作为免疫调节剂,在增强免疫、抗呼吸道病毒感染方面具有重要作用。研究表明维生素D可通过影响血管紧张素转换酶2/血管紧张素（1~7）/Mas受体轴信号通路,抑制肾素-血管紧张素系统信号的过度激活而抗严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）感染和抑制炎症因子风暴产生,从而减少COVID-19患者ARDS、心源性梗阻的发生和血栓的形成。该文对维生素D在SARS-CoV-2感染及临床表现中的作用机制进行综述,推测维生素D在预防或辅助治疗COVID-19、减轻COVID-19患者临床症状方面发挥重要作用。     

Clinical and radiological findings of silent hypoxia among COVID-19 patients

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and radiological findings of COVID-19 patients with “silent hypoxia,” who had no dyspnea on admission even though their oximetry saturation was less than 94%. This retrospective cohort study included all COVID-19 patients (n = 270) at a large tertiary care hospital between January 31 and August 31, 2020. Clinical and radiological characteristics of patients who met our criteria of “silent hypoxia”, which included those who reported no dyspnea even though oximetry saturation was <94%, were extracted. Eight patients (3.0%) met the criteria for “silent hypoxia.” The median age was 61 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 48.8–72.3), and five (62.5%) were men. All patients had consolidation on CT and showed a moderate to high COVID-19 CT severity score (median: 13.5, IQR: 10.8–15.3). The median FIO2 of the maximum oxygen required was 55 (IQR: 28–70)%. Two patients (25.0%) were intubated, and one patient (12.5%) underwent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Some COVID-19 patients with “silent hypoxia” may develop severe disease. Close and accurate monitoring of patients using arterial blood gas and pulse oximetry is necessary, regardless of their symptoms.     

Predictors associated with clinical improvement of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia

BackgroundThere are few agents that have been proven effective for COVID-19. Predicting clinical improvement as well as mortality or severity is very important.ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the clinical improvement of COVID-19.MethodsOverall, 74 patients receiving treatment for COVID-19 at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital from April 6th to May 15th, 2020 were included in this study. Clinical improvement was evaluated, which defined as the decline of two levels on a six-point ordinal scale of clinical status or discharge alive from the hospital within 28 days after admission. The clinical courses were particularly investigated and the factors related to time to clinical improvement were analyzed with the log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazard model.ResultsForty-nine patients required oxygen support during hospitalization, 22 patients required invasive mechanical ventilation, and 5 patients required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. A total of 83% of cases reached clinical improvement. Longer period of time from onset to admission (≥10 days) (HR, 1.057; 95% CI, 1.002–1.114), no hypertension (HR, 2.077; 95% CI, 1.006–4.287), and low D-dimer levels (<1 μg/ml) (HR, 2.372; 95% CI, 1.229–4.576) were confirmed to be significant predictive factors for time to clinical improvement. Furthermore, a lower SARS-CoV-2 RNA copy number was also a predictive factor for clinical improvement.ConclusionsSeveral predictors for the clinical improvement of COVID-19 pneumonia were identified. These results may be important for the management of COVID-19 pneumonia.     

Role of the extracellular matrix in COVID-19

An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread globally, with over 500 million cases and 6 million deaths to date. COVID-19 is associated with a systemic inflammatory response and abnormalities of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is also involved in inflammatory storms. Upon viral infection, ECM proteins are involved in the recruitment of inflammatory cells and interference with target organ metabolism, including in the lungs. Additionally, serum biomarkers of ECM turnover are associated with the severity of COVID-19 and may serve as potential targets. Consequently, understanding the expression and function of ECM, particularly of the lung, during severe acute respiratory syndrome of the coronavirus 2 infection would provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of COVID-19 progression. In this review, we summarize the current findings on ECM, such as hyaluronic acid, matrix metalloproteinases, and collagen, which are linked to the severity and inflammation of COVID-19. Some drugs targeting the extracellular surface have been effective. In the future, these ECM findings could provide novel perspectives on the pathogenesis and treatment of COVID-19.     

Decreased number of inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A large multicenter study in Japan

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaped the dynamics of many diseases. This study aims to assess how the pandemic affected community-acquired pneumonia admission of all age groups among Japanese hospitals with various size and availability of COVID-19 wards. Our findings revealed a 44%–53% reduction in community-acquired pneumonia admission among 82 hospitals in Japan, from April through September of 2020, compared to the same period of 2019. Decreases were consistently found among hospitals with and without COVID-19 wards. The most significant decrease was found in the age group <20 years old. COVID-19 preventive measures and personal hygiene are considered to be effective measures to prevent the spreading of this disease. As vaccination progresses and the public gradually become less attentive to infection countermeasures, incidence of community-acquired pneumonia may increase in the coming season. Continued monitoring is required.     

新冠肺炎疫情下综合医院发热门诊胸部影像检查的初步研究

目的分析新冠肺炎疫情下某综合医院发热门诊数字化X射线摄影(DR)及胸部CT的应用情况及变化趋势。方法采用回顾性研究。通过医院医疗大数据平台和院内影像归档和通信系统(PACS)提取2020年1月20日至3月20日及2019年同期发热门诊就诊人次和行胸部影像检查的患者影像信息,分析不同时期发热门诊行影像检查的次数、比率和肺内炎症检出率的变化情况;提取某综合医院西城院区和通州院区2个院区发热门诊自专用胸部CT安装以来行胸部CT检查的患者影像信息,分析胸部CT在肺内炎症的检出情况。计数资料采用次数和百分比(%)表示,组间比较采用χ~2检验或Fisher精确概率法。结果 2020年1月20日至3月20日,2个院区发热门诊就诊人次为5 967人次,行影像检查4 856人次,检查率为81.38%,其中肺内炎症1 502例,阳性率为30.93%;2019年同期,2个院区发热门诊就诊人次为7 416人次,行影像检查3 317人次,检查率为44.73%,其中肺内炎症1 351例,阳性率40.73%。新冠肺疫情下行影像检查的比率较2019年同期显著提高,但阳性率较2019年显著下降9.83%(χ~2=82.28,P<0.001)。疫情下行发热门诊专用胸部CT检查525人次,其中肺内有病变433例,肺内病变检出率为82.48%。在肺内炎症检出方面,CT检出肺内炎症146例,检出率为27.81%,CT提示病毒性肺炎患者5例。结论新冠肺炎疫情下发热门诊行影像检查的比率较2019年同期显著升高,说明疫情下发热门诊DR、CT影像学应用意识不断提升,医学影像学在新冠肺炎筛查中扮演越来越重要的角色。而阳性率较2019年显著下降,其主要原因在于本次新冠肺炎传染性强,为防止漏诊情况和二次感染的发生,大大提高了影像检查的比率。如何有效利用发热门诊DR、CT是现在以及未来医疗行业值得深思的问题。     

Liver injury in COVID-19: Known and unknown

Since the first report of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, the outbreak of the disease is currently continuously evolving. Previous studies have shown varying degrees of liver damage in patients with COVID-19. However, the exact causes of liver injury and the relationship between COVID-19 and liver injury is unclear. This article describes liver injury induced by COVID-19, analyzes its causes, and discusses the treatment and prognosis of liver damage in patients with COVID-19.