Acute liver injury in COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit: Narrative review

In recent years, humanity has been confronted with a global pandemic due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has caused an unprecedented health and economic crisis worldwide. Apart from the respiratory symptoms, which are considered the principal manifestations of COVID-19, it has been recognized that COVID-19 constitutes a systemic inflammatory process affecting multiple organ systems. Across the spectrum of organ involvement in COVID-19, acute liver injury (ALI) has been gradually gaining increasing attention by the international scientific community. COVID-19 associated liver impairment can affect a considerable proportion of COVID-19 patients and seems to correlate with the severity of the disease course. Indeed, COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) run a greater risk of developing ALI due to the severity of their clinical condition and in the context of multi-organ failure. The putative pathophysiological mechanisms of COVID-19 induced ALI in ICU patients remain poorly understood and appear to be multifactorial in nature. Several theories have been proposed to explain the occurrence of ALI in the ICU setting, such as hypoperfusion and ischemia due to hemodynamic instability, passive liver congestion as a result of congestive heart failure, ischemia-reperfusion injury, hypoxia due to respiratory failure, mechanical ventilation itself, sepsis and septic shock, cytokine storm, endotheliitis with concomitant coagulopathy, drug-induced liver injury, parenteral nutrition and direct cytopathic viral effect. It should be noted that no specific therapy for COVID-19 induced ALI exists. Therefore, the therapeutic approach lies in preventive measures and is exclusively supportive once ALI ensues. The aim of the current review is to scrutinize the existing evidence on COVID-19 associated ALI in ICU patients, explore its clinical implications, shed light on the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and propose potential therapeutic approaches. Ongoing research on the particular scientific field will further elucidate the pathophysiology behind ALI and address unresolved issues, in the hope of mitigating the tremendous health consequences imposed by COVID-19 on ICU patients.     

A single center randomized double blind controlled trial of pentoxifylline in acute pancreatitis: Challenges and opportunities

ObjectivesDespite substantial morbidity and mortality associated with acute pancreatitis (AP), only one small randomized controlled drug trial (RCT) is available in the past few decades from the United States. Hence, we conducted a single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT of pentoxifylline in AP.MethodsA total of 9 doses of oral pentoxifylline 400 mg or placebo tablet, three times daily, was administered within 72 h of diagnosis, using randomization blocks by pharmacy. Primary outcome was a composite outcome including any of the following: death, peripancreatic and/or pancreatic necrosis, infected pancreatic necrosis, persistent organ failure, persistent systemic inflammatory response syndrome, hospital stay longer than 4 days, need for intensive care, and need for intervention for necrosis.ResultsBetween July 7, 2015, and April 4, 2017, we identified 685 patients with AP, 233 met eligibility criteria and 176 were approached for the study. Of these, 91 (51.7%) declined and finally 45 in pentoxifylline group and 38 in placebo group (83 total) were compared. There were no significant differences in primary outcome (27 [60.0%] vs 15 [39.5%]; P = .06). Pentoxifylline group was not associated with any benefit, but withlonger stay (42% vs. 21%; P = .04) and higher readmission rates (16 %vs 3%; P = .047).ConclusionsWe could not demonstrate superiority of pentoxifylline over placebo. Smaller sample size and inclusion of all types of severity might be the reasons for lack of efficacy. The challenges observed in the present study indicate that, in order to conduct a successful drug trial in AP, a multi center collaboration is essential.     

Modifiable Failures in the Colorectal Cancer Screening Process and Their Association With Risk of Death

1. Download high-res image (240KB)
2. Download full-size image

     

Traverser l’institution de soins au temps fragile de l’adolescence

By exposing on the institutional level the sufferings of his present, the adolescent talks to us about his history, the damaged, destroyed or uninhabited links which mark out his life trajectory and arise in this “meantime” of his existence in so many painful shards in the internal world of his psyche and in the body. During their journey through the care institution, we work with these adolescents and their families, in this space-time, on what could help to reduce the internal breaking lines so that they can again start moving their subjective capacities to think and act in the world. Our work ethic is based on the specific capacity of each institutional actor to deploy his/her containing psychic envelopes around young patients; symbolized deployment of the containing function by the time to think about the care for the caregiver, the time to consent to it in a safe way for the adolescent, then for the latter the time once again acceptable to explore the field of possibilities.     

Quality assessment of diabetes care according to the recommendations of the St. Vincent Declaration: A population-based study in a rural area of Austria

Summary Using a mobile ambulance the quality of diabetes care was evaluated, according to the recommendations of the St. Vincent Declaration, in 95 % of all known diabetic patients (n = 395) in a geographically defined rural area of Austria with 7871 inhabitants. Fourteen of the 395 patients had Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes with age at onset of diabetes below 30 years. Of the 375 patients examined (women 61%, age 66 ± 13 years, median diabetes duration 6 years) 16 % were treated with insulin and 47 % with oral agents; HbA_1c levels were 7.3 ± 1.7 %. Prevalence of known hypertension was 54%; 68% of these patients had their blood pressure uncontrolled (systolic ≥ 160 and/or diastolic ≥ 95 mmHg); a further 15% of patients with previously unknown hypertension had blood pressure values of ≥ 160 and/or ≥ 95 mmHg. Urinary albumin concentrations of > 200 mg/l were found in 15% of patients, 2% had a serum creatinine level of > 177 μmol/l, no patient had renal replacement therapy. Six patients (1.5%) were blind. Screening for retinopathy identified six patients (out of 317 in whom the retina could be evaluated) for whom consultation with an ophthalmologist as soon as possible was recommended. Of the total patient group (n = 395) 20 patients (5%) had foot complications (amputations and/or ulcers): 14 patients had a total of 21 lower limb amputations (eight above knee, six below knee, seven below ankle); eight of these 14 patients lived in a nursing home; 11 patients had a total of 13 foot ulcers. In conclusion, in this diabetic population quality of diabetes care was satisfactory with respect to glycaemic control, whereas the high rates of uncontrolled hypertension and above ankle amputations appear amenable to improvement. This study shows that through systematic assessment of the quality of diabetes care specific local needs and deficiencies can be identified in order to propose respective interventions in health care practices.     

Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease in China and Opportunities for Improvement: JACC International

The burden of cardiovascular (CV) disease is very high in China, due to highly prevalent and poorly controlled risk factors resulting from changing sociodemographic structure and lifestyles in its large population. Rapid economic development and urbanization have been accompanied by changing patterns, expression, and management of CV disease. However, the health care system in China lacks a hierarchical structure, with a focus on treating acute diseases in hospital while ignoring long-term management, and primary health care is too weak to effectively control CV risk factors. To address these challenges, the Chinese central government has ensured health is a national priority and has introduced reforms that include implementing policies for a healthy environment, strengthening primary care, and improving affordability and accessibility within the health system. Turning the inverted pyramid of the health care system is essential in the ongoing battle against CV disease.