Project description:Background and aimsCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with liver injury, but the prevalence and patterns of liver injury in liver transplantation (LT) recipients with COVID-19 are open for study.Approach and resultsWe conducted a multicenter study in the United States of 112 adult LT recipients with COVID-19. Median age was 61 years (interquartile range, 20), 54.5% (n = 61) were male, and 39.3% (n = 44) Hispanic. Mortality rate was 22.3% (n = 25); 72.3% (n = 81) were hospitalized and 26.8% (n = 30) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Analysis of peak values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) during COVID-19 showed moderate liver injury (ALT 2-5× upper limit of normal [ULN]) in 22.2% (n = 18) and severe liver injury (ALT > 5× ULN) in 12.3% (n = 10). Compared to age- and sex-matched nontransplant patients with chronic liver disease and COVID-19 (n = 375), incidence of acute liver injury was lower in LT recipients (47.5% vs. 34.6%; P = 0.037). Variables associated with liver injury in LT recipients were younger age (P = 0.009; odds ratio [OR], 2.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-3.54), Hispanic ethnicity (P = 0.011; OR, 6.01; 95% CI, 1.51-23.9), metabolic syndrome (P = 0.016; OR, 5.87; 95% CI, 1.38-24.99), vasopressor use (P = 0.018; OR, 7.34; 95% CI, 1.39-38.52), and antibiotic use (P = 0.046; OR, 6.93; 95% CI, 1.04-46.26). Reduction in immunosuppression (49.4%) was not associated with liver injury (P = 0.156) or mortality (P = 0.084). Liver injury during COVID-19 was significantly associated with mortality (P = 0.007; OR, 6.91; 95% CI, 1.68-28.48) and ICU admission (P = 0.007; OR, 7.93; 95% CI, 1.75-35.69) in LT recipients.ConclusionsLiver injury is associated with higher mortality and ICU admission in LT recipients with COVID-19. Hence, monitoring liver enzymes closely can help in early identification of patients at risk for adverse outcomes. Reduction of immunosuppression during COVID-19 did not increase risk for mortality or graft failure.
Project description:OBJECTIVES:To perform an online survey aimed at evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on Italian radiology departments. METHODS:We launched a survey composed of 25 questions about how COVID-19 has changed the safety and organization of daily activity in Italian radiology units. RESULTS:A total of 2136/10,564 (20.2%) radiologists of the Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology participated. Two-thirds performed at least one diagnostic/interventional procedure on COVID-19 patients. The 88.1% reported a reduction in the elective imaging volumes, with US, mammography, and MRI having shown the greater decrease (41.1%, 23.9%, and 21.1%, respectively). In 69.6% of cases, institutions had trouble getting personal protective equipment (PPE), especially public hospitals and southern institutions. Less than 30% of participants were subjected to RT-PCR swab test, although 81.5% believed that it should be done on all health workers and 70% suggested it as the most important measure to improve safety at work. Slightly more than half of participants declared to work safely and felt to be adequately protected by their institutions. Up to 20% of northern participants were redeployed to clinical services. The first imaging examination performed by admitted COVID-19 patients was chest radiography in 76.3% of cases. Almost half of participants reported that less than 30% of health workers were infected in their radiology department, with higher rates in northern regions and public institutions. CONCLUSIONS:This snapshot of the current situation in Italian radiology departments could be used to harmonize the organization of working activity in order to safely and effectively face this pandemic. KEY POINTS:• More than two-thirds of institutions had trouble getting PPE for health workers, with public hospitals and southern institutions that presented more procurement problems • A substantial drop of imaging volumes was observed in the vast majority of Italian radiology departments, mostly due to the decrease of ultrasound, mammography, and MRI, especially in private practice were working activity was stopped in 13.3% of institutions • RT-PCR swab to health workers was reported as the most suggested measure by Italian radiologists to improve safety at work, as more than 80% of them believed that it should be performed to all health workers, although less than 30% were subjected to this test.
Project description:BACKGROUND:The current ongoing pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) has globally affected 213 countries and territories with more than 2.5 million confirmed cases and thousands of casualties. The unpredictable and uncertain COVID-19 outbreak has the potential of adversely affecting the psychological health on individual and community level. Currently all efforts are focused on the understanding of epidemiology, clinical features, mode of transmission, counteract the spread of the virus, and challenges of global health, while crucially significant mental health has been overlooked in this endeavor. METHOD:This review is to evaluate past outbreaks to understand the extent of adverse effects on psychological health, psychological crisis intervention, and mental health management plans. Published previous and current articles on PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Elsevier about psychological impact of infectious diseases outbreaks and COVID-19 has been considered and reviewed. COMMENTS:COVID-19 is leading to intense psychosocial issues and comprising mental health marking a secondary health concern all around the world. Globally implementing preventive and controlling measures, and cultivating coping and resilience are challenging factors; modified lifestyle (lockdown curfew, self-isolation, social distancing and quarantine); conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation about the origin, scale, signs, symptoms, transmission, prevention and treatment; global socioeconomic crisis; travel restrictions; workplace hazard control; postponement and cancellation of religious, sports, cultural and entertainment events; panic buying and hoarding; incidents of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, stigma, psychological pressure of productivity, marginalization and violence; overwhelmed medical centers and health organizations, and general impact on education, politics, socioeconomic, culture, environment and climate - are some of the risk factors to aggravate further problems.
Project description:The concerns generated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are having profound impact on solid organ transplantation (SOT). Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) are currently the only measures available to contain COVID-19 in the general population and in more vulnerable recipients of any organ transplant. In this cross-sectional case control study from a patient survey undertaken in 2 transplant centers (TxC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Italy, we aimed to appraise awareness of the NPI implemented by respective these governments. We have also evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on our kidney transplant (KT) recipients and a control group of kidney living donors (KLD). In our series, there were zero cases of COVID-19 among 111 KT recipients and 70 KLD of the control group. Demography, transplant type, immunosuppression regimes, and, importantly, the different COVID-19 prevalence in the 2 regions of the TxC did not appear to influence incidence of COVID-19 in our KT recipients. The absence of COVID-19 cases in our series was unexpected. Our findings suggest that awareness of NPI is associated with a successful containment of COVID-19 in vulnerable, immunosuppressed KT recipients.
Project description:New mutations conferring resistance to SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics have important clinical implications. We describe the first cases of an independently acquired V792I RNA-dependent RNA polymerase mutation developing in renal transplant recipients after remdesivir exposure. Our work underscores the need for augmented efforts to identify concerning mutations and address their clinical implications.
Project description:Background: The probable impact of a maintenance immunosuppressant (IS) on liver transplant (LT) recipients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unexplored. Our specific aim was to approximate the prognosis of LT recipients with COVID-19 on the standard maintenance IS. Method: We searched separate databases for the qualified studies in between December 2019 and June 25, 2021. Ultimately, a meta-analysis was carried out using a fixed-effect or random-effect model based on the heterogeneity. Results: In a total of eight studies and 509 LT recipients with COVID-19, the pooled rates of severity and mortality during all the combined immunosuppressive therapies were 22.4 and 19.5%, respectively. Our study sufficiently showed that an immunosuppressive therapy in LT recipients with COVID-19 was significantly associated with a non-severe COVID-19 [odds ratio (OR): 11.49, 95% CI: 4.17-31.65; p < 0.001] and the survival of the patients (OR: 17.64, 95% CI: 12.85-24.22; p < 0.001). Moreover, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor (mTORi) typically had the lowest rate of severity and mortality compared to other ISs such as calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), steroids, and antimetabolites, i.e., severity (13.5 vs. 21.1, 24.7, and 26.3%) and mortality (8.3 vs. 15, 17.2, and 12.1%), respectively. Contrary to the general opinions, our meta-analysis showed comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiopulmonary disorders, chronic kidney disease (CKD), age >60, the duration of LT to the diagnosis of COVID-19, primary disease for LT, and obesity were not significantly associated with the severity and mortality in LT recipients with COVID-19 under an immunosuppressive therapy. However, our pooled analysis found that LT recipients with COVID-19 and without comorbidities have a less severe disease and low mortality rate compared to those with both COVID-19 and comorbidities. Conclusions: In conclusion, LT recipients with COVID-19 undergoing immunosuppressive therapies are not significantly associated with the severity and mortality. Therefore, taking the risk of organ rejection into a key consideration, a complete withdrawal of the IS may not be wise. However, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) might be discontinued or replaced from an immunosuppressive regimen with the CNIs- or mTORis-based immunosuppressive therapy in some selected LT recipients with COVID-19, depending upon the severity of the disease.
Project description:The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV) has become a most challenging health emergency. Owing to rigorous quarantine and control measures taken in China, routine neonatal health surveillance and follow-up have become challenging. Without follow-up surveillance, some rapid and progressive newborn diseases, such as bilirubin encephalopathy, may be ignored. The characteristics of onset age of kernicterus suggest that monitoring of bilirubin level at home provides a useful way to alert hospital visits and to prevent the development of extremely hyperbilirubinemia. Therefore, we developed an online follow-up program for convenient monitoring of bilirubin level of newborns that is based on our practical experiences. The aim is to make our management strategies of neonatal jaundice tailored to the infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Project description:Coronavirus disease-2019 is a serious health threat around the globe. Across the world, approximately 142 million people were infected, and three million deaths happened. The fast propagation is also associated with constant anxiety, mental stress, and discomfort in public and health-care professionals. Lack of approved drugs regimen to combat the pandemic challenge concretely is a challenging project for all who are committed to developing remedial assistance. However, the successful development of three vaccines gives a solid roadmap to combat this disease. In this review, we highlighted the current development and challenges of this pandemic.