Project description:Background/materials and methodsThis retrospective cohort study was conducted in two teaching hospitals over a 3-month period (March 2010-June 2020) comparing severe and critical COVID-19 patients admitted to Respiratory Intensive Care Unit for non-invasive respiratory support (NRS) and subjected to awake prone position (PP) with those receiving standard care (SC). Primary outcome was endotracheal intubation (ETI) rate. In-hospital mortality, time to ETI, tracheostomy, length of RICU and hospital stay served as secondary outcomes. Risk factors associated to ETI among PP patients were also investigated.ResultsA total of 114 patients were included, 76 in the SC and 38 in the PP group. Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier estimates showed greater effect of PP compared to SC on ETI rate (HR = 0.45 95% CI [0.2-0.9], p = 0.02) even after adjustment for baseline confounders (HR = 0.59 95% CI [0.3-0.94], p = 0.03). After stratification according to non-invasive respiratory support, PP showed greater significant benefit for those on High Flow Nasal Cannulae (HR = 0.34 95% CI [0.12-0.84], p = 0.04). Compared to SC, PP patients also showed a favorable difference in terms of days free from respiratory support, length of RICU and hospital stay while mortality and tracheostomy rate were not significantly different.ConclusionsProne positioning in awake and spontaneously breathing Covid-19 patients is feasible and associated with a reduction of intubation rate, especially in those patients undergoing HFNC. Although our results are intriguing, further randomized controlled trials are needed to answer all the open questions remaining pending about the real efficacy of PP in this setting.
Project description:ObjectivesTo describe critically ill children with respiratory infections, classify them by infection syndrome type and determine the prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae detection.Study designA retrospective, single-centre cohort study. All children aged 2 months-18 years with presumed respiratory infection who were admitted to a tertiary hospital paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) between September 2015 and October 2016 were eligible. Subjects were grouped by clinical syndrome (viral respiratory infection, asthma exacerbation, undifferentiated/uncomplicated pneumonia, pneumonia complicated by effusion/empyema and 'other'). All subjects had nasopharyngeal swabs tested for respiratory viruses, M. pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae.ResultsThere were 221 subjects; the median age was 3.1 years; 44% were female; and 78% had medical comorbidities. The majority (75%) was treated with antibiotics, most often ceftriaxone (90% of treated children). Those with any pneumonia were significantly less likely to have a respiratory virus identified in their nasopharynges and had significantly higher C reactive protein (CRP) values than those in the viral infection and asthma groups. There were 10 subjects in whom M. pneumoniae was detected (4.5%, 95% CI 2.2% to 8.2%). Mycoplasma-positive children were older (difference 3.5 years, 95% CI 0.66 to 6.4 years) and had fewer viral coinfections (30% compared with 69%, p=0.02). The prevalence of Mycoplasma infection in children aged >5 years with any pneumonia was 13.2% (95%CI 4.4% to 28%).ConclusionsThe majority of participants had respiratory viruses detected and were treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Differences in CRP and viral prevalence were observed between children with different infection syndrome types. M. pneumoniae infection was not rare in school-aged children with pneumonia admitted to the PICU. Attention to antibiotic treatment and rapid diagnostic testing for Mycoplasma in older, critically ill children should be considered to optimise management and avert morbidity and mortality from respiratory infection.
Project description:BackgroundEarly treatment with remdesivir (RMD) or monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) could be a valuable tool in patients at risk of severe COVID-19 with unsatisfactory responses to vaccination. We aim to assess the safety and clinical outcomes of these treatments among immunocompromised subjects.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all nonhospitalized patients who received an early treatment with RMD or mAbs for COVID-19, from 25 November 2021 to 25 January 2022, in a large tertiary hospital. Outcomes included frequency of adverse drug reaction (ADR), duration of symptoms and molecular swab positivity, emergency department access, hospital or intensive care unit admission, and mortality in the 14 days following treatment administration.ResultsEarly treatments were administered to 143 patients, 106/143 (74.1%) immunocompromised, including 41 solid organ and 6 hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Overall, 23/143 (16.1%) subjects reported ADRs. Median time from treatment start to SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab negativity and symptom resolution was 10 (IQR 6-16) and 2.5 days (IQR 1.0-6.0), respectively, without differences between immunocompromised and nonimmunocompromised patients. In the 14 days after treatment administration, 5/143 patients (3.5%) were hospitalized and one died as a result of causes related to COVID-19, all of them were immunocompromised.ConclusionsRMD and mAbs have minimal ADRs and favourable outcomes in immunocompromised patients.
Project description:ObjectiveProning has been shown to improve oxygenation and mortality in certain populations of intubated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Small observational analyses of COVID-19 patients suggest awake proning may lead to clinical improvement. Data on safety and efficacy is lacking. We sought to describe the effect of proning on oxygenation in nonintubated COVID-19 patients. We also evaluated feasibility, safety, and other physiological and clinical outcomes associated with this intervention.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of nonintubated patients with COVID-19 who underwent proning per an Emergency Department (ED) clinical protocol. Patients with mild to moderate respiratory distress were included. We calculated change in oxygenation by comparing the oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (SpO2:FiO2) during the five minutes prior to proning and first 30 min of proning. We also captured data on respiratory rate, duration of proning, need for intubation, intensive care unit admission, survival to discharge.ResultsFifty-two patients were enrolled. Thirty were excluded for not meeting protocol inclusion criteria or missing baseline oxygenation data, leaving 22 for analysis. The SpO2:FiO2 ratio increased by a median of 5 (IQR: 0-15) in the post-proning period compared to the pre-proning period (median: 298 (IQR: 263-352) vs 295 (IQR: 276-350), p = 0.01). Respiratory rate did not change significantly between time periods. No immediate adverse events occurred during proning. Five patients (23%) were intubated within 48 h of admission.ConclusionEarly, awake proning may be feasible in select COVID-19 patients and was associated with improved oxygenation.
Project description:Bronchial secretion management was not an anticipated clinical problem in patients intubated and ventilated with COVID-19. Yet 63 (62%) of our intubated and ventilated patients demonstrated a moderate or greater sputum load, as recorded by physiotherapists on 5 or more days of the patient's ICU stay. The efficacy of airway clearance in these patients was further compounded by ineffective or absent cough and increased secretion tenacity, dramatically increasing the workload of critical care physiotherapists. We provide data to support the modelling of critical care physiotherapy staffing for future COVID-19 surges.
Project description:IntroductionResearch into paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) has focused on tertiary level management. This review reports on symptoms and investigations at presentation.MethodsSingle centre retrospective case note analysis of patients fulfilling PIMS-TS diagnostic criteria from March to May 2020 in a London district level university hospital.ResultsSix patients presented in the week prior to their final diagnosis with fever and non-specific symptoms. Raised C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphopenia and hyponatraemia were noted. Kawasaki-like symptoms were under-represented in all patients.InterpretationThe results suggest that a proportion of children with early PIMS-TS present with a non-specific febrile illness and abnormal blood results. Further research is needed to determine the most appropriate identification and follow-up of these children.
Project description:BackgroundBradford, one of the most deprived cities in the United Kingdom, has a wide range of public health problems associated with socioeconomic deprivation, including an infant mortality rate almost double that for England and Wales. Infant mortality is highest for babies of Pakistani origin, who comprise almost half the babies born in Bradford. The Born in Bradford cohort study aims to examine environmental, psychological and genetic factors that impact on health and development perinatally, during childhood and subsequent adult life, and those that influence their parents' health and wellbeing. This protocol outlines methods for the recruitment phase of the study.MethodsMost Bradford women attend for antenatal care and give birth at the Bradford Royal Infirmary, which has approximately 5,800 births per year. Women are eligible for recruitment if they plan to give birth here. Babies born from March 2007 are eligible to participate, recruitment is planned to continue until 2010. Fathers of babies recruited are invited to participate. Women are usually recruited when they attend for a routine oral glucose tolerance test at 26-28 weeks gestation. Recruitment of babies is at birth. Fathers are recruited whenever possible during the antenatal period, or soon after the birth. The aim is to recruit 10,000 women, their babies, and the babies' fathers. At recruitment women have blood samples taken, are interviewed to complete a semi-structured questionnaire, weighed, and have height, arm circumference and triceps skinfold measured. Umbilical cord blood is collected at birth. Within two weeks of birth babies have their head, arm and abdominal circumference measured, along with subscapular and triceps skinfold thickness. Fathers self-complete a questionnaire at recruitment, have height and weight measured, and provide a saliva sample. Participants are allocated a unique study number. NHS numbers will be used to facilitate record linkage and access to routine data. A wide range of hospital and community sources is being accessed to provide data for the women and children. Data are checked for accuracy and consistency.ConclusionBorn in Bradford will increase understanding of the factors that contribute to health and wellbeing, and identify factors that influence differences in them between people of Pakistani and European origin.
Project description:BackgroundBorn in Bradford (BiB) is a prospective multi-ethnic pregnancy and birth cohort study that was established to examine determinants of health and development during childhood and, subsequently, adult life in a deprived multi-ethnic population in the north of England. Between 2007 and 2010, the BiB cohort recruited 12,453 women who experienced 13,776 pregnancies and 13,858 births, along with 3353 of their partners. Forty five percent of the cohort are of Pakistani origin. Now that children are at primary school, the first full follow-up of the cohort is taking place. The aims of the follow-up are to investigate the determinants of children's pre-pubertal health and development, including through understanding parents' health and wellbeing, and to obtain data on exposures in childhood that might influence future health.MethodsWe are employing a multi-method approach across three data collection arms (community-based family visits, school based physical assessment, and whole classroom cognitive, motor function and wellbeing measures) to follow-up over 9000 BiB children aged 7-11 years and their families between 2017 and 2021. We are collecting detailed parent and child questionnaires, cognitive and sensorimotor assessments, blood pressure, anthropometry and blood samples from parents and children. Dual x-ray absorptiometry body scans, accelerometry and urine samples are collected on subsamples. Informed consent is collected for continued routine data linkage to health, social care and education records. A range of engagement activities are being used to raise the profile of BiB and to disseminate findings.DiscussionOur multi-method approach to recruitment and assessment provides an efficient method of collecting rich data on all family members. Data collected will enhance BiB as a resource for the international research community to study the interplay between ethnicity, socioeconomic circumstances and biology in relation to cardiometabolic health, mental health, education, cognitive and sensorimotor development and wellbeing.
Project description:BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of tumour-free distance (TFD), defined as the minimum distance of uninvolved stroma between the tumour and peri-cervical stromal ring, in early-stage cervical cancer.MethodsPatients with pathologic FIGO 2009 stage IA1-IIA2 cervical cancer, treated by primary radical surgical treatment between 01/2000 and 11/2019, were retrospectively included. Adjuvant treatment was administered according to the presence of previously established pathologic risk factors. TFD was measured histologically on the hysterectomy specimen. Pre-operative TFD measured at MRI-scan from a cohort of patients was reviewed and compared with pathology TFD.Results395 patients were included in the study. 93 (23.5%) patients had TFD ≤ 3.0 mm and 302 (76.5%) had TFD > 3.0 mm. TFD ≤ 3.0 mm together with lymph vascular space involvement represented the strongest predictor for lymph node metastasis at multivariate analysis. TFD ≤ 3.0 mm was associated with worse 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), compared with TFD > 3.0 mm (p = 0.022 and p = 0.008, respectively). DFS difference was more evident in the subgroup of patients with low-risk factors who did not receive adjuvant treatment (p = 0.002). Cohen's kappa demonstrated an agreement between TFD measured at pre-operative MRI-scan and histology of 0.654.ConclusionsPathologic TFD ≤ 3.0 mm represents a poor prognostic factor significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and it may be considered a novel marker to select candidates for adjuvant treatment. The possibility to obtain this parameter by radiological imaging makes it a potential easy-measurable pre-operative marker to predict the presence of high-risk pathologic factors in early-stage cervical cancer.
Project description:BackgroundContinuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is commonly used for respiratory failure due to severe COVID-19 pneumonitis, including in patients deemed not likely to benefit from invasive mechanical ventilation (nIMV). Little evidence exists demonstrating superiority over conventional oxygen therapy, whilst ward-level delivery of CPAP presents practical challenges. We sought to compare clinical outcomes of oxygen therapy versus CPAP therapy in patients with COVID-19 who were nIMV.MethodsThis retrospective multi-centre cohort evaluation included patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who were nIMV, had a treatment escalation plan of ward-level care and clinical frailty scale ≤ 6. Recruitment occurred during the first two waves of the UK COVID-19 pandemic in 2020; from 1st March to May 31st, and from 1st September to 31st December. Patients given CPAP were compared to patients receiving oxygen therapy that required FiO2 ≥0.4 for more than 12 hours at hospitals not providing ward-level CPAP. Logistic regression modelling was performed to compare 30-day mortality between treatment groups, accounting for important confounders and within-hospital clustering.FindingsSeven hospitals provided data for 479 patients during the UK COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Overall 30-day mortality was 75.6% in the oxygen group (186/246 patients) and 77.7% in the CPAP group (181/233 patients). A lack of evidence for a treatment effect persisted in the adjusted model (adjusted odds ratio 0.84 95% CI 0.57-1.23, p=0.37). 49.8% of patients receiving CPAP-therapy (118/237) chose to discontinue it.InterpretationNo survival difference was found between using oxygen alone or CPAP to treat patients with severe COVID-19 who were nIMV. A high patient-initiated discontinuation rate for CPAP suggests a significant treatment burden. Further reflection is warranted on the current treatment guidance and widespread application of CPAP in this setting.FundingL Pearmain is supported by the MRC (MR/R00191X/1). TW Felton is supported by the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.