Tag: coronavirus
Genetic Mechanisms of Critical Illness in COVID-19
Host-mediated lung inflammation is present, and drives mortality, in critical illness caused by COVID-19. Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development. Here... read more
Anaesthetists and intensive care doctors are at lower risk of COVID-19 infection compared with other medical staff
Following the first recorded death of an anaesthetist from COVID-19 in the UK in November 2020, a review of available data published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) shows that unexpectedly,... read more
Smell test may help spot COVID-19 cases
A scratch-and-sniff screening tool that identifies impaired sense of smell, a common symptom of COVID-19, could help quickly pinpoint cases. Researchers from the University of Colorado in Boulder studied a smell test called... read more
Clinical characteristics of critically ill patients with COVID-19
In this study of critical patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 in a high-complexity hospital, the majority were comorbid elderly men, a large percentage required invasive mechanical ventilation, and ICU mortality was 25%. Design... read more
An Online Tool to Simulate the Effect of Pooled Testing for COVID-19
This diagnostic study describes an online tool created with actual severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus copy number data to help policy makers understand how pooled testing compares with single-sample... read more
Dr. Atul Gawande on why COVID-19 vaccinations will test American society
The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in America will test a deeply divided society, and not just because of mistrust in vaccinations, Atul Gawande, MD, told New Yorker Editor David Remnick. Dr. Gawande, longtime contributor... read more
CDC update calls for universal mask-wearing
The CDC calls for universal mask use at all times indoors, except when within one's own household, and outside when distances of 6 feet or more cannot be maintained. Additional strategies in the report are social distancing... read more
Experience Caring for a Severe COVID-19 Patient With ARDS in the ICU
The author's experience caring for a patient with COVID-19 whose condition deteriorated rapidly into a critical illness in the negative pressure room of the ICU is described in this article. The onset of severe acute... read more
Appendiceal Perforation at a Children’s Hospital During COVID-19 vs 2019
Although studies in the adult literature and case series in the pediatric literature have reported delays in medical care attributable to COVID-19, we report a statistically significant increased rate of appendiceal perforation... read more
Overlooked bias with thermometer evaluations using quickly retaken temperatures in EHR
Studies related to COVID-19 increasingly use electronic health records (EHR) to obtain large-scale evidence. However, EHR-based research must be performed with care because it can involve new study design problems that are... read more
14-Day Occurrence of Hypoxia, ICU Admission, and Death Among Patients with COVID-19
Uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 regarding rapid progression to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and unusual clinical characteristics make discharge from a monitored setting challenging. Model derivation and... read more
Caring for the Sickest COVID-19 Patients: An ICU Story
In an article for the latest issue of Stanford Medicine magazine, I provide a glimpse into the journey Free and his front-line Stanford Health Care colleagues took -- from Day 1 through the following weeks and months -- to... read more
COVID-19 and ARDS: The Baby Lung Size Matters
COVID-19 in its initial manifestations has strikingly peculiar characteristics (e.g., hypoxemia with vasocentric injury and high gas lung volume), is so evident that atypical ARDS should not be a matter of further discussion.... read more
Predictors of QT Interval Prolongation in Critically-ill Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Treated with Hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been described as a potential treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there are safety concerns regarding its QT interval and pro-arrhythmic effects. This trial aimed to determine the... read more
CDC cuts COVID-19 Quarantine Recommendation
The CDC released new COVID-19 guidelines Dec. 2, reducing the previous 14-day quarantine recommendation for people who were exposed to 10 days without symptoms, reports CBS. The recommendation is further reduced to seven... read more
Emerging pharmacological therapies for ARDS: COVID-19 and beyond
ARDS, first described in 1967, is the commonest form of acute severe hypoxemic respiratory failure. Despite considerable advances in our knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of ARDS, insights into the biologic mechanisms... read more
CDC to vote on who gets COVID-19 vaccine priority in emergency meeting
Ahead of a COVID-19 vaccine authorization, the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices plans to vote during a Dec. 2 emergency meeting on who should be the first to receive a vaccine, reports CNN. The CDC... read more
