Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open
A 47-year-old woman with a history of being overweight was admitted to the ICU with 5 days of sym... more A 47-year-old woman with a history of being overweight was admitted to the ICU with 5 days of symptoms of headache, fever, myalgia, dry cough, odynophagia, and dyspnea. Physical examination revealed fever (38C), tachypnea (40 breaths per minute), oxygen desaturation (77%), and tachycardia (110 beats per minute). Pulmonary auscultation revealed crackles in the right hemithorax and decreased breath sounds and mild wheezing in the left hemithorax. Initial laboratory tests showedelevated inflammationmarkers. ACOVID-19polymerase chain reaction test was positive. The chest radiograph showed a diffuse interstitial-alveolar pattern in the right hemithorax. The left hemithorax showed an apical region without infiltrates; but with the presence of an area of atelectasis and retraction of the cardiac silhouette (Figure 1A). Because of the worsening of the respiratory pattern and hypoxemia, orotracheal intubation was necessary. A bronchoscopy was performed finding an intraluminal and highly vascularized tumor in the left main bronchus at 1.5 cm from the carina, which occluded 100% of the bronchial lumen (Figure 1B and C), and a bronchoscopic decompression was practiced. Then a chest tomography was performed, showing diffuse ground-glass opacities from apical to basal in the right lung and irregular interlobular septal thickening in relation to COVID-19 pneumonia. Surprisingly, the left lungwas foundwithout anyopacity suggestive of COVID-19 pneumonia (Figure 1D–F).
Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of c... more Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in developing countries. It is estimated that 6 to 7 million people worldwide are infected, and it is predicted that it will be responsible for 200,000 deaths by 2025. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers Chagas disease (CD) as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), which must be acknowledged and detected in time, as it remains a clinical and diagnostic challenge in both endemic and non-endemic regions and at different levels of care. The literature on CC was analyzed by searching different databases (Medline, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCO) from 1968 until October 2022. Multicenter and bioinformatics trials, systematic and bibliographic reviews, international guidelines, and clinical cases were included. The reference lists of the included papers were checked. No linguistic restrictions or study designs were applied. T...
SARS-CoV-2 uses the ACE2 receptor and the cellular protease TMPRSS2 for entry into target cells. ... more SARS-CoV-2 uses the ACE2 receptor and the cellular protease TMPRSS2 for entry into target cells. The present study aimed to establish if the TMPRSS2 polymorphisms are associated with COVID-19 disease. The study included 609 patients with COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR test and 291 individuals negative for the SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by RT-PCR test and without antibodies anti-SARS-CoV-2. Four TMPRSS2 polymorphisms (rs12329760, rs2298659, rs456298, and rs462574) were determined using the 5′exonuclease TaqMan assays. Under different inheritance models, the rs2298659 (pcodominant2 = 0.018, precessive = 0.006, padditive = 0.019), rs456298 (pcodominant1 = 0.014, pcodominant2 = 0.004; pdominant = 0.009, precessive = 0.004, padditive = 0.0009), and rs462574 (pcodominant1 = 0.017, pcodominant2 = 0.004, pdominant = 0.041, precessive = 0.002, padditive = 0.003) polymorphisms were associated with high risk of developing COVID-19. Two risks (ATGC and GAAC) and two protectives (GAGC and GAGT...
Background: The use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is controversial in patients with C... more Background: The use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is controversial in patients with COVID-19. The aim of this case series was to demonstrate the usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care settings in patients with COVID-19 infection. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 13 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to the critical care unit of our center from April 1, 2020, to July 30, 2020, in which transesophageal echocardiography was performed. TOE was performed by three cardiologists with training in echocardiography. Results: The main indication was suspected infective endocarditis in four cases, venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation in four cases, suspected prosthetic mitral valve dysfunction in two patients, suspected pulmonary embolism in two patients, and acute right ventricular dysfunction and prone position ventilation in one patient. The final diagnosis was confirmed in 11 patients and discarded i...
We conducted a case-control study in order to evaluate whether ABO gene polymorphisms were associ... more We conducted a case-control study in order to evaluate whether ABO gene polymorphisms were associated with a high risk of developing COVID-19 in a cohort of patients. Six ABO gene polymorphisms (rs651007 T/C, rs579459 T/C, rs495828 T/G, rs8176746 A/C, rs8176740 T/A, and rs512770 T/C) were determined using TaqMan genotyping assays in a group of 415 COVID-19 patients and 288 healthy controls. The distribution of rs651007 T/C, rs579459 T/C, rs495828 T/G, and rs8176746 A/C polymorphisms was similar in patients and healthy controls. Nonetheless, under co-dominant (OR = 1.89, pCCo-dominant = 6 × 10−6), recessive (OR = 1.98, pCRecessive = 1 × 10−4), and additive (OR = 1.36, pCAdditive = 3 × 10−3) models, the TT genotype of the rs8176740 T/A polymorphism increased the risk of developing COVID-19. In the same way, under co-dominant, recessive, and additive models, the TT genotype of the rs512770 T/C polymorphism was associated with a high risk of developing COVID-19 (OR = 1.87, pCCo-dominant...
Background The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that cause... more Background The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes de COVID-19 disease use as a principal receptor the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). It has been suggested that Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) can be another possible receptor for this virus. The present study aimed to establish if the DPP4 levels and DPP4 polymorphisms are associated with COVID-19 disease and its severity. Methods The study included 107 COVID-19 patients and 263 matched-healthy controls. Fifty patients required invasive mechanical ventilation. The DPP4 was quantified in serum using the Bioplex system. Based on the previous results and the functional prediction analysis, we select for the study 5 DPP4 polymorphisms (rs12617336, rs12617656, rs1558957, rs3788979, and rs17574) and these were determined using the 5´exonuclease TaqMan assays. Results Low levels of DPP4 were observed in COVID-19 patients (46.5 [33.1–57.7] ng/mL) when compared to healthy controls (125.3 [100.3–157.3] ng/mL) (P < 0.0001). Also, patients that required mechanical ventilation showed lower DPP4 levels (42.8 [29.8–56.9] ng/mL) than those that did not need this procedure (49.2 [39.9–65.6] ng/mL) (P = 0.012). DPP4 levels correlated negatively with age, fibrinogen, and platelet levels, and positively with albumin, alanine aminotransferase, and percentage of neutrophils. The DPP4 rs3788979 polymorphism was associated with a high risk of COVID-19 disease and, the TT genotype carriers had the lowest DPP4 levels. Conclusions In summary, in the present study, an association of low levels of DDP4 with COVID-19 disease and severity was found. The association of the DPP4 rs3788979 polymorphism with COVID-19 is also reported.
Severe forms of COVID-19 infection are associated with the need for invasive mechanical ventilati... more Severe forms of COVID-19 infection are associated with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and thromboembolic complications; those can affect the cardiac function especially the right ventricle performance. Critical care echocardiography has rapidly evolved as the election technique in the evaluation of the critically ill patients. This technique has the advantage that it can be done at patient´s bedside and helps to provide the appropriate treatment and to monitoring maneuver's response. We present 4 patients with a confirmed COVID-19 infection who presented with sudden hemodynamic and / or respiratory deterioration, in which transthoracic echocardiogram showed acute right ventricular failure as the trigger for the event and helped to guide an early therapeutic intervention.
Lung ultrasound has become increasingly important in the evaluation of the thorax and its patholo... more Lung ultrasound has become increasingly important in the evaluation of the thorax and its pathologies. It has proved to be very useful in the evaluation of hospitalized patients, allowing doctors to evaluate and make quick decisions, as well as providing guidance for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Ultrasound has many advantages over other studies since it can avoid transferring patients, and it is harmless, accessible and fast. In this article we will review basic concepts of lung ultrasound and its use in the diagnosis of pathologies. Key words: Pulmonary ultrasound; pleura; pneumothorax; pleural effusion.
Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open
A 47-year-old woman with a history of being overweight was admitted to the ICU with 5 days of sym... more A 47-year-old woman with a history of being overweight was admitted to the ICU with 5 days of symptoms of headache, fever, myalgia, dry cough, odynophagia, and dyspnea. Physical examination revealed fever (38C), tachypnea (40 breaths per minute), oxygen desaturation (77%), and tachycardia (110 beats per minute). Pulmonary auscultation revealed crackles in the right hemithorax and decreased breath sounds and mild wheezing in the left hemithorax. Initial laboratory tests showedelevated inflammationmarkers. ACOVID-19polymerase chain reaction test was positive. The chest radiograph showed a diffuse interstitial-alveolar pattern in the right hemithorax. The left hemithorax showed an apical region without infiltrates; but with the presence of an area of atelectasis and retraction of the cardiac silhouette (Figure 1A). Because of the worsening of the respiratory pattern and hypoxemia, orotracheal intubation was necessary. A bronchoscopy was performed finding an intraluminal and highly vascularized tumor in the left main bronchus at 1.5 cm from the carina, which occluded 100% of the bronchial lumen (Figure 1B and C), and a bronchoscopic decompression was practiced. Then a chest tomography was performed, showing diffuse ground-glass opacities from apical to basal in the right lung and irregular interlobular septal thickening in relation to COVID-19 pneumonia. Surprisingly, the left lungwas foundwithout anyopacity suggestive of COVID-19 pneumonia (Figure 1D–F).
Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of c... more Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in developing countries. It is estimated that 6 to 7 million people worldwide are infected, and it is predicted that it will be responsible for 200,000 deaths by 2025. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers Chagas disease (CD) as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), which must be acknowledged and detected in time, as it remains a clinical and diagnostic challenge in both endemic and non-endemic regions and at different levels of care. The literature on CC was analyzed by searching different databases (Medline, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCO) from 1968 until October 2022. Multicenter and bioinformatics trials, systematic and bibliographic reviews, international guidelines, and clinical cases were included. The reference lists of the included papers were checked. No linguistic restrictions or study designs were applied. T...
SARS-CoV-2 uses the ACE2 receptor and the cellular protease TMPRSS2 for entry into target cells. ... more SARS-CoV-2 uses the ACE2 receptor and the cellular protease TMPRSS2 for entry into target cells. The present study aimed to establish if the TMPRSS2 polymorphisms are associated with COVID-19 disease. The study included 609 patients with COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR test and 291 individuals negative for the SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by RT-PCR test and without antibodies anti-SARS-CoV-2. Four TMPRSS2 polymorphisms (rs12329760, rs2298659, rs456298, and rs462574) were determined using the 5′exonuclease TaqMan assays. Under different inheritance models, the rs2298659 (pcodominant2 = 0.018, precessive = 0.006, padditive = 0.019), rs456298 (pcodominant1 = 0.014, pcodominant2 = 0.004; pdominant = 0.009, precessive = 0.004, padditive = 0.0009), and rs462574 (pcodominant1 = 0.017, pcodominant2 = 0.004, pdominant = 0.041, precessive = 0.002, padditive = 0.003) polymorphisms were associated with high risk of developing COVID-19. Two risks (ATGC and GAAC) and two protectives (GAGC and GAGT...
Background: The use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is controversial in patients with C... more Background: The use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is controversial in patients with COVID-19. The aim of this case series was to demonstrate the usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in acute cardiovascular care settings in patients with COVID-19 infection. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 13 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to the critical care unit of our center from April 1, 2020, to July 30, 2020, in which transesophageal echocardiography was performed. TOE was performed by three cardiologists with training in echocardiography. Results: The main indication was suspected infective endocarditis in four cases, venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation in four cases, suspected prosthetic mitral valve dysfunction in two patients, suspected pulmonary embolism in two patients, and acute right ventricular dysfunction and prone position ventilation in one patient. The final diagnosis was confirmed in 11 patients and discarded i...
We conducted a case-control study in order to evaluate whether ABO gene polymorphisms were associ... more We conducted a case-control study in order to evaluate whether ABO gene polymorphisms were associated with a high risk of developing COVID-19 in a cohort of patients. Six ABO gene polymorphisms (rs651007 T/C, rs579459 T/C, rs495828 T/G, rs8176746 A/C, rs8176740 T/A, and rs512770 T/C) were determined using TaqMan genotyping assays in a group of 415 COVID-19 patients and 288 healthy controls. The distribution of rs651007 T/C, rs579459 T/C, rs495828 T/G, and rs8176746 A/C polymorphisms was similar in patients and healthy controls. Nonetheless, under co-dominant (OR = 1.89, pCCo-dominant = 6 × 10−6), recessive (OR = 1.98, pCRecessive = 1 × 10−4), and additive (OR = 1.36, pCAdditive = 3 × 10−3) models, the TT genotype of the rs8176740 T/A polymorphism increased the risk of developing COVID-19. In the same way, under co-dominant, recessive, and additive models, the TT genotype of the rs512770 T/C polymorphism was associated with a high risk of developing COVID-19 (OR = 1.87, pCCo-dominant...
Background The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that cause... more Background The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes de COVID-19 disease use as a principal receptor the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). It has been suggested that Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) can be another possible receptor for this virus. The present study aimed to establish if the DPP4 levels and DPP4 polymorphisms are associated with COVID-19 disease and its severity. Methods The study included 107 COVID-19 patients and 263 matched-healthy controls. Fifty patients required invasive mechanical ventilation. The DPP4 was quantified in serum using the Bioplex system. Based on the previous results and the functional prediction analysis, we select for the study 5 DPP4 polymorphisms (rs12617336, rs12617656, rs1558957, rs3788979, and rs17574) and these were determined using the 5´exonuclease TaqMan assays. Results Low levels of DPP4 were observed in COVID-19 patients (46.5 [33.1–57.7] ng/mL) when compared to healthy controls (125.3 [100.3–157.3] ng/mL) (P < 0.0001). Also, patients that required mechanical ventilation showed lower DPP4 levels (42.8 [29.8–56.9] ng/mL) than those that did not need this procedure (49.2 [39.9–65.6] ng/mL) (P = 0.012). DPP4 levels correlated negatively with age, fibrinogen, and platelet levels, and positively with albumin, alanine aminotransferase, and percentage of neutrophils. The DPP4 rs3788979 polymorphism was associated with a high risk of COVID-19 disease and, the TT genotype carriers had the lowest DPP4 levels. Conclusions In summary, in the present study, an association of low levels of DDP4 with COVID-19 disease and severity was found. The association of the DPP4 rs3788979 polymorphism with COVID-19 is also reported.
Severe forms of COVID-19 infection are associated with the need for invasive mechanical ventilati... more Severe forms of COVID-19 infection are associated with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and thromboembolic complications; those can affect the cardiac function especially the right ventricle performance. Critical care echocardiography has rapidly evolved as the election technique in the evaluation of the critically ill patients. This technique has the advantage that it can be done at patient´s bedside and helps to provide the appropriate treatment and to monitoring maneuver's response. We present 4 patients with a confirmed COVID-19 infection who presented with sudden hemodynamic and / or respiratory deterioration, in which transthoracic echocardiogram showed acute right ventricular failure as the trigger for the event and helped to guide an early therapeutic intervention.
Lung ultrasound has become increasingly important in the evaluation of the thorax and its patholo... more Lung ultrasound has become increasingly important in the evaluation of the thorax and its pathologies. It has proved to be very useful in the evaluation of hospitalized patients, allowing doctors to evaluate and make quick decisions, as well as providing guidance for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Ultrasound has many advantages over other studies since it can avoid transferring patients, and it is harmless, accessible and fast. In this article we will review basic concepts of lung ultrasound and its use in the diagnosis of pathologies. Key words: Pulmonary ultrasound; pleura; pneumothorax; pleural effusion.
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