Risultati per: Diagnosi di COVID-19: dal sospetto alla conferma

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4138301-A4138301, November 12, 2024. Background:Hyperlipidemia (HLD) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Little is known regarding temporal variation in CVD mortality related to HLD. The COVID-19 pandemic added complexity to factors influencing CVD mortality.Question:What are the yearly trends and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HLD-related CVD mortality in the United States?Methods:Mortality and demographic data for adults were obtained from CDC repository from 1999-2020, using ICD-10 codes HLD (E78.0-E78.5) and CVD (I00-I99). Age adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 1,000,000 population was standardized to the 2000 US population. Log-linear regression models evaluated mortality shifts. Average annual percentage change (AAPC) from 1999-2019 was used to calculate projected AAMR in 2020, subsequently compared to actual 2020 death rates to estimate pandemic-attributed excess deaths.Results:A total of 483,155 HLD-related CVD deaths were recorded between 1999-2020. Despite the CVD mortality decline in general population, HLD-related CVD AAMR rose from 36.33 [95% CI, 35.52-37.13] in 1999 to 99.77 [98.67-100.87] in 2019. Ischemic heart diseases (AAMR 49.39) were the most common causes of death while hypertension had the highest annual mortality increase (AAPC +10.23%) in populations with HLD. Higher HLD-related CVD mortality was observed in males (AAMR 104.87) than females (AAMR 61.93), in those ≥75 years (AAMR 646.45) than 35-75 years (AAMR 54.11), in non-Hispanic (NH) (AAMR 82.49) than Hispanic (AAMR 58.98) populations, and in rural (AAMR 89.98) than urban (AAMR 78.94) regions. NH Black populations (AAMR 84.35) and Western US regions (AAMR 96.88) had the highest HLD-related CVD. The first year of COVID-19 pandemic resulted in 10.55% excess HLD-related CVD death, with the most prominent increase in the 35-75 years age group (14.23%), Hispanic (17.96%), Black (14.82%), and urban (11.68%) populations.Conclusions:Our study revealed an increase in HLD-related CVD mortality which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher CVD mortality disproportionately affected males, Black, elderly (≥75 years), and rural populations with HLD. Further research is needed to validate our findings and identify contributing factors.

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4141163-A4141163, November 12, 2024. Background:The rising incidence of stroke among young adults is partly explained by underdiagnosis of risk factors such as hypertension. Current blood pressure cutoff values for hypertension diagnosis in adolescence are not based on cardiovascular outcomes and lack specificity for sex, even though female adolescents have lower blood pressure values.Methods:A nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study including data of all Israeli adolescents (16-19 years) who were evaluated prior to mandatory military service in 1985 through 2013. The medical evaluation included routine measurements of height, weight, and blood pressure. The primary outcome was the first occurrence of a stroke at a young age (≤52 years) as documented in the National Stroke Registry. Cox proportional hazard models were applied separately for males and females and adjusted for adolescent body mass index and sociodemographic variables. Diabetes status in adulthood, as documented in the National Diabetes Registry, was also accounted. Several sensitivity analyses were conducted, including the evaluation of ischemic stroke cases only as the outcome and stroke occurrence at a very young age (≤45 years).Results:The cohort comprised 1,897,048 adolescents (42.4% females). During 11,355,476 person-years of follow-up, there were 1,470 first stroke events, 1,233 (83.8%) cases were of ischemic etiology. In male adolescents, a diastolic blood pressure of ≥80 mmHg was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for stroke at a young age of 1.28 (95% confidence interval 1.05-1.58) (Image 1). In male adolescents with blood pressure of 70-79 mmHg, the aHR was comparable to that of the reference group (

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4143723-A4143723, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Thrombocytosis, sometimes extreme, after acute Kawasaki disease (KD) is common and felt to be pathognomonic of this diagnosis, although has also been reported after multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a clinically similar condition. We sought to determine differences in factors associated with thrombocytosis for each condition.Methods:From 01/2020 to 10/2023 across 41 sites in 8 countries from the International KD Registry, 1674 MIS-C and 1290 contemporaneous KD patients with adequate laboratory data were included in the analysis. Age-related cutpoints (derived from the CALIPER Study of normal children/adolescents; AJCP 2020; 154:342) were applied to peak platelet counts to define thrombocytosis (age 647 x109/L; age 1 to 434; age 12 to 371). Associations of demographic, clinical, laboratory and outcome factors with thrombocytosis were determined for each diagnosis group.Results:Thrombocytosis was more prevalent after KD (57%) than MIS-C (49%; p

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4114220-A4114220, November 12, 2024. Background:It is still not well understood whether cardiac injury observed during acute COVID-19 infection extends after recovery from the initial viral infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of left and right ventricular dysfunction in patients hospitalized with acute COVID-19 and evaluate for cardiac recovery.Methods:A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted. Adult patients were identified by hospitalizations using ICD-10 code U07.1 from March 2020 to October 2021. Patients were included if they had: 1) acute COVID-19 infection confirmed by RT-PCR and 2) a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) performed during their hospitalization. Clinical and echocardiographic data were collected and analyzed. Longitudinal TTE parameters were obtained from follow-up studies performed after discharge.Results:A total of 750 patients (mean age 64.3 ± 15.3 years, 60.0% male) were included. The average time to follow-up TTE was 8.7± 7.4 months. 133 patients (17.7%) had new LV dysfunction seen on TTE (Figure 1). LV recovery (defined as normalization of LVEF or improvement of LVEF by >10% from baseline) was observed in 28 of 74 (37.8%) survivors. 9 of 26 patients (34.6%) who had a follow-up TTE

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page ASa907-ASa907, November 12, 2024. Background:Different from the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) collapsed before emergency medical service (EMS) arrival, there was a report suggested that COVID-19 pandemic did not affect outcomes after OHCA witnessed by EMS personnel. However, no large-scale studies have examined the impact of COVID-19 pandemic after EMS-witnessed OHCA, focusing on favorable neurological outcomes.Research Questions:Does COVID-19 pandemic affect favorable neurological outcomes after EMS-witnessed OHCA?Aims:To assess COVID-19’s impact on favorable neurological outcomes after EMS-witnessed OHCA.Methods:We performed an interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) with a prospective, nationwide, population-based registry in Japan to assess trends of incidence and favorable neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2) at 30 days with adult EMS-witnessed OHCA between pre-pandemic (January 2016-March 2020) and pandemic (April 2020-December 2021) periods. Subgroup analyses were performed by stratifying regions by infection spread status defined by whether a state of emergency has been declared. To assess whether there are differences in trends between areas with and without COVID-19 spread, we performed a controlled ITSA between the two areas.Results:We identified 58,315 patients with adult EMS-witnessed OHCA, 41,112 during the pre-pandemic period and 17,203 during the pandemic period. There was no significant increase in the incidence of EMS-witnessed OHCA during the pandemic period (0.03 per 100,000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], –0.02 to 0.08; p = 0.21). Favorable neurological outcome significantly decreased (relative risk [RR], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.91; p < 0.01). In subgroup analysis, favorable neurological outcome significantly decreased in areas with COVID-19 spread (RR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.81; p < 0.01), while there was no significant difference in areas without COVID-19 spread (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.07; p = 0.24). A controlled ITSA showed that favorable neurological outcome significantly decreased in areas with COVID-19 spread compared to without COVID-19 spread (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.98; p = 0.04).Conclusion:Unlike previous studies, our research with a nationwide, population-based registry showed that COVID-19 pandemic influenced favorable neurological outcome in EMS-witnessed OHCA. This trend appears to be more pronounced in areas with widespread infection.

Circulation, Volume 150, Issue Suppl_1, Page A4139661-A4139661, November 12, 2024. Introduction:Troponin-defined myocardial injury or N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) elevation frequently coincides with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our prior study (COVID-MI Registry Cohort-1) confirmed that high-sensitive troponin I (HsTnI) and NT-proBNP effectively stratified mortality risk. However, variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) change rapidly, and it remains unclear whether these biomarkers are consistently effective in predicting prognosis of COVID-19 patients irrespective of epidemic periods.Research Questions:Can HsTnI or NT-proBNP stratify mortality risk in recent COVID-19 cohorts?Aims:To assess the potential of HsTnI and NT-proBNP levels for risk stratification in the recent COVID-19 waves.Methods:In the COVID-MI Registry Cohort-2, we enrolled 1115 consecutive COVID-19 patients admitted between October 2021 and October 2022, during the Omicron variant endemic. We collected data of HsTnI or NT-proBNP levels from hospital charts or using the samples in our hospital’s serum/plasma bank if the data were not available. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality.Results:On admission, more than one-third of patients were classified as having severe COVID-19. HsTnI and NT-proBNP levels were available for 427 and 414 patients, respectively. The median HsTnI and NT-proBNP levels were 16 (interquartile range [IQR]: 5-57) ng/L and 524 (IQR: 140-2056) pg/mL, respectively. We stratified the patients into three groups by HsTnI level:

Introduction
Post-COVID-19 condition, or syndrome, also known as long COVID, is an infection-associated chronic condition that can develop after a SARS-CoV-2 infection and last at least 3 months to years. Despite representing a high burden for the Unified Health System (SUS), which has affected millions of Brazilians, it has received limited attention in Brazil. Prevalence studies to date have failed to include a broad representation of the population, and there has been insufficient exploration of the impact on people’s lives and the burden of and barriers to accessing health services. This article presents the research protocol for the quantitative component of a mixed methods project to produce evidence to inform SUS’s provision of care for long COVID. The protocol was designed to study long COVID in SUS patients hospitalised for COVID-19 in a large city in Southeast Brazil to capture symptoms and factors associated with the syndrome, effects on quality of life and employment, health needs, use of health services and barriers to accessing necessary healthcare.

Methods and analysis
An ambidirectional cohort study to capture data retrospectively and prospectively from adults previously discharged from SUS hospitals for COVID-19. The study involves up to two telephone surveys with the patients or proxies selected from a sampling plan for population estimates. Survey questions include baseline and follow-up data on demographic, socioeconomic, comorbidities, work status, health-related quality of life, vaccination status, long COVID symptoms, healthcare needs, use and barriers to access. Descriptive and appropriate multivariable analyses will be employed.

Ethics and dissemination
The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committees of participant institutions and by the Brazilian National Research Ethics Commission. All participants provided verbal consent. We plan to publish articles in scientific journals and multimedia resources for SUS professionals and the general population.

Background
Increasing evidence has emerged for traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) to treat COVID-19 which requires systematic summaries of the net benefits of interventions against standard care and one another. The study aims to conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) regarding TCIM therapies for treating mild/moderate acute COVID-19, potentially informing the WHO guideline development and clinical decision-making.

Methods and analysis
We will search Embase, MEDLINE, Virtual Health Library on Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, WHO’s International Clinical Trials Registry Platform with additional searches of Chinese and Korean literature sources for randomised controlled trials comparing TCIM with placebo, standard care, no treatment or with an alternate type of TCIM to treat COVID-19. We will limit the search dates from 2020 to 28 March 2024. Reviewers will, in duplicate, screen eligible articles, extract data and evaluate the risk of bias. We will conduct frequentist network meta-analyses for network comparisons and each outcome. We will assess the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach and classify interventions from most to least effective or harmful.

Ethics and dissemination
This NMA is based on the existing trials and data which is not subject to ethical approval. We will publish the NMA in a peer-reviewed journal. This may provide methodological reference and clinical evidence for TCIM on future epidemic-prone diseases.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42024517321.

Objectives
To explore experiences of physiotherapists working with adults living with Long COVID in Canada.

Design
Cross-sectional descriptive qualitative study involving online semi-structured interviews.

Participants
We recruited physiotherapists in Canada who self-identified as having clinically treated one or more adults living with Long COVID in the past year.

Data collection
Using an interview guide, we inquired about physiotherapists’ knowledge of Long COVID, assessment and treatment experiences, perspectives on physiotherapists’ roles, contextual and implementation factors influencing rehabilitative outcomes, and their recommendations for Long COVID rehabilitation. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a group-based thematic analytical approach. We administered a demographic questionnaire to describe sample characteristics.

Results
13 physiotherapists from five provinces participated; most were women (n=8; 62%) and practised in urban settings (n=11; 85%). Participants reported variable amounts of knowledge of existing guidelines and experiences working with adults living with Long COVID in the past year. Physiotherapists characterised their experiences working with adults living with Long COVID as a dynamic process involving: (1) a disruption to the profession (encountering a new patient population and pivoting to new models of care delivery), followed by (2) a cyclical process of learning curves and evolving roles of physiotherapists working with persons living with Long COVID (navigating uncertainty, keeping up with rapidly emerging evidence, trial and error, adapting mindset and rehabilitative approaches and growing prominence of roles as advocate and collaborator). Participants recommended the need for education and training, active and open-minded listening with patients, interdisciplinary models of care, and organisational- and system-level improvements to foster access to care.

Conclusions
Physiotherapists’ experiences involved a disruption to the profession followed by a dynamic process of learning curves and evolving roles in Long COVID rehabilitation. Not all participants demonstrated an in-depth understanding of existing Long COVID rehabilitation guidelines. Results may help inform physiotherapy education in Long COVID rehabilitation.

Objectives
This study aims to identify the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy, willingness and its variation over time in order to inform more responsive strategies for increasing vaccination uptake. The specific objectives are: (1) to describe and compare levels of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the general population in rural and urban settings in West Africa over time and (2) to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination willingness and hesitancy among the general population across five West African countries over time.

Design
Following a baseline survey (Wave I), three serial cross-sectional surveys (Waves II-IV) were implemented.

Setting
The study was conducted in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone from November 2021 to July 2022.

Participants
A total of 13 571 study participants were included in the study (n=4373, n=4593 and n=4605 for survey Waves II, III and IV, respectively). Inclusion criteria were being 18 years or older, living in the study area and willing to provide informed consent. A two-stage sampling strategy was used to select the sample from among the general population.

Primary and secondary outcomes
Primary outcomes were the variability of vaccine hesitancy over time and across the five West African countries. Secondary outcomes were factors associated with vaccine willingness.

Results
A small but steady increase in hesitancy to COVID-19-vaccination can be observed across countries, with an upward trend of vaccine hesitancy reported by 952 participants (33.9 %) in Wave II, 1055 (37.3%) in Wave III and 1089 (38.1%) in Wave IV. Among the countries included, Senegal shows the highest level of vaccine hesitancy (‘Definitely no’ and ‘Probably no’ ranging from 50.2% to 56.0% and 26.2 to 28.3%, respectively). At the same time, Senegal has the lowest vaccination coverage overall. Across all five countries and survey waves, the primary factor associated with vaccination willingness is fear of experiencing severe COVID-19 disease (Wave II: OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.51, Wave III: OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.59 and Wave IV: OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.66). Perceived improved financial status seems to influence willingness to get vaccinated negatively (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.81) and unlike in Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic countries, men seem more reluctant to get vaccinated than women (OR 0.77, 95%, CI 0.65 to 0.93).

Conclusions
Our findings suggest that vaccine hesitancy should be monitored over time to inform communication strategies, which are responsive to changes in vaccination-related public sentiments. Additionally, a focus on social solidarity and the importance of women in vaccination advocacy can help improve COVID-19 vaccination coverage in West Africa.

Trial registration number
The general protocol is registered on clinicaltrial.gov (protocol number: NCT04912284).

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Annals of Internal Medicine, Ahead of Print.

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