Medicina
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The main objective was to estimate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) among patients with COVID-19, to explore associated factors; and to describe clinical evolution of hospitalized patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted, which included adults confirmed with COVID-19 between 03/12/2020 and 10/15/2020, at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. From 6009 people with COVID-19, 408 had previous diagnosis of DM, yielding a prevalence of 6% (95%CI 6-7), higher prevalence was associated with age (12% in = 60 years and 3% in < 60 years; p = 0.01). ⋯ Associated factors with DM were cardiovascular variables such as male sex, hypertension, smoking, chronic renal failure, heart failure, previous coronary disease; and clinical variables proxy of frailty such as: age, dementia and previous institutionalization (all with p < 0.01). Only 23% (96/408) of DM had an HbA1c measurement in the last 3 months and 76% in the last year, with an average 8.6%, and 25% in goal (HbA1c = 7%). Management was mostly in-hospital (59%), with an average hospital stay of 12 days, with the following complications during hospitalization: 6% presented a hypoglycemic value (< 70 mg/dl), 42% required oxygen therapy, 19 % went to intensive care unit, 15% required invasive mechanical ventilation (mean 11 days), and 25% (95%CI 20-31) of in-hospital mortality (mean 82 years).
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Depression is the most frequent psychiatric disorder in patients with epilepsy, with an estimated prevalence between 35% and 60%, associated with poorer control of epileptic seizures. Despite the high prevalence of depression, many patients are not diagnosed, presenting a worse clinical course and quality of life. There are no prevalence studies in our population. The main objective was to determinate the prevalence of depression in epilepsy and its relationship with seizure control. ⋯ Comorbidity between depression and epilepsy is highly prevalent, negatively influencing the control of epileptic seizures. Most patients are underdiagnosed. Screening for major depression in patients with epilepsy is necessary, contributing to the clinical improvement.
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To contribute to the study of the disease, data were recorded from all hospitalized patients in the Clinical Medicine room of Hospital Municipal Dr. Raúl Caccavo, Coronel Suárez, Buenos Aires province, diagnosed with COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemia (March 2020 to March 2021), the only health institution where patients were hospitalized in our city. A descriptive and retrospective transversal cut study was carried out with 178 patients (average age: 61 years old, range: 9 months -96 years), 90% of them hospitalized for a respiratory cause. ⋯ All patients hospitalized for respiratory causes were subjected to a thorax tomography, and 69% of them presented bilateral infiltration in ground glass. The laboratory tests revealed leucopenia in 15% of the patients and thrombocytopenia in 3% of them. These data could be an input for the development of COVID-19 clinical prediction models, although more evidence will be needed for that end.
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Specific antibodies are produced after infection by SARS-CoV2. Currently, the understanding of antibody responses following infection with SARS-CoV-2 is limited including the magnitude, duration of responses and correlates of protective immunity following infection. Here we intended to characterize humoral immune response in a cohort of 55 hospitalized patients for COVID-19 and its relationship with different demographic and clinical parameters. ⋯ In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, the IgM response is increased, while in immunocompromised and interstitial lung disease patients, IgM and IgG were lower, respectively. Those patients who required critical care, mechanical ventilation and those who died did not present significant differences in the magnitude of humoral response compared to those who had a less severe course. The methodology used adequately reflects the kinetics of antibodies.
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Lung ultrasound (LUS) has shown to be a useful tool to detect the degree of pulmonary involvement in patients with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The present study evaluates the association of the 12-region lung ultrasound score and the requirements of intensive care unit, in patients with COVID-19 infection who were admitted to intermediate care in a specialized hospital; 115 patients with a diagnosis of pneumonia confirmed by chest radiography secondary to SARS-CoV-2 were included, LUS was performed together with the laboratory evaluation that included the measurement of inflammatory biomarkers (lymphocytes, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, procalcitonin, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase, and pro B-type natriuretic peptide). ⋯ In the univariate analysis, an association was observed between the lung ultrasound score, elevated levels of procalcitonin and brain natriuretic peptide, and the admission to intensive care. In the multivariate analysis, only the lung ultrasound score was an independent predictor of need for intensive therapy.