The Canadian journal of cardiology
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Observational Study
Decrease and Delay in Hospitalization for Acute Coronary Syndromes During the 2020 SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.
The diffusion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) forced the Italian population to restrictive measures that modified patients' responses to non-SARS-CoV-2 medical conditions. We evaluated all patients with acute coronary syndromes admitted in 3 high-volume hospitals during the first month of SARS-CoV-2 Italian-outbreak and compared them with patients with ACS admitted during the same period 1 year before. ⋯ In 2020, both door-to-balloon and symptoms-to-percutaneous coronary intervention were longer, and admission levels of high-sensitive cardiac troponin I were higher. They had a lower discharged residual left-ventricular function and an increased predicted late cardiovascular mortality based on their Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores.
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Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a point-of-care ultrasound technique used for its portability, widespread availability, and ability to provide real-time diagnostic information and procedural guidance. LUS outperforms lung auscultation and chest X-ray, and it is an alternative to chest computed tomography in selected cases. Cardiologists may enhance their physical and echocardiographic examination with the addition of LUS. ⋯ We describe LUS findings and interpretation for common causes of respiratory failure. We provide guidance specific of COVID-19, which at the time of writing is a global pandemic. In this context, LUS emerges as a particularly useful tool for the diagnosis and management of patients with cardiopulmonary disease.
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Letter Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Late STEMI and NSTEMI Patients' Emergency Calling in COVID-19 Outbreak.
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A bronchogenic cyst in the left atrium is rare. We report the case of a 17-year-old male patient who was admitted to the emergency department because of severe chest pain and dyspnea. ⋯ The resultant atrial dome defect was reconstructed with a bovine pericardial patch. Pathologic investigation revealed that the tumour was a bronchogenic benign cyst.