The American journal of the medical sciences
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Review Case Reports
Respiratory Failure Secondary to Diaphragmatic Paralysis from Acute Exacerbation of Dermatomyositis.
Dermatomyositis (DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory disorder that presents with proximal muscle weakness and typical DM skin changes. DM can involve other organs such as the lung, esophagus, and heart. Diaphragmatic muscle paralysis is an unrecognized clinical presentation of acute DM exacerbation. ⋯ The patient was worked up for an acute DM exacerbation as the likely etiology of the severe diaphragmatic muscle weakness (diaphragmatic paralysis) and ventilatory failure. Skin and muscle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of active DM. The patient was treated with high dose steroids and mycophenolate mofetil, following which he soon recovered.
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In December 2019 novel coronavirus-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus2 (SARS-CoV2)-originated from Wuhan, China, and spread rapidly around the world. This literature review highlights the dynamic nature of COVID-19 transmission and presentation. Analyzing 59 relevant articles up to May 1st, 2020 reflects that the main reported clinical manifestation of COVID-19 pandemic is fever and respiratory involvement. ⋯ The definite route of SARS-CoV2 transmission is respiratory droplets, however, virus nucleic acid has been detected in the stool and urine specimens as well. The severity of symptoms and outcomes of COVID-19 vary based on the patient's medical background, age, sex, and concurrent medical conditions (e.g. pregnancy). This is the first review that classifies all essential points regarding COVID-19 manifestations at a glance to improve the outcome of the patients by a better insight into diagnosis and management.
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Multicenter Study
DNA and RNA Oxidative Damage and Mortality of Patients With COVID-19.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) oxidative damage is associated with mortality of patients with different diseases. However, there are no data about DNA and RNA oxidative damage from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Thus, the objective of this study was to explore DNA and RNA oxidative damage in surviving and non-surviving COVID-19 patients. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting on oxidative DNA and RNA damage in COVID-19 patients, and the main new finding was that serum OGS concentration was associated with mortality.