Respiratory medicine case reports
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2020
Case ReportsDetection of SARS-CoV-2 by bronchoscopy after negative nasopharyngeal testing: Stay vigilant for COVID-19.
Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is required for diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Sensitivity of RT-PCR nasopharyngeal (NP) testing is presumed to be high, but there is no gold standard against which this has been determined. The objective was to determine whether lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), occurs in the absence of upper respiratory tract infection with clinical testing of both specimen types. ⋯ These data demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 LRTI occurs in the presence of negative NP testing. NP testing may underestimate the prevalence of COVID-19 and has implications for spread of SARS-CoV2 in the community and healthcare setting.
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2020
Case ReportsCo-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and Bordetella bronchiseptica in a young man with idiopathic non-cystic bronchiectasis and vitamin D3 deficiency.
This is the first reported case, to our knowledge, of co-infection of Bordetella bronchiseptica and SARS-CoV-2 in a young patient with underlying idiopathic bronchiectasis and vitamin D3 deficiency that was treated successfully with a combination therapeutic regime integrating doxycycline, empiric therapies for COVID-19, vitamin D supplementation, and supportive ICU care. Large prospective studies are required to investigate further the role of co-infections in COVID-19 patients with bronchiectasis. Randomized control trials should examine the putative beneficial role of vitamin D supplementation in patients with COVID-19.
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2020
Case ReportsCOVID-19 in a patient with a flare of systemic lupus erythematosus: A rare case-report.
This is a rare case-report of a young female with systemic lupus erythematosus and end-stage kidney disease (on maintenance hemodialysis) who was admitted to our intensive care unit due to life-threatening COVID-19. The patient was diagnosed with a flare of lupus; while being on maintenance hydroxychloroquine therapy. ⋯ In conclusion, patients with lupus may be affected by COVID-19 despite the administration of hydroxychloroquine. The administration of steroids may have a beneficial effect on mitigating both the flare of SLE and the COVID-19 associated hyperinflammation.
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2020
Case ReportsSARS-CoV2 induced pulmonary embolism and complications from anticoagulation.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has rapidly spread around the world. As new complications associated with the virus become more apparent, concerns in the medical community continue to grow. One of the more commonly encountered and more troubling complications in critically ill patients has been hypercoagulable state and subsequent thrombotic events. ⋯ Literature review suggests that pulmonary clot burden in COVID-19 patients could be due to pulmonary thrombus rather than pulmonary embolism and is triggered by profuse vascular damage and severe inflammatory response. Literature review also proposes changes to the diagnostic work up in COVID-19 patients, such as earlier screening for pulmonary embolism in critically ill. In addition, rare and severe complications of current anticoagulation therapy is illustrated and discussed through one of the cases presented.
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Respir Med Case Rep · Jan 2020
Case ReportsAcute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in a pregnant patient with COVID-19 improved after delivery: A case report and brief review.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) can frequently occur as a complication of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19). As the number of COVID-19 cases increases around the world, it is inevitable that COVID-19 and ARDS will complicate some pregnancies. Currently, there is scant data to guide decision-making on the timing of delivery for these patients. We present the case of a 41-year-old patient with severe ARDS from COVID-19 who was also 32 weeks pregnant, whose respiratory status improved dramatically after delivery.