Clinical medicine (London, England)
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The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has dramatically increased the workload for health systems and a consequent need to optimise resources has arisen, including the selection of patients for swab tests. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and undergoing swab tests for SARS-CoV-2. Complete blood counts (CBCs) were analysed looking for predictors of test positivity. ⋯ When looking at the weight of individual variables, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), age, platelets and eosinophils (MAPE: MCV ≤90 fL, 65 points; age ≥45 years, 100 points; platelets ≤180×103/μL, 73 points; eosinophils <0.01/μL, 94 points) gave the highest contribution and were used to build a 'simplified' MAPE score with a discriminatory power of AUC 88%. By setting the cut-off MAPE score at ≥173 points, sensitivity and specificity for COVID-19 diagnosis were 83% and 82%, respectively, and the actual test positivity rate was 60% as compared to 6% of patients with MAPE score <173 points (odds ratio 23.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.1-58.3, p-value <0.0001). In conclusion, CBC-based scores have potential for optimising the SARS-CoV-2 testing process: if these findings are confirmed in the future, swab tests may be waived for subjects with low score and uncertain symptoms, while they may be considered for asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic patients with high scores.
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SARS-CoV-2 serological tests are a subject of intense interest and have the potential to significantly enhance the diagnostic capability of healthcare services in the current pandemic. However, as with all novel assays, significant validation is required to understand the clinical relevance of results. ⋯ We identify common key assumptions regarding patient infectivity and protection that are not currently supported by the SARS-CoV-2 evidence base. In this rapidly developing field, we therefore strongly recommend serological assay results are accompanied by clear interpretive support from laboratory and infectious diseases specialists.
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The severity of coronavirus 2019 infection (COVID-19) is determined by the presence of pneumonia, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS-CoV-2), myocarditis, microvascular thrombosis and/or cytokine storms, all of which involve underlying inflammation. A principal defence against uncontrolled inflammation, and against viral infection in general, is provided by T regulatory lymphocytes (Tregs). Treg levels have been reported to be low in many COVID-19 patients and can be increased by vitamin D supplementation. ⋯ Vitamin D deficiency has been found to occur more frequently in patients with obesity and diabetes. These conditions are reported to carry a higher mortality in COVID-19. If vitamin D does in fact reduce the severity of COVID-19 in regard to pneumonia/ARDS, inflammation, inflammatory cytokines and thrombosis, it is our opinion that supplements would offer a relatively easy option to decrease the impact of the pandemic.
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A case is presented highlighting the emerging association of COVID-19 with pneumomediastinum, even in patients who have never received mechanical ventilation or positive airway pressure.
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Haemolysis is a rare but serious complication of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, described mostly in immunocompromised patients, the pathogenesis of which is yet to be fully elucidated. We describe a case of Coombs-positive haemolytic anaemia in an older Caucasian immunocompetent woman after polytrauma, resulting from suspected reactivation of CMV infection and secondary cold agglutinin disease. Clinicians should consider CMV infection in the differential diagnosis of haemolytic anaemia in immunocompetent older adults who are admitted with significant musculoskeletal trauma. Early treatment with B-cell depletion therapy to halt cold agglutinin production can be life-saving.