Retrospective Cohort Observational Study to compare the Effect of Mycobacterium w along with Standard of Care vs Standard of Care alone in critically ill COVID-19 Patients.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has created enormous health crisis in India due to limited available treatments. Majority of the physicians use sepsis as a prototype to understand the pathophysiology of COVID-19 as there are similarities. Heat-killed Mycobacterium w (Mw) (Inj. Mw®) is a known immunomodulator, which is approved for the treatment of gram-negative sepsis. This observational study was aimed to evaluate the role of Mw along with standard of care (SOC) in critically ill COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Total 448 patients' data (intervention group: 298 in Mw plus SOC vs 150 in SOC alone) with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed critically ill COVID-19 patients who were admitted at five tertiary care centers were evaluated. They were observed for changes in laboratory [C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] parameters, hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and discharge status after giving 0.3 mL intradermal Mw for 3 consecutive days along with SOC during hospitalization. Standard of care included injectable steroids, remdesivir, and heparin. Data were analyzed using STATA 14.2 (StataCorp., College Station, Texas, USA). RESULTS: In baseline characteristics, Mw plus SOC arm had more critically ill patients as seen by higher high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) score, higher lab values [CRP, ferritin, D-dimer, LDH, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT)], and more oxygen requirement as compared to SOC alone. Mycobacterium w arm had significantly higher mortality rate in ICU and hospital. Both hospital stay and ICU stay were longer in Mw arm. However, subgroup analysis found that early initiation of Mw (<3 days vs >3 days) was associated with significantly lesser odds of mortality and lesser odds of intubation requirement. Early initiation of Mw (<3 days vs >3 days) also resulted in significantly lesser duration of stay in the ICU along with reduction of CRP, D-dimer, and LDH. Moreover, further analysis of early initiation of Mw (<3 days vs control) resulted in significant reduction in lab values (procalcitonin, CRP, ferritin, LDH, and D-dimer). CONCLUSION: Mw when added to SOC was found to associate with significantly increased risk of mortality and increased length of hospital stay. However, time since admission to administration of Mw was a significant predictor of in-ICU deaths in multivariate analysis. Early initiation of Mw (<3 days) was observed to be a protective factor against ICU deaths from the multivariate logistic regression model. However, large randomized controlled trials are required to support the same.

The Second- vs First-wave COVID-19: More of the Same or a Lot Worse? A Comparison of Mortality between the Two Waves in Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units in Nine Hospitals in Western Maharashtra.

BACKGROUND: India, along with the rest of the world, faced the challenging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. The second wave in India lagged behind that in the Western world, due to different timing of seasons. There is scarce data about the differences between the two waves, for intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We present the data of 3,498 patients from 9 ICUs of western Maharashtra. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected prospective data of hospitalized, RT-PCR confirmed, coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) patients, from nine tertiary centers, after institutional ethics committee (IEC) approval. Then, we segregated and analyzed the data of patients admitted to the ICU, for comorbidities, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) score, ventilatory support, etc. The primary outcomes were ICU and hospital mortality. We also performed multivariable analysis for predictors of ICU mortality. RESULTS: Overall, there were 3,498 ICU patients. In the first wave, 1,921 patients needed ICU admission, while in the second wave, 1,577 patients. Patients in the second wave had significantly higher ICU (26.1 vs 13.4%, p <0.001) and hospital mortality (29.9 vs 18.2%, p <0.001) and need for ventilatory support of any type. More patients received steroids during the second wave. On multivariable regression, male gender, ICU admission during the second wave, increasing HRCT score, and need for intubation and mechanical ventilation were significant predictors of ICU mortality. CONCLUSION: ICU patients admitted during the two waves were of the similar age, but there were more females, and more patients had comorbidities during the second wave. The ICU and hospital mortality were significantly higher during the second wave. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Zirpe KG, Dixit S, Kulkarni AP, Pandit RA, Ranganathan P, Prasad S, et al. The Second- vs First-wave COVID-19: More of the Same or a Lot Worse? A Comparison of Mortality between the Two Waves in Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units in Nine Hospitals in Western Maharashtra. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021; 25(12):1343-1348.

A Study of Hepatitis E in Pregnancy: Maternal and Fetal Outcome.

PURPOSE: HEV infection, a major public health concern, is known to cause large-scale epidemic and sporadic cases of acute viral hepatitis in developing countries. The infection occurs primarily in young adults and is generally mild and self-limiting; however, the case fatality rate is reportedly higher among women, especially during the second or third trimesters of pregnancy. METHODS: This study, a prospective observational study, was conducted at the Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College Hospital and Apple Saraswati Multispeciality hospital, in Kolhapur for over a period of 3 years (Jan 2010 to Jan 2013) to find out the prevalence and clinical outcome in a series of HEV-infected pregnant women. RESULTS: A total of fifty-five symptomatic Anti-HEV IgM-positive women were included, and the maternal-fetal outcome was analyzed. The maternal mortality was 5 % including one antenatal death. Prematurity (80 %) and PROM (11 %) were the commonest fetal complications noted with a vertical transmission rate of 28 %. CONCLUSION: Variations in maternal morbidity and mortality between different studies indicate a need to subtype the viral genotype according to its virulence and morbidity.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy - case series.

OBJECTIVES: To study the pattern of presentation, course of disease and outcome of pregnancy in Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. METHODS: A prospective study of sixteen cases of PPCM was conducted at Apple Saraswati Multispecialty Hospital and Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College and Hospital, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India from January 2006 to December 2012. Data included age distribution, parity, gestational age, symptoms and risk factors. Medical management and pregnancy outcome were documented. Serial echocardiography data was compiled for a period of one year. RESULTS: In our study 9/16 (56%) were primigravidae, 4/16 (25%) had pre-eclamsia and 6/16 (35%) had co-existing hypertension. The difference in Echocardiography parameters observed between recovered and non-recovered patients was significant: Left Ventricular End diastolic dimension (5.6 cm vs 6.06 cm), Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (28.7% vs 22.4%) and Left Ventricular fractional shortening (17.5% vs 13.4%). Thirteen out of sixteen patients were followed up for a period of one year out of which 61% (8/13) patients recovered completely. There was one mortality. CONCLUSION: PPCM is a diagnosis of exclusion. Majority were young primigravidae presenting postnatally. Pre-eclampsia and hypertension were risk factors. ECHO parameters were reliable predictors of recovery. Future pregnancies are better avoided.

Absent pulmonary valve syndrome with tetralogy of Fallot detected at an early gestational age of 27 weeks - a case report.

OBJECTIVE: Absent pulmonary valve syndrome (APVS) is a rare congenital anomaly, usually seen in association with a ventricular septal defect. It has been reported to occur in 3-6% of cases of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). In this case report we discuss a case of absent pulmonary valve syndrome with tetralogy of Fallot that was detected in utero by fetal echocardiography at 27 weeks of gestation. CASE: A 20-year-old pregnant woman at 27 weeks of gestation referred to our Institute. She has no consanguineous history. We diagnosed the case as tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valves in fetal echocardiographic study. CONCLUSION: We conclude that when a paracardiac cystic, pulsatile lesion with dilated pulmonary arteries are seen in the fetus in utero then other features associated with the syndrome, such as TOF and the presence or absence of the ductus arteriosus should be looked for. In our case there was no ductus arteriosus.

Use of 64 slice CT in scimitar syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Scimitar Syndrome is a relatively rare variety of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection in which the right pulmonary veins form an anomalous confluence which drains into the infra-diaphragmatic inferior vena cava. The X-ray chest in these patients shows the typical Scimitar Sign. CASE REPORT: We are presenting a patient who was diagnosed to have Scimitar Syndrome on the basis of X-ray chest and echocardiography. Confirmation of diagnosis and precise anatomical characterization was achieved by 64 slice CT angiocardiography. The patient underwent successful surgical correction. Adequacy of procedure was demonstrated by the same procedure. DISCUSSION: scimitar syndrome is a type of partial anomalous venous connection. It consists of sinus venosus type of atrial septal defect, anomalous confluence of right upper and lower pulmonary veins draining into the infra-diaphragmatic inferior vena cava and right lung lower lobe hypoplasia. The X-ray chest shows the characteristic Scimitar Sign. Precise anatomical characterization in required for operative correction and cannot usually be achieved by echocardiography and requires invasive angiocardiography, multi-detector CT angiocardiography or cardiac MRI. We used CT angiocardiography for diagnosis and post-operative confirmation of adequacy of correction.