Pneumatosis Intestinalis in COVID-19: Case Series.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who developed pneumatosis intestinalis (PI). METHODS: This case series was conducted in intensive care units at two large tertiary care centers within the Northwell Health System, located in New York State. Patients were included if they were identified as having confirmed COVID-19 as well as pneumatosis intestinalis from March 16, 2020 to July 31, 2020. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, vasopressor use, anticoagulation use, opiate use, paralytic use, COVID-19 treatment regimen, serum lactate, arterial pH, serum bicarbonate, subsequent intervention, and outcomes during hospitalization were collected.  Results: A total of nine patients were identified. Average serum lactate was 4.33 mmol/L at time of diagnosis. Portal venous gas (56%) and bowel dilation (56%) were common radiographic findings. Subsequent morbidity (increased vasopressor requirements - 67%, acute kidney injury - 67%, increased oxygen requirements - 44%) and mortality (78%) were high. PI occurred despite a majority of patients being on anticoagulation (78%). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors were commonly administered (56%) prior to development of PI. CONCLUSION: Pneumatosis intestinalis in COVID-19 is clinically significant, with high morbidity and mortality, and is also likely underdiagnosed.

A 61-Year-Old Caribbean Man With Thrush and Acute Respiratory Failure.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 61-year-old Caribbean man presented to the ED with dyspnea that had progressed over the previous week with associated cough and high fevers. Four days prior to admission, his primary care physician noted oral thrush and obtained a chest radiograph that revealed a right middle lobe infiltrate. He was prescribed levofloxacin and clotrimazole. Despite therapy, his symptoms progressed. He had an 11 pack-year smoking history and hypertension but had been in good health. He denied recent travel, alcohol or illicit drug use, or high-risk sexual behaviors, and his only previous medicine was amlodipine. Institutional review board approval was not obtained for this case report, as all patient data are anonymous and obtained during routine patient care activities.

A novel calpain inhibitor for treatment of transient retinal ischemia in the rat.

After an acute ischemia/reperfusion of the rat retina, the activation of cytotoxic proteases, including calpain, results in necrosis and apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells resulting in their degeneration. Using a systemically administered calpain inhibitor that crosses the blood-retinal barrier would provide for novel systemic intervention that protects the retina from acute injury and loss of function. Herein, we study a novel calpain peptide inhibitor, cysteic-leucyl-argininal (CYLA), in an in-vivo rat model of retinal ischemia to determine functional protection using electroretinography. The CYLA prodrug was administered intraperitoneally before and/or after ischemia-reperfusion at concentrations of 20-40 mg/kg. We found that administering 20 mg/kg of CYLA only after ischemia provides significant preservation of retinal function.