High-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy increases the survival rate in COVID-19 patients at risk of hyper-inflammatory response.

OBJECTIVE: Test whether high dose corticosteroid pulse therapy (HDCPT) with either methylprednisolone or dexamethasone is associated with increased survival in COVID-19 patients at risk of hyper-inflammatory response. Provide some initial diagnostic criteria using laboratory markers to stratify these patients. METHODS: This is a prospective observational study, 318 met the inclusion criteria. 64 patients (20.1%) were treated with HDCPT by using at least 1.5mg/kg/24h of methylprednisolone or dexamethasone equivalent. A multivariate Cox regression (controlling for co-morbidities and other therapies) was carried out to determine whether HDCPT (among other interventions) was associated with decreased mortality. We also carried out a 30-day time course analysis of laboratory markers between survivors and non-survivors, to identify potential markers for patient stratification. RESULTS: HDCPT showed a statistically significant decrease in mortality (HR = 0.087 [95% CI 0.021-0.36]; P < 0.001). 30-day time course analysis of laboratory marker tests showed marked differences in pro-inflammatory markers between survivors and non-survivors. As diagnostic criteria to define the patients at risk of developing a COVID-19 hyper-inflammatory response, we propose the following parameters (IL-6 > = 40 pg/ml, and/or two of the following: C-reactive protein > = 100 mg/L, D-dimer > = 1000 ng/ml, ferritin > = 500 ng/ml and lactate dehydrogenase > = 300 U/L). CONCLUSIONS: HDCPT can be an effective intervention to increase COVID-19 survival rates in patients at risk of developing a COVID-19 hyper-inflammatory response, laboratory marker tests can be used to stratify these patients who should be given HDCPT. This study is not a randomized clinical trial (RCT). Future RCTs should be carried out to confirm the efficacy of HDCPT to increase the survival rates of COVID-19.

Instrumentos de la Guía de Práctica Clínica: Diagnóstico y Tratamiento de la preeclampsia y eclampsia en el embarazo, parto y puerperio / Instruments of the Clinical Practice Guide: Diagnosis and treatment of preeclampsia and eclampsia in pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium

La hipertensión gestacional es un tipo de hipertensión que se presenta por primera vez después de 20 semanas de gestación sin proteinuria significativa demostrada. Existen cuatro categorías de hipertensión arterial en la mujer gestante. La preeclampsia se caracteriza por la presencia de hipertensión y proteinuria significativa, lo que ocurre después de la semana 20 del embarazo. La preeclampsia asociada a otros estados patológicos no siempre es sinónimo de preeclampsia severa. Se reserva el término de severa cuando se agregan los marcadores clínicos y de laboratorio de severidad en mujeres con preeclampsia agregada o asociada a otros estados patológicos. Proteinuria significativa es una cantidad de proteínas en la orina ≥ 300 mg en una recolección de orina de 24 horas. También se denomina así cuando el cociente de proteínas urinarias sobre creatinina urinaria es ≥ 30 mg/mmol. La eclampsia se caracteriza por la ocurrencia de crisis convulsivas tónico-clónicas generalizadas en mujeres con preeclampsia que no son atribuidas a otras causas.

Gestational hypertension is a type of hypertension that occurs for the first time after the 20 weeks of gestation without significant proteinuria. There are four categories of hypertension in pregnant women. Preeclampsia is characterized by the presence of hypertension and significant proteinuria, those occurring after the 20th week of pregnancy. Preeclampsia associated with other diseases is not always synonymous of severe preeclampsia. We reserve the term of sever when adding clinical and laboratory markers of severity. In women with preeclampsia aggregated or associated with other disease states. Significant proteinuria is the amount of protein in urine ≥ 300 mg of protein in a urine collection of 24 hours. Also called significant proteinuria when the ratio of urinary protein creatinine ratio is ≥ 30 mg/mmol. Eclampsia is characterized by the occurrence of generalized tonic and clonic seizures not attributed to other causes in women with preeclampsia.

Instrumento de una Guía de Práctica Clínica INPer: Protocolo de diagnóstico y tratamiento en reanimación cardiopulmonar durante el embarazo / Instrumentation of a Clinical Practice Guideline at the Instituto Nacional de Perinatología: Diagnosis and treatment protocol in Cardiopulmonary resuscitation during pregnancy

La reanimación cardiopulmonar (RCP) es la estrategia de tratamiento del paro cardiorrespiratorio, la cual tiene una incidencia durante el embarazo de 1:20,000. Existen cambios sustanciales en la rutina de la reanimación cardiopulmonar durante el embarazo. Justificación: Proporcionar al personal un instrumento para el abordaje médico de las pacientes embarazadas en paro cardiorrespiratorio. Objetivo: Simplificar el manejo en forma de guía, adaptada al Instituto Nacional de Perinatología (INPer), para las pacientes embarazadas que se encuentren en paro cardiorrespiratorio. Esta guía pone a disposición del personal las recomendaciones basadas en la mejor evidencia disponible con la intención de estandarizar el manejo de estas pacientes. La guía presenta un cuadro con intervenciones básicas para la prevención de un paro cardiorrespiratorio, así como un algoritmo intrahospitalario de soporte de vida cardiopulmonar inicial y avanzado en el embarazo.

The cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the treatment for the cardiopulmonary arrest. During pregnancy the incidence of the cardiopulmonary arrest is 1:20,000. There are many differences between the routine cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedure and the cardiopulmonary resuscitation in pregnant women. Justification: Provide to the medical and paramedical personal the better tools for the primary and advanced medical treatment for the cardiopulmonary arrest during pregnancy. The majority of the patients at the National Institute of Perinatology (INPer) are pregnant women, so is very important that all the medical personal knows how to implement correctly the cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedure. Objective: To simplify the treatment of the cardiopulmonary arrest using a guideline, that was designed accord with the characteristics of the patients attended at the INPer. This guideline is a practical clinical tool for easy application. The recommendations of the guideline represent the better clinical evidence identified at the medical literature, with the objective of standardize the treatment of pregnant women in cardiopulmonary arrest.