The comparison of the mortality rates of plasmapheresis/hemoperfusion therapy with current treatment among Covid-19 patients.

Background: There is no definitive treatment for COVID-19. Hemoperfusion and plasmapheresis have only been studied in a few cases of COVID-19. In this study, plasmapheresis-hemoperfusion and current treatment for COVID-19 patients were compared for mortality. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 103 patients with COVID-19 underwent hemoperfusion, plasmapheresis, and conventional medical treatment in educational hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran. A census method was used to include the patients in the study. The data from the hospital file were used to complete a checklist containing demographic information, clinical findings, and paraclinical findings for all patients. Results: There was not a statistically significant difference (P-value = 0.051) between the plasmapheresis group (78.8%), the hemoperfusion group (71.9%), and the current treatment group (52.6%) in mortality rates. Hemoperfusion had a median survival time of 18.9 days, plasmapheresis had a median survival time of 16.9 days, and current treatment had a median survival time of 13.5 days. In terms of patient survival time, there was no significant difference (P-value = 0.181). Multiple regression results showed that death rates in the hemoperfusion (P = 0.393) and plasmapheresis (P = 0.073) groups were not statistically different from those in the current treatment group. Conclusion: As a result of this study, there were no differences between the treatment groups in regard to death rates or patient survival times.

Relationship between environmental Fungi and changes in lung function indices of new referral allergic patients in Ahvaz city under normal and dust conditions.

BACKGROUND: Aim of this study was to determine whether any specific fungal spores could be responsible for changes observed in lung function indices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1042 new allergic patients were selected from July 2017 to May 2018 in Ahvaz City, Iran. Fungal samples were collected in normal and dusty condition within 5 and 2 min, respectively. Sampling was repeated once every 6 days and also in the dusty days. RESULTS: Average numbers of fungi colony were 639.86 and 836.44 CFU m-3 under normal and dusty conditions, respectively. Most common fungi in Ahwaz City air were Cladosporium sp., Penicillium sp., Aspergillus Niger, Aspergillus Flavus and Alternaria sp.. Highest fungal mean concentrations, 392 and 480 CFU m-3, were related to Cladosporium sp. under normal and dust conditions, respectively. Average total numbers of colony fungal were 614, 483, 1082, 424 CFU m-3 and 856, 701, 1418, 418 CFU m-3 during the spring, summer, autumn, and winter under normal and dusty conditions, respectively. Patients were evaluated by measured lung function parameters of FEV1 (L), FEV1 (%pred), FVC (L), FVC (%pred), and FEV1/FVC ratio with mean values of 1.85, 58.32, 2.63, 68.18, and 69.43, respectively. CONCLUSION: Increases in mean total spores of fungi in spring were accompanied by decreases in FEV1/FVC ratio. Enhanced spores of Cladosporium sp. in spring led to reduced FEV1/FVC ratio. Increase the spores of Curvularia sp. in summer decreased by FEF25-75%. The augmented spores of Drechslera sp. in summer were associated with declined FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio. Enhanced fungal spores of Rhizopus sp. in spring resulted in lowered FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, and FEF25-75%.