Long COVID and Wavering Incidence of Pulmonary Embolism: A Systematic Review.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious medical condition that can occur as a result of venous thromboembolism (VTE). COVID-19, also known as Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), can potentially lead to PE due to the formation of blood clots in the lungs. This study aims to collate and report trends of PE in patients with long COVID (4-12 weeks since infection) and post-COVID-19 syndrome (>12 weeks since infection). The study adhered to PRISMA Statement 2020 guidelines, and a systematic search was conducted in four databases. In total, nine observational studies were included with a total patient count of 45,825,187. The incidence of PE with long COVID/post-COVID-19 syndrome was seen among 31,885 individuals out of 44,967,887 participants. The incidence rate of PE was observed as 0.07%, given that the studies included matched controls. While we cannot state with certainty that COVID-19 infection in itself leads to higher risks of PE at a later time, this study emphasizes the need for optimized care and longitudinal studies during the COVID-19 era to account for deviations from the norm.

Use of psychotropic drugs in the dermatology patient: When to start and stop?

Dermatologists often find themselves treating patients with psychiatric disorders, most commonly anxiety and depression, in the context of skin disease. The psychiatric condition may either be present before the skin condition developed and exacerbate it or, in some cases, even create it (eg, delusions of parasitosis). Alternatively, the psychiatric condition may occur subsequent to the development of the dermatologic condition. The treatment of psychodermatogic disorders requires collaboration between psychiatrists and dermatologists. Dermatologists should be able to recognize primary psychiatric disorders and refer patients to psychiatrists for appropriate treatment; however, the patient may encounter delays in accessing psychiatric care, and dermatologists should be familiar with the basic use of psychotropic drugs. This review describes common psychiatric disorders encountered in a dermatology practice and their treatment with psychotropic drugs. For each commonly used drug, dose range, side effects, and how to initiate and terminate treatment are described. Although psychotherapy is an important part of the treatment of most psychiatric disorders, we have limited our focus to psychotropic drugs in this review.