Cycle threshold values of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in conjunctival swabs and nasopharyngeal secretions: a comparative study from a tertiary care center in India.

PURPOSE: To detect the viral RNA load of SARS-CoV-2 in conjunctival swabs of COVID-19 patients, and compare with nasopharyngeal swabs. METHODS: Conjunctival swabs of COVID-19 patients (with PCR positive nasopharyngeal swabs) were subjected to quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The cycle threshold (Ct) values of Open Reading Frame 1 (ORF 1 Ab gene) and nucleoprotein (N gene) PCRs were used to assess the viral RNA load, and compare them with the baseline values of nasopharyngeal swabs. RESULTS: Of 93 patients, 17 (18.27%) demonstrated SARS-CoV-2 RNA in conjunctival swabs. Baseline nasopharyngeal swabs were collected at a median of 2 days; while, the conjunctival swabs were collected at median 7 days, from onset of illness (p < 0.001). Despite a significant delay in conjunctival swab collection than nasopharyngeal swabs, the Ct values (ORF or N gene PCRs) were comparable between nasopharyngeal swab and conjunctival swab samples. Subsequently, during the recovery period, in four of these 17 patients (with conjunctival swab positivity), when the second nasopharyngeal swab was 'negative', the conjunctival swab was 'positive'. CONCLUSION: The conjunctival swabs demonstrated SARS-CoV-2 RNA in 17 (18.27%) of 93 COVID-19 patients. Our results may suggest a delayed or a prolonged shedding of the virus/viral RNA on the ocular surface than in nasopharyngeal mucosa.

Complex cyanotic congenital heart disease and cervical spine surgery: Ticking all the right boxes.

Although complex congenital heart disease (CHD) patients usually present in childhood, it is not rare to see adults well past middle age. These patients undergo continuous pathophysiological changes in their heart and blood vessels, making anesthetic management more challenging if surgery is required. Herein, we report a case in which understanding the anatomy and pathophysiology helped optimally manage a patient with a double outlet right ventricle (DORV) who underwent plating and fixation for a hangman's fracture in the prone position.

Preparing Intensive Care Unit in Resource-Constraint Setting Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Our Experience and Review.

COVID-19 pandemic is an emerging, rapidly evolving public health emergency where a nation's health-care system can face a marked surge in demand for intensive care unit (ICU) beds and organ support. In regions with insufficient medical resources, it may further aggravate the existing shortage, limiting an ICU's ability to provide the normal standard of care. It can present ethically or legally demanding questions about how to prioritize the allocation of life-saving medical resources. In developing countries like India, still many hospitals are challenged by competing priorities and remain underprepared. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, to guide the intensive care disaster planners in regions with low resources and to ensure ICU readiness, this review shares our experience and strategies for preparing ICU with existing and alternative resources, focusing on space, equipment, and health-care workers' safety and training.