Acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with COVID-19 vs. Non-COVID-19: clinical characteristics and outcomes in a tertiary care setting in Mexico City.

BACKGROUND: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) due tocoronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection has a unique phenotype generating a growing need to determine the existing differences that can alter existing evidence-based management strategies for ARDS. RESEARCH QUESTION: What differences does the clinical profile of patients with ARDS due to COVID 19 and Non-COVID 19 have? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a comparative, observational, retrospective study in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)of a third-level hospital in Mexico City, from March 2020 through March 2022. Clinical, echocardiographic, and laboratory variables were compared between patients with ARDS due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and those due to other etiologies. RESULTS: We enrolled 140 patients with a diagnosis of ARDS. The study group of COVID-19 etiology were younger males, higher body mass index, progressed to organ dysfunction, required more frequently renal replacement therapy, and higher SOFA score. There was no difference in rates of right ventricular dysfunction. INTERPRETATION: COVID-19 ARDS exhibit much greater severity that led to higher admission and mortality rates, whilst being younger and less comorbid.

DNA methylation profiling of a lipomatous meningioma: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Lipomatous meningiomas are an extremely rare, benign meningioma subtype subcategorized under metaplastic meningioma in the most recent 2021 update to the World Health Organization classification. They make up less than 0.3% of all meningiomas and, to date, less than 70 cases have been reported in the literature, none of which have undergone molecular profiling. This study aims to promote the utility of molecular profiling to better diagnose these rare tumors. OBSERVATIONS: The authors present the first case of a lipomatous meningioma with DNA methylation profiling that both confirmed its benign biology and uncovered unique cytogenetic changes. Molecular characterization of a lipomatous meningioma confirmed its diagnosis as a distinct, benign meningioma subtype and revealed several copy number variations on chromosome 8 and in NF2 and SMARCB1. Here we discuss some of the radiological and histopathological features of lipomatous meningiomas, how they can be used to distinguish from other meningiomas and other similarly presenting tumors, and a brief literature review discussing the pathophysiology and presentation of this rare tumor. LESSONS: This study provides evidence supporting the use of molecular profiling to diagnose lipomatous meningiomas and guide their clinical management more accurately.

Exploring the Potential of Metal-Organic Frameworks for the Separation of Blends of Fluorinated Gases with High Global Warming Potential.

The research on porous materials for the selective capture of fluorinated gases (F-gases) is key to reduce their emissions. Here, the adsorption of difluoromethane (R-32), pentafluoroethane (R-125), and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) is studied in four metal-organic frameworks (MOFs: Cu-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8, MOF-177, and MIL-53(Al)) and in one zeolite (ZSM-5) with the aim to develop technologies for the efficient capture and separation of high global warming potential blends containing these gases. Single-component sorption equilibria of the pure gases are measured at three temperatures (283.15, 303.15, and 323.15 K) by gravimetry and correlated using the Tóth and Virial adsorption models, and selectivities toward R-410A and R-407F are determined by ideal adsorption solution theory. While at lower pressures, R-125 and R-134a are preferentially adsorbed in all materials, at higher pressures there is no selectivity, or it is shifted toward the adsorption R-32. Furthermore, at high pressures, MOF-177 shows the highest adsorption capacity for the three F-gases. The results presented here show that the utilization of MOFs, as tailored made materials, is promising for the development of new approaches for the selective capture of F-gases and for the separation of blends of these gases, which are used in commercial refrigeration.

A Catastrophic Complication of Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair: Aortoesophageal Fistula.

A 62-year-old man was admitted to the hospital due to sepsis secondary to a hemodialysis catheter-related infection that, upon diagnostic evaluation, demonstrated to be caused by P. aeruginosa and was treated with meropenem. Eradication of the infectious episode was confirmed by blood workup, including cultures. One month after the initial episode, the patient was readmitted due to a symptomatic penetrating aortic ulcer, which was classified as a cardiovascular emergency. The patient underwent an aortic stent-graft placement. Four weeks later, he presented to the emergency department with a 2-hour onset of thoracic pain and massive hematemesis. The esophagus and aortic segment with aortic stent graft were resected en bloc after an aortoesophageal fistula was diagnosed.

Design of Ionic Liquids for Fluorinated Gas Absorption: COSMO-RS Selection and Solubility Experiments.

In recent years, the fight against climate change and the mitigation of the impact of fluorinated gases (F-gases) on the atmosphere is a global concern. Development of technologies that help to efficiently separate and recycle hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) at the end of the refrigeration and air conditioning equipment life is a priority. The technological development is important to stimulate the F-gas capture, specifically difluoromethane (R-32) and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a), due to their high global warming potential. In this work, the COSMO-RS method is used to analyze the solute-solvent interactions and to determine Henry's constants of R-32 and R-134a in more than 600 ionic liquids. The three most performant ionic liquids were selected on the basis of COSMO-RS calculations, and F-gas absorption equilibrium isotherms were measured using gravimetric and volumetric methods. Experimental results are in good agreement with COSMO-RS predictions, with the ionic liquid tributyl(ethyl)phosphonium diethyl phosphate, [P2444][C2C2PO4], being the salt presenting the highest absorption capacities in molar and mass units compared to salts previously tested. The other two ionic liquids selected, trihexyltetradecylphosphonium glycinate, [P66614][C2NO2], and trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium 2-cyano-pyrrole, [P66614][CNPyr], may be competitive as far as their absorption capacities are concerned. Future works will be guided on evaluating the performance of these ionic liquids at an industrial scale by means of process simulations, in order to elucidate the role in process efficiency of other relevant absorbent properties such as viscosity, molar weight, or specific heat.

An Unusual Congenital Heart Disease: Giant Left Atrial Appendage.

A 52-year-old female was admitted to our hospital in April 2021 with dyspnea. She was discharged from the hospital 3 weeks ago due to the diagnosis of pneumonia caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Physical examination revealed an oxygen desaturation of 82%. The patient underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) that showed a ground-glass pattern and a giant left atrial appendage ( Figure 1A ). Film array respiratory panel was negative, and pulmonary aspergillosis was diagnosed after bronchoscopy. Cardiac magnetic resonance corroborated the huge left atrial appendage ( Figure 1B ). No other structural or functional heart abnormalities were diagnosed. A giant left atrial appendage is a rare cardiac anomaly that can be congenital or acquired. In the literature, it is called a left atrial appendage aneurysm. The dilatation can be generalized or focused. Although it can occur in all age groups, it is predominant in patients in their 30s to 50s and most common in females.1 Patients can be asymptomatic or present with symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain, or dyspnea. A number of recent cases in the literature have highlighted the diagnostic utility of CTA.2 While there is no standard treatment for this condition, surgical resection is the most frequent therapy. Another option reported in the literature is anticoagulant treatment for select cases.3 Closure of the left atrial appendage is a more recent and emerging intervention that can be considered. In our patient, we initiated anticoagulant therapy to reduce the risk of thromboembolic events; however, we recommended left atrial appendage occlusion or surgical resection after completing the treatment for pulmonary aspergillosis.

Point-of-care ultrasound assessment with handheld ultrasound device attached to cell phone.

Recent advances in ultrasound technology have made modern handheld ultrasound devices and are contributing to make bedside ultrasound evaluation a practice available to all physicians. A 46-year-old woman with history of systemic erythematosus presented to our hospital with 14 days of COVID-19. The patient suddenly presented greater respiratory distress, tachycardia, hypotension, and increased supplemental oxygen requirements; so she required mechanical ventilation. Point-of-care ultrasound assessment with handheld ultrasound device was observed on the apical view an apical thrombus in the right ventricle, McConnell's sign. The patient underwent systemic thrombolysis with alteplase showing improvement in mechanical ventilation parameters and is currently continuing treatment for COVID-19 in the intensive care unit of our hospital. Emerging technologies such as handheld ultrasound devices can provide high-quality care to the patients. Routine screening of patients with COVID-19 using handheld ultrasound is feasible, may be able to define prognosis and treatment of cardiovascular complications.

Hypertensive Emergency in a Woman with Systemic Sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease that causes fibrosis in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, involving other organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, it can cause pulmonary arterial hypertension. Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is one of the most dreadful complications of SSc. SRC is a medical emergency that can present as a clinical picture of hypertensive encephalopathy. The pathophysiology involves an abrupt onset of moderate to severe hypertension that ranges from days to weeks; it is associated with an increase in plasma renin activity and acute kidney injury. It is known that by introducing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, the mortality decreases significantly in SRC. The renal biopsy plays an important role on the diagnosis and opportune treatment. We present a clinical case of SRC with a typical presentation of hypertensive emergency and acute kidney injury.

Process Evaluation of Fluorinated Ionic Liquids as F-Gas Absorbents.

The environmental impact of fluorinated gases (F-gases) necessitates the development of green technologies to mitigate them. Fluorinated ionic liquids (FIL/ILs) emerged as an alternative absorbent due to their unique and exceptional properties. In this work, a COSMO-based/Aspen Plus methodology was used to evaluate the performance of FIL/ILs as absorbents in the process scale of two F-gases: 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) and difluoromethane (R-32). Results of the absorption column in equilibrium mode revealed that the behavior of FIL/ILs is similar under the same conditions, reaching higher efficiencies in the case of absorbing R-134a at a high F-gas partial pressure. Rate-based calculations in packing column demonstrated a kinetic control with highly viscous FIL/ILs, revealing higher performance differences between FIL/IL absorbents. The regeneration stage was also evaluated in near-industrial conditions. Operating conditions of the absorption column were optimized with a column of height 10 m and diameter ranging from 1.1 to 1.2 m at 10 bar total pressure, reaching 90% F gas recovery with an L/G range of 6-10. Finally, preliminary economic analysis revealed operating costs to recover 90% of F-gas of 70 $/ton (R-134a) and 130 $/ton (R-32) with the FIL/IL that revealed the best behavior, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate.

Asociación de mortalidad, deformación longitudinal global y circunferencial del ventrículo izquierdo en pacientes con sepsis en terapia intensiva / Association of mortality, global longitudinal deformation of the left ventricle and circumferential deformation of the left ventricle in patients with sepsis in the intensive care unit / Associação de mortalidade, deformidade longitudinal global do ventrículo esquerdo em pacientes com sepse na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva

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Abstract: Introduction: Sepsis is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the ICU, and when associated with SCM, the prognosis worsens; it can occur in up to 68% of patients. ECHO parameters have been proposed useful for the assessment of the LV systolic function, such as STRAIN-GLS and STRAIN-CS. In this study, the association of these with mortality in patients with sepsis in the ICU was assessed. Material and methods: A prospective, cross-sectional, cohort study was conducted in patients with sepsis admitted to the ICU of a hospital center in Mexico City from January 1st to July 31st, 2018. Transthoracic ECHO was taken within the first 24 hours of the diagnosis of sepsis. Results: Thirty patients were included, 17 were male (56.7%); the median age was 68.5 years (RIQ 56-84); the median hospital stay was 12 days (RIQ 7-17). The death rate was of 23.3%. The average length of stay in the ICU was 19.1 days (3-185 days). Independently assessed by CS, it was found that 36% of the population presented LV systolic dysfunction, while assessed by GLS, it was 40%. When comparing non-survivors and survivors, there were no significant demographic differences; a difference of proportions was observed in the number of patients with diabetes. Differences in medians of systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP), VAI, CS and GLS were observed. When testing the ability to discriminate survivors against non-survivors, it was found that CS was marginally superior to GLS, APACHE (Acute Physiology Age and Chronic Health Evaluation) II, SAPS (Simplified Acute Physiology Score) II, and SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment). When testing the ability of CS and GLS to discriminate hospital stay greater than seven days, it was observed that the echocardiographic measures were superior. Cut-off points were selected for discrimination of survivors against non-survivors by analyzing sensitivity and specificity for the following echocardiographic measurements: CS ≥ -15.1 (S: 71.43%, E: 83.33%, LR(+) 4.3, LR(-) 0.34) and GLS ≥ -15.4 (S: 85.71%, E: 73.91%, LR(+) 3.3, LR(-) 0.19). In the multivariate analysis, it was found that a CS ≥ -15.1 was predictive of mortality during hospitalization in the study period and population, adjusted for other echocardiographic variables such as LVEF < 55%, GLS ≥ -15.4 and confounders such as sex [RM = 10.23 (95% CI, 1.01-103.2), p < 0.049]. In linear regression models, no predictive echocardiographic variables were found for days of hospital stay in the study period and population. Conclusions: The development of new ECHO techniques such as speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has facilitated the ability to evaluate LV function through the quantitative evaluation of myocardial deformation; although they are complex techniques, if performed and interpreted appropriately, they are very useful in different clinical conditions. MD can be an early marker of mortality in patients with sepsis; obtained by measuring the GLS and CS, it could be a reliable predictor of the outcomes of patients in the ICU, and it can also potentiate scales such as APACHE II, SOFA and SAPS II to allow early identification of septic patients at high risk. There are still some obstacles to the regular clinical application of GLS and CS in septic patients in the ICU. The optimal GLS limit for the prediction of mortality in these patients remains uncertain, and the intrinsic differences between the populations could contribute to the observed differences. However, it is known to be an effective parameter for the quantification of left ventricular function, even more sensitive than the LVEF by bidimensional ECHO, depending relatively less on the operator and loading conditions. Current results should be confirmed in additional large-scale and multi-center studies. Therefore, it still remains in the field of clinical research for patients in critical condition.

Resumo: Introdução: A sepse é uma das principais causas de morbidade e mortalidade na UTI e quando associada à SCM piora o prognóstico, pode ocorrer em até 68% dos pacientes. Os parâmetros do ECO têm sido propostos como úteis para a avaliação da função sistólica do VE, como STRAIN-GLS e STRAIN-CS, neste estudo foi avaliada a associação destes com a mortalidade em pacientes com sepse na UTI. Material e métodos: Realizou-se um estudo prospectivo, transversal, de coorte de um centro hospitalar em pacientes com sepse internados na UTI na Cidade do México, avaliados de 1 de janeiro a 31 de julho de 2018. Foi realizado ECO transtorácico nas primeiras 24 horas do diagnóstico de sepse. Resultados: Foram incluídos 30 pacientes, sendo 17 do sexo masculino (56.7%), idade média 68.5 anos (RiQ 56 - 84), internação média de 12 dias (RIQ 7-17). Com uma taxa de mortalidade de 23.3%. O tempo médio de permanência na UTI foi de 19.1 dias (3-185 dias). Avaliada independentemente pelo CS, constatou-se que 36% da população apresentava disfunção sistólica do VE, enquanto avaliada por GLS obtiveram 40% da população. Quando comparados não-sobreviventes e sobreviventes não houve diferenças demográficas significativas, observou-se uma diferença de proporções no número de pacientes com diabetes. Foram observadas diferenças nas medianas de PSAP, VAI, CS e GLS. Ao testar a capacidade de discriminar sobreviventes versus não sobreviventes, verificou-se que o CS foi marginalmente superior ao GLS APACHE II, SAPS II e SOFA. Ao testar a capacidade de CS e GLS em discriminar a permanência hospitalar superior a 7 dias, observou-se que as medidas ecocardiográficas foram superiores. Foram selecionados pontos de corte para a discriminação de sobreviventes versus não sobreviventes analisando a sensibilidade e especificidade para as seguintes medidas ecocardiográficas: EC ≥ -15.1 (S: 71.43%, E: 83.33%, LR (+) 4.3, LR (-) 0.34) e GLS ≥ -15.4 (S: 85.71%, E: 73.91%, LR (+) 3.3, LR (-) 0.19). Na análise multivariada, verificou-se que um CS ≥ -15.1 foi preditivo de mortalidade durante a internação no período e população do estudo, ajustado para outras variáveis ecocardiográficas como FEVE < 55%, GLS ≥ -15.4 e confundidores como sexo. [RM = 10.23 (IC 95%, 1.01-103.2), p < 0.049]. Nos modelos de regressão linear, não foram encontradas variáveis ecocardiográficas preditivas para os dias de internação hospitalar no período e população do estudo. Conclusões: O desenvolvimento de novas técnicas de ECO, como STE, facilitou a capacidade de avaliar a função do VE através da avaliação quantitativa da deformação miocárdica, embora sejam técnicas complexas, si se realizam e interpretam de forma adequada, são muito úteis em diferentes condições clínicas. A MD pode ser um marcador precoce de mortalidade em pacientes com sepse, obtida pela mensuração da GLS e CS poderia ser um preditor prognóstico confiável dos resultados de pacientes na UTI, e também pode potencializar escalas como APACHE II, SOFA e SAPS II para permitir a identificação precoce de pacientes sépticos de alto risco. Existem ainda alguns obstáculos para a aplicação clínica regular de GLS e CS em pacientes sépticos na UTI, apesar de ser um estudo à beira do leito, é necessário levar em conta a gravidade da doença e comorbidades prévias. O limite ideal de GLS para a predição de mortalidade nesses pacientes permanece incerto e as diferenças intrínsecas entre as populações poderiam contribuir para as diferenças observadas, porém é sabido que é um parâmetro efetivo para a quantificação da função ventricular esquerda, mais sensível que a FEVE por ECO bidimensional, dependem relativamente menos do operador e das condições de carga. Os resultados atuais devem ser confirmados em estudos adicionais em larga escala e multicêntricos. Por isso, ainda permanece no campo da pesquisa clínica para pacientes em estado crítico.