Outcomes of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Receiving Organ Support Therapies: The International Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study Registry.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the outcomes of hospitalized patients in a multicenter, international coronavirus disease 2019 registry. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study including coronavirus disease 2019 patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection between February 15, 2020, and November 30, 2020, according to age and type of organ support therapies. SETTING: About 168 hospitals in 16 countries within the Society of Critical Care Medicine's Discovery Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness University Study coronavirus disease 2019 registry. PATIENTS: Adult hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 patients who did and did not require various types and combinations of organ support (mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, vasopressors, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Primary outcome was hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were discharge home with or without assistance and hospital length of stay. Risk-adjusted variation in hospital mortality for patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation was assessed by using multilevel models with hospitals as a random effect, adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, sex, and comorbidities. Among 20,608 patients with coronavirus disease 2019, the mean (± sd) age was 60.5 (±17), 11,1887 (54.3%) were men, 8,745 (42.4%) were admitted to the ICU, and 3,906 (19%) died in the hospital. Hospital mortality was 8.2% for patients receiving no organ support (n = 15,001). The most common organ support therapy was invasive mechanical ventilation (n = 5,005; 24.3%), with a hospital mortality of 49.8%. Mortality ranged from 40.8% among patients receiving only invasive mechanical ventilation (n =1,749) to 71.6% for patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drugs, and new renal replacement therapy (n = 655). Mortality was 39% for patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n = 389). Rates of discharge home ranged from 73.5% for patients who did not require organ support therapies to 29.8% for patients who only received invasive mechanical ventilation, and 8.8% for invasive mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drugs, and renal replacement; 10.8% of patients older than 74 years who received invasive mechanical ventilation were discharged home. Median hospital length of stay for patients on mechanical ventilation was 17.1 days (9.7-28 d). Adjusted interhospital variation in mortality among patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation was large (median odds ratio 1.69). CONCLUSIONS: Coronavirus disease 2019 prognosis varies by age and level of organ support. Interhospital variation in mortality of mechanically ventilated patients was not explained by patient characteristics and requires further evaluation.

Electrocardiographic Diagnosis of Acute Coronary Occlusion Myocardial Infarction in Ventricular Paced Rhythm Using the Modified Sgarbossa Criteria.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Ventricular paced rhythm is thought to obscure the electrocardiographic diagnosis of acute coronary occlusion myocardial infarction. Our primary aim was to compare the sensitivity of the modified Sgarbossa criteria (MSC) to that of the original Sgarbossa criteria for the diagnosis of occlusion myocardial infarction in patients with ventricular paced rhythm. METHODS: In this retrospective case-control investigation, we studied adult patients with ventricular paced rhythm and symptoms of acute coronary syndrome who presented in an emergency manner to 16 international cardiac referral centers between January 2008 and January 2018. The occlusion myocardial infarction group was defined angiographically as thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade 0 to 1 flow or angiographic evidence of coronary thrombosis and peak cardiac troponin I ≥10.0 ng/mL or troponin T ≥1.0 ng/mL. There were 2 control groups: the "non-occlusion myocardial infarction-angio" group consisted of patients who underwent coronary angiography for presumed type I myocardial infarction but did not meet the definition of occlusion myocardial infarction; the "no occlusion myocardial infarction" control group consisted of randomly selected emergency department patients without occlusion myocardial infarction. RESULTS: There were 59 occlusion myocardial infarction, 90 non-occlusion myocardial infarction-angio, and 102 no occlusion myocardial infarction subjects (mean age, 72.0 years; 168 [66.9%] men). For the diagnosis of occlusion myocardial infarction, the MSC were more sensitive than the original Sgarbossa criteria (sensitivity 81% [95% confidence interval [CI] 69 to 90] versus 56% [95% CI 42 to 69]). Adding concordant ST-depression in V4 to V6 to the MSC yielded 86% (95% CI 75 to 94) sensitivity. For the no occlusion myocardial infarction control group of ED patients, additional test characteristics of MSC and original Sgarbossa criteria, respectively, were as follows: specificity 96% (95% CI 90 to 99) versus 97% (95% CI 92 to 99); negative likelihood ratio (LR) 0.19 (95% CI 0.11 to 0.33) versus 0.45 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.65); and positive LR 21 (95% CI 7.9 to 55) versus 19 (95% CI 6.1 to 59). For the non-occlusion myocardial infarction-angio control group, additional test characteristics of MSC and original Sgarbossa criteria, respectively, were as follows: specificity 84% (95% CI 76 to 91) versus 90% (95% CI 82 to 95); negative LR 0.22 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.38) versus 0.49 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.66); and positive LR 5.2 (95% CI 3.2 to 8.6) versus 5.6 (95% CI 2.9 to 11). CONCLUSION: For the diagnosis of occlusion myocardial infarction in the presence of ventricular paced rhythm, the MSC were more sensitive than the original Sgarbossa criteria; specificity was high for both rules. The MSC may contribute to clinical decisionmaking for patients with ventricular paced rhythm.

Comparison of the ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) vs. NSTEMI and Occlusion MI (OMI) vs. NOMI Paradigms of Acute MI.

BACKGROUND: The current ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) vs. non-STEMI (NSTEMI) paradigm prevents some NSTEMI patients with acute coronary occlusion from receiving emergent reperfusion, in spite of their known increased mortality compared with NSTEMI without occlusion. We have proposed a new paradigm known as occlusion MI vs. nonocclusion MI (OMI vs. NOMI). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the two paradigms within a single population. We hypothesized that STEMI(-) OMI would have characteristics similar to STEMI(+) OMI but longer time to catheterization. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of a prospectively collected acute coronary syndrome population. OMI was defined as an acute culprit and either TIMI 0-2 flow or TIMI 3 flow plus peak troponin T > 1.0 ng/mL. We collected electrocardiograms, demographic characteristics, laboratory results, angiographic data, and outcomes. RESULTS: Among 467 patients, there were 108 OMIs, with only 60% (67 of 108) meeting STEMI criteria. Median peak troponin T for the STEMI(+) OMI, STEMI(-) OMI, and no occlusion groups were 3.78 (interquartile range [IQR] 2.18-7.63), 1.87 (IQR 1.12-5.48), and 0.00 (IQR 0.00-0.08). Median time from arrival to catheterization was 41 min (IQR 23-86 min) for STEMI(+) OMI compared with 437 min (IQR 85-1590 min) for STEMI(-) OMI (p < 0.001). STEMI(+) OMI was more likely than STEMI(-) OMI to undergo catheterization within 90 min (76% vs. 28%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: STEMI(-) OMI patients had significant delays to catheterization but adverse outcomes more similar to STEMI(+) OMI than those with no occlusion. These data support the OMI/NOMI paradigm and the importance of further research into emergent reperfusion for STEMI(-) OMI.

Video screen viewing and first intubation attempt success with standard geometry video laryngoscope use.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Direct laryngoscopy (DL) is the traditional approach for emergency intubation but video laryngoscopy (VL) is gaining popularity. Some studies have demonstrated higher first-attempt success with VL, particularly in difficult airways. In real-world settings, physicians choose whether or not to view the video screen when utilizing VL devices for tracheal intubation. Therefore, we sought to determine whether screen viewing is associated with higher intubation first-attempt success in clinical practice. METHODS: In this retrospective, observational investigation, we studied consecutive adult emergency department intubations at an urban, academic medical center during the calendar year 2013. Cases were identified from the electronic medical record and analyzed using standard video review methodology. We compared first-attempt success rates when standard geometry Macintosh VL was used, stratified by whether the screen was viewed or not. RESULTS: Of the 593 cases with videos available for review, 515 (87%) were performed with a standard geometry Macintosh video laryngoscope. First-attempt success was not significantly different when the screen was viewed (195/207; 94% [95%CI 91-97]) compared to when the screen was not viewed (284/301; 94% [95%CI 92-97]). The median first-attempt duration was longer when the screen was viewed compared to when the screen was not viewed (45 versus 33 s; median difference 12 s [95%CI 10-15 s]). CONCLUSION: In this study of orotracheal intubations performed by emergency physicians with Macintosh-style VL, the first-attempt success rate was high. The success rate was similar whether or not the intubating physician chose to view the video screen.

Discordance between ICD-Coded Myocardial Infarction and Diagnosis according to the Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding is the standard diagnostic tool for healthcare management. At present, type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) classification by the Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI) remains ignored in the ICD system. We determined the concordance for the diagnosis of MI using ICD-9 coding vs the Universal Definition. METHODS: Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) was measured by both contemporary (cTnI) and high-sensitivity (hs-cTnI) assays in 1927 consecutive emergency department (ED) patients [Use of TROPonin In Acute coronary syndromes (UTROPIA) cohort] who had cTnI ordered on clinical indication. All patients were adjudicated using both contemporary and hs-cTnI assays. The Kappa index and McNemar test were used to assess concordance between ICD-9 code 410 and type 1 MI (T1MI) and type 2 MI (T2MI). RESULTS: Among the 249 adjudicated MIs using the contemporary cTnI, only 69 (28%) were ICD-coded MIs. Of 180 patients not ICD coded as MI, 34 (19%) were T1MI and 146 (81%) were T2MI. For the ICD-coded MIs, 79% were T1MI and 21% were T2MI. A fair Kappa index, 0.386, and a McNemar difference of 0.0892 (P < 0.001) were found. Among the 207 adjudicated MIs using the hs-cTnI assay, 67 (32%) were ICD coded as MI. Of the 140 patients not ICD coded as MI, 27 (19%) were T1MI and 113 (81%) were T2MI. For the ICD-coded MIs, 85% were T1MI and 15% T2MI. A moderate Kappa index, 0.439, and a McNemar difference of 0.0674 (P < 0.001) were found. CONCLUSIONS: ICD-9-coded MIs captured only a small proportion of adjudicated MIs, primarily from not coding T2MI. Our findings emphasize the need for an ICD code for T2MI.

Diagnostic Performance of High Sensitivity Compared with Contemporary Cardiac Troponin I for the Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: We examined the diagnostic performance of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) vs contemporary cTnI with use of the 99th percentile alone and with a normal electrocardiogram (ECG) to rule out acute myocardial infarction (MI) and serial changes (deltas) to rule in MI. METHODS: We included consecutive patients presenting to a US emergency department with serial cTnI onclinical indication. Diagnostic performance for acute MI, including MI subtypes, and 30-day outcomes were examined. RESULTS: Among 1631 patients, MI was diagnosed in 12.9% using the contemporary cTnI assay and in 10.4% using the hs-cTnI assay. For ruling out MI, contemporary cTnI ≤99th percentile at 0, 3, and 6 h and a normal ECG had a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.5% (95% CI, 98.6-100) and a sensitivity of 99.1% (95% CI, 97.4-100) for diagnostic and safety outcomes. Serial hs-cTnI measurements ≤99th percentile at 0 and 3 h and a normal ECG had an NPV and sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 100-100) for diagnostic and safety outcomes. For ruling in MI, contemporary cTnI measurements had specificities of 84.4% (95% CI, 82.5-86.3) at presentation and 78.7% (95% CI, 75.4-82.0) with serial testing at 0, 3, and 6 h, improving to 89.2% (95% CI, 87.1-91.3) by using serial cTnI changes (delta, 0 and 6 h) >150%. hs-cTnI had specificities of 86.9% (95% CI, 85.1-88.6) at presentation and 85.7% (95% CI, 83.5-87.9) with serial testing at 0 and 3 h, improving to 89.3% (95% CI, 87.3-91.2) using a delta hs-cTnI (0 and 3 h) >5 ng/L. CONCLUSIONS: hs-cTnI and contemporary cTnI assays are excellent in ruling out MI following recommendations predicated on serial testing and the 99th percentile with a normal ECG. For ruling in MI, deltas improve the specificity. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02060760.

Endotracheal Intubation with the King Laryngeal Tube™ In Situ Using Video Laryngoscopy and a Bougie: A Retrospective Case Series and Cadaveric Crossover Study.

BACKGROUND: Removal of a functioning King laryngeal tube (LT) prior to establishing a definitive airway increases the risk of a "can't intubate, can't oxygenate" scenario. We previously described a technique utilizing video laryngoscopy (VL) and a bougie to intubate around a well-seated King LT with the balloons deflated; if necessary, the balloons can be rapidly re-inflated and ventilation resumed. OBJECTIVE: Our objective is to provide preliminary validation of this technique. METHODS: Emergency physicians performed all orotracheal intubations in this two-part study. Part 1 consisted of a historical analysis of VL recordings from emergency department (ED) patients intubated with the King LT in place over a two-year period at our institution. In Part 2, we analyzed VL recordings from paired attempts at intubating a cadaver, first with a King LT in place and then with the device removed, with each physician serving as his or her own control. The primary outcome for all analyses was first-pass success. RESULTS: There were 11 VL recordings of ED patients intubated with the King LT in place (Part 1) and 11 pairs of cadaveric VL recordings (Part 2). The first-pass success rate was 100% in both parts. In Part 1, the median time to intubation was 43 s (interquartile range [IQR] 36-60 s). In Part 2, the median time to intubation was 23 s (IQR 18-35 s) with the King LT in place and 17 s (IQR 14-18 s) with the King LT removed. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency physicians successfully intubated on the first attempt with the King LT in situ. The technique described in this proof-of-concept study seems promising and merits further validation.

Use of a Supraglottic Airway to Relieve Ventilation-Impeding Gastric Insufflation During Emergency Airway Management in an Infant.

Positive-pressure bag-valve-mask ventilation during emergency airway management often results in significant gastric insufflation, which may impede adequate ventilation and oxygenation. Current-generation supraglottic airways have beneficial features, such as channels for gastric decompression while ventilation is ongoing. A 5-week-old female infant required resuscitation for hypoxemic respiratory failure caused by rhinovirus with pneumonia. Bag-valve-mask ventilation led to gastric insufflation that compromised ventilation, thereby interfering with intubation because of precipitous oxygen desaturation during laryngoscopy. A current-generation supraglottic airway (LMA Supreme; Teleflex Inc, Morrisville, NC) was used to facilitate gastric decompression while ventilation and oxygenation was ongoing. After gastric decompression, ventilation was markedly improved and the pulse oxygen saturation improved to 100%. Intubation was successful on the next attempt, without oxygen desaturation. Current-generation supraglottic airways have 3 distinct advantages compared with first-generation supraglottic airways, which make them better devices for emergency airway management: gastric decompression ports, conduits for intubation, and higher oropharyngeal leak pressures.

Comparison of the QRS Complex, ST-Segment, and T-Wave Among Patients with Left Bundle Branch Block with and without Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: The modified Sgarbossa criteria have been validated as a rule for diagnosis of acute coronary occlusion (ACO) in left bundle branch block (LBBB). However, no analysis has been done on differences in the QRS complex, T-wave, or ST-segment concordance of < 1 mm in the derivation or validation studies. Furthermore, there was no comparison of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) but without ACO (i.e., non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction [non-STEMI]) to patients with ACO or without AMI (no MI). OBJECTIVE: We compare findings involving the QRS amplitude, ST-segment morphology, ST-concordance < 1 mm, and T-waves in patients with LBBB with ACO, non-STEMI, and no MI. METHODS: Retrospectively, emergency department patients were identified with LBBB and ischemic symptoms but no MI, with angiographically proven ACO, and with non-STEMI. RESULTS: ACO, non-STEMI, and no MI groups consisted of 33, 24, and 105 patients. The sum of the maximum deflection of the QRS amplitude across all leads (ΣQRS) was smaller in patients with ACO than those without ACO (101.5 mm vs. 132.5 mm; p < 0.0001) and a cutoff of ΣQRS < 90 mm was 92% specific. For ACO, non-concave ST-segment morphology was 91% specific, any ST concordance ≥ 1 mm was 95% specific, and any ST concordance ≥ 0.5 mm was 94% sensitive. For non-STEMI, terminal T-wave concordance, analogous to biphasic T-waves, was moderately sensitive at 79%. CONCLUSIONS: We found differences in QRS amplitude, ST-segment morphology, and T-waves between patients with LBBB and ACO, non-STEMI, and no MI. However, none of these criteria outperformed the modified Sgarbossa criteria for diagnosis of ACO in LBBB.

Diagnosis of ST-elevation myocardial infarction in the presence of left bundle branch block with the ST-elevation to S-wave ratio in a modified Sgarbossa rule.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Sgarbossa's rule, proposed for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in the presence of left bundle branch block, has had suboptimal diagnostic utility. We hypothesize that a revised rule, in which the third Sgarbossa component (excessively discordant ST-segment elevation as defined by ≥5 mm of ST-segment elevation in the setting of a negative QRS) is replaced by one defined proportionally by ST-segment elevation to S-wave depth (ST/S ratio), will have better diagnostic utility for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) equivalent, using documented coronary occlusion on angiography as reference standard. METHODS: We collected admission ECGs for all patients with an acutely occluded coronary artery and left bundle branch block at 3 institutions. The ECGs of emergency department patients with chest pain or dyspnea and left bundle branch block, but without coronary occlusion, were used as controls. The R or S wave, whichever was most prominent, and ST segments, relative to the PR segment, were measured to the nearest 0.5 mm. The ST/S ratio was calculated for each lead that has both discordant ST deviation of greater than or equal to 1 mm and an R or S wave of opposite polarity; others were set to 0. The cut point for the most negative ST/S ratio with at least 90% specificity was determined. The revised rule is unweighted, requiring just 1 of 3 criteria. Diagnostic utilities of the original and revised Sgarbossa rules were computed and compared. McNemar's test was used to compare sensitivities and specificities. RESULTS: The study and control groups included 33 and 129 ECGs, respectively. The cut point selected for relative discordant ST-segment elevation was -0.25. Excessive absolute discordant ST-segment elevation of 5 mm was present in at least one lead in 30% of ECGs in patients with confirmed coronary occlusion versus 9% of the control group, whereas excessive relative discordant ST-segment elevation less than -0.25 was present in 79% vs. 9% [corrected].Sensitivity of the revised rule in which ST-segment elevation with an ST/S ratio less than or equal to -0.25 replaces ST-segment elevation greater than or equal to 5 mm was significantly greater than either the weighted (P<.001) or unweighted (P=.008) Sgarbossa rule: 91% (95% confidence interval [CI] 76% to 98%) versus 52% (95% CI 34% to 69%) versus 67% (95% CI 48% to 82%). Specificity of the revised rule was lower than that of the weighted rule (P=.002) and similar to that of the unweighted rule (P=1.0): 90% (95% CI 83% to 95%) versus 98% (95% CI 93% to 100%) versus 90% (95% CI 83% to 95%). Positive and negative likelihood ratios for the revised rule were 9.0 (95% CI 8.0 to 10) and 0.1 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.3). The revised rule was significantly more accurate than both the weighted (16% difference; 95% CI 5% to 27%) and unweighted (12% difference; 95% CI 2% to 22%) Sgarbossa rules. CONCLUSION: Replacement of the absolute ST-elevation measurement of greater than or equal to 5 mm in the third component of the Sgarbossa rule with an ST/S ratio less than -0.25 greatly improves diagnostic utility of the rule for STEMI. An unweighted rule using this criterion resulted in excellent prediction for acute coronary occlusion.

Front-Loaded Versus Low-Intermittent Phenobarbital Dosing for Benzodiazepine-Resistant Severe Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Phenobarbital is frequently used to manage severe alcohol withdrawal. The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of mechanical ventilation in patients with benzodiazepine-resistant alcohol withdrawal between front-loaded and low-intermittent phenobarbital dosing strategies. METHODS: In this retrospective before-after study, we analyzed patients that received phenobarbital for severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome in a tertiary medical ICU. Patients received low-intermittent phenobarbital doses (260 mg intravenous push × 1 followed by 130 mg intravenous push every 15 min as needed) from January  2013 to July 2015, and front-loaded phenobarbital doses (10 mg/kg intravenous infusion over 30 min) from July 2015 to January 2017. RESULTS: In total, 87 patients met inclusion criteria for this study: 41 received low-intermittent phenobarbital and 46 received front-loaded phenobarbital). The incidence of mechanical ventilation was 13 (28%) in the front-loaded dosing group vs. 26 (63%) in the low-intermittent dosing group (odds ratio 4.4 [95% CI 1.8-10.9]). The cumulative dose of phenobarbital administered and serum phenobarbital levels were similar between both groups, although the front-loaded group had significantly lower benzodiazepine requirements than the low-intermittent group (median 86 mg [IQR 24-197] vs. 228 mg [115-298], P < 0.01) and reduced need for any continuous sedative infusion (OR 7.7 [95% CI 1.6-27], P < 0.01). There was no difference in respiratory failure or hypotension. CONCLUSIONS: Front-loaded phenobarbital dosing, when compared to low-intermittent phenobarbital dosing, for benzodiazepine-resistant alcohol withdrawal was associated with significantly lower mechanical ventilation incidence and continuous sedative use.

Effects of Brief Mental Skills Training on Emergency Medicine Residents' Stress Response During a Simulated Resuscitation: A Prospective Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute stress impairs physician decision-making and clinical performance in resuscitations. Mental skills training, a component of the multistep, cognitive-behavioral technique of stress inoculation, modulates stress response in high-performance fields. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the effects of mental skills training on emergency medicine (EM) residents' stress response in simulated resuscitations as well as residents' perceptions of this intervention. METHODS: In this prospective, educational intervention trial, postgraduate year-2 EM residents in seven Chicago-area programs were randomly assigned to receive either stress inoculation training or not. One month prior to assessment, the intervention group received didactic training on the "Breathe, Talk, See, Focus" mental performance tool. A standardized, case-based simulation was used for assessment. We measured subjective stress response using the six-item short form of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6). Objective stress response was measured through heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring. We measured subjects' perceptions of the training via survey. RESULTS: Of 92 eligible residents, 61 participated (25 intervention; 36 control). There were no significant differences in mean pre-/post-case STAI-6 scores (-1.7 intervention, 0.4 control; p = 0.38) or mean HRV (-3.8 milliseconds [ms] intervention, -3.8 ms control; p = 0.58). Post-assessment surveys indicated that residents found this training relevant and important. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in subjective or objective stress measures of EM resident stress response after a didactic, mental performance training session, although residents did value the training. More extensive or longitudinal stress inoculation curricula may provide benefit.

The Association of Latitude and Altitude with COVID-19 Symptoms: A VIRUS: COVID-19 Registry Analysis.

Background: Better delineation of COVID-19 presentations in different climatological conditions might assist with prompt diagnosis and isolation of patients. Objectives: To study the association of latitude and altitude with COVID-19 symptomatology. Methods: This observational cohort study included 12267 adult COVID-19 patients hospitalized between 03/2020 and 01/2021 at 181 hospitals in 24 countries within the SCCM Discovery VIRUS: COVID-19 Registry. The outcome was symptoms at admission, categorized as respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological, mucocutaneous, cardiovascular, and constitutional. Other symptoms were grouped as atypical. Multivariable regression modeling was performed, adjusting for baseline characteristics. Models were fitted using generalized estimating equations to account for the clustering. Results: The median age was 62 years, with 57% males. The median age and percentage of patients with comorbidities increased with higher latitude. Conversely, patients with comorbidities decreased with elevated altitudes. The most common symptoms were respiratory (80%), followed by constitutional (75%). Presentation with respiratory symptoms was not associated with the location. After adjustment, at lower latitudes (<30º), patients presented less commonly with gastrointestinal symptoms (p<.001, odds ratios for 15º, 25º, and 30º: 0.32, 0.81, and 0.98, respectively). Atypical symptoms were present in 21% of the patients and showed an association with altitude (p=.026, odds ratios for 75, 125, 400, and 600 meters above sea level: 0.44, 0.60, 0.84, and 0.77, respectively). Conclusions: We observed geographic variability in symptoms of COVID-19 patients. Respiratory symptoms were most common but were not associated with the location. Gastrointestinal symptoms were less frequent in lower latitudes. Atypical symptoms were associated with higher altitude.

Accuracy of OMI ECG findings versus STEMI criteria for diagnosis of acute coronary occlusion myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: In the STEMI paradigm of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), many NSTEMI patients have unrecognized acute coronary occlusion MI (OMI), may not receive emergent reperfusion, and have higher mortality than NSTEMI patients without occlusion. We have proposed a new OMI vs. Non-Occlusion MI (NOMI) paradigm shift. We sought to compare the diagnostic accuracy of OMI ECG findings vs. formal STEMI criteria for the diagnosis of OMI. We hypothesized that blinded interpretation for predefined OMI ECG findings would be more accurate than STEMI criteria for the diagnosis of OMI. METHODS: We performed a retrospective case-control study of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome. The primary definition of OMI was either 1) acute TIMI 0-2 flow culprit or 2) TIMI 3 flow culprit with peak troponin T ≥ 1.0 ng/mL or I ≥ 10.0 ng/mL. RESULTS: 808 patients were included, of whom 49% had AMI (33% OMI; 16% NOMI). Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of STEMI criteria vs Interpreter 1 using OMI ECG findings among 808 patients were 41% vs 86%, 94% vs 91%, and 77% vs 89%, and for Interpreter 2 among 250 patients were 36% vs 80%, 91% vs 92%, and 76% vs 89%. STEMI(-) OMI patients had similar infarct size and mortality as STEMI(+) OMI patients, but greater delays to angiography. CONCLUSIONS: Blinded interpretation using predefined OMI ECG findings was superior to STEMI criteria for the ECG diagnosis of Occlusion MI. These data support further investigation into the OMI vs. NOMI paradigm and suggest that STEMI(-) OMI patients could be identified rapidly and noninvasively for emergent reperfusion using more accurate ECG interpretation.