Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Ischemic Stroke Lesions after Acute Therapy: A Comprehensive Edema Assessment Using Combined 1H- and 23Na-MRI.

INTRODUCTION: Ischemic cerebral stroke initiates a complex cascade of pathophysiological events, involving various forms of molecular shifts and edema. Early intervention is pivotal in minimizing tissue loss and improving clinical outcomes. This study explores the temporal and spatial evolution of tissue sodium concentration (TSC) in acute ischemic lesions after acute therapy using 23Na-MRI in addition to conventional 1H-MRI. METHODS: Prospectively, from examined 58 patients with acute ischemic stroke with a combined 1H/23Na-MRI within 72 h of symptom onset after receiving acute therapy, 31 patients were included in the evaluation of this study. After co-registration of the 23Na-MRI images to the morphological 1H-MRI images, manual segmentation of the ischemic lesions was performed, and the ADC and TSC measurements were quantified and correlated with the time of onset and lesion volume. RESULTS: The mean TSC in ischemic lesions correlated positively with lesion volume (r = 0.52, p = 0.002) and showed a significant association with the time of stroke onset (r = 0.8, p < 0.001). Patients who were treated only with intravenous rtPA showed homogenous sodium signal intensity in the ischemic lesions, whereas the patients who received mechanical recanalization exhibited distinctive sodium signal intensity patterns with focal significant TSC differences. CONCLUSION: The integration of 1H- and 23Na-MRI provides a nuanced understanding of temporal and spatial changes due to different types of edema in ischemic stroke lesions following acute treatment. Further exploration of these findings may enhance our understanding of stroke pathophysiology and guide personalized therapeutic interventions.

Analysis of Nurses' Perceptions of Handover Practices: A Comparative Study in Different Medical Settings.

This article reports a comparative prospective study aimed to explore and compare nurses' perceptions of bedside clinical handover in 3 different settings (emergency unit, ICU, and medical ward). Results revealed that the participant nurses' perceptions varied significantly for different aspects of the handover process. Our data demonstrate department-specific variations in perceptions related to the adequacy, organization, relevance, availability of charts, use of charts for review, ease of following the information, and timeliness of the information.

Prevalence and impact of malnutrition on outcomes and mortality of under-five years children with pneumonia: a study from Upper Egypt.

Malnutrition has adverse impacts on under-five children with pneumonia. The purpose of this study was to address the prevalence and impact of malnutrition on under-five years children with pneumonia, admitted to a tertiary large children hospital in Upper Egypt. This study is a prospective case-control study. All under-five children diagnosed with pneumonia who were admitted to Assiut University Children's Hospital (AUCH) from January 1st to December 31st, 2021, were enrolled. Based on their nutritional assessment, the studied participants were classified into 2 groups: (1): Children with pneumonia and with nutritional deficiency considered as cases, and (2): Children with pneumonia and without nutritional deficiency considered as controls. Three hundred-fifty cases and 154 control subjects were enrolled, respectively. 93.4%, 31.1%, and 61.7% of the cases had underweight, stunting, and wasting, respectively. Among those cases, there were significant differences between survivors and non-survivors with regard to some clinicodemographic factors, laboratory parameters, and anthropometric parameters. Lack of compulsory vaccination, presence of sepsis, and blood transfusion (OR 2.874, 95% CI 0.048 - 2.988, p = 0.004, 2.627, 0.040 - 2.677, p = 0.009, and 4.108, 0.134 - 3.381, p < 0.001, respectively) were significant independent predictors for mortality among malnourished children with pneumonia.    Conclusion: Malnutrition has a high prevalence in under-five children with pneumonia in our locality. It has adverse effects on the outcomes and in-hospital mortality of those children. Lack of compulsory vaccination, presence of sepsis, and blood transfusion were significant independent predictors of mortality in malnourished children with pneumonia. Larger multicenter studies are warranted. What is Known: • Malnutrition has adverse impacts on under-five children with pneumonia. • Malnutrition could be a reason for in-hospital mortality among under-five children with pneumonia. What is New: • Malnutrition has a high prevalence in under-five children with pneumonia in Upper Egypt, with its adverse effects on the outcomes and mortality of those children. • Lack of vaccination, presence of sepsis, and blood transfusion are significant independent predictors of mortality in malnourished children with pneumonia in Upper Egypt.

Short-Term Outcomes of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Critically Ill Patients.

Muscle weakness acquired in the intensive care unit (ICU) adversely affects outcomes of ICU patients. This article reports the short-term respiratory effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in critically ill patients. Patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group (NMES + conventional physiotherapy) and a control group (sham NMES + conventional physiotherapy). The application of NMES in the intervention group resulted in a significant decrease in the duration of mechanical ventilation and reduced the number of weaning trial failures. Other positive outcomes included reductions in the length of ICU stays and decreased mortality when compared with the control group.

Development of a Discharge Criteria Checklist for COVID-19 Patients From the Intensive Care Unit.

This study aims to develop and validate a checklist of discharge readiness criteria for COVID-19 patients from the intensive care unit (ICU). We conducted a Delphi design study. The degree of agreement among 7 experts had been evaluated using the content validity index (CVI) through a 4-point Likert scale. The instrument was validated with 17 items. All the experts rated all items as very relevant which scored the item-CVI 1, which validates all checklist items. Using the mean of all items, the scale-CVI was calculated, and it was 1. This meant validation of the checklist as a whole. With regard to the overall checklist evaluation, the mean expert proportion of the instrument was 1, and the S-CVI/UA was 1. This discharge criteria checklist improves transition of care for COVID-19 patients and can help nurses, doctors, and academics to discharge COVID-19 patients from the ICU safely.

Development and Validation of a Red Flag Prediction Model for Admission of COVID-19 Patients to the Intensive Care Unit.

We aimed to develop and validate a model for the criteria for admission of COVID-19 patients to the intensive care unit (ICU). A Delphi design study was conducted. The content validity index (CVI) was used to determine the degree of agreement among the experts to validate the content of the admission criteria tool. Eleven experts determined the validity. The evaluation was conducted using a 4-point rating scale. The accepted CVI value was 0.50 and more. The model was validated with 31 items in the 5 dimensions, with the item-CVI of 1, a face validity index of 1, and a scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) value of 1. We have developed and validated a red flag prediction model for ICU admission of COVID-19 patients. The accurate implementation of this model could improve the outcomes of those patients and possibly decrease mortality.

Can pregnancy aggravate the criticality of COVID-19 infection in obese asthmatic peripartum woman? A peripartum COVID-19 mortality case report.

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) sweeps all over the world, Information about COVID-19 is evolving rapidly and interim guidance by multiple organisations is constantly being updated and expanded. Early with discovery of COVID 19, it was reported that pregnancy did affect the progress of the disease severity. Recently, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that pregnancy is a risk factors for COVID-19 severity. The current case report is presenting a peripartum COVID-19 positive mortality case.

23 Na MRI in ischemic stroke: Acquisition time reduction using postprocessing with convolutional neural networks.

Quantitative 23 Na magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides tissue sodium concentration (TSC), which is connected to cell viability and vitality. Long acquisition times are one of the most challenging aspects for its clinical establishment. K-space undersampling is an approach for acquisition time reduction, but generates noise and artifacts. The use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is increasing in medical imaging and they are a useful tool for MRI postprocessing. The aim of this study is 23 Na MRI acquisition time reduction by k-space undersampling. CNNs were applied to reduce the resulting noise and artifacts. A retrospective analysis from a prospective study was conducted including image datasets from 46 patients (aged 72 ± 13 years; 25 women, 21 men) with ischemic stroke; the 23 Na MRI acquisition time was 10 min. The reconstructions were performed with full dataset (FI) and with a simulated dataset an image that was acquired in 2.5 min (RI). Eight different CNNs with either U-Net-based or ResNet-based architectures were implemented with RI as input and FI as label, using batch normalization and the number of filters as varying parameters. Training was performed with 9500 samples and testing included 400 samples. CNN outputs were evaluated based on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and structural similarity (SSIM). After quantification, TSC error was calculated. The image quality was subjectively rated by three neuroradiologists. Statistical significance was evaluated by Student's t-test. The average SNR was 21.72 ± 2.75 (FI) and 10.16 ± 0.96 (RI). U-Nets increased the SNR of RI to 43.99 and therefore performed better than ResNet. SSIM of RI to FI was improved by three CNNs to 0.91 ± 0.03. CNNs reduced TSC error by up to 15%. The subjective rating of CNN-generated images showed significantly better results than the subjective image rating of RI. The acquisition time of 23 Na MRI can be reduced by 75% due to postprocessing with a CNN on highly undersampled data.

Transarterial chemoembolization in pancreatic adenocarcinoma with liver metastases: MR-based tumor response evaluation, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) patterns, and survival rates.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively investigate the effectiveness of triple drug combination transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on local tumor response and survival in patients with liver metastases from pancreatic cancer. Also, this study will evaluate the variances in response regarding the number of metastases, assess the correlation between tumor response and the changes in the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) in diffusion weighted (DW) MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twelve patients (58 men and 54 women; mean age 57) with malignant liver metastases from pancreatic adenocarcinoma underwent at least one session of TACE with a chemotherapeutic combination of mitomycin C, cisplatin, and gemcitabine. A size-based evaluation of tumor response (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST)) was conducted, along with ADC values, and survival indices as related to treatment pattern. RESULTS: Four weeks following the end of the treatment, 78.26% of patients showed stable disease and 11.59% showed partial response. The median survival time was 19 months and for the stable disease group, 26 months. Low pretreatment ADC values showed no significant correlation to poor response to treatment (r = 0.347,p = 0.146). CONCLUSION: The triple drug TACE technique showed improvements in median survival times in patients with hepatic metastases from pancreatic carcinoma and helped control disease progression, whereas the number of hepatic lesions was not a statistically significant factor in patients' response to TACE. The data suggest that pre-treatment ADC values in DW-MRI have no statistical correlation with tumor response.

Sodium signal intensity of CSF using 1H-guided 23Na-MRI as a potential noninvasive biomarker in Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive decline and mnestic deficits. The pathophysiology of AD is not fully understood, which renders the development of accurate tools for early diagnosis and effective therapies exceedingly difficult. In this study, we investigated the use of 23Na-MRI to measure the relative sodium signal intensities (rSSIs) in CSF in patients with AD and healthy controls. METHODS: We prospectively recruited 11 patients with biomarker-diagnosed early-stage AD, as well as 12 cognitively healthy age-matched controls. All participants underwent 23Na-MRI to measure rSSI. Statistical analyses were performed to compare CSF sodium signal intensities between groups and to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of the rSSI in the diagnosis of AD. RESULTS: RSSIs in CSF were significantly higher in AD patients (mean = 68.6% ± 7.7%) compared to healthy controls (mean = 56.9% ± 5.5%) (p < .001). There was also a significant negative correlation between rSSI in CSF and hippocampus and amygdala volumes (r = -.54 and -.49, p < .05) as well as a positive correlation with total CSF volumes (r = .81, p < .05). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed high diagnostic accuracy for rSSI in discriminating between AD patients and healthy controls (area under the curve = .94). CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence that rSSI in CSF is increased in AD patients in comparison to healthy controls. rSSI may serve as a potential marker for early detection and monitoring of disease progression. Larger, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm our findings and to investigate the association between rSSI in CSF and the severity of cognitive impairment.

Performance of different CT enhancement quantification methods as predictors of pancreatic cancer recurrence after upfront surgery.

The prognosis of pancreatic cancer (PDAC) after tumor resection remains poor, mostly due to a high but variable risk of recurrence. A promising tool for improved prognostication is the quantification of CT tumor enhancement. For this, various enhancement formulas have been used in previous studies. However, a systematic comparison of these formulas is lacking. In the present study, we applied twenty-three previously published CT enhancement formulas to our cohort of 92 PDAC patients who underwent upfront surgery. We identified seven formulas that could reliably predict tumor recurrence. Using these formulas, weak tumor enhancement was associated with tumor recurrence at one and two years after surgery (p ≤ 0.030). Enhancement was inversely associated with adverse clinicopathological features. Low enhancement values were predictive of a high recurrence risk (Hazard Ratio ≥ 1.659, p ≤ 0.028, Cox regression) and a short time to recurrence (TTR) (p ≤ 0.027, log-rank test). Some formulas were independent predictors of TTR in multivariate models. Strikingly, almost all of the best-performing formulas measure solely tumor tissue, suggesting that normalization to non-tumor structures might be unnecessary. Among the top performers were also the absolute arterial/portal venous tumor attenuation values. These can be easily implemented in clinical practice for better recurrence prediction, thus potentially improving patient management.

Imaging Update of Congenital Hearing Loss: A Recent Insight Imaging Including 3D MRI Cisternography Prior to Cochlear Implant.

SNHL in children is an important issue. Cochlear implant is a highly technological device that is surgically inserted in the cochlea to solve this issue. To evaluate types of anomalies of the inner ear in children with sensorineural hearing loss in a tertiary care hospital and confirm that the routine MRI, MR cisternography and HRCT provides the surgeon with the imaging finding and criteria of patients candidates for CI. Patients and method: 600 patients with SNHL underwent HRCT and MRI. CT examinations were normal in 457 patients (76.2%) and 143 patients (23.8%) with inner ear anomalies. MRI examinations were normal in 440 patients (73.3%) and had inner ear anomalies in 160 patients (26.7%). 3D bFFE and 3D DRIVE was summarized. The 3D bFFE sequence was statistically significantly better than the 3D DRIVE for the demonstration of the cochlear vestibule. Superior, inferior vestibular nerves and facial nerves while 3D DRIVE is superior to 3D bFFE in the visualization of the semicircular canals. HRCT and MRI provide accurate anatomical delineation of complex inner ear structures and 3D improves pre-implant evaluation.

Experimental investigation on a thermochemical seasonal sorption energy storage battery utilizing MgSO4-H2O.

Thermochemical sorption energy storage (TSES) is the most recent thermal energy storage technology and has been proposed as a promising solution to reduce the mismatch between the energy supply and demand by storing energy for months in form of chemical bonds and restore it in form of synthesis chemical reaction. Compared with sensible/latent thermal energy processes, TSES system has major advantages, including a high energy storage capacity/density and the possibility of long-term energy retention with negligible heat loss. Therefore, a solid-gas thermochemical sorption battery is established and investigated utilizing a composite working pair of MgSO4-H2O based on room temperature expanded graphite (RTEG), treated with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and ammonium persulfate ((NH4)2S2O8) as a porous additive. The experimental results showed that energy storage density and sorption efficiency increase with the increment of charging temperature or decreasing of discharging temperature at a certain ambient temperature. Under experimental conditions, energy density ranged from 31.7 to 908.8 kJ/kg (corresponding to volume energy density from 11.7 to 335.8 MJ/m3), while sorption energy efficiency ranged from 28.3 to 79.1%. The highest values were obtained when charging, condensation, and discharging temperatures were 95, 20, and 15 °C, respectively. The maximum thermal efficiency was 21.1% at charging/discharging temperature of 95/15 °C with sensible to sorption heat ratio of 3:1.

Enhancement of the daily performance of solar still by exhaust gases under hot and cold climate conditions.

A study is presented on the enhancement of solar still (SS) performance by using chimney exhaust gases (EGs) passing through chimney channels under the still basin. The impact of the exhaust gas temperature on the SS temperature, productivity, efficiency, and freshwater yield cost is considered. The SS performance with the chimney is compared with that of conventional solar still. The study is performed under the hot and cold climate conditions of Upper Egypt. A complete transient mathematical model of the physical model including the solar still regions temperatures, yield, and heat transfer between the SS and the EGs is constructed. This model is solved by using Runge-Kutta method of fourth-order and programmed inside MATLAB software and validated using an experimental setup. The results show that the SS saline water temperature and freshwater yield rise with rising EGs temperatures. Furthermore, the impact of using EGs on the SS performance in winter is superior to that in summer, and also during the daytime is higher than that of night. Using chimney EGs at 75 °C and 125 °C enhances the daily freshwater yield of the SS by more than three times and about six times in winter, respectively, and about two and half times and more than three times in summer, respectively. Using EGs at 125 °C achieves a maximum solar still efficiency of 29.5% in winter and 49.5% in summer with an increase of 41% and 55.7%, respectively, and reduces its yield cost by 63.6% compared to conventional SS.

Utility of a modified distress thermometer in screening COVID-19 patients for psychological distress: a prospective Egyptian study.

BACKGROUND: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has adopted the distress thermometer (DT) as one of the best-known distress-screening instruments. We have adopted a modified version of the NCCN distress thermometer. We questioned if this modified DT (m-DT) could be utilized for measuring the prevalence of psychological distress among COVID-19 patients. METHODS: The prospective study included 2 phases; modification of the original DT and its associated problem list (PL), and evaluation of this m-DT in measuring the prevalence of psychological distress among COVID-19 patients. Egyptian adult subjects with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 at 2 University Hospitals were enrolled. Binary logistic regression tests were carried out to explore the association between the m-DT cut-off scores of 4 and the clinical variables. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-nine (60.4%) patients experienced significant distress (m-DT cut off score ≥4). Logistic regression showed that occupation, presence of special habits, length of quarantine time, worry, cough, shortness of breath, and fever, were independent factors associated with significant distress in COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: With the modified distress thermometer (m-DT), 60% of Egyptian COVID-19 patients experienced significant distress. This distress was significantly related to age, marital status, occupation, presence or absence of special habits, and length of the quarantine time. With m-DT, the current study had identified worry, being a health-care worker, shortness of breath, fever, length of quarantine time, presence of special habits, and cough as independent factors associated with significant distress in COVID-19 patients. Further studies are warranted.

Accuracy and precision of pulse oximeter at different sensor locations in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Despite its wide use in clinical practice, few studies have assessed the role of pulse oximetry in patients with heart failure. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the pulse oximeter in patients with heart failure and to determine this accuracy at three different sensor locations. METHODS: Comparison of pulse oximetry reading (SpO2) with arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) was reported in 3 groups of patients with heart failure (HF); those with ejection fraction (EF) >40%, those with EF <40%, and those with acute HF (AHF) with ST and non-ST segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI and non-STEMI). RESULTS: A total of 235 patients and 90 control subjects were enrolled. There were significant differences in O2 saturation between control and patients' groups when O2 saturation is measured at the finger and toe, but not the ear probes; p=0.029, p=0.049, and 0.051, respectively. In HF with EF>40% and AHF with O2 saturations >90%, finger oximetry is the most accurate and reliable, while in HF with EF<40% and in patients with AHF with O2 saturations <90%, ear oximetry is the most accurate. CONCLUSION: Pulse oximetry is a reliable tool in assessing oxygen saturation in patients with heart failure of different severity. In HF with EF>40% and in AHF with O2 saturations >90%, finger oximetry is the most accurate and reliable, while in HF with EF<40% and in patients with AHF with O2 saturations <90%, ear oximetry is the most accurate. Further studies are warranted.

Changes in spirometric parameters with position in asymptomatic Egyptian young males with central obesity.

BACKGROUND: Central obesity is a chronic condition that can contribute to impairments in lung functions. Body position is an important technique that effectively restores and increases lung functions. We aimed to address the possible changes in spirometric parameters in asymptomatic overweight individuals with central obesity with a change in posture from sitting to supine in comparison to normal weight non-obese ones. METHODS: Enrolled subjects were healthy Egyptian males, aged between 20-45 years old, asymptomatic and nonsmokers. They underwent spirometry. The following parameters were measured; forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC ratio, and forced expiratory flow (FEF)25-75%. They were classified into overweight with central obesity (n=40) and healthy control (n=40) groups based on their body mass index (BMI), weight-hip ratio (WHR), and waist circumference (WC). Spirometric parameters were compared between the 2 groups and in both setting and supine positions. RESULTS: The central obesity group showed significantly lower all spirometric parameters in comparison to the control one. All measured spirometric parameters had a significant reduction with supine position. There were negative correlations between both the WC and WHR and spirometric parameters. CONCLUSION: In this study of young Egyptian males, individuals with central obesity had reduced spirometric parameters in comparison to healthy ones. Change in position from sitting to supine has significant effects on spirometric parameters in both healthy middle age males with normal weight and those with overweight and central obesity. These results could have important clinical implications.

Evaluation of Sodium (23Na) MR-imaging as a Biomarker and Predictor for Neurodegenerative Changes in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Sodium (23Na) MR imaging is a noninvasive MRI technique that has been shown to be sensitive to visualize biochemical information about tissue viability, their cell integrity, and cell function in various studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in regional brain 23Na signal intensity between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy controls to preliminarily evaluate the capability of 23Na imaging as a biomarker for AD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 14 patients diagnosed with AD were included: 12 in the state of dementia and 2 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 12 healthy controls (HC); they were all scanned on a 3T clinical scanner with a double tuned 1H/23Na birdcage head coil. After normalizing the signal intensity with that of the vitreous humor, relative tissue sodium concentration (rTSC) was measured after automated segmentation in the hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, white matter (WM) and grey matter (GM) in both cerebral hemispheres. RESULTS: Patients with AD showed a significant increase in rTSC in comparison to healthy controls in the following brain regions: WM 13.6%; p=0.007, hippocampus 12.9%; p=0.003, amygdala 18.9%; p=0.0007. CONCLUSION: 23Na-MRI has the potential to be developed as a useful biomarker for the diagnosis of AD.

Value of modified Burns Wean Assessment Program scores in the respiratory intensive care unit: an Egyptian study.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on the most useful predictive indicator for weaning patients from mechanical ventilation (MV). We aimed to evaluate the utility of the modified Burns Wean Assessment Program (m-BWAP) in predicting the weaning success in patients with respiratory disorders admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU). METHODS: Patients with respiratory failure requiring MV for longer than 48 hours were included. They were weaned by pressure support ventilation and spontaneous breathing trails. Patients were divided into successful and unsuccessful weaning groups according to their outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 91 patients were enrolled. The majority had chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD): 40%, overlap syndrome (24%), and obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS): 15%. The successful group had significantly higher m-BWAP scores than that in the unsuccessful group (median 65; range 35 to 80 vs. median 45; range 30 to 65; p=0.000), with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.854; 95% CI 0.766 to 0.919), p<0.001. At cut-off value of ≥55, the sensitivity and specificity of m-BWAP to predict successful weaning were 73.77% and 84.85%, respectively. The AUC for m-BWAP was significantly higher than that for rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI). CONCLUSION: We conclude that m-BWAP scores represent a good predictor of weaning success among patients with chronic respiratory disorders in the RICU. The m-BWAP checklist has many factors that are closely related to the weaning outcomes of patients with chronic respiratory disorders. Further, large-scale, multicenter studies are warranted.

Outcomes of patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) admitted to the intensive care unit: results from the Egyptian Surveillance Study 2010-2014.

BACKGROUND: Few data exist about respiratory viral infections in Egyptian patients. Hereby we describe the outcomes of hospitalized Egyptian patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) admitted to the ICU. METHODS: A prospective study in which all hospitalized patients meeting the WHO case definition for SARI and admitted to the ICU, during the period 2010-2014, were enrolled. Samples were tested using RT-PCR for influenza A, B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, bocavirus, enterovirus, and rhinovirus. Data were analyzed to study the clinical features of SARI-ICU patients and which pathogens are related to severe outcomes. Associated comorbidities were evaluated using Charlson Age-Comorbidity Index (CACI). RESULTS: Out of 1,075 patients with SARI, 219 (20.3%) were admitted to the ICU. The highest rates were reported for RSV (37%). SARI-ICU patients had higher rates of hospital stay, pneumonia, respiratory failure, ARDS, and mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified associated respiratory disorders (p=0.001), radiological abnormalities (p=0.023), and longer hospital stay (p=0.005) as risk factors for severe outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This surveillance study showed that 20% of hospitalized Egyptian patients with viral SARI needed ICU admission. SARI-ICU patients had higher rates of hospital stay, pneumonia, respiratory failure, ARDS, and mortality. Higher comorbidity index scores, radiological abnormalities, and longer hospital stay are risk factors for severe outcomes in SARI-ICU patients in our locality.