Are blood groups related to the distribution and severity of COVID-19? A cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital in South India.

Background: Blood groups are inherited traits that affect the susceptibility/severity of a disease. A clear relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and ABO blood groups is yet to be established in the Indian population. This study aimed to demonstrate an association of the distribution and severity of COVID-19 with ABO blood groups. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted after obtaining ethics approval (IEC 207/20) among hospitalized patients using in-patient records and analyzed on SPSS-25. Chi-square tests were used for the analysis of categorical data and independent sample t-test/Mann-Whitney U tests were used for continuous data. Results: The B blood group had the highest prevalence among COVID-19-positive patients. The AB blood group was significantly associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (p = 0.03), sepsis (p = 0.02), and septic shock (p = 0.02). The O blood group was associated with significantly lower rates of lymphopenia and leucocytosis. However, no significant clinical association was seen in the O blood group. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that blood groups have a similar distribution among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the South Indian population. Additionally, it preludes to a possible association between the AB blood group and ARDS, sepsis, and septic shock. Further studies having a larger representation of AB blood groups, especially in patients hospitalized for critical COVID-19, with adjustment for possible covariates, are warranted to provide a reliable estimate of the risk in the South Indian population.

Effect of intensive lifestyle modification & metformin on cardiovascular risk in prediabetes: A pilot randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Prediabetes is associated with increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In participants with prediabetes, the effects of exercise and metformin were evaluated on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), surrogate markers of atherosclerosis and CVD compared with standard care. METHODS: In a pilot randomized control trial, the participants were randomized in to three arms: standard care (STD), intensive lifestyle modification (ILSM) or ILSM and metformin (ILSM+Met) and followed up for six months. Monitoring of ILSM was done by a trained healthcare facilitator. hsCRP, CIMT and other relevant parameters were measured before and after intervention. RESULTS: A total of 103 participants were randomized into three arms and followed up for six months. At six months, there was a reduction from baseline in weight and fasting blood sugar (FBS) (P <0.01) in all three arms and a reduction in haemoglobin A1c (P =0.03) only in the ILSM+Met arm. The differences in hsCRP over six months within the STD, ILSM and ILSM+Met arms were -0.12 (95% confidence interval, -1.81, 2.08), -0.58 (-2.64, 0.43) and -0.11 (-1.84, 1.56), respectively. There was no difference in hsCRP, CIMT (right) or CIMT (left) between the three arms at six months. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: There was a reduction in weight and FBS from baseline in all three arms. There was, however, no difference seen in hsCRP and CIMT in the two intervention arms compared to standard care. Larger studies with long-term follow up need to be done to detect differences in risk markers for CVD in prediabetes.

Musculoskeletal disorders in sickle cell anaemia--unusual associations.

Sickle cell anaemia coexisting with gout is a rare clinical association, as is gout and eosinophilia. This report records the second case of chronic tophaceous deposits in Sickle cell anaemia. The patient also had eosinophilia in association with gout. Skeletal fluorosis was an incidental finding in this patient. Treatment with packed cell transfusions, hydroxyurea and colchicine lead to the resolution of anaemia and symptoms of acute gout.

"Purple-Xed" by a baffling bleed - A clinical care conundrum.

Human retro-viral disease and the myriad opportunistic infections associated with it continue to pose a diagnostic challenge to clinicians. Disseminated Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and KS-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) are entities that can be associated with adverse clinical outcomes unless recognized early by the treating physician. We present the case of a 36-year-old homosexual HIV-positive male who presented with unusual symptoms of KS and KS IRIS with lower gastrointestinal bleeding and respiratory distress devoid of any cutaneous manifestations.

Short-Term Mortality Associated With Hypertensive Emergencies: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study From South India.

Background and aims Hypertensive emergencies are caused by acutely occurring massive elevations in blood pressure with features suggestive of acute end-organ damage and are a common complication of hypertension. About 1-2% of all patients with hypertension develop this complication in their lifetime. This study was undertaken to assess short-term outcomes associated with hypertensive emergencies in a tertiary care center. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study and recruited 66 consenting adults with a hypertensive emergency. Sociodemographic details, clinical characteristics, blood pressure readings at different intervals, in-hospital course, and diagnosis of end-organ damage were recorded. The in-hospital outcome was noted as dead or alive. After four weeks, patients were followed up through telephonic interviews and the patient's status was then reviewed and recorded. Multiple logistic regression determined the predictors of death. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results A total of 66 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 54.57 (±38.18) years and a male predominance of 44 (66.35%) patients. The majority of patients were known hypertensives (n=55, 83.35%). Of the known hypertensives, 41 (74.54%) patients had discontinued their anti-hypertensive medications prior to admission. The median duration of hospitalization was 10 (7-14) days. The most common presenting complaints were dyspnea (n=35, 53.03%), pedal edema (n=29, 43.94%) and headache (n=25, 37.87%). Forty-one (62.12%) patients required ICU care, and 39 (59.09%) required ventilator support. The most common end-organ damage was acute-on-chronic kidney disease (n=21, 31.81%). The short-term mortality documented at the end of one month was 24 (36.36%). Of these, seven (10.6%) patients died in the hospital, and 17 (25.75) patients died within one month of getting discharged from the hospital. The factors that were associated with high mortality were newly-diagnosed hypertension and in-hospital hypotension. Conclusion We found high mortality associated with hypertensive emergencies. At one month follow-up, we found that more than one-third of the patients had died. Post-hospitalisation mortality was higher than in-hospital mortality. Most patients had discontinued their anti-hypertensive medication before admission. The most frequently encountered end-organ damage was acute-on-chronic kidney disease. The factors associated with high mortality were newly-diagnosed hypertension and in-hospital hypotension.

Timing of tofacitinib therapy is critical to improving outcomes in severe-critical COVID-19 infection: A retrospective study from a tertiary care hospital.

Describe the use of tofacitinib in severe and critical coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), and explore the association of drug initiation time with survival. A retrospective study of inpatients with severe or critical COVID-19 at a tertiary care hospital, who were prescribed generic tofacitinib for at least 48 hours, was conducted. Baseline demographics, comorbidities, illness severity, treatment, adverse effects and outcomes were analyzed. Patients were grouped based on median duration of symptomatic illness prior to tofacitinib administration, as early or late initiation groups. Forty-one patients ([85.4% males], mean age 52.9 ±â€…12.5 years), were studied. 65.9% (n = 27) had severe COVID-19, while 34.1% (n = 14) were critically ill. Death occurred in 36.6% patients (n = 15). The median time to prescription of tofacitinib was 13 (9.50, 16.0) days of symptom onset. Tofacitinib was initiated early (8-13 days) in 56.1% of patients (n = 23), while the remaining received it beyond day 14 of symptom onset (late initiation group). Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age, presence of diabetes mellitus and illness duration prior to hospitalization demonstrated higher odds of survival (adjusted odds ratio 19.3, 95% confidence interval 2.57, 145.2) in the early initiation group, compared to the late initiation group. Early initiation of tofacitinib in severe and critical COVID-19 has potential to improve survival odds.

Sleep impairment: Is it an overlooked burden in painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy? A single-centre, cross-sectional study from south India.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN) is a common complication of type 2 diabetes. The unrelenting pain associated with PDPN adversely affects a patient's quality of life. Recognizing the crucial role that sleep plays in the metabolic control of diabetes, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of sleep impairment in painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN) and identify the factors associated with it. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 156 patients in a tertiary care hospital in south India. We recruited consenting adults with PDPN. Sleep quality was analyzed using the Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI), a self-rating scale. Hba1c served as a measure of glycemic control. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) scale. Data were analyzed in SPSS 26.0. RESULTS: A total of 156 patients were included in the study with a mean age of 58.39 ± 9.12 years. In 151 (96.79%) patients demonstrated sleep impairment with a global PSQI score of 10.92 ± 2.87. Female sex, ischemic heart disease (IHD), high anxiety levels and use of insulin, pregabapentin, and duloxetine; were significantly associated with poor sleep quality (p < 0.05). The median Hba1c was high (9% [7.46-11.1]). However, there was no statistical correlation between the degree of sleep impairment and glycemic control. CONCLUSION: We found a high prevalence of sleep impairment in patients with PDPN. Female sex, IHD, high anxiety levels and use of neuropathic drugs were predictors of poor sleep quality.