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Various scoring systems are available for COVID-19 risk stratification. This study aimed to validate their performance in predicting severe COVID-19 course in a large, heterogeneous Swiss cohort. Scores like the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), CURB-65, 4C mortality score (4C), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology score (COVID-SEIMC), and COVID Intubation Risk Score (COVID-IRS) were assessed in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. Predictive accuracy for severe course (defined as all-cause in-hospital death or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV)) was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and the area under the curve (AUC). The new 'COVID-COMBI' score, combining parameters from the top two scores, was also validated. This study included 1,051 patients (mean age 65 years, 60% male), with 162 (15%) experiencing severe course. Among the established scores, 4C had the best accuracy for predicting severe course (AUC 0.76), followed by COVID-IRS (AUC 0.72). COVID-COMBI showed significantly higher accuracy than all established scores (AUC 0.79, p = 0.001). For predicting in-hospital death, 4C performed best (AUC 0.83), and, for IMV, COVID-IRS performed best (AUC 0.78). The 4C and COVID-IRS scores were robust predictors of severe COVID-19 course, while the new COVID-COMBI showed significantly improved accuracy but requires further validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a case of an ultimately fatal course of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-19) in an 81-year-old female patient during the Omicron surge. The patient did not represent the typical patient at risk for severe COVID-19 with significant causes of immunodeficiency. However, she had been skeptical about the vaccination for severe acute respiratory syndrome virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and had refused it. Moreover, there had been no previous COVID-19 episodes. Our case report illustrates that with regard to SARS-CoV-2, immunologically naive patients are still at risk for severe and/or even fatal courses of COVID-19. We call to implement both, recommendations for SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations as well as for antiviral treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our work was to review modern aspects of pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of intra-abdominal hypertension as a complication of the severe course of acute pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is a systemic disease, the severe course of which is associated with organ dysfunction and increased intra-abdominal pressure. The frequency of intra-abdominal hypertension in patients with severe acute pancreatitis is 60%, while 10-30% of patients in this category hospitalized in the intensive care unit have abdominal compartment syndrome. An increase in intra- abdominal pressure has a negative effect on the course of acute pancreatitis. Namely, multiple organ failure occurs more often; pancreatic and peripancreatic necrosis, prolonged systemic inflammatory response syndrome, complications during the use of enteral nutrition, the need for invasive interventions, the length of hospitalization and the percentage of deaths increase. Determination of intra-abdominal pressure through the urinary bladder in patients with severe acute pancreatitis should be considered as a standard for diagnosing intra- abdominal hypertension. It has been proven that the use of paracentesis with drainage of the abdominal cavity in the staged treatment of patients with a complicated course of acute pancreatitis (peripancreatic accumulation of fluid in the early period of the disease) reliably reduces intra-abdominal pressure after 72 h since the detection of fluid (17.4 ± 2.6 and II. 4 ± 1.6 mm Hg), serum amylase (774.3 ± 233.9 and 472.7 ± 168.6 Units/l), procalcitonin (1.3 ± 0.7 and 0.6 ± 0.5 ng/ml) and interleukin-6 (531.3 ± 120.9 and 417.1 ± 82.4 pg/ml). Achievements in intensive care, optimization of indications for surgical interventions, early enteral nutrition, rational use of liquid resuscitation and the growing role of minimally invasive interventions have had a positive effect on the prognosis of acute pancreatitis, overall morbidity and led to a decrease in deaths in this category of patients. However, the prevention and treatment of persistent intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome require further study and improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early adequate treatment of patients with acute pancreatitis leads to a decrease in mortality and reduces the financial burden on medical institutions and the patient, which encourages the continued search for optimal markers for assessing severity and predicting the course of the disease. The aim of this work is to study the modern aspects of the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis and the role of various biomarkers in the diagnosis of the severity of the course of the disease and the prediction of its complications. The study of the features of the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis continues, which naturally contributes to the emergence of new diagnostic markers of this disease. It has been proven that most of the etiological factors that cause acute pancreatitis (alcohol, hypoxia, hypercalcemia, hyperlipidemia, certain pharmacological drugs) also contribute to abnormally high oscillations of the Ca2+ level. Therefore, it can be assumed that in acute pancreatitis, Ca2+ is a common trigger for various etiological factors, which trigger the pathological process. In turn, the enzymatic cascade is the starting point for the development of local and systemic inflammatory reactions, manifested by local and systemic effects. Based on the study of the features of the course of severe forms of acute pancreatitis, we established the role of vitamin D deficiency in the development of the disease. In addition, the study of the activity of tissue plasminogen activator and/or the level of thrombin-antithrombin III complex can be interesting as markers of the development of thrombohemorrhagic complications. An increase in the number of positive results of a serological examination for Helicobacter pylori (immunoglobulin M) in patients with a severe course of acute pancreatitis after 7 days from the moment of hospitalization gives reason to consider this indicator as one of the predictors of the development of purulent complications of the disease. Preliminary studies using the proposed diagnostic markers give encouraging results regarding the prognosis for the disease and the life of this extremely complex category of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) causes a flu-like disease in humans. Most infections occur in early childhood, but reinfections during life are common. The clinical course of these infections are usually mild and do not require hospitalization. However, this is not the case for older and/or comorbid patients, especially if lymphoma is a concurrent disease. Here, we report on a case of an 81-year-old man, who suffered from chronic lymphocytic leukemia. During the first coronavirus disease (COVID) wave, he was admitted to the emergency department with respiratory symptoms. Initially, he was suspected as having SARS-CoV‑2 infection, but a broad diagnostic approach revealed a HMPV infection. The patient showed remarkable, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and worsened within a few days. Consequently, he had to be admitted to the intensive care unit, where he was mechanically ventilated. Clinically, the patient worsened further and died on day 5 after admission. Severe HMPV infections are rare. However, patients suffering from hematological diseases are at high risk, which is exemplified in this case report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common type of drug-resistant epilepsy in adults and commonly requires surgical treatment. While an overwhelming preponderance of literature supports the notion that a large percentage of patients with TLE benefit from surgery, there is a paucity of outcome data on patients who demonstrate a sustained response to pharmacological treatment. In this study, we present an adult cohort of patients with TLE, with the purpose of identifying the proportion of patients with a mild course of the disease, as well as potential risk factors. Methods. A prospective cohort study of all patients with TLE assessed and followed by the Saskatchewan Epilepsy Program, from 1 March 2007 to Jan 29th 2014. Patients were dichotomized as having a mild (seizure freedom without surgical intervention) or severe (surgical intervention required and/or failure to achieve seizure remission) course. Descriptive statistics, odds ratios and confidence intervals were calculated to identify predictors of seizure freedom. Results. The cohort consisted of 159 patients. Mean patient age at last follow-up visit was 46±14.4 (range: 19-88) years. Mean follow-up period was 43.4±22.6 (6 to 84) months. Forty-six patients (29%) demonstrated mild-course TLE while 113 (71%) had a severe course of TLE. Patients with a mild course of TLE were more likely to be older ( p = 0.002), have late-onset epilepsy ( p < 0.001) with shorter evolution ( p < 0.001). A good response to the first antiepileptic drug (OR: 6.8; 95% CI: 2.5-19; p < 0.001) was associated with a mild course of TLE. Conclusions. Although a majority of patients with TLE eventually require surgery, operative treatment is not necessary for all patients. This study identifies prognostic factors that may help patients and clinicians characterize long-term outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niemann-Pick type C is an autosomal recessive lipid storage disease caused by mutations in the NPC1 or NPC2 gene. In childhood-onset Niemann-Pick type C, the usual course is slowly progressive, with normal cerebral magnetic resonance at onset. Here the authors present the case of a patient carrying 2 compound heterozygous NPC1 mutations: the known nonsense mutation (p.Trp833X) in exon 16 and a novel missense mutation (p.Ile609Phe) in exon 12. At onset, the patient presented ataxia, cognitive decline, and epilepsy, with early cerebral atrophy and marked cerebellar vermis atrophy. The course of the disease was rapid, and the patient died within 1-2 years of onset. A possible phenotype-genotype correlation is discussed. This case further expands the clinical spectrum and the genetic heterogeneity of Niemann-Pick type C due to NPC1 mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]