Parameters Predictive of Propofol-Associated Acute Pancreatitis in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Propofol, a commonly used agent for short- and long-term sedation, is associated with acute pancreatitis. The main indirect mechanism of propofol-associated acute pancreatitis is by inducing hypertriglyceridemia. Patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia often require prolonged mechanical ventilation and sedation.

Association of Body Mass Index with Multiple Organ Failure in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

This study examines whether excessive adipose tissue, as measured by the body mass index (BMI), is associated with higher systemic markers of inflammation and higher risk of severe acute organ failure among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of 1370 hospitalized adults (18 years or older) with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. Patient-level variables were extracted from the electronic medical record.

Rescue therapy for severe COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome with tissue plasminogen activator: A case series.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to unprecedented stresses on modern medical systems, overwhelming the resource infrastructure in numerous countries while presenting a unique series of pathophysiologic clinical findings. Thrombotic coagulopathy is common in critically ill patients suffering from COVID-19, with associated high rates of respiratory failure requiring prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation. Here, we report a case series of five patients suffering from profound, medically refractory COVID-19-associated respiratory failure who were treated with fibrinolytic therapy using tissue plasminogen activator (tPA; alteplase).

A 46-Year-Old Woman With Dyspnea From an Inhalational Exposure, Triggering Thyroid Storm and Subsequent Multi-Organ System Failure.

Background: Thyroid storm is a rare, life-threatening condition which arises in patients with thyrotoxicosis, with an annual incidence of 2 patients per 1,000,000 and a mortality rate of 11%.

Case: We present the case of a 46-year-old-female with a medical history of controlled mild intermittent asthma, who presented with a severe asthma exacerbation, that triggered thyroid storm after exposure to polyurethane fumes.

Conclusion: This patient represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first patient in whom the stress related to a severe asthma attack triggered the development of thyroid storm.

Cell death and autophagy in tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has succeeded in infecting one-third of the human race though inhibition or evasion of innate and adaptive immunity. The pathogen is a facultative intracellular parasite that uses the niche provided by mononuclear phagocytes for its advantage. Complex interactions determine whether the bacillus will or will not be delivered to acidified lysosomes, whether the host phagocyte will survive infection or die, and whether the timing and mode of cell death works to the advantage of the host or the pathogen.