Publications by authors named "Saffa Iftikhar"

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is limited information describing the hospital outcomes of COVID-19 patients in regard to specific body mass index (BMI) categories.

Methods: We utilized the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2020 database to collect information on patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the United States.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Inhaled pulmonary vasodilators (IPVD) have been previously studied in patients with non-coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The use of IPVD has been shown to improve the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO), reduce fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO) requirements, and ultimately increase PaO/FiO (P/F) ratios in ARDS patients. However, the role of IPVD in COVID-19 ARDS is still unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Systemic steroids are associated with reduced mortality in hypoxic patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, there is no consensus on the doses of steroid therapy in these patients. Several studies showed that pulse dose steroids (PDS) could reduce the progression of COVID-19 pneumonia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Recent clinical trials have investigated the use of fluvoxamine in preventing clinical deterioration in nonhospitalized patients with acute COVID-19 infection via stimulation of sigma-1 receptors, which regulates cytokine production and functional inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase activity, which may prevent infection of epithelial cells with SARS-CoV-2. However, the role of fluvoxamine is currently unclear because of a paucity of studies, particularly because the drug is being repurposed as an immunomodulatory and antiviral agent.

Study Question: Aim of our meta-analysis was to investigate the efficacy of fluvoxamine in nonhospitalized patients with acute COVID-19 infection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Malignancies have been associated with paraneoplastic syndromes, such as dermatomyositis. Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) can occur due to a wide array of cancers. Paraneoplastic SCLE obeys McLean's criteria and often regresses after the underlying malignancy has been treated appropriately.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rituximab or Rituxan is a common drug used in the treatment of lymphomas. It is almost always used in conjunction with other chemotherapy regimens. Mechanism of action involves killing of the CD 20+ cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Legionnaire's disease (LD) is most commonly caused by Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila). In immunocompromised patients LD can cause necrosis of the lung parenchyma with abscess formation and cavitation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF