Improvement of outcome prediction of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 by a dual marker strategy using high-sensitive cardiac troponin I and copeptin.

Background: COVID-19 has been associated with a high prevalence of myocardial injury and increased cardiovascular morbidity. Copeptin, a marker of vasopressin release, has been previously established as a risk marker in both infectious and cardiovascular disease.

Methods: This prospective, observational study of patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection was conducted from June 6th to November 26th, 2020 in a tertiary care hospital.

Red Cell Distribution Width Upon Hospital Admission Predicts Short-Term Mortality in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Single-Center Experience.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first described at the end of 2019 in China and has since spread across the globe. Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a potent prognostic marker in several medical conditions and has recently been suggested to be of prognostic value in COVID-19. This retrospective, observational study of consecutive patients with COVID-19 was conducted from March 12, 2020 to December 4, 2020 in the Wilhelminenhospital, Vienna, Austria.

Mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide independently predicts short-term mortality in COVID-19.

Background: Mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) is a strong prognostic marker in several inflammatory, respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, but has not been studied in COVID-19 yet.

Methods: This prospective, observational study of patients with COVID-19 infection was conducted from 6 June to 26 November 2020 in different wards of a tertiary hospital. MR-proANP, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitive cardiac troponin I levels on admission were collected and tested for their association with disease severity and 28-day mortality.

Decreasing Clostridium difficile infections by an antimicrobial stewardship program that reduces moxifloxacin use.

Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) in hospitalized patients are known to be closely related to antibiotic exposure. Although several substances can cause CDI, the risk differs between individual agents. In Vienna and other eastern parts of Austria, CDI ribotype 027 is currently highly prevalent.