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SARS‐CoV2 infection is a systemic disease that may involve multiple organs, including the central nervous system (CNS). Aims of our study are to describe prevalence and clinical features of neurological manifestations, mortality and hospital discharge in subjects hospitalized with COVID‐19. All individuals admitted for to our hospital COVID‐19 were retrospectively included. Patients were classified according to the symptoms at hospital entry in (1) isolated respiratory, (2) combined respiratory and neurologic, (3) isolated neurologic and (4) stroke manifestations. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests to compare the groups were calculated. Kaplan Meier probability curves and multivariable Cox regression models for survival and hospital discharge were applied. The analysis included 901 patients: 42.6% showed a severe or critical disease with an overall mortality of 21.2%. At least one neurological symptom or disease was observed in 30.2% of subjects ranging from dysgeusia/anosmia (9.1%) to postinfective diseases (0.8%). Patients with respiratory symptoms experienced a more severe disease and a higher in‐hospital mortality compared to those who showed only neurologic symptoms. Kaplan Meier estimates displayed a statistically significant different survival among groups (p = 0.003): subjects with stroke had the worst. After adjusting for risk factors such as age, sex and comorbidity, individuals with isolated neurologic manifestations exhibited a better survival (aHR 0.398, 95% CI [0.206, 0.769], p = 0.006). Neurologic manifestations in COVID‐19 are common but heterogeneous and mortality in subjects with isolated neurologic manifestations seems lower than in those with respiratory symptoms., At least one neurologic symptom was observed in 30.2% of subjects. Neurologic manifestations in COVID‐19 are common but heterogeneous. Patients with neurologic symptoms exhibited a less severe pulmonary disease and a lower in‐hospital mortality (aHR 0.398, 95% CI 0.206‐0.769, p = 0.006) compared to those showing respiratory symptoms.

Although immunosuppressed patients may be more prone to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection with atypical presentation, long‐term immunosuppression therapy may provide some sort of protection for severe clinical complications of COVID‐19. The interaction between immunosuppression and new antiviral drugs in the treatment of transplanted patients contracting COVID‐19 has not yet been fully investigated. Moreover, data regarding the optimal management of these patients are still very limited. We report a case of the successful recovery from severe COVID‐19 of a kidney‐transplanted patient treated with hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, steroid, and tocilizumab.

Background: Prolonged application time of helmet continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) leads to better outcomes, but its timing can be influenced by the patient's tolerance. Aims and objectives: To investigate patients' pain and tolerance experience related to different options of helmet fixing system: ‘armpits strap’ versus ‘counterweights system’. Design: This was a non–randomized crossover study performed in a 10-bed intensive care unit and referral extra corporeal membrane oxigenation (ECMO) centre of an Italian university hospital. Results: Twenty patients were enrolled. For helmet-CPAP cycles performed with the armpit straps option, the mean pain numerical rate on a 0–10 scale was: 0·5 ± 1·4 at T0 (baseline), 1·5 ± 2·0 at T1 (after 1 h) and 2·6 ± 2·5 at T2 (end of cycle) (p = 0·023). The same analysis was performed for the counterweights fixing option. The mean score was 0·3 ± 0·6 at T0, 0·3 ± 0·2 at T1 and 0·5 ± 0·7 at T2 (p = 0·069). The mean duration for CPAP cycles performed with armpits strap and counterweights system was 3·0 ± 1·0 and 3·9 ± 2·3 h, respectively (p < 0·001). The mean section of the Basilic vein that was investigated before wearing the helmet was equal to 0·23 ± 0·20 cm2. After 1 h of therapy with the counterweight option and armpit straps, the mean increase of the vein's section was 0·27 ± 0·21(p = 0·099) and 0·30 ± 0·25, respectively (p = 0·080). Conclusions: The fixing system options in use to anchor the helmet during CPAP could worsen the pain experience level and cause device-related pressure ulcers. When compared with the armpit straps option, the counterweights system appears to be a suitable approach to minimize the risks of pressure sores and pain during the treatment. Relevance to practice: The helmet CPAP is a reliable therapy to manage acute respiratory failure. Major improvements regarding pulmonary alveolar recruitment and oxygen levels are strictly related to a prolonged time of helmet CPAP cycles. Using a counterweight fixing system, where the armpits straps are not necessary, could be helpful in reducing patients' pain experience.

Background: Postoperative hyperglycemia is associated with increased rate of surgical site infection, renal failure, and cardiovascular events. The study of insulin sensitivity state before surgery could help in treating postoperative hyperglycemia and preventing iatrogenic hypoglycemia. We studied the postoperative insulin secretion in patients who have a low insulin sensitivity (IR) before surgery compared to patients with normal preoperative insulin sensitivity (IS). Materials and methods: Forty-two consecutive patients, undergoing abdominal surgery, underwent preoperative sequential hyperglycemic-euglycemic clamp (SHEC) in order to measure insulin secretion and to screen patients with low insulin sensitivity (IR) or with normal insulin sensitivity (IS). Patients had been randomized to receive either general anesthesia with epidural or PCA. Results: Postoperative insulin secretion in IR patients is decreased compared to IS (P = 0.059) and to IR before surgery regardless to the type of analgesia (P < 0.001). In the IS group, postoperative insulin secretion depends on type of analgesia. It is increased when using PCA and decreased when using epidural (P < 0.05). Blood glucose increased after surgery in both IS an IR (P < 0.001). Patients with preoperative insulin resistance had a higher glycemia before and after surgery (P < 0.001). Blood glucose levels were comparable between PCA and epidural patients (P = 0.450). Conclusion: Insulin secretion is reduced in IR regardless the type of anesthesia. PCA increases insulin secretion, whereas epidural decreases it in patients with normal insulin sensitivity. These findings implicate that after surgery insulin administration is advisable in patients with preoperative insulin resistance while it should be given cautiously in those with normal preoperative insulin sensitivity

Background Early recognition of hypovolaemia in trauma patients is very important. However, the most often used clinical signs, such as hypotension and tachycardia, lack specificity and sensitivity. Methods We propose a non-invasive index of hypovolaemia, the heart to arm time (iHAT), based on a modified pulse transit time indexed to heart rate. Pulse transit time is the sum of pre-ejection period and vascular transit time. Following pre-load reductions due to hypovolaemia, ventricular diastolic filling time increases causing an increase in pre-ejection-period, pulse transit time, and hence iHAT. One hundred and four consecutive patients with suspected major trauma were enrolled. The primary aim was to evaluate the use of the iHAT for detecting haemorrhage in major trauma. The secondary end point was to compare the specificity and sensitivity of iHAT compared to commonly used indexes. Results iHAT was calculated in 84 subjects, 11 of whom were haemorrhagic. iHAT discriminated haemorrhagic from non-haemorrhagic group (46.8% vs. 66.9%, P

Background: Effective indicators of the early graft failure after pediatric liver transplantation are currently a crucial question. The aim of this study was to analyze retrospectively laboratory parameters that may help anticipate an early graft loss (GL). Methods: The 131 pediatric liver transplantations, performed in our hospital from January 2002 to December 2005, were reviewed. Post-operative laboratory parameters, collected in the first 36 h of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) stay, were analyzed for children with both graft survival and GL. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was used to identify the optimal cut-off for the laboratory parameters. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the adjusted risk of GL for the prognostic parameters identified. Results: The mean age at transplant was 1.1 years. The two groups were comparable for all recipient and donor variables considered. Children with GL showed significantly higher levels of ammonia and transaminase at the admission to the PICU and higher levels of prothrombin time, creatinine, lactate and a lower level of platelets at the 36 h of PICU. The laboratory parameters over the cut-off value by the multivariate logistic regression identified all early thromboses earlier than Doppler ultrasound. Conclusions: This study suggests that routine blood tests may help to anticipate an early loss of liver grafts in children after transplantation and may improve our diagnostic investigation in the case of thrombosis suspicion. Further validation by a prospective study is needed to carefully assess the sensitivity and specificity of the identified criteria.

Background: Cardiopulmonary-bypass (CPB) induces hyperglycemia. There is growing evidence that perioperative maintenance of blood glucose within the physiological range improves patients' outcome. Nevertheless, perioperative normoglycemia is often difficult to achieve during surgery with CPB and the response to insulin infusion is characterized by a considerable variability. The aim of this study was to determine to what extent the presence of pre-operative metabolic syndrome (MS) influences the blood glucose and insulin response during cardiac surgery. Methods: Forty-five patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were screened for the presence of MS according to the International Diabetes Federation definition. Patients were then assigned to two groups: those with metabolic syndrome (MSP) and those without (control). During surgery, blood glucose levels were measured in all patients and hyperglycemia was treated with a standard protocol of continuous insulin infusion. Results: The mean blood glucose levels during CPB increased only in the MSP group (P