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Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Hospitalized and Critically Ill Children and Adolescents with Coronavirus Disease 2019 at a Tertiary Care Medical Center in New York City.
Chao, JY, Derespina, KR, Herold, BC, Goldman, DL, Aldrich, M, Weingarten, J, Ushay, HM, Cabana, MD, Medar, SS
The Journal of pediatrics. 2020;223:14-19.e2
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Epidemiologic studies have consistently demonstrated that children are at lower risk of developing severe symptoms or critical illness compared with adults. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical profiles and risk factors for critical illness in hospitalised children and adolescents with COVID-19. The study is a retrospective review of 67 children aged between 1 month to 21 years with COVID-19 from a single tertiary care children’s hospital. Out of the 44 children who tested positive, 33 (72%) were admitted to the general paediatric medical unit and 13 (28%) to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Results showed that patients admitted to the PICU were noted to have more severe symptoms and markers of inflammatory response. The most common symptoms at admission were cough (63%) and fever (60.9%). Of the 13 patients in the PICU, 8 (61.5%) were discharged home, and 4 (30.7%) patients remain hospitalized on ventilatory support at day 14. Authors conclude that their study showed a higher rate of PICU admission per hospitalization (28.2%), which they believe may be a reflection of a variety of social determinants that influence health outcomes.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical profiles and risk factors for critical illness in hospitalized children and adolescents with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). STUDY DESIGN Children 1 month to 21 years of age with COVID-19 from a single tertiary care children's hospital between March 15 and April 13, 2020 were included. Demographic and clinical data were collected. RESULTS In total, 67 children tested positive for COVID-19; 21 (31.3%) were managed as outpatients. Of 46 admitted patients, 33 (72%) were admitted to the general pediatric medical unit and 13 (28%) to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Obesity and asthma were highly prevalent but not significantly associated with PICU admission (P = .99). Admission to the PICU was significantly associated with higher C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and pro-B type natriuretic peptide levels and platelet counts (P < .05 for all). Patients in the PICU were more likely to require high-flow nasal cannula (P = .0001) and were more likely to have received Remdesivir through compassionate release (P < .05). Severe sepsis and septic shock syndromes were observed in 7 (53.8%) patients in the PICU. Acute respiratory distress syndrome was observed in 10 (77%) PICU patients, 6 of whom (46.2%) required invasive mechanical ventilation for a median of 9 days. Of the 13 patients in the PICU, 8 (61.5%) were discharged home, and 4 (30.7%) patients remain hospitalized on ventilatory support at day 14. One patient died after withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy because of metastatic cancer. CONCLUSIONS We describe a higher than previously recognized rate of severe disease requiring PICU admission in pediatric patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19.
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Metabolic profiling distinguishes three subtypes of Alzheimer's disease.
Bredesen, DE
Aging. 2015;7(8):595-600
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The causes of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) remain incompletely defined and there are currently no truly effective drug therapies available. However, there is growing evidence that disordered blood glucose management and hormonal changes and deficiencies, amongst other things, are implicated in symptom onset. Optimising these various metabolic processes, therefore, may be used as a comprehensive way to avoid cognitive decline or achieve cognitive improvements in symptomatic individuals. This report provides the metabolic results of 3 case studies and suggests 3 different types of AD classification, depending on the individual metabolic profile. Further studies are required to elaborate on the metabolic profiles suggested in this report, however Nutrition Practitioners working with cognitive decline, can use this report as a basis for individualised nutrition protocols to optimise metabolic processes in clients with cognitive decline.
Abstract
The cause of Alzheimer's disease is incompletely defined, and no truly effective therapy exists. However, multiple studies have implicated metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance, hormonal deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia. Optimizing metabolic parameters in a comprehensive way has yielded cognitive improvement, both in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Therefore, expanding the standard laboratory evaluation in patients with dementia may be revealing. Here I report that metabolic profiling reveals three Alzheimer's disease subtypes. The first is inflammatory, in which markers such as hs-CRP and globulin:albumin ratio are increased. The second type is non-inflammatory, in which these markers are not increased, but other metabolic abnormalities are present. The third type is a very distinctive clinical entity that affects relatively young individuals, extends beyond the typical Alzheimer's disease initial distribution to affect the cortex widely, is characterized by early non-amnestic features such as dyscalculia and aphasia, is often misdiagnosed or labeled atypical Alzheimer's disease, typically affects ApoE4-negative individuals, and is associated with striking zinc deficiency. Given the involvement of zinc in multiple Alzheimer's-related metabolic processes, such as insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, ADAM10 proteolytic activity, and hormonal signaling, this syndrome of Alzheimer's-plus with low zinc (APLZ) warrants further metabolic, genetic, and epigenetic characterization.