Toto krátké sdělení shrnuje dostupné poznatky o účinnosti inhalačních kortikosteroidů (IKS) v léčbě akutního covidu-19 a postcovidového syndromu (long covid). Zatímco účinnost systémových kortikoidů při těžkém průběhu covidu-19 a v terapii respirační formy long covidu je poměrně dobře prozkoumaná, dat o IKS je méně. Z dostupných dat vyplývá možná účinnost IKS v úvodu lehkého covidu-19, kdy mohou zkracovat symptomatické období a snižovat potřebu urgentní lékařské péče a hospitalizace. Účinnost IKS při long covidu je spíše spekulativní, podpořená odborným konsenzem a kazuistikami u pacientů s onemocněním malých dýchacích cest.
This brief communication summarizes available evidence on the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in the treatment of acute COVID-19 and long COVID. While the effectiveness of systemic corticosteroids (SCS) in severe COVID-19 and in the management of the respiratory form of long COVID is relatively well-established, data on ICS are limited. Available evidence suggests potential efficacy of ICS in the early stages of mild COVID-19, contributing to shortened symptomatic periods and reducing the need for urgent medical care and hospitalization. The efficacy of ICS in long COVID is speculative, supported by case reports and expert consensus in patients with small airway disease.
PURPOSE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent and preventable condition that typically worsens over time. Acute exacerbations of COPD significantly impact disease progression, underscoring the importance of prevention efforts. This observational study aimed to achieve two main objectives: (1) identify patients at risk of exacerbations using an ensemble of clustering algorithms, and (2) classify patients into distinct clusters based on disease severity. METHODS: Data from portable medical devices were analyzed post-hoc using hyperparameter optimization with Self-Organizing Maps (SOM), Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN), Isolation Forest, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms, to detect flare-ups. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) followed by KMeans clustering was applied to categorize patients by severity. RESULTS: 25 patients were included within the study population, data from 17 patients had the required reliability. Five patients were identified in the highest deterioration group, with one clinically confirmed exacerbation accurately detected by our ensemble algorithm. Then, PCA and KMeans clustering grouped patients into three clusters based on severity: Cluster 0 started with the least severe characteristics but experienced decline, Cluster 1 consistently showed the most severe characteristics, and Cluster 2 showed slight improvement. CONCLUSION: Our approach effectively identified patients at risk of exacerbations and classified them by disease severity. Although promising, the approach would need to be verified on a larger sample with a larger number of recorded clinically verified exacerbations.
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- časopisecké články MeSH
INTRODUCTION: The term "post-COVID-19 syndrome" describes a range of symptoms persisting beyond the acute phase of the disease. These symptoms predominantly include fatigue, muscle pain, shortness of breath, and psychological issues. Research additionally suggests the possibility of long-term neurological and psychiatric impairment associated with COVID-19. METHODOLOGY: The study included patients who visited the post-COVID outpatient clinic between April 2020 and June 2022. The examination included the detailed history taking, including the COVID-19 course, posteroanterior chest X-ray and pulmonary function tests. Anxiety level was assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The relationship between anxiety, demographic data, and course of the disease, need for hospital admission during the acute phase, oxygen therapy, post-inflammatory changes on the chest X-ray and lung function parameters was investigated. RESULTS: This study included 1756 patients who experienced COVID-19 and visited a post-COVID outpatient clinic. The majority of individuals experienced a mild form of the infection. The results showed that younger age and female gender were associated with significantly higher anxiety scores. Inpatients had lower BAI values than those who were not hospitalized during acute phase. Patients with post-inflammatory changes on chest X-ray had surprisingly lower BAI values. Lower values of FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second), DLCO (diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide), and KCO (carbon monoxide transfer coefficient) were associated with significantly higher BAI values. Female gender was associated with higher levels of anxiety. In contrast, higher FEV1 values reduced the risk of a pathological level of anxiety. CONCLUSION: In our study, the influence of age, gender, inpatient care during the acute phase of infection, the presence of post-inflammatory changes on the chest diagram and selected parameters of lung function (FEV1, DLCO, and KCO) were shown to be important factors in the assessment of anxiety symptoms in post-COVID patients.
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- časopisecké články MeSH
Nocturnal hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Its determination requires the use of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). However, the examination results can be less reliable in patients with insomnia, habitual short sleep or other sleep disorders. In these patients, it is possible to detect falsely high values of blood pressure in the night interval. At the same time, the treatment of sleep disorders itself could adjust the nighttime values of blood pressure and thus prevent unreasonably intensive treatment of high blood pressure. The article summarizes current knowledge about the effect of sleep quality on the accuracy of diagnosis using ABMP. At the same time, we present the study "How to diagnose true nocturnal hypertension?", which will analyze this clinical problem.
Noční hypertenze je významným rizikovým faktorem pro mortalitu i morbiditu z kardiovaskulárních příčin. K její diagnostice je potřeba použít 24hodinové měření krevního tlaku (AMTK). Výsledky vyšetření však mohou být zkresleny u pacientů s nespavostí, habituálním krátkým spánkem či jinými poruchami spánku. U těchto pacientů je možné zachytit falešně vysoké hodnoty krevního tlaku v nočním intervalu. Přitom léčba samotných poruch spánku by mohla hodnoty nočního tlaku upravit, a tím zabránit nepřiměřeně intenzivní léčbě vysokého krevního tlaku. Článek shrnuje aktuální poznatky o vlivu kvality spánku na přesnost diagnostiky pomocí AMTK. Současně prezentujeme studii „Jak diagnostikovat pravou noční hypertenzi?“, která bude tento klinický problém analyzovat.
Úvod: Akutní hyperkapnické respirační selhání (AHRS) je stav, kdy respirační ústrojí není schopno plnit svoji základní funkci, tedy obohacování krve kyslíkem a vylučování oxidu uhličitého. Jeho přítomnost znamená malé ventilační rezervy, a proto je důležité pacienty po jeho prodělání komplexně vyšetřit a dlouhodobě sledovat. Metody: Pacienti zahrnutí do analýzy byly konsekutivní případy hospitalizované na Klinice plicních nemocí a tuberkulózy, FN Olomouc s diagnózou akutního hyperkapnického respiračního selhání za období 2015-2022. U všech případů byla doplněna data demografická, antropometrická a přítomnost komorbidit. Pomocí statistických metod byly identifikovány protektivní a rizikové faktory časné mortality. Výsledky: Do sledování bylo celkem zahrnuto 127 osob (63 mužů) s průměrným věkem 69,3 ± 12,1 let. Průměrné BMI bylo 29,6 ± 9,2 kg/m2. Nejčastějším dominantně etiologickým faktorem pro vznik AHRS byla diagnóza CHOPN (56,7 %) a nejčastějším zhoršujícím kofaktorem pneumonie (50,4 %). Celkem 74 % osob mělo více než jeden chorobný stav, vedoucí ke vzniku AHRS. 86 pacientů (67,7 %) v průběhu sledování zemřelo. Úmrtnost do 30 dnů při AHRS byla 24,4 %, do 90 dní 33,9 % a do 1 roku 47,2 %. Aproximovaný výpočet průměrné délky přežití pro celý soubor dosahuje 45 měsíců (95% interval spolehlivosti je 31,9-58,2). Nižší BMI predikovalo mortalitu do 30 i 90 dnů. Přítomnost pneumonie zvyšuje 90denní mortalitu. Léčený syndrom spánkové apnoe (OSAS) a hypoventilační syndrom při obezitě (OHS) pravděpodobnost úmrtí v 90 dnech a 1 roku snižovaly s poměrem rizik pro léčený OSAS: RR 0,406 (95% CI 0,199 – 0,827) a léčený OHS: RR 0,372 (95% CI 0,190 – 0,727). Závěr: U pacientů po AHRS je velmi vysoká krátkodobá i dlouhodobá mortalita. Diagnostikou a správnou léčbou vyvolávajících příčin je možné významně zlepšit prognózu nemocných, což prokazuje redukce rizika mortality u pacientů s léčeným OHS a OSAS.
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RATIONALE: Persistent respiratory symptoms following Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are associated with residual radiological changes in lung parenchyma, with a risk of development into lung fibrosis, and with impaired pulmonary function. Previous studies hinted at the possible efficacy of corticosteroids (CS) in facilitating the resolution of post-COVID residual changes in the lungs, but the available data is limited. AIM: To evaluate the effects of CS treatment in post-COVID respiratory syndrome patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Post-COVID patients were recruited into a prospective single-center observational study and scheduled for an initial (V1) and follow-up visit (V2) at the Department of Respiratory Medicine and Tuberculosis, University Hospital Olomouc, comprising of pulmonary function testing, chest x-ray, and complex clinical examination. The decision to administer CS or maintain watchful waiting (WW) was in line with Czech national guidelines. RESULTS: The study involved 2729 COVID-19 survivors (45.7% male; mean age: 54.6). From 2026 patients with complete V1 data, 131 patients were indicated for CS therapy. These patients showed significantly worse radiological and functional impairment at V1. Mean initial dose was 27.6 mg (SD ± 10,64), and the mean duration of CS therapy was 13.3 weeks (SD ± 10,06). Following therapy, significantly better improvement of static lung volumes and transfer factor for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and significantly better rates of good or complete radiological and subjective improvement were observed in the CS group compared to controls with available follow-up data (n = 894). CONCLUSION: Better improvement of pulmonary function, radiological findings and subjective symptoms were observed in patients CS compared to watchful waiting. Our findings suggest that glucocorticoid therapy could benefit selected patients with persistent dyspnea, significant radiological changes, and decreased DLCO.
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- časopisecké články MeSH
Transplantace je poslední možností léčby u terminálních stadií řady plicních nemocí. Jednou z limitací dlouhodobé prognózy pacientů je rejekce štěpu. Některé faktory vzniku a progrese odmítnutí transplantátu jsou známy a lze je léčebně ovlivnit. Poznatky z recentních studií odhalují, že jedním z dosud přehlížených faktorů může být také znečištění ovzduší. Článek shrnuje aktuální poznatky o vlivu chronické expozice inhalačním noxám na pacienty po plicní transplantaci, a to zejména s ohledem na vznik rejekce štěpu.
AIMS: The study analysed post-acute COVID-19 symptoms and the pulmonary function test (PFT) results in patients surviving the native strain of the virus. METHODS: The study was prospective; the inclusion criteria were positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 and age 18-100. Exclusion criteria were active respiratory infection, known or suspicious pre-existing pulmonary disease, cardiac failure, recent or acute pulmonary embolism, anaemia, and neuromuscular diseases. The recruitment period was 1st March 2020 - 25th December 2020. The initial examination was performed 4-12 weeks after the disease onset. All subjects underwent physical examination, anamnesis, chest x-ray and PFT. RESULTS: The study involved 785 subjects (345 male) mean age 53.8 (SD 14.6). The disease severity groups were: mild (G1), moderate (G2) and severe/critical (G3). Anosmia was present in the acute disease phase in 45.2% of G1 patients, but only in 4.5% of G3 patients. Dyspnoea occurred frequently in more severe groups (40%, 51.8% and 63.7% for G1, G2 and G3 respectively), while cough and fatigue showed no relationship to disease severity. Females were more likely to experience persistent symptoms. PFT results were significantly decreased in more severe groups compared to the mild COVID-19 patients, diffusing capacity was 86.3%, 79% and 68% of predicted values in G1, G2 and G3 respectively. CONCLUSION: Anosmia during the acute phase was associated with mild disease, persisting dyspnoea was more frequent after more severe COVID-19. Females tended to have persisting symptoms in post-acute phase more frequently. PFT results showed decrease with disease severity.
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- anosmie MeSH
- COVID-19 * komplikace diagnóza MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- dyspnoe etiologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- prospektivní studie MeSH
- respirační funkční testy MeSH
- SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
OBJECTIVE: The study worked with depressive symptoms, anxiety score and cognitive functions in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients treated with CPAP. METHODS: Eighty-one subjects with OSA and without psychiatric comorbidity were treated with CPAP for one year and completed the following scales and cognitive tests: Trail Making Test, Verbal Fluency Test, d2 Test, Beck Depression Inventory-II and Beck Anxiety Inventory. MINI ruled out psychiatric disorder. At the two months check-up, subjects were re-evaluated for depressive and anxiety symptoms, and after one year of CPAP treatment, subjects repeated cognitive tests and scales. Data about therapy adherence and effectiveness were obtained from the patient's CPAP machines. RESULTS: The study was completed by 59 CPAP adherent patients and eight non-adherent patients. CPAP therapy effectiveness was verified in all patients by decreasing the apnea-hypopnoea index below 5 and/or 10% of baseline values. The adherent patients significantly improved depressive and anxiety symptoms. There was also an improvement in overall performance in the attention test; however, performance in many individual items did not change. The adherent patients also improved verbal fluency and in the Part B of the Trail making test. The non-adherent group significantly increased the number of mistakes made in the d2 test; other results were non-significant. CONCLUSION: According to our results, OSA patients' mood, anxiety and certain cognitive domains improved during the one-year therapy with CPAP. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03866161.
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- časopisecké články MeSH
