The CoLab score was developed and externally validated to rule out COVID-19 among suspected patients presenting at the emergency department. We hypothesized a within-patient decrease in the CoLab... Show moreThe CoLab score was developed and externally validated to rule out COVID-19 among suspected patients presenting at the emergency department. We hypothesized a within-patient decrease in the CoLab score over time in an intensive care unit (ICU) cohort. Such a decrease would create the opportunity to potentially rule out the need for isolation when the infection is overcome. Using linear mixed-effects models, data from the Maastricht Intensive Care COVID (MaastrICCht) cohort were used to investigate the association between time and the CoLab score. Models were adjusted for sex, APACHE II score, ICU mortality, and daily SOFA score. The CoLab score decreased by 0.30 points per day (95% CI − 0.33 to − 0.27), independent of sex, APACHE II, and Mortality. With increasing SOFA score over time, the CoLab score decreased more strongly (− 0.01 (95% CI − 0.01 to − 0.01) additional decrease per one-point increase in SOFA score.) The CoLab score decreased in ICU patients on mechanical ventilation for COVID-19, with a one-point reduction per three days, independent of sex, APACHE II, and ICU mortality, and somewhat stronger with increasing multi-organ failure over time. This suggests that the CoLab score would decrease below a threshold where COVID-19 can be excluded. Show less
Objectives: COVID-19 is an ongoing global pandemic. There is an urgent need for identification and understanding of clinical and laboratory parameters related to progression towards a severe and... Show moreObjectives: COVID-19 is an ongoing global pandemic. There is an urgent need for identification and understanding of clinical and laboratory parameters related to progression towards a severe and fatal form of this illness, often preceded by a so-called cytokine-storm syndrome (CSS). Therefore, we explored the hemocytometric characteristics of COVID-19 patients in relation to the deteriorating clinical condition CSS, using the Sysmex XN-10 hematology analyzer.Methods: From March 1st till May 16th, 2020, all patients admitted to our hospital with respiratory complaints and suspected for COVID-19 were included (n=1,140 of whom n=533 COVID-19 positive). The hemocytometric parameters of immunocompetent cells in peripheral blood (neutrophils [NE], lymphocytes [LY] and monocytes [MO]) obtained upon admission to the emergency department (ED) of COVID-19 positive patients were compared with those of the COVID-19 negative ones. Moreover, patients with CSS (n=169) were compared with COVID-19 positive patients without CSS, as well as with COVID-19 negative ones.Results: In addition to a significant reduction in leukocytes, thrombocytes and absolute neutrophils, it appeared that lymphocytes-forward scatter (LY-FSC), and reactive lymphocytes (RE-LYMPHO)/leukocytes were higher in COVID-19-positive than negative patients. At the moment of presentation, COVID-19 positive patients with CSS had different neutrophils- side fluorescence (NE-SFL), neutrophils-forward scatter (NE-FSC), LY-FSC, RE-LYMPHO/lymphocytes, antibody-synthesizing (AS)-LYMPHOs, high fluorescence lymphocytes (HFLC), MO-SSC, MO-SFL, and Reactive (RE)-MONOs. Finally, absolute eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and MO-FSC were lower in patients with CSS.Conclusions: Hemocytometric parameters indicative of changes in immunocompetent peripheral blood cells and measured at admission to the ED were associated with COVID-19 with and without CSS. Show less
Linssen, J.; Ermens, A.; Berrevoets, M.; Seghezzi, M.; Previtali, G.; Sar-van der Brugge, S. van der; ... ; Ven, A.J. van der 2020
COVID-19 induces haemocytometric changes. Complete blood count changes, including new cell activation parameters, from 982 confirmed COVID-19 adult patients from 11 European hospitals were... Show moreCOVID-19 induces haemocytometric changes. Complete blood count changes, including new cell activation parameters, from 982 confirmed COVID-19 adult patients from 11 European hospitals were retrospectively analysed for distinctive patterns based on age, gender, clinical severity, symptom duration, and hospital days. The observed haemocytometric patterns formed the basis to develop a multi-haemocytometric-parameter prognostic score to predict, during the first three days after presentation, which patients will recover without ventilation or deteriorate within a two-week timeframe, needing intensive care or with fatal outcome. The prognostic score, with ROC curve AUC at baseline of 0.753 (95% CI 0.723-0.781) increasing to 0.875 (95% CI 0.806-0.926) on day 3, was superior to any individual parameter at distinguishing between clinical severity. Findings were confirmed in a validation cohort. Aim is that the score and haemocytometry results are simultaneously provided by analyser software, enabling wide applicability of the score as haemocytometry is commonly requested in COVID-19 patients. Show less
Objectives To prospectively investigate in patients with severe COVID-19-associated cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) whether an intensive course of glucocorticoids with or without tocilizumab... Show moreObjectives To prospectively investigate in patients with severe COVID-19-associated cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) whether an intensive course of glucocorticoids with or without tocilizumab accelerates clinical improvement, reduces mortality and prevents invasive mechanical ventilation, in comparison with a historic control group of patients who received supportive care only.Methods From 1 April 2020, patients with COVID-19-associated CSS, defined as rapid respiratory deterioration plus at least two out of three biomarkers with important elevations (C-reactive protein >100 mg/L; ferritin >900 mu g/L; D-dimer >1500 mu g/L), received high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone for 5 consecutive days (250 mg on day 1 followed by 80 mg on days 2-5). If the respiratory condition had not improved sufficiently (in 43%), the interleukin-6 receptor blocker tocilizumab (8 mg/kg body weight, single infusion) was added on or after day 2. Control patients with COVID-19-associated CSS (same definition) were retrospectively sampled from the pool of patients (n=350) admitted between 7 March and 31 March, and matched one to one to treated patients on sex and age. The primary outcome was >= 2 stages of improvement on a 7-item WHO-endorsed scale for trials in patients with severe influenza pneumonia, or discharge from the hospital. Secondary outcomes were hospital mortality and mechanical ventilation.Results At baseline all patients with COVID-19 in the treatment group (n=86) and control group (n=86) had symptoms of CSS and faced acute respiratory failure. Treated patients had 79% higher likelihood on reaching the primary outcome (HR: 1.8; 95%CI 1.2 to 2.7) (7 days earlier), 65% less mortality (HR: 0.35; 95%CI 0.19 to 0.65) and 71% less invasive mechanical ventilation (HR: 0.29; 95%CI 0.14 to 0.65). Treatment effects remained constant in confounding and sensitivity analyses.Conclusions A strategy involving a course of high-dose methylprednisolone, followed by tocilizumab if needed, may accelerate respiratory recovery, lower hospital mortality and reduce the likelihood of invasive mechanical ventilation in COVID-19-associated CSS. Show less
IMPORTANCE Early plasma transfusion for women with severe postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is recommended to prevent coagulopathy. However, there is no comparative, quantitative evidence on the... Show moreIMPORTANCE Early plasma transfusion for women with severe postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is recommended to prevent coagulopathy. However, there is no comparative, quantitative evidence on the association of early plasma transfusion with maternal outcomes.OBJECTIVE To compare the incidence of adverse maternal outcomes among women who received plasma during the first 60 minutes of persistent PPH vs women who did not receive plasma for similarly severe persistent PPH.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This multicenter cohort study used a consecutive sample of women with persistent PPH, defined as PPH refractory to first-line measures to control bleeding, between January 1, 2011, and January 1, 2013. Time-dependent propensity score matching was used to select women who received plasma during the first 60 minutes of persistent PPH and match each of them with a woman who had shown the same severity and received the same treatment of PPH but who had not received plasma at the moment of matching. Transfusions were not guided by coagulation tests. Statistical analysis was performed from June 2018 to June 2019.EXPOSURES Transfusion of plasma during the first 60 minutes of persistent PPH vs no or later plasma transfusion.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Incidence of adverse maternal outcomes, defined as a composite of death, hysterectomy, or arterial embolization.RESULTS This study included 1216 women (mean [SD] age, 31.6 [5.0] years) with persistent PPH, of whom 932 (76.6%) delivered vaginally and 780 (64.1%) had PPH caused by uterine atony. Seven women (0.6%) died because of PPH, 62 women (5.1%) had a hysterectomy, and 159 women (13.1%) had arterial embolizations. Among women who received plasma during the first 60 minutes of persistent PPH, 114 women could be matched with a comparable woman who had not received plasma at the moment of matching. The incidence of adverse maternal outcomes was similar between the women, with adverse outcomes recorded in 24 women (21.2%) who received early plasma transfusion and 23 women (19.9%) who did not receive early plasma transfusion (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.57-2.09). Results of sensitivity analyses were comparable to the primary results.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study, initiation of plasma transfusion during the first 60 minutes of persistent PPH was not associated with adverse maternal outcomes compared with no or later plasma transfusion, independent of severity of PPH. Show less
Henriquez, D.D.C.A.; Gillissen, A.; Smith, S.M.; Cramer, R.A.; Akker, T. van den; Zwart, J.J.; ... ; TeMpOH-1 Study Grp 2019
Background The absence of a uniform and clinically relevant definition of severe postpartum haemorrhage hampers comparative studies and optimization of clinical management. The concept of... Show moreBackground The absence of a uniform and clinically relevant definition of severe postpartum haemorrhage hampers comparative studies and optimization of clinical management. The concept of persistent postpartum haemorrhage, based on refractoriness to initial first-line treatment, was proposed as an alternative to common definitions that are either based on estimations of blood loss or transfused units of packed red blood cells (RBC). We compared characteristics and outcomes of women with severe postpartum haemorrhage captured by these three types of definitions. Methods In this large retrospective cohort study in 61 hospitals in the Netherlands we included 1391 consecutive women with postpartum haemorrhage who received either >= 4 units of RBC or a multicomponent transfusion. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of women with severe postpartum haemorrhage defined as persistent postpartum haemorrhage were compared to definitions based on estimated blood loss or transfused units of RBC within 24 h following birth. Adverse maternal outcome was a composite of maternal mortality, hysterectomy, arterial embolisation and intensive care unit admission. Results One thousand two hundred sixty out of 1391 women (90.6%) with postpartum haemorrhage fulfilled the definition of persistent postpartum haemorrhage. The majority, 820/1260 (65.1%), fulfilled this definition within 1 h following birth, compared to 819/1391 (58.7%) applying the definition of >= 1 L blood loss and 37/845 (4.4%) applying the definition of >= 4 units of RBC. The definition persistent postpartum haemorrhage captured 430/471 adverse maternal outcomes (91.3%), compared to 471/471 (100%) for >= 1 L blood loss and 383/471 (81.3%) for >= 4 units of RBC. Persistent postpartum haemorrhage did not capture all adverse outcomes because of missing data on timing of initial, first-line treatment. Conclusion The definition persistent postpartum haemorrhage identified women with severe postpartum haemorrhage at an early stage of haemorrhage, unlike definitions based on blood transfusion. It also captured a large majority of adverse maternal outcomes, almost as large as the definition of >= 1 L blood loss, which is commonly applied as a definition of postpartum haemorrhage rather than severe haemorrhage. Show less
