Immunocompromised status Is often associated with severe coronavirus infection given the inability of the immune system to combat the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Patients with multiple comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease along with patients on immunosuppressants or chemotherapy are at higher risk of getting infected during the ongoing pandemic with more probability of adverse outcomes. However, we report a rare case of a renal transplant recipient who was on sirolimus and contracted coronavirus disease (COVID-19). His immunosuppressants were continued and he was managed with antiviral, steroids and low molecular weight heparin and the patient responded well to the treatment and recovered completely after a span of one week. Use of sirolimus in a patient with renal transplant recipient helped in preventing intensification of the severity in COVID-19 attributing to its inhibiting effect on mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) which he was using post his renal transplant, therefore, proving to be a blessing in disguise.

A bstract Background Interleukin 6 (IL-6) encoded by the gene coded as IL 6 acts as a proinflammatory cytokine as well as an anti-inflammatory myokine. It is postulated that IL 6 is associated directly with the severity of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Another domain that is thought to predict the severity of COVID-19 is the neutrophil:lymphocyte (N:L) ratio; a higher N:L ratio is postulated to be related to more severe outcomes. Thus, the present study was aimed to establish a correlation of COVID-19 with IL-6 in terms of clinical outcomes. We had also tried to find the relationship between IL-6 and N:L ratio and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) score. Methods We have conducted a cross-sectional study of 200 patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive for COVID-19 from January to May 2021. Serum IL-6, N:L ratio, and HRCT chest were conducted on admission. Result Out of 200 patients who were admitted to the ICU with COVID-19, while the IL-6 was higher in patients with increased N:L ratio and HRCT score, the association of IL-6 with clinical outcomes in terms of discharged and expired was found to be statistically not significant. Conclusion Serum IL-6 was found not to be a potent marker for clinical outcomes in ICU patients in terms of death vs survived. However, the IL-6 levels on admission can be correlated with the computed tomography (CT) severity scores as well as N:L ratio of patients admitted to an ICU. How to cite this article Talwar D, Kumar S, Acharya S, Raisinghani N, Madaan S, Hulkoti V, et al . Interleukin 6 and Its Correlation with COVID-19 in Terms of Outcomes in an Intensive Care Unit of a Rural Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(1):39–42.

BackgroundThere is a continual rise in the prevalence of non-cancerous conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) owing to an enormous load of diabetes, hypertension, and vascular diseases. A positive attitude and healthy lifestyle for CKD prevention can only be followed when the masses are well aware and educated about the disease. This study aimed to compare, correlate, and evaluate the distribution of knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions among relatives or caretakers of patients with kidney disease or at risk of the disease. MethodologyThis cross-sectional study aimed at obtaining data on the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions using the Chronic Kidney Diseases Screening Index questionnaire from the relatives of CKD patients. All data were computed and analyzed using SPSS version 28.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). ResultsThe majority of the relatives of CKD patients had poor knowledge (63.6%) and poor attitude (51.6%) levels. On the contrary, most respondents had good practices (52.8%) level toward the risk for CKD. A significant correlation was noted between education and knowledge (p < 0.050). A significant association was also observed between education and occupation with attitude (p < 0.001 and p < 0.050, respectively). Additionally, a significant association was noted between age and perception (p < 0.001). ConclusionsInformed and well-educated populations are less prone to acquire or progress to CKD. From this study, we can understand the need for improvement in public knowledge, which has the potential to help in saving the lives of many patients progressing toward end-stage renal diseases.

Background: The COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has toppled the world since first case noted in 2019, and the cases have been increasing there after. This grave effect is caused by the cytokine storm induced inflammation produced by the noxious virus. As it is an inflammatory state, various acute phase reactants are expected to raise; thus serum ferritin is contemplated to increase. Here we aim to anchor serum ferritin as a way marker for diagnosis and management of COVID-19 patients and study its role as a prognostic marker. Another aspect is the association of COVID-19 with the N: L ratio; observation has stated that higher N: L ratio results in more severe outcome. The study aimed to establish a correlation of COVID-19 severity with serum ferritin in the form of HRCT Score, N: L Ratio and Clinical Outcome in the patients admitted in Intensive Care Unit Result: Out of 200 patients who were admitted in the intensive care unit with COVID-19, the association of serum ferritin with N: L Ratio and HRCT Score was significant, and the association of serum ferritin with clinical outcome in terms of discharged and expired was found to be statistically significant Conclusion: Serum ferritin was found to be a potent marker for clinical outcome in intensive care unit patients in terms of death versus treated. HRCT Score and N:L ratio were found to be correlated with serum ferritin. Therefore, we conclude that serum ferritin may determine the severity of COVID-19 infection and it can be used as a marker for Clinical Outcome thereby making it an often neglected biomarker for predicting prognosis in COVID-19 with most of the physicians focusing mostly on interleukin 6, C Reactive protein and d dimer as a marker of severe COVID infection.

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Marfan syndrome is a spectrum of disorders caused by a genetic defect involving connective tissue and is heritable by the autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Atlantooccipital assimilation is a partial or complete fusion of the atlas and the occiput base congenitally. Although primarily asymptomatic, some patients with atlantooccipital assimilation may present with neurological issues, including myelopathy. Here, we are discussing a case of an 18-year-old male who presented with bilateral paraesthesia, tingling and neck pain which, upon investigations, turned out to be a case of atlantooccipital assimilation along with basilar invagination with spinal cord compression. The patient also had marfanoid features like tall stature, reduced upper to lower segment ratio, and increased arm span to height with positive wrist and thumb signs. As myelopathy had already developed, the patient was treated surgically rather than with medical management with a favorable outcome.

Dengue is a viral illness spreads through the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquito leading to a serious health hazard. Dengue induced acute kidney injury is a fatal consequence and there are very few studies reported. Hence early identification of high risk groups is crucial for prevention, to restrict progression and effective treatment of acute kidney injury and to minimise associated morbidity and mortality. The coronavirus disease outbreak has widely spread into a pandemic all over the world. COVID-19 cases have presented with wide spectrum of severity ranging from a mild presentation to severe cases affecting the lungs(ARDS) mainly and rapidly affecting various body organs leading to multiorgan failure. Among these renal involvement is common, the severity of which ranges from mild loss of protein in urine to progressive acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy.

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