Background A local increase in angiotensin 2 after inactivation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 by SARS-CoV-2 may induce a redox imbalance in alveolar epithelium cells, causing apoptosis, increased inflammation and, consequently, impaired gas exchange. We hypothesized that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) administration could restore this redox homeostasis and suppress unfavorable evolution in Covid-19 patients. Objective To determine whether NAC in high doses can avoid respiratory failure in patients with Covid-19. Methods It was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, unicentric trial, conducted at the Emergency Department of Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo, Brazil. We enrolled 135 patients with severe Covid-19 (confirmed or suspected), with an oxyhemoglobin saturation of less than 94% or respiratory rate higher than 24 breaths/min. Patients were randomized to receive NAC 21 g (approximately 300 mg/kg) for 20 hours, or dextrose 5%. Primary endpoint was the need for mechanical ventilation. Secondary endpoints were time of mechanical ventilation, admission to ICU, time in ICU, and mortality. Results Baseline characteristics were very similar in the two groups, with no significant difference in age, sex, comorbidities, medicines taken, and disease severity. Also, groups were similar in laboratory tests and chest CT scan findings. Sixteen patients (23.9%) in the Placebo group were submitted to endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation, compared to 14 patients (20.6%) in the NAC group (p=0.675). No difference was observed in secondary endpoints. Conclusion Administration of NAC in high doses did not affect the evolution of severe Covid-19.

Background: Awake prone positioning has been widely used in patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure to avoid intubation despite limited evidence. Our objective was to evaluate if prone positioning is associated with a reduced intubation rate when compared to usual care. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study in the emergency department of a large quaternary hospital in Sao Paulo. We retrieved data from all admitted patients in need of oxygen supplementation (>3 L/min) and tachypnea (>24 ipm) from March 1 to April 30, 2020, excluding those who had any contraindication to the prone position or who had an immediate need for intubation. The primary endpoint was endotracheal intubation up to 15 days. Secondary outcomes included a 6-point clinical outcome ordinal scale, mechanical ventilation-free days, admission to the intensive care unit, and need of hemodialysis and of vasoactive drugs, all assessed at or up to 15 days. We analyzed unadjusted and adjusted effect estimates with Cox proportional hazards models, logistic regression, quantile regression, and sensitivity analyses using propensity score models. Results: Of 925 suspected COVID-19 patients admitted off mechanical ventilation, 166 patients fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria: 57 were exposed to prone positioning and 109 to usual care. In the intervention group, 33 (58%) were intubated versus 53 (49%) in the control group. We observed no difference in intubation rates in the univariate analysis (hazard ratio = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.78 to 1.88, p = 0.39) nor in the adjusted analysis (hazard ratio = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.55 to 1.49, p = 0.69). Results were robust to the sensitivity analyses.

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Background The first cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Brazil were diagnosed in February 2020. Our Emergency Department (ED) was designated as a COVID-19 exclusive service. We report our first 500 confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia patients. Methods From 14 March to 16 May 2020, we enrolled all patients admitted to our ED that had a diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. Infection was confirmed via nasopharyngeal swabs or tracheal aspirate PCR. The outcomes included hospital discharge, invasive mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital death, among others. Results From 2219 patients received in the ED, we included 506 with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia. We found that 333 patients were discharged home (65.9%), 153 died (30.2%), and 20 (3.9%) remained in the hospital. A total of 300 patients (59.3%) required ICU admission, and 227 (44.9%) needed invasive ventilation. The multivariate analysis found age, number of comorbidities, extension of ground glass opacities on chest CT and troponin with a direct relationship with all-cause mortality, whereas dysgeusia, use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin-ii receptor blocker and number of lymphocytes with an inverse relationship with all-cause mortality Conclusions This was a sample of severe patients with COVID-19, with 59.2% admitted to the ICU and 41.5% requiring mechanical ventilator support. We were able to ascertain the outcome in majority (96%) of patients. While the overall mortality was 30.2%, mortality for intubated patients was 55.9%. Multivariate analysis agreed with data found in other studies although the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin-ii receptor blocker as a protective factor could be promising but would need further studies. Trial registration The study was registered in the Brazilian registry of clinical trials: RBR-5d4dj5.

Funding and support: By JACEP Open policy, all authors are required to disclose any and all commercial, financial, and other relationships in any way related to the subject of this article as per ICMJE conflict of interest guidelines (see www.icmje.org). The authors have stated that no such relationships exist.

Background During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, in order to protect the patient and to save hospital beds, cancelation of elective surgeries has become a great challenge. Considering that obesity is a chronic disease and the possible effect imposed by quarantine on weight gain with worsening rates of obesity and metabolic comorbidities, the creation of a protocol for a safe return to bariatric surgery became essential. Objective The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of new-onset severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) symptoms in patients who underwent bariatric procedures during the declining curve period. Setting Private practice Methods A prospective observational cohort study was conducted and included patients with indications for bariatric surgery during the decreasing curve period of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic who underwent surgery under a hospital security protocol. Patients were asked to answer a questionnaire and had a swab PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 detection. The primary outcome measure was the presence of 14-day and 30-day postoperative symptoms associated with COVID-19. Mortality was also analyzed. Results Three hundred patients with negative RT-PCR were operated on from May to June 2020. Seventeen patients had their surgery postponed because of a positive RT-PCR test or close contact. None of the patients developed new-onset SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic infection after 30 days of observation. No deaths were reported. Eleven had complications not related to SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions Even though this population may have a poorer outcome when infected with SARS-CoV-2, this security protocol has shown that the procedure can be safely performed during the outbreak.

1. Background:During the COVID-19 pandemic, adequate management of available resources may be key to overcoming the excess of seriously ill patients and saving lives. Creating tools to assess disease severity is one of the most important aspects for reducing the burden on emergency departments. Lung ultrasound has high accuracy for diagnosis of pulmonary diseases; however, there are no prospective studies demonstrating that lung ultrasound can predict outcomes in COVID-19. We hypothesized that Lung Ultrasound Score (LUSS) at hospital admission would be able to predict the outcomes of patients with COVID-19.2. Methods:Prospective cohort study conducted from 14 March through 6 May 2020 in the Emergency Department (ED) of an urban, academic, level I trauma center. This 2,200-bed hospital has been designated exclusive for COVID-19 patients for the duration of the pandemic. Patients aged 18 years and older and admitted to the ED with confirmed COVID-19 were considered eligible. Emergency physicians performed lung ultrasounds and calculated LUSS, which was tested for correlation with outcomes.3. Results: Primary endpoint was death from any cause. Secondary endpoints were ICU admission and endotracheal intubation for respiratory failure. Among 180 patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were enrolled (mean age, 60 years; 105 male), the average LUSS was 18.7 ± 6.8. LUSS correlated with findings on chest CT and was able to predict the estimated extent of parenchymal involvement (mean LUSS with < 50% involvement on chest CT, 15±6.7 vs. 21±6.0 with >50% involvement, p<0.001), death (AUC 0.71, OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.07 to 1.21; p < 0.001), endotracheal intubation (AUC 0.75, OR 1.17, 95%CI 1.09 to 1.26; p < 0.001), and ICU admission (AUC: 0.71, OR 1.14, 95%CI 1.07 to 1.21; p < 0.001). 4. Conclusion:LUSS was a good predictor of death, ICU admission, and endotracheal intubation in COVID-19 patients. 5. Trial RegistrationThis protocol was approved by the local Ethics Committee number 3.990.817 (CAAE: 30417520.0.0000.0068).

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