The value of serial lung ultrasound (LUS) in patients with COVID-19 is not well defined. In this multicenter prospective observational study, we aimed to assess the prognostic accuracy of serial LUS in patients admitted to hospital due to COVID-19. The serial LUS protocol included two examinations (0–48 h and 72–96 h after admission) using a 10-zones sequence, and a 0 to 5 severity score. Primary combined endpoint was death or the need for invasive mechanical ventilation. Calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow test and calibration curves), and discrimination power (area under the ROC curve) of both ultrasound exams (SCORE1 and 2), and their difference (DIFFERENTIAL-SCORE) were performed. A total of 469 patients (54.2% women, median age 60 years) were included. The primary endpoint occurred in 51 patients (10.9%). Probability risk tertiles of SCORE1 and SCORE2 (0–11 points, 12–24 points, and ≥25 points) obtained a high calibration. SCORE-2 showed a higher discrimination power than SCORE-1 (AUC 0.72 (0.58–0.85) vs. 0.61 (0.52–0.7)). The DIFFERENTIAL-SCORE showed a higher discrimination power than SCORE-1 and SCORE-2 (AUC 0.78 (0.66–0.9)). An algorithm for clinical decision-making is proposed. Serial lung ultrasound performing two examinations during the first days of hospitalization is an accurate strategy for predicting clinical deterioration of patients with COVID-19.

Objetives A subgroup of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection is considered to develop a cytokine release syndrome and have been treated with tocilizumab, but a significant percentage of patients evolve. Our objective was to determine the usefulness of anakinra as rescue treatment for patients with tocilizumab-refractory COVID-19 disease. Methods A prospective cohort of patients with COVID19 pneumonia who received anakinra as salvage therapy after failure of tocilizumab were compared (1:1) to selected controls in a historical cohort of patients treated with tocilizumab. Cases and controls were matched by age, comorbidities, pulse oximetry oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen (SpO2/FiO2) ratio at baseline and time elapsed since the initiation of treatment with tocilizumab. The primary outcome was the improvement in clinical status measured by a six-point ordinal scale, from baseline to day 21. Results The study included 20 cases and 20 controls (mean age 65.3 ± 12.8 years, 65% males). No differences were found in the clinical improvement rates at 7, 14 and 21 days of follow-up. In-hospital mortality rate for patients receiving anakinra was 55% vs. 45% in the control group ( P = 0.527). Conclusions Treatment with anakinra was not useful to improve the prognosis of patients with tocilizumab-refractory severe COVID-19.

Introduction: Mural infective endocarditis (MIE) is a rare type of endovascular infection. We present a comprehensive series of patients with mural endocarditis. Methods: Patients with infectious endocarditis (IE) from 35 Spanish hospitals were prospectively included in the GAMES registry between 2008 and 2017. MIEs were compared to non-MIEs. We also performed a literature search for cases of MIE published between 1979 and 2019 and compared them to the GAMEs series. Results: Twenty-seven MIEs out of 3676 IEs were included. When compared to valvular IE (VIE) or device-associated IE (DIE), patients with MIE were younger (median age 59 years, p \ 0.01). Transplantation (18.5% versus 1.6% VIE and 2% DIE, p \ 0.01), hemodialysis (18.5% versus 4.3% VIE and 4.4% DIE, p = 0.006),