Background/Objectives Several scoring systems have been specifically developed for risk stratification in COVID‐19 patients. Design We compared, in a cohort of confirmed COVID‐19 older patients, three specifically developed scores with a previously established early warning score. Main endpoint was all causes in‐hospital death. Setting This is a single‐center, retrospective observational study, conducted in the Emergency Department (ED) of an urban teaching hospital, referral center for COVID‐19. Participants We reviewed the clinical records of the confirmed COVID‐19 patients aged 60 years or more consecutively admitted to our ED over a 6‐week period (March 1st to April 15th, 2020). A total of 210 patients, aged between 60 and 98 years were included in the study cohort. Measurements International Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Consortium Clinical Characterization Protocol‐Coronavirus Clinical Characterization Consortium (ISARIC‐4C) score, COVID‐GRAM Critical Illness Risk Score (COVID‐GRAM), quick COVID‐19 Severity Index (qCSI), National Early Warning Score (NEWS). Results Median age was 74 (67–82) and 133 (63.3%) were males. Globally, 42 patients (20.0%) deceased. All the score evaluated showed a fairly good predictive value with respect to in‐hospital death. The ISARIC‐4C score had the highest area under ROC curve (AUROC) 0.799 (0.738–0.851), followed by the COVID‐GRAM 0.785 (0.723–0.838), NEWS 0.764 (0.700–0.819), and qCSI 0.749 (0.685–0.806). However, these differences were not statistical significant. Conclusion Among the evaluated scores, the ISARIC‐4C and the COVID‐GRAM, calculated at ED admission, had the best performance, although the qCSI had similar efficacy by evaluating only three items. However, the NEWS, already widely validated in clinical practice, had a similar performance and could be appropriate for older patients with COVID‐19.

The purpose of this study is to assess thrombotic risk in CoViD-19/pneumonia patients with acute respiratory failure and to compare populations treated with three different antithrombotic prophylaxis protocols. The primary outcome is to analyze the prevalence of thrombotic events in hospitalized patients, while the secondary outcome is to analyze the correlation between different anticoagulation targets with thrombotic events. All patients referred to our hospital for acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 pneumonia between 18 and 31 May 2020 were included. Seventy-four patients were enrolled (44 men and 30 women, average age 68.6). Diagnosis of venous thromboembolism was made in 21 cases (28.4%) and thrombotic events were associated with positive pressure ventilation support (p = 0.024) and hospitalization in ICU (p < 0.0001). These patients presented higher levels of D-dimer (p < 0.0001) and their hospital length of stay was >16 days longer. Forty-seven out of 74 patients (63.5%) received intermediate or therapeutic dose of anticoagulation, while twenty-seven patients (34.5%) received standard antithrombotic prophylaxis. The analysis showed that an intermediate or therapeutic dose of anticoagulation did not decrease the prevalence of thrombotic events. On the other hand, six patients reported severe hemorrhagic complications. Despite intermediate or therapeutic-dose of anticoagulation, a high number of patients with acute respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 developed thrombotic complications.

According to the ophthalmological literature, cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is defined as a temporary or permanent visual loss caused by a disturbance of the posterior visual pathways and/or occipital lobes. The study of CVI is still a new field, and diagnosis is frequently difficult and sometimes may not even be considered. Different studies have taken into account various aetiologies of CVI. Neurological problems are common findings in children with CVI and this population may also show ocular abnormalities. The present study reviews the clinical history of 76 patients who have been examined at the Robert Hollman Foundation, Cannero, Italy, over the past 3 years. Infants and children were studied from birth to 4 years of age from both a neurological and an ophthalmological point of view. Taking the development of the children into account, responses to visual stimulation were analysed in order to compare the behaviours exhibited by the sample with those described in literature.