BackgroundWe conducted a retrospective cohort study on COVID-19 patients with and without dementia by extracting data from the HCA Healthcare Enterprise Data Warehouse between January-September 2020.AimsTo describe the role of patients' baseline characteristics specifically dementia in determining overall health outcomes in COVID-19 patients.MethodsWe grouped in-patients who had ICD-10 codes for dementia (DM) with age and gender-matched (1:2) patients without dementia (ND). Our primary outcome variables were in-hospital mortality, length of stay, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, ICU-free days, mechanical ventilation (MV) use, MV-free days and 90-day re-admission.ResultsMatching provided similar age and sex in DM and ND groups. BMI (median, 25.8 vs. 27.6) and proportion of patients who had smoked (23.3 vs. 31.3%) were lower in DM than in ND patients. The median (IQR) Elixhauser Comorbidity Index was higher in dementia patients 7 (5–10) vs. 5 (3–7, p < 0.01). Higher mortality was observed in DM group (30.8%) vs. ND group (26.4%, p < 0.01) as an unadjusted univariate analysis. The 90-day readmission was not different (32.1 vs. 31.8%, p = 0.8). In logistic regression analysis, the odds of dying were not different between patients in DM and ND groups (OR = 1.0; 95% CI 0.86–1.17), but the odds of ICU admissions were significantly lower for dementia patients (OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.51–0.66).ConclusionsOur data showed that COVID-19 patients with dementia did not fare substantially worse, but in fact, fared better when certain metrics were considered.

SUMMARYWe report a case of a 35-year-old man who presented with 4-week history of haemoptysis, with a history of intravenous drug use. There was no other significant medical or surgical history and no recollection of any foreign body aspiration. Chest X-ray and CT scan showed 40 mm long needle in left main bronchus, partly lying outside the bronchus into the mediastinum. Flexible and rigid bronchoscopes proved to be unsuccessful in retrieving the needle. We proceeded with left posterolateral thoracotomy and the left main bronchus was explored to take out this 21-gauge (green) injection needle. The distal half of the needle with the sharp end was lying in the mediastinum piercing through the bronchial wall. Surgery was uneventful with good postoperative recovery and the patient was discharged 4 days later. BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND We conducted a retrospective cohort study on COVID-19 patients with and without dementia by extracting data from the HCA Healthcare Enterprise Data Warehouse between January-September 2020. AIMS To describe the role of patients' baseline characteristics specifically dementia in determining overall health outcomes in COVID-19 patients. METHODS We grouped in-patients who had ICD-10 codes for dementia (DM) with age and gender-matched (1:2) patients without dementia (ND). Our primary outcome variables were in-hospital mortality, length of stay, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, ICU-free days, mechanical ventilation (MV) use, MV-free days and 90-day re-admission. RESULTS Matching provided similar age and sex in DM and ND groups. BMI (median, 25.8 vs. 27.6) and proportion of patients who had smoked (23.3% vs. 31.3%) were lower in DM than in ND patients. The median (IQR) Elixhauser Comorbidity Index was higher in dementia patients 7 (5-10) vs. 5 (3-7, p < 0.01). Higher mortality was observed in DM group (30.8%) vs. ND group (26.4%, p < 0.01) as an unadjusted univariate analysis. The 90-day readmission was not different (32.1% vs. 31.8%, p=0.8). In logistic regression analysis, the odds of dying were not different between patients in DM and ND groups (OR=1.0; 95% CI 0.86-1.17), but the odds of ICU admissions were significantly lower for dementia patients (OR=0.58, 95% CI 0.51-0.66). CONCLUSIONS Our data showed that COVID-19 patients with dementia did not fare substantially worse, but in fact, fared better when certain metrics were considered.

BACKGROUND We conducted a retrospective cohort study on COVID-19 patients with and without dementia by extracting data from the HCA Healthcare Enterprise Data Warehouse between January-September 2020. AIMS To describe the role of patients' baseline characteristics specifically dementia in determining overall health outcomes in COVID-19 patients.  METHODS We grouped in-patients who had ICD-10 codes for dementia (DM) with age and gender-matched (1:2) patients without dementia (ND). Our primary outcome variables were in-hospital mortality, length of stay, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, ICU-free days, mechanical ventilation (MV) use, MV-free days and 90-day re-admission. RESULTS Matching provided similar age and sex in DM and ND groups. BMI (median, 25.8 vs. 27.6) and proportion of patients who had smoked (23.3% vs. 31.3%) were lower in DM than in ND patients. The median (IQR) Elixhauser Comorbidity Index was higher in dementia patients 7 (5-10) vs. 5 (3-7, p < 0.01). Higher mortality was observed in DM group (30.8%) vs. ND group (26.4%, p < 0.01) as an unadjusted univariate analysis. The 90-day readmission was not different (32.1% vs. 31.8%, p=0.8). In logistic regression analysis, the odds of dying were not different between patients in DM and ND groups (OR=1.0; 95% CI 0.86-1.17), but the odds of ICU admissions were significantly lower for dementia patients (OR=0.58, 95% CI 0.51-0.66). CONCLUSIONS Our data showed that COVID-19 patients with dementia did not fare substantially worse, but in fact, fared better when certain metrics were considered.

BACKGROUND We conducted a retrospective cohort study on COVID-19 patients with and without dementia by extracting data from the HCA Healthcare Enterprise Data Warehouse between January-September 2020. AIMS To describe the role of patients' baseline characteristics specifically dementia in determining overall health outcomes in COVID-19 patients.  METHODS We grouped in-patients who had ICD-10 codes for dementia (DM) with age and gender-matched (1:2) patients without dementia (ND). Our primary outcome variables were in-hospital mortality, length of stay, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, ICU-free days, mechanical ventilation (MV) use, MV-free days and 90-day re-admission. RESULTS Matching provided similar age and sex in DM and ND groups. BMI (median, 25.8 vs. 27.6) and proportion of patients who had smoked (23.3% vs. 31.3%) were lower in DM than in ND patients. The median (IQR) Elixhauser Comorbidity Index was higher in dementia patients 7 (5-10) vs. 5 (3-7, p < 0.01). Higher mortality was observed in DM group (30.8%) vs. ND group (26.4%, p < 0.01) as an unadjusted univariate analysis. The 90-day readmission was not different (32.1% vs. 31.8%, p=0.8). In logistic regression analysis, the odds of dying were not different between patients in DM and ND groups (OR=1.0; 95% CI 0.86-1.17), but the odds of ICU admissions were significantly lower for dementia patients (OR=0.58, 95% CI 0.51-0.66). CONCLUSIONS Our data showed that COVID-19 patients with dementia did not fare substantially worse, but in fact, fared better when certain metrics were considered.