Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33084868›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the heart transplant population: a single-centre experience.

Raphael Caraffa, Lorenzo Bagozzi, Alessandro Fiocco, Olimpia Bifulco, Matteo Nadali, Matteo Ponzoni, Massimiliano Carrozzini, Giuseppe Toscano, Angela Pompea Fraiese, Marco Metra and 6 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Providing safe perioperative care in cardiac surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology · 2021
    Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Raphael CaraffaCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Lorenzo BagozziCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Alessandro FioccoCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Olimpia BifulcoCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Matteo NadaliCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Matteo PonzoniCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Massimiliano CarrozziniCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Giuseppe ToscanoCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Angela Pompea FraieseCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Marco MetraCardiology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health University, Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Carlo Maria LombardiCardiology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health University, Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Francesco SerafiniInternal Medicine Unit, Ospedale Dell'Angelo, Mestre Venice, Italy.
Angela RibolaDepartment of Anesthesia, Ospedale di Cremona, Cremona, Italy.
Vjola JorgjiHacohen Lab, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Tomaso BottioCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Gino GerosaCardiac Surgery Unit, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
University of Padua · ITUniversity of Brescia · ITIstituti Ospitalieri di Cremona · ITMassachusetts General Hospital · USOspedale dell' Angelo · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesFew anecdotal cases have been reported in the literature regarding heart transplant recipients and infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We report our experience with 6 patients hospitalized in Northern Italy during the outbreak.

methodsOf the 396 living heart transplant recipients from 1985 to 2020 included in the study, 6 patients developed the novel 2019 coronavirus disease. Risk factors, last follow-up characteristics, onset presentation, in-hospital course of disease and blood examinations data were collected for these patients.

resultsAll patients were symptomatic and had positive results from a nasopharyngeal swab test for SARS-CoV-2. Of the 6 patients, 5 were hospitalized and 1 remained self-quarantined at home. Two patients died and 3 were discharged home. Two patients were admittted to the intensive care unit . Immunosuppressive therapy was modified with a median reduction comprising doses that were 50% cyclosporine and 50% mycophenolate. All patients received a medium-dose of corticosteroids as a bolus medication in addition to their therapy. All hospitalized patients received hydroxychloroquine; 2 patients received ritonavir/lopinavir. Broad-spectrum antibiotics for prophylaxis were administered to all. One patient had an ischaemic stroke and died of sepsis.

conclusionsIn the absence of any strong evidence regarding the treatment of heart transplant recipients infected with SARS-CoV-2, we faced a new challenge in managing viral infection in an immunosuppressed population. Because immunomodulation interaction with the infection seems to be crucial for developing severe forms of the disease, we managed to reduce immunosuppressive therapy by adding medium doses of corticosteroids. Despite the limited number of affected patients, this report suggests that special considerations should be given to treating coronavirus disease in the heart transplant recipient population.

Indexed as

BetacoronavirusHeart TransplantationAgedAged, 80 and overClinical Laboratory TechniquesCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19COVID-19 TestingFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansItalyMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsPneumonia, ViralHeart transplant population and coronavirus diseaseHeart transplant recipientImmunosuppressive therapySevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

Identifiers

PMID33084868
PMCPMC7665480
OpenAlexW3094270189

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.