Background At present, the severity of patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a focal point. Methods To assess the factors associated with severity and prognosis of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, we retrospectively investigated the clinical, imaging and laboratory characteristics of confirmed 280 cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from 20 January to 20 February 2020. Results The median age of patients in the mild group was 37.55 years, whilst that in the severe group was 63.04 years. The proportion of patients aged over 65 years in the severe group was significantly higher than that of the mild group (59.04% vs. 10.15%, P =65 were three major risk factors for COVID-19 progression, whilst comorbidity and time from illness onset to antiviral treatment were two major risk factors for COVID-19 recovery. Conclusions The elderly and patients with underlying diseases are more likely to experience a severe progression of COVID-19. It is recommended that timely antiviral treatment should be initiated to slow the disease progression and improve the prognosis.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/joim.13063

Early antiviral treatment contributes to alleviate the severity and improve the prognosis of patients with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Since December 2019, 62 medical staff of Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan, China have been hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019. During the post-discharge surveillance after clinical recovery, swabs were positive in two asymptomatic cases (3.23%). Case 1 had presented typical clinical and radiological manifestations on admission, while manifestation in Case 2 was very mild. In conclusion, a small proportion of recovered patients may test positive after discharge, and post-discharge surveillance and isolation need to be strengthened.

Post-discharge surveillance and positive virus detection in two medical staff recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), China, January to February 2020.

Background The role of tracheostomy in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear, with several consensus guidelines advising against this practice. We developed both a dedicated airway team and coordinated education programme to facilitate ward management of tracheostomised COVID-19 patients. Here, we report outcomes in the first 100 COVID-19 patients who underwent tracheostomy at our institution. Methods This was a prospective observational cohort study of patients confirmed to have COVID-19 who required mechanical ventilation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK. The primary outcome measure was 30-day survival, accounting for severe organ dysfunction (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health [APACHE]-II score>17). Secondary outcomes included duration of ventilation, ICU stay, and healthcare workers directly involved in tracheostomy care acquiring COVID-19. Results A total of 164 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to the ICU between March 9, 2020 and April 21, 2020. A total of 100 patients (mean [standard deviation] age: 55 [12] yr; 29% female) underwent tracheostomy; 64 (age: 57 [14] yr; 25% female) did not undergo tracheostomy. Despite similar APACHE-II scores, 30-day survival was higher in 85/100 (85%) patients after tracheostomy, compared with 27/64 (42%) non-tracheostomised patients {relative risk: 3.9 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 2.3–6.4); P Conclusion Independent of the severity of critical illness from COVID-19, 30-day survival was higher and ICU stay shorter in patients receiving tracheostomy. Early tracheostomy appears to be safe in COVID-19.

Safety and 30-day outcomes of tracheostomy for COVID-19: a prospective observational cohort study

Epidemiological studies show an increasing incidence of human papilloma virus-associated oropharyngeal cancer. HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is recognized as a special subgroup of HNSCC. Because HPV-positive patients are often younger and have an outstanding prognosis, long-term toxicities of therapy have become an important issue. Current clinical trials focus on a reduction of treatment-related toxicity and the development of HPV-specific therapies. New treatment strategies include a dose reduction of radiotherapy, the use of cetuximab instead of cisplatin for chemoradiation and transoral robotic surgery (TORS). Increasing comprehension of the molecular background of HPV-associated HNSCC has also lead to more specific treatment attempts including immunotherapeutic strategies. Whereas recently published data shed light on immune mechanisms resulting in a tolerogenic niche for HPV and HPV-associated HNSCC, other studies focus on specific vaccination of HPV-positive HNSCC. This study will summarize current therapy approaches and illustrate ongoing clinical trials in the field of HPV-positive HNSCC.

New treatment strategies for HPV-positive head and neck cancer

ObjectiveThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a global surge in critically ill patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, some of whom may benefit from tracheostomy....

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0194599820961985

Tracheostomy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparison of International Perioperative Care Protocols and Practices in 26 Countries.

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 in 2019 and 2020 has resulted in a worldwide pandemic characterized by severe pulmonary inflammation, effusions, and rapid respiratory compromise. The result of this pandemic is a large and increasing number of patients requiring endotracheal intubation and prolonged ventilator support. The rapid rise in endotracheal intubations coupled with prolonged ventilation requirements will certainly lead to an increase in tracheostomy procedures in the coming weeks and months. Performing tracheostomy in the setting of active SARS-CoV-2, when necessary, poses a unique situation, with unique risks and benefits for both the patient and the health care providers. The New York Head and Neck Society has collaborated on this document to provide guidance on the performance of tracheostomies during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Tracheostomy during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Recommendations from the New York Head and Neck Society

TPS5601 Background: Recent studies have established an improved outcome for HPV associated oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers with 3 year OS rates approaching 90%. Given that current aggressive tr...

Phase II trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for HPV-associated squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx followed by reduced-dose radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy for responders or standard dose chemoradiotherapy for nonresponders.

18525 Background: Bleomycin used in the ABVD regimen is associated with a risk of pulmonary toxicity (10 - 19%). Pts with early signs of suspected bleomycin toxicity are often treated with modifica...

Bleomycin dose modification in Hodgkin disease (HD) treated with ABVD: Patient characteristics, treatment outcomes, and association with mixed cellularity (MC) histology

Small regulatory ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are recently recognized as being connected with a growing list of common diseases such as: cancer, heart disease, diabetes and inflammation and to date more than 5,000 publications are recorded on PubMed alone. Specific pathways generate each class of RNAs and their activities converge in the process of silence interference. In gastrointestinal malignancies microRNAs are deregulated, sometimes found in higher or lower levels depending on the type of malignancy and stage of the disease, functioning either as tumor suppressors or as oncogenes they interact forming regulatory loops with known transcription factors and signaling pathways. MiRNAs extracted from archived tissue biopsies can be used effectively as diagnostic, prognostic tools and molecular markers because they are stable over time and resistant to RNAse degradation. The distinct physiology of small RNAs may translate in more targeted cancer therapies in the near future.

Emerging role of small ribonucleic acids in gastrointestinal tumors.

16523 Background: Malignant salivary gland tumors comprise 3 to 6% of Head and Neck cancers. Long term survival data for salivary gland tumors are lacking. We undertook an analysis of all such pati...

B. Mehrotra

Papers

Tracheostomy during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Recommendations from the New York Head and Neck Society

Phase II trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for HPV-associated squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx followed by reduced-dose radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy for responders or standard dose chemoradiotherapy for nonresponders.

Bleomycin dose modification in Hodgkin disease (HD) treated with ABVD: Patient characteristics, treatment outcomes, and association with mixed cellularity (MC) histology

Emerging role of small ribonucleic acids in gastrointestinal tumors.

Malignant salivary gland tumors: A large single-institutional series evaluating long-term outcome