No post-acute histopathologic changes indicative of permanent pulmonary damage were observed among a sample of COVID-19 survivors who had recovered and become asymptomatic, according to a study published in Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Researchers compared 11 adult COVID-19 survivors (four asymptomatic, four moderate, and three severe infections) who had recovered and subsequently underwent unrelated elective lung resection for indeterminate lung nodules or lung cancer with an age- and procedure-matched control group who never contracted COVID-19 (five patients) and an end-stage COVID-19 group (three patients). Lung parenchyma was examined, focusing on airways, alveoli, interstitium, and vasculature. The COVID-19 survivors underwent elective lung resection at a median 68.5 days after COVID-19 diagnosis; 75% underwent lobectomy. Across all compartments examined, the researchers observed no differences between the lung parenchyma of COVID-19 survivors and controls on histopathologic examination. Fibrotic diffuse alveolar damage with intraalveolar macrophages, organizing pneumonia, and focal interstitial emphysema were seen among patients in the end-stage COVID-19 group. “COVID-19 survivors, who are asymptomatic at time of surgical evaluation, can undergo lung resection safely without added risk,” the authors wrote. “This suggests that asymptomatic, moderate, or severe acute COVID-19 courses can have a full recovery.”
Recall of Philips Breathing Machines Affects Millions of Americans
A recall of more than a dozen types of Philips breathing machines because of potential cancer risks has millions of Americans struggling to find replacements to deal with sleep disorders, breathing problems, and respiratory emergencies, according to a report from the New York Times. The recall involves certain Respironics bilevel positive air pressure, continuous positive air pressure, and ventilator machines made before April 26, 2021. The FDA said earlier this summer that the recalled machines pose risks that could be “life-threatening, cause permanent impairment and require medical intervention.” Polyester-based polyurethane foam that reduces sound and vibration in the machines can break down and result in users breathing in chemicals or swallowing or inhaling black debris, possibly resulting in asthma, skin and respiratory tract irritations, and “toxic and carcinogenic effects” to organs, including the kidneys and liver, the agency warned. The FDA has ordered Philips to submit a repair-and-replacement program for the faulty components. Beyond providing the agency with a plan, Philips must conduct extensive testing, and the FDA will then review the data before any machines can return to the market. About 2 million of the recalled machines were in use in the United States, according to a spokesman for Royal Philips, the parent company of Respironics. That is about half of the total number of units worldwide, the Times reported.
