El impacto de la pandemia del COVID-19 en la educación médica: adaptabilidad y experiencia con enseñanza a distancia de la Sociedad Médica Peruano Americana

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on medical care and medical education in Peru.  In response, the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS), a charitable medical organization based in the USA, pursued its medical and educational missions in Peru by adopting virtual learning technology. We developed closer collaborative relationships with several medical schools and the Peruvian Association of Medical Schools (ASPEFAM) while offering a faculty panel of twenty-four members to provide lectures and multidisciplinary webinars in Spanish. We conducted 19 webinars including COVID -19 and non-COVID-19 related topics that over the last two years attracted 14,489 participants from 23 countries. They were the foundation for twenty publications in Peruvian medical journals. Our clinical investigations competition was positively received as was our pilot project on research mentorship. The COVID -19 pandemic had a positive effect on the educational mission of PAMS in Peru.La pandemia del COVID-19 tuvo un impacto significativo en el cuidado y la educación médicos en el Perú. En respuesta, la Sociedad Médica Peruano Americana (PAMS), una organización médica benéfica con sede en los EE. UU., adoptó sus misiones médicas y educativas en Perú usando estrategias virtuales. Desarrollamos colaboración con varias facultades de medicina y la Asociación Peruana de Facultades de Medicina (ASPEFAM) y ofrecimos un panel de veinte y cuatro miembros para brindar conferencias y seminarios multidisciplinarios en español. Hicimos 19 seminarios, incluyendo temas relacionados y no relacionados al COVID-19, que en los últimos dos años atrajo a 14 489 participantes de 23 países. Ellas fueron la base de 20 publicaciones en revistas médicas peruanas. Nuestro concurso de investigaciones clínicas y nuestro proyecto piloto de mentoría de investigación fueron recibidos positivamente. La pandemia del COVID-19 tuvo un efecto positivo en la misión educativa de PAMS en Perú

Acute Retroviral Syndrome Presenting with Hemolytic Anemia Induced by G6PD Deficiency

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common enzyme defect described in humans. Hemolysis in affected patients is usually triggered by circumstances involving free radical damage. While acute HIV infection is known to be a state of overwhelming oxidative stress, virus-induced hemolytic events in G6PD-deficient patients has rarely been reported. Despite an estimated overall prevalence of 6.8%–13% of this disorder in the HIV population, clinically significant hemolysis has been largely attributed to the use of offending medications rather than HIV infection itself. Here, we present a patient whose first episode of G6PD deficiency-associated hemolysis occurred as the main presentation of acute HIV infection

Successful treatment with Remdesivir and corticosteroids in a patient with COVID-19-associated pneumonia: A case report

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread throughout the world causing significant mortality in high risk patients with severe manifestations. To date, Remdesivir has been the only antiviral authorized by FDA as therapy for emergency use. One of the potential complications of this infection is cytokine storm, which optimal treatment remains unknown. We present the case of a 48-year-old man with no past medical history who presented to the hospital with dyspnea, cough, subjective fever, and diarrhea for 10 days. Nasopharyngeal PCR was positive for SARS-CoV-2. His respiratory status rapidly worsened to the point of requiring supplemental oxygen by high flow nasal cannula with FiO2 of 80%. Chest computed tomography showed confluent ground glass opacities in upper lobes accompanied by patchy airspace opacities in lower lobes bilaterally. He was started on hydroxychloroquine, which was switched to Remdesivir when it became available. Then, methylprednisolone was initiated for suspected cytokine storm. The patient's oxygenation improved significantly over the following days and he was discharged home with no oxygen supplementation and saturating 96% on room air. Our case illustrates the role of Remdesivir for the treatment of severe COVID-19 pneumonia. We also observed a possible clinical benefit of corticosteroids in the context of suspected cytokine storm. Further studies are needed to evaluate this therapeutic strategy