COVID infection and inflammation highlighted in UP’s next online medical grand rounds this Friday

| Posted by UP Media and Public Relations Office

 

Following the success of the last two online medical grand rounds, the University of the Philippines (UP), in partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the UP Manila NIH National Telehealth Center, will focus on a new COVID-positive patient’s case in the upcoming 17th installation in the “STOP COVID DEATHS: VIRTUAL GRAND ROUNDS” webinar series.

Grand rounds are a tradition in medical education and inpatient care, wherein doctors, residents and medical students gather to discuss medical problems, research findings and the treatment of a particular patient.

In the webinar set for August 14, Friday, at 12:00nn, Dr. Ralph Elvi Villalobos, a consultant at the Division of Pulmonary Medicine, UP College of Medicine (UPCM) and the UP Philippine General Hospital (UP PGH), will present the case of a patient whose COVID-19 infection has led to swelling in the leg.

Infection and inflammation are both processes that come into play in COVID-19. Most patients will battle the infection over two weeks and only have a mild case of the disease. In some patients, however, inflammation may be severe, leading to cytokine storms and organ failure that are difficult to manage.

Inflammation may injure the endothelial lining of blood vessels. It is associated with the blockage of blood vessels caused by emboli that can result in venous and arterial thrombosis or blood clots in the blood vessels, pulmonary embolism (PE) or blood clots in the lungs, and even strokes. Blood clots can be a serious feature of COVID-19 and medical teams should be prepared for cases with higher risks, such as a history of hypertension, obesity, or cancer in an elderly patient.

This Friday’s online grand rounds on “COVID-19 Patient Develops Swollen Leg” will review the case of a senior patient with a previous history of hypertension and cancer who develops severe COVID and thromboembolism in the right iliac vein of the leg and extensive pulmonary embolism.Dr. Jubert Benedicto, Associate Professor of the UP College of Medicine and Head of the PGH CCU-Management Action Team, will be the discussant. Dr. Shelley Ann F. De la Vega, Director of the Institute of Aging, UP Manila National Institutes of Health, will be the reactor.

The UP webinar series “STOP COVID DEATHS: VIRTUAL GRAND ROUNDS” is organized in cooperation with the UP CM and the UP PGH. The webinar series is scheduled every Friday from 12:00 n.n. to 2:00 p.m.

Register now at: bit.ly/StopCOVIDDeathsWebinar17.