COVID-19 sessions will reflect the latest evidence-based advances for treating critically ill patients

Stephanie Levine, MD, FCCP
Stephanie Levine, MD, FCCP

The COVID-19 pandemic has been front and center of the entire CHEST community since day one. CHEST has curated a COVID-19 Resource Center and task force to help clinicians treat and manage this pandemic, which has now reached nearly 30 million cases worldwide.

“Clinicians are so busy with the day-to-day care of patients that CHEST can be a resource for distilling the literature on what is the best scientifically based current treatment,” said CHEST President Stephanie Levine, MD, FCCP, professor of medicine with tenure in the division of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine at UT Health – San Antonio and the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. “Our members and CHEST 2020 attendees can learn the latest well-supported research and recommended management of COVID-19 patients as we deal with this going forward in the fall and winter.”

This year’s meeting has a full channel dedicated to critical care content, which is at the forefront of treatment for COVID-19 patients, with sessions applicable on the most recent advances in sepsis, respiratory failure, coagulopathy, neurocritical care, and using interprofessional teams to deliver high-value ICU care.

“The content we have planned reflects the latest advances in how to care for critically ill patients,” said Chris Carroll, MD, FCCP, a member of the CHEST COVID-19 Task Force, Critical Care NetWork Chair, and Social Media Work Group Co-Chair. “We have dedicated sessions on the fast-changing science of COVID-19 care at the bedside and what’s ahead in advances in treatment and prevention. We also have hundreds of research studies being presented.”

“Thank you, everyone, for all that you’ve done. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a race, and we need to stay strong and stay focused.”

One thing Dr. Levine has learned since cases began to surge since late March and early April is how rapidly changing the science and treatment is with a novel virus. Her current treatment regimen generally includes dexamethasone, remdesivir, and sometimes convalescent plasma. She has also developed tools for the nuances of COVID-19 ventilatory and antithrombotic management.

A current search on PubMed for COVID-19 found nearly 45,000 results; however, not all of that research is trustworthy, she noted, emphasizing the importance for well-supported research and evidence-based medicine to treat and manage these patients. In addition to the treatment for COVID-19, CHEST will also focus on sessions related to self-care and avoiding burnout, as the assiduous work can be draining.

“Thank you, everyone, for all that you’ve done. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a race, and we need to stay strong and stay focused,” Dr. Levine said. “As we work through this pandemic, we will continue to make improvements in the management of COVID-19, and this knowledge will translate into better care for our patients. Hopefully, we will have new treatments and vaccines in the near future.”

CHEST 2020 COVID-19 Sessions

When the Theoretical Becomes Real: Lessons From a Pandemic
Monday, October 19 | 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm CT
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted what were once theoretical discussions about disaster preparedness into the real world. Clinicians around the world are suddenly having to apply principles of resource allocation, consider fluctuations in the medical supply chain, and identify how best to provide high-quality, yet resource-conscious, patient care in this new environment. In this session, experts will discuss fundamentals of pandemic preparation and how the reality of COVID-19 has tested those tenets as a real-world pandemic.

COVID-19 Resource Center

Visit the COVID-19 Resource Center for:

  • Clinical Resources
  • Advice From the Front Lines
  • Guidelines and Statements
  • Practice Management
  • Clinician Matching Network
  • Voices From the Community
  • On-Demand e-Learning
  • CHEST® Journal Research
  • Patient Information

From Zero to Sixty: The Fast-Changing Science of COVID-19 Care at the Bedside
Tuesday, October 20 | 8:45 am – 9:45 am CT
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, research has progressed at an unprecedented case. Clinicians and policymakers have had to struggle with a deluge of data ranging from case reports and press releases to large international randomized trials. In this session, presenters will review the state of clinical science in the care of COVID-19, focusing on the highest-quality data to help the busy clinician separate the signal from the noise.

Help! My Patient Is Clotting: COVID-19 Related Coagulopathy
Wednesday, October 21 | 7:30 am – 8:30 am CT
As COVID-19 exceeds 25 million cases worldwide, it is clear that among hospitalized patients, pneumonia, sepsis, and respiratory failure are frequent complications. Since the initial reports from Wuhan suggested elevated D-dimers and prolonged prothrombin time were baseline characteristics of patients critically ill with COVID-19, the burden of thrombotic complications has been confirmed. The evolving nature of the data produces a knowledge gap in critical care providers regarding this manifestation. The session will review emerging data regarding the prevalence, nature, and pathophysiology of thrombotic complications. Guidance regarding prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies of COVID-19 coagulopathy remains under debate and will be reviewed.

Also, watch for sessions on “post-ICU COVID-19 management,” since we know that patients will be left with significant morbidity, at least in the short term, and “novel treatments and updates on vaccines,” Dr. Levine added.

Visit chestmeeting.chestnet.org for up-to-date session and meeting information.

Are you registered for CHEST 2020?

Join your colleagues for four days of interactive, top-tier education on Sunday, October 18, to Wednesday, October 21, with dozens of live sessions and 50 credit hours of CME—all from the safety of your home. All CHEST Annual Meeting registrants will have access to the virtual platform until January 18, 2021.

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