Evaluation of Postmortem Biopsy Specimens of COVID-19 Cases

The cases whose treatment resulted in death at Dokuz Eylül University Research and Application Hospital Anesthesiology Intensive Care Unit and whose COVID-19 diagnosis was confirmed by the RT-PCR (real time polymerase chain reaction) test and gave written consent to the inclusion of the patient in the study by a first-degree relative will be included in the study. In the study, samples will be taken from 10 cases in total.

Age, gender, length of hospital stay, respiratory rate at the time of hospitalization, oxygene saturation on ICU admission and Horwitz ratio on ICU admission will be recorded. Also, the comorbidities of these cases, the interpretation of the computed tomography findings performed at the first admission to the hospital in terms of COVID-19, the RT-PCR results routinely sent for COVID-19 examination will be recorded in the case report form. Besides, all medical and supportive treatments applied during the intensive care treatment will be recorded. Liver and kidney function tests, inflammation and coagulation markers, hemoglobin level , and cardiac markers, which are routinely examined at the patient's admission to the intensive care unit, will be recorded.

Postmortem biopsy samples will be performed within 1 hour after the diagnosis of death is confirmed by the patient's doctor. The researchers will perform the procedures in the isolated room prepared for interventional procedures in intensive care. Researchers will wear personal protective equipment (cap, mask, goggles, gloves) before the procedure under the Ministry of Health's instructions.

Biopsy specimens will be taken from the lung, liver, heart, and kidney. Heart, liver, and kidney biopsies were performed as a core biopsy with tru-cut needles under ultrasonography guidance; lung biopsy will be performed by passing through the airway using biopsy forceps.

Each of the biopsy samples will be placed separately in 10 ml of 10% phosphate-buffered formalin solution. The containers will be disinfected with 80% alcohol. It will be placed in a closed zippered bag and kept at room temperature. It will be delivered to the pathology unit after 24 hours. The procedures as tissue cassette, extended tissue tracing, paraffin blocking, sectioning, and hematoxylin-eosin staining will be performed under biosafety level 2 rules in pathology. The cases will be coded as CVDPM-1... (Coronavirus Disease Postmortem 1...). Case report forms will be shared with researchers who will conduct pathological examination over the internet. Informed consent forms received from patients' relatives will be filed in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit.