A structured flowchart illustrating the patient selection process for a long-term COVID-19 follow-up study. The algorithm begins with an initial cohort of patients with a previously confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who underwent clinical and paraclinical evaluation 2 years post-infection. Inclusion criteria are listed as age over 18 years and agreement to participate, resulting in an initial group of 156 patients. The flowchart then applies specific exclusion criteria, including severe heart failure (NYHA class 3-4), severe lung diseases (COPD GOLD stage 3-5, severe asthma, advanced interstitial lung disease), severe osteoarticular disease, autoimmune diseases, high thrombotic risk pathologies (pulmonary embolism, recent trauma/surgery), acute inflammatory diseases, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The final study group consists of 117 patients. The diagram uses purple rounded rectangles for criteria and blue rectangles for patient counts, connected by logical operators (+) and (-). An illustrative SARS-CoV-2 virion icon is included for thematic context. This flowchart is used to document study methodology in pulmonary rehabilitation and COVID-19 research.

Summary : This flowchart presents a diagnostic algorithm for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), detailing the stepwise evaluation of patients suspected of having IPF, including assessment of potential causes, imaging patterns, multidisciplinary discussion, and biopsy options. flowchart: # Nodes : • Patient suspected of having IPF (rectangle) • Potential cause/associated condition (rectangle) • Confirmation of specific diagnosis (including with HRCT) (rectangle) • Chest HRCT pattern (rounded rectangle) • UIP or probable UIP* (rectangle) • Indeterminate for UIP or alternate diagnosis (rectangle) • MDD (multidisciplinary discussion) (rounded rectangle, appears twice) • BAL† ± TBLC‡ (rectangle) • SLB‡ (rectangle) • IPF (rectangle) • Alternative diagnosis (rectangle) # Connectors : • Patient suspected of having IPF → Potential cause/associated condition (down arrow) • Potential cause/associated condition → Confirmation of specific diagnosis (right arrow, labeled "Yes") • Confirmation of specific diagnosis → Alternative diagnosis (down arrow, labeled "Yes") • Potential cause/associated condition → Chest HRCT pattern (down arrow, labeled "No") • Chest HRCT pattern → UIP or probable UIP* (left branch) • Chest HRCT pattern → Indeterminate for UIP or alternate diagnosis (right branch) • UIP or probable UIP* → MDD (down arrow) • Indeterminate for UIP or alternate diagnosis → MDD (down arrow) • MDD → BAL† ± TBLC‡ (left branch) • MDD → SLB‡ (right branch) • BAL† ± TBLC‡ → MDD (dashed arrow to right, indicating possible subsequent step) • SLB‡ → MDD (down arrow) • MDD (second instance) → IPF (left arrow) • MDD (second instance) → Alternative diagnosis (right arrow) # Layout : • The flowchart is organized top-to-bottom, with initial patient assessment at the top. • Branching occurs based on presence of potential cause/associated condition. • Imaging (HRCT) and diagnostic pattern assessment are central. • Multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) is a key decision node, leading to biopsy options. • Final outcomes are IPF or alternative diagnosis at the bottom. # Analysis : • The algorithm emphasizes exclusion of known causes before considering IPF. • HRCT imaging pattern is pivotal in guiding further workup. • Multidisciplinary discussion is required for diagnosis, especially in cases with probable UIP pattern. • Biopsy options (BAL, TBLC, SLB) are considered for indeterminate cases, with iterative discussion. • The process is designed to minimize unnecessary invasive procedures and ensure accurate diagnosis.

Summary : This flowchart presents an algorithm for the management of patients with suspected or confirmed ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA), outlining recommended time goals and stepwise clinical decision-making from emergency department arrival to surgical intervention. flowchart: # Nodes : • "Evaluation by an Emergency Physician of Any Patient Suspected of Having a Ruptured AAA" (rectangle) • "Diagnosis" (rectangle) • "Immediate Management" (rectangle) • "Consideration of Transfer to Regional Center" (rectangle) • Decision node: "If appropriate vascular services cannot be provided" (diamond; Yes/No branches) • "Rapid Transfer" (rectangle; Yes branch) • "Emergent Evaluation by Receiving Vascular Surgery Team" (rectangle; Yes branch) • "Emergent In-house Vascular Surgery Evaluation" (rectangle; No branch) • "Intervention by Vascular Surgery Team" (rectangle; both Yes/No branches converge here) # Connectors : • Downward arrows connect each step sequentially. • From "Consideration of Transfer to Regional Center", a decision diamond splits into: – Yes: proceeds to "Rapid Transfer" → "Emergent Evaluation by Receiving Vascular Surgery Team" – No: proceeds to "Emergent In-house Vascular Surgery Evaluation" • Both branches converge at "Intervention by Vascular Surgery Team". # Layout : • Vertical flow, top-to-bottom. • Decision diamond creates two parallel branches (Yes/No) that reconverge. • Time goals indicated on the left: "Emergency Department Door to Intervention = Less than 90 Minutes", with 30-minute intervals for each major step. # Section Details : ## Evaluation by Emergency Physician : • Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABC) protocol. • General assessment. • Vital sign monitoring. ## Diagnosis : • Clinical diagnosis criteria: Age > 50 with abdominal/back pain AND hypotension; known AAA with symptoms; hypotension or impending cardiovascular collapse. • Radiologic confirmation (ultrasound or CT) only if alternative diagnosis is likely. • Lab work/x-rays only to confirm rAAA. ## Immediate Management : • IV access with two large bore peripheral IVs. • Permissive hypotension (mental status and systolic pressure 70–90 mmHg). • Lab/x-ray only to confirm diagnosis. ## Consideration of Transfer to Regional Center : • Transfer if appropriate vascular services unavailable. • Transfer patients with good functional status and without severe comorbidity. • Patients who previously declined elective surgery should still be considered. • Discuss with receiving vascular surgeon: goals of care, comorbidities, hemodynamics. • Contraindication: ongoing cardiac arrest. ## Rapid Transfer (Yes branch) : • Physician-to-physician phone handoff. • Transfer images with patient if obtained. • In-transit care: vital sign monitoring, permissive hypotension. ## Emergent Evaluation by Receiving Vascular Surgery Team (Yes branch) : • Immediate evaluation upon arrival. ## Emergent In-house Vascular Surgery Evaluation (No branch) : • Immediate evaluation by in-house team. ## Intervention by Vascular Surgery Team : • Final step for both transfer and in-house pathways. # Design Encodings : • Rectangular nodes for process steps. • Diamond node for decision point. • Bold red vertical bar on left indicating time goals. • Arrows for flow direction. • Text box at bottom: "Fig 5. Algorithm for management of the patient with a suspected or confirmed ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). CT, Computed tomography; IVs, intravenous lines." # Analysis : • The algorithm emphasizes rapid assessment, diagnosis, and management, aiming for intervention within 90 minutes of emergency department arrival. • Decision logic prioritizes transfer to specialized centers if vascular services are unavailable, with clear criteria for transfer and contraindications. • Both transfer and in-house pathways converge on emergent surgical intervention, underscoring the urgency and standardized approach to rAAA management. • Time goals are visually reinforced, highlighting the importance of minimizing delays at each step.