The aim of this study was to investigate treatment failure (TF) in hospitalized CAP-patients with regard to initial antibiotic treatment and economic impact.CAP-patients were included in two open, prospective multi-centre studies assessing the direct costs for inpatient treatment. Patients received treatment either with moxifloxacin (MFX) or a non-standardized antibiotic therapy. ...

A prospective, open-labelled, multicentre 6-month study was designed to assess three categories that have high impact on Health-Related Quality of Life (HR-QoL). These categories were: satisfaction, preference and drug tolerability in postmenopausal patients with osteoporosis in Croatia, at first treated with weekly oral bisphosphonates, followed by monthly oral ibandronate. Three ...

ABSTRACT: The results of prematurely terminated Stenting and Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing Recurrent stroke in Intracranial Stenosis (SAMMPRIS) due to excessively high rate of stroke and death in patients randomized to intracranial stent placemen is expected to affect the practice of endovascular therapy for intracranial atherosclerotic disease. A critical ...

Background  Clinical manifestations of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) vary widely, and different subtypes of this autoimmune disease exist. Tumidus subtype (LT) has been recently separated from the chronic subtypes and is now considered an independent entity due to its particular clinical and histological features. Different treatments are usually prescribed for ...

BackgroundIn vitro studies support that integrase inhibitors, such as raltegravir, may inhibit human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) replication. However, this hypothesis has not been tested in vivo.MethodsHTLV-1-infected individuals were invited to participate in a pilot, open study that examined whether 400 mg of raltegravir twice daily could ...

The long-term efficacy and safety of once-monthly ibandronate were studied in this extension to the 2-year Monthly Oral Ibandronate in Ladies (MOBILE) trial. Over 5 years, lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) increased from baseline with monthly ibandronate 150 mg (8.4%). Long-term monthly ibandronate is effective and well tolerated for up to ...

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has emerged as a new therapeutic option in steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS). We conducted a phase II Bayesian trial of MMF in children with SDNS. Phase II trials, usually single-arm studies, investigate the effect of new treatments. Standard Fleming's procedure relies on observed results (relapse rate during ...

A retrospective cohort of 436 men with CRPC was used to evaluate the profile of secondary hormonal therapy response in CRPC. Longer duration of primary androgen deprivation therapy was associated with longer duration of secondary hormonal therapy. Men who received the first secondary hormonal treatment for longer than 6 months ...

Background: The frequency and impact of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) to interferon beta-1b (IFNβ-1b) on clinical and radiographic outcomes is controversial. Objective: To assess NAb impact in the BEYOND study. Methods: 2244 patients were randomized (2:2:1) to receive IFNβ-1b, either 250 or 500 µg, or glatiramer acetate, 20 mg, and observed ...

We report a case of foot vascular obstruction as a complication of hip arthroscopy. A 23-year-old female patient underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement. The duration of the procedure was 80 minutes, including 20 minutes with traction for arthroscopy of the central compartment and 60 minutes without traction for cam ...

BACKGROUND: Approximately 85% of nasal polyps (NPs) in white subjects are characterized by prominent eosinophilia. IL-5 is the key driver of eosinophilic differentiation and survival. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the therapeutic potential of inhibiting IL-5 with a humanized mAb as treatment for severe nasal polyposis. METHODS: Thirty patients with ...

OBJECTIVE:To review current literature regarding treatment options for immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN).DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search was performed using the terms IgA nephropathy, Berger's disease, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids, statins, hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors, immunosuppressive therapy, corticosteroids, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclophosphamide, ...

Background/Aims: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a hereditary disease causing increased bone fragility. Pamidronate (PAM), which has to be administered as a 3-day course according to the original protocol by Glorieux, is the most frequently used therapy. Other bisphosphonates like neridronate (NER), which can be infused during an outpatient visit, have ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: : Autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells have been ascribed an important therapeutic role in No-Option Critical limb Ischemia (NO-CLI). One primary endpoint for evaluating NO-CLI therapy is major amputation (AMP), which is usually combined with mortality for AMP-free survival (AFS). Only a trial which is double blinded can ...

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic scars and keloids may complicate wound healing secondary to trauma or surgery. A variety of treatment regimens have been used for treatment of keloids. OBJECTIVE: To compare 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) tattooing and intralesional steroid for treatment of keloids. METHODS: In this 44-week, double-blind, clinical trial, 40 patients were randomized ...

Background: Recent natural history studies suggest that multiple sclerosis (MS) is a more slowly progressing disease than previously thought. These observations are from studies separated by time, geography and methodological approach. Objectives: We investigated whether MS disease progression has changed over time in British Columbia, Canada. Methods: The British Columbia ...

Purpose:  To evaluate the current management, and adherence to recommendations, of patients on oral anticoagulation (OAC) undergoing coronary stent implantation (PCI-S). Methods:  By means of a contact person who had been previously identified in 8 European countries, a questionnaire was electronically forwarded between April and July 2010 to the national ...

Aim:  Effect of re-treatment for pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin was not fully evaluated. We examined the effects of re-treatment with PEG-IFN plus ribavirin in patients with high viral loads of genotype 1 hepatitis C virus who failed to achieve a sustained virological response (SVR) with combination therapy. Methods:  We ...

Acute and chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD) are potentially lethal complications after stem cell transplantation (SCT). Steroids are the appropriate first-line treatment for both. However, if patients do not adequatly benefit from steroid therapy, mortality is high and standardized treatment algorithms are lacking. This is mainly due to limited ...

The aim of this study was to describe the use of thalidomide in the treatment of prurigo nodularis Hyde (PNH) refractory to other treatments or in cases where other treatments cannot be used due to side effects. 77 medical records were retrospectively reviewed for the following data: sex, age, age ...

Abstract Background: Apixaban is a novel oral factor Xa inhibitor that recently completed evaluation in clinical trials for its use in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery. Its manufacturers are currently seeking approval for these indications in the European Union and a ...

Abstract Background: To evaluate the effect of surgical wound debridement, antibiotics, and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) in the treatment of Fournier gangrene (FG). Methods: Forty-one patients with a mean age of 54.3±14.6 years were referred to our department with a diagnosis of FG. To calculate a Fourier Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI), ...

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2011 Objective.  To evaluate the clinical and radiographic success rates of three mixed antibiotics in the non-instrumentation endodontic treatment of primary mandibular molars at 24-27 months postoperatively. Methods.  Eighty cariously involved lower primary molars from 58 children (ages 3-8 years) received a 3Mix medicament by non-instrumentation endodontic ...

BACKGROUND: Although antimicrobial use during and immediately after Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is discouraged, the frequency and consequences of such use are poorly defined. We sought to determine the frequency of non-CDI antimicrobial therapy during and after treatment for CDI, and the association of such therapy with recurrent disease. METHODS: ...

Background: This long-term 48-week study of acotiamide was carried out to investigate the efficacy, safety and administration pattern in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). Methods: This was a multicenter, open-label, single-arm, long-term phase III study in which patients with FD were given acotiamide, 100 mg t.i.d., for 48 weeks. The ...

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of crossing over from optimized multiple daily injection (MDI) therapy to sensor-augmented pump (SAP) therapy for 6 months, and the effects of 18 months' sustained use of SAP. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The 6-month, single-crossover continuation phase of Sensor-Augmented Pump Therapy for A1C Reduction (STAR ...

To compare the efficacy between intravitreal bevacizumab and combination treatment (bevacizumab and macular photocoagulation) for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). In addtion, changes of DME type were researched using optical coherence tomography. The present study included 90 eyes with bevacizumab injection and 38 eyes with combination treatment. Using ...

Because the outcome of methadone and buprenorphine substitution treatment in adolescents is unclear, we completed a retrospective cohort study of 100 consecutive heroin-dependent adolescents who sought these treatments over an 8-year recruitment period. The participants' average age was 16.6 years, and 54 were female. Half of the patient group remained ...

AimsAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. Nowadays, catheter-based ablative approaches are mainly reserved for drug-refractory patients. However, the value of an ablative therapy as a first-line alternative remains elusive. The aim of our study was to analyse the acute procedural success and clinical outcome ...

Background:  There are limited data on the use of ustekinumab outside of clinical trials. Objectives:  To assess the efficacy and safety of ustekinumab in patients with severe psoriasis attending 10 Dermatology Centres in the UK and Ireland. Methods:  A retrospective case-note review of 129 patients with psoriasis treated with ustekinumab. ...

BACKGROUND: Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) is a nucleotide analogue with proven efficacy in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). AIMS: This study investigated long-term ADV treatment in HBeAg-positive patients. METHODS: A total of 480 Chinese subjects with HBeAg-positive CHB who participated in a 1-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of ADV 10 mg daily were offered ...

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) has become a recognised treatment for steroid-refractory chronic GVHD (cGVHD), but the optimal frequency and duration of treatment are yet to be established. We report on 82 consecutive patients with mucocutaneous cGVHD who received a bimonthly regimen of ECP treatment for two consecutive days, which could be ...

Background/Objectives  Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is characterized by intravascular haemolysis with a negative direct antiglobulin test (DAT). Eculizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that inhibits complement component C5 and is approved for PNH treatment. Recent publications demonstrated that some patients with PNH develop a positive DAT during eculizumab treatment. These ...

PURPOSE: To examine (1) incidence rates for treatment with addictive anxiolytics and hypnotics in Norway, (2) the proportions initiated by general practitioners (GPs), psychiatrists, and other physicians, and (3) the course of the treatment among incident users during a 3.5 year follow-up period. METHOD: Data on all prescriptions of anxiolytics (ATC ...

Although therapy with intravenous (IV) rituximab and tacrolimus reduces the relapse rate in steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS), studies on comparative efficacy are lacking. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with difficult-to-treat SDNS who had previously received levamisole, cyclophosphamide and/or mycophenolate mofetil, then treated with either rituximab or tacrolimus and ...

PURPOSE:: To evaluate the visual acuity results of monthly ranibizumab injections compared with a variable-dosing schedule for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. METHODS:: A retrospective study that compared two cohorts of consecutive patients. All patients were treatment naive, with baseline visual acuity of 20/400 or better, and completed ...

Purpose The case of a patient with severe, multidrug-resistant, postoperative sepsis who was successfully treated with drotrecogin alfa (activated) on two occasions is reported. Summary After a thigh debridement procedure, a 55-year-old African-American woman developed systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) secondary to necrotizing fasciitis. Despite empiric treatment including piperacillin-tazobactam and ...

Abstract Background: Cerebrovascular complications (CVC) in infective endocarditis (IE) are common. The only established treatments to reduce the incidence of CVC in IE are antibiotics and in selected cases early cardiac surgery. Potential effects of previously established antiplatelet therapy are under debate. Methods: In a prospective cohort study in Sweden ...

Patients with chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 often need 48 weeks of peginterferon-ribavirin treatment for a sustained virologic response. We designed a noninferiority trial (noninferiority margin, -10.5%) to compare rates of sustained virologic response among patients receiving two treatment durations. We enrolled patients with chronic infection ...

Summary Background  Actinic cheilitis (AC) may progress into fully developed squamous cell carcinoma with a relatively high risk of metastasizing and therefore requires early identification and treatment. Objectives  To assess the clinical and histological long-term outcome as well as the safety and tolerability of sequential use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) ...

Case Description-A 3.5-year-old spayed female Labrador Retriever was examined for dysuria of unknown duration. Clinical Findings-Urogenital examination revealed a recessed vulva and a persistent hymen. The hymen was broken down digitally. Results of urinalysis at the referral examination were unremarkable, and no clinically relevant abnormalities were detected on clinicopathologic analysis ...

Mass antimicrobial treatment of foals with small ultrasonographic pulmonary lesions is common on farms with endemic disease caused by Rhodococcus equi. The objectives of this study were to compare the relative efficacy of three antimicrobial protocols for the treatment of pulmonary abscesses on a farm with endemic infections caused by ...

OBJECTIVES: We wanted to assess the quality of antibiotic therapy prescribed for infective endocarditis in our ward. DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective audit of all adult patients with endocarditis hospitalized over a 3-year period in the Infectious Diseases Unit of the Nice University Hospital, France. The quality of antibiotic therapy ...

Hemorrhage represents the most feared complication of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in both untreated patients and those treated with gamma knife radiosurgery. Radiosurgery does not immediately lead to obliteration of the malformation, which often does not occur until years following treatment. Post-obliteration hemorrhage is rare, occurring months to years after ...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of a temporary interruption in subcutaneous (SC) abatacept on immunogenicity, safety and efficacy in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate in a phase III trial.METHODS: Following a 12-week open-label introduction (period I; intravenous abatacept loading dose and weekly fixed-dose SC abatacept 125 mg), patients ...

Background: Radiofrequency obliteration (RFO) and endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) are established techniques in varicose therapy. A novel bipolar RFO technique - Radiofrequency Induced Thermotherapy (RFITT) - was introduced in 2007. Comparative studies of RFITT and EVLT with one year follow-up are missing. Objective: Comparison of RFITT with EVLT concentrating on ...

BACKGROUND: Although the use of aggressive immunosuppression has improved both patient and renal survival of patients with lupus nephritis (LN), the optimal treatment of LN remains challenging. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and tacrolimus compared with intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVC) ...

Current treatment of severe epistaxis in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is not durable in reducing the frequency and severity of bleeds. Recent reports have demonstrated marked improvement of epistaxis with administration of either intravenous or topical bevacizumab. We present the long-term outcome of a patient who received repeated treatments ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The aim of this case report was to describe the clinical findings, treatment and outcome of lumbosacral discospondylitis in a calf. Case Presentation: A 5.5-month-old calf was presented with difficulty in rising, a stiff and slightly ataxic gait in the hind limbs and a shortened stride. The lumbosacral ...

Background  A combination of rifampicin, ofloxacin and minocycline (ROM) is one of the newer recommendations for treatment of leprosy. We performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis of studies that had evaluated the efficacy of ROM therapy in treatment of paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy patients. Methods  Studies were identified by ...