Current medical research and opinion
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The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV2 has raised several important health concerns, not least increased mortality and morbidity. SARS-CoV2 can infect the central nervous system via hematogenous or transneuronal routes, acting through different receptors including ACE2, DPP4, and neuropilin 1 and cause several issues, including the focus here, cerebellitis. The cerebellum is an essential part of the CNS located adjacent to the brainstem with a complex micro and macroscopic structure. ⋯ SARS-CoV2 infection of the cerebellum can be seen to be assessed through many methods such as MRI, PET, CT, postmortem studies, and histological findings. These methodological studies have demonstrated that cerebellar infection with COVID-19 can bring about several sequelae: thrombosis, microbleed, hemorrhage, stroke, autoantibody production, ataxia, and widespread inflammation in the cerebellum. Such central effects are likely to exacerbate the known multiorgan effects of SARS-CoV2 and should also be considered as part of disease prognosis.
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The objective of the current study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of two pulse oximetry (SpO2) thresholds to decide on hospital discharge when all other discharge criteria are met, in infants with viral bronchiolitis living at high altitudes. ⋯ In Bogota, a high-altitude city, in infants admitted for viral bronchiolitis, the use of an SpO2 threshold of 85% to decide on hospital discharge when all other discharge criteria are met is dominant because it entails a greater probability of discharge to home at day 4 of the initial hospitalization and generates fewer costs than the use of an SpO2 threshold of 90%.
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To achieve the therapeutic effects, antibiotics must penetrate rapidly into infection sites and bind to targets. This study reviewed updated knowledge on the ability of antibiotics to penetrate into the lung, their physicochemical properties influencing the pulmonary penetration and their ability to bind to targets on pneumococci. ⋯ Data on antibiotic penetration into the lung in LRTI patients and binding affinity of antibiotics for pneumococcal targets are still limited. Further studies are required to clarify the associations of the lung penetration and target binding ability of antibitotics with therapeutic efficacy to help propose the right antibiotics for LRTI.
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To conduct an economic evaluation estimating the cost per live birth after controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) using Follitropin Alpha (Gonal-F), in the Greek National Health System setting. A secondary objective was to predict the live birth rateof the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedure. ⋯ The present study constitutes the largest single-arm study based on real data in Greece to date. The cost of IVF treatment and the cost per live birth are not insignificant in this NHS setting. The live birth rate, cost per oocyte, and the cost per live birth are in line with literature. OSI was a main contributing factor to the accurate prediction of the live birth rate, while age and BMI were found to be negatively correlated.
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To assess the knowledge level and awareness of Alzheimer's disease, including knowledge about the disease, pharmacotherapy, provision of patient education and associated factors among community pharmacists across Turkey and Northern Cyprus. ⋯ There is still a lack of knowledge regarding AD reported by moderate ADKS score, especially in medically-oriented domains, which creates a barrier to early provision of care and preventing AD, noted with no difference among community pharmacists across Turkey and Northern Cyprus.