A cluster of pediatric vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia-like cases with thrombosis and thrombocytopenia following respiratory infections-case series.

Background: Adenoviral vector COVID-19 vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a heparin-independent platelet-activating disorder. An increasing number of VITT-like disorders without previous vaccination are being identified.

Key Clinical Question: To explore the association of the pediatric cluster of postinfectious thrombosis and thrombocytopenia with VITT-like disorders.

A Point Prevalence Survey of Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Use in Public Acute Care Hospitals in Crete, Greece.

Background: Both healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance are associated with an increased length of stay and hospital costs, while they have also been linked to high morbidity and mortality rates. In 2016 and 2017, the latest point prevalence survey (PPS) of HAIs and antimicrobial use in European acute care hospitals highlighted an HAI prevalence of 6.5%, while Greece had a higher HAI prevalence of 10%.

Implementation of multimodal infection control and hand hygiene strategies in acute-care hospitals in Greece: A cross-sectional benchmarking survey.

Background: In this first attempt to suggest achievable standards for improvement in hospital infection prevention and control (IPC) in Greece, we assessed main IPC structure and process indicators emphasizing hand hygiene.

Methods: Acute-care hospitals across the country participated in a cross-sectional survey by completing the World Health Organization Hand Hygiene Self-assessment Framework (HHSAF) and by providing hospital-level IPC indicators.

Results: Seventeen hospitals completed the survey, comprising 14% of the country's public hospitals.

The value of the Modified Early Warning Score for unplanned Intensive Care Unit admissions of patients treated in hospital general wards.

Aim: To determine the value of the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) for general ward patients and its potential use as an alarm tool for ward nurses.

Methods: A combined prospective-retrospective observational study was conducted with 153 patients in a university hospital (2013-2014). All patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) from general wards.

NMR and confocal microscopy studies of the mechanisms of burst drug release from PLGA microspheres.

Pulsed-field gradient (PFG) NMR and confocal microscopy techniques have been used to study the structural evolution and drug release profile of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres over time during immersion in an aqueous phase. Variation of the drying process used in the synthesis of the PLGA microspheres has been found to significantly influence the degree of permeability of the spheres to water. PFG NMR has been used to study the change in the cavity sizes within the pore structure of the microspheres over time following initial immersion.