Safety and pharmacodynamic efficacy of eculizumab in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (CLASH): A phase 2a randomized clinical trial.

Introduction: Complement C5 antibodies reduce brain injury after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Patients And Methods: In this randomized, controlled, open-label, phase 2a clinical trial with blinded-outcome assessment, we included adult aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients admitted to a tertiary referral center ⩽11 h after ictus. Patients were randomized (1:1) to eculizumab plus care as usual or to care as usual.

The diagnosis and treatment of invasive aspergillosis in Dutch haematology units facing a rapidly increasing prevalence of azole-resistance. A nationwide survey and rationale for the DB-MSG 002 study protocol.

Patients with haematological malignancies are at risk for invasive fungal diseases (IFD). A survey was conducted in all Dutch academic haematology centres on their current diagnostic, prophylactic and therapeutic approach towards IFD in the context of azole-resistance. In all 8 centres, a haematologist and microbiologist filled in the questionnaire that focused on different subgroups of haematology patients.

Barriers to an early switch from intravenous to oral antibiotic therapy in hospitalised patients with CAP.

Do physicians apply an early-switch strategy (from intravenous to oral antibiotics) in clinically stable patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)? If not, why not? In a multicentre prospective cohort study, adult patients admitted for i.v. CAP treatment were included.

Impact of different empirical antibiotic treatment regimens for community-acquired pneumonia on the emergence of Clostridium difficile.

Background: Treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) with newer fluoroquinolones may contribute to selection for Clostridium difficile. We studied the prevalence of C. difficile carriage and C.

Genetic risk of acute pulmonary infections and sepsis.

The focus of this review is the genetic influence on pneumonia and sepsis. A large number of polymorphisms in a diverse collection of genes have been identified as potential candidates to explain the genetic variability in susceptibility to acute pulmonary infection and its adverse outcomes. Unfortunately, apart from polymorphisms in mannose-binding lectin, CD14 and the IgG2 receptor, there is little consensus on which polymorphisms are truly important.

Comparative in vitro stimulation with lipopolysaccharide to study TNFalpha gene expression in fresh whole blood, fresh and frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

In vitro stimulation with fresh and frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or fresh whole blood has been widely used in animal studies and clinical trials to study the immunological features of a number of human diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the difference in response to stimulation of fresh PBMCs, frozen PBMCs, and fresh whole blood by change of TNFalpha gene expression levels after 4-hour in vitro lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Our results demonstrate that TNFalpha gene expression significantly increases in both fresh PBMCs and fresh whole blood when 1 microg/ml or 10 microg/ml LPS was used but only after stimulation with 10 microg/ml LPS in frozen PBMCs.

Pneumonia recovery: discrepancies in perspectives of the radiologist, physician and patient.

Background: Chest radiographs are often used to diagnose community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), to monitor response to treatment and to ensure complete resolution of pneumonia. However, radiological exams may not reflect the actual clinical condition of the patient.

Objective: To compare the radiographic resolution of mild to moderately severe CAP to resolution of clinical symptoms as assessed by the physician or rated by the patient.

Patterns of resolution of chest radiograph abnormalities in adults hospitalized with severe community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: Timing of follow-up chest radiographs for patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is difficult, because little is known about the time to resolution of chest radiograph abnormalities and its correlation with clinical findings. To provide recommendations for short-term, in-hospital chest radiograph follow-up, we studied the rate of resolution of chest radiograph abnormalities in relation to clinical cure, evaluated predictors for delayed resolution, and determined the influence of deterioration of radiographic findings during follow-up on prognosis.

Methods: A total of 288 patients who were hospitalized because of severe CAP were followed up for 28 days in a prospective multicenter study.