Publications by authors named "Charu Chopra"

Objectives: To evaluate the lived experiences of doctors from minority ethnic (ME) backgrounds during postgraduate medical training, in particular their experiences of discrimination (if any); any impact of intersectionality and perceptions on how ME doctors may be better supported in their learning and working environments.

Design: This was a qualitative study grounded in social constructivism, using semi-structured online individual interviews as the data collection method and an exploratory thematic analysis process.

Setting: Participants were recruited from postgraduate specialist medical training programmes within one Deanery (Scotland Deanery) in the UK.

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Background: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) has been recognised as the most common primary immunodeficiency in adulthood, and is characterised by increased susceptibility to infection, autoimmunity and increased risk of malignancies. Although ocular manifestations are not common in CVID, rare associated inflammatory eye conditions have been reported including submacular choroiditis.

Objective: To report a case of punctate inner choroidopathy in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The survey aimed to gather comprehensive demographic data on hereditary angioedema (HAE) and acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency in the UK to enhance service planning and patient care.
  • - A total of 1152 patients with HAE were identified, with a prevalence of 1:59,000 for HAE-1/2 and 1:734,000 for acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency, revealing significant patient demographics and treatment patterns.
  • - Findings showed that 45% of HAE patients were on long-term prophylaxis, primarily using danazol, and a significant number had acute treatment supplies available at home, highlighting the need for improved healthcare services for these conditions.
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Background: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) can be extremely debilitating to the patient and challenging for the treating clinician. The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom (UK) recommendation of omalizumab for patients who fail to respond to high-dose anti-histamines has improved treatment options and quality of life. However, there is still lack of clear guidelines for treatment of patients resistant to standard and anti-IgE therapies.

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Article Synopsis
  • In March 2020, the UK Primary Immunodeficiency Network created a registry to track outcomes of individuals with Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (PID) and Secondary Immunodeficiency Diseases (SID) after infection with SARS-CoV-2, reporting 310 cases.
  • The overall mortality rate was 17.7%, with certain groups experiencing higher rates; for example, Common Variable Immunodeficiency Disease (CVID) had an infection fatality rate (IFR) of 18.3%.
  • Individuals with PID and SID faced greater risks in terms of inpatient mortality and generally died at younger ages than the broader population, with risk factors including older age, low lymphocyte count before infection, and existing co-morbidities
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SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests have been marketed to diagnose previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and as a test of immune status. There is a lack of evidence on the performance and clinical utility of these tests. We aimed to carry out an evaluation of 14 point of care (POC) SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests.

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Unlabelled: CHARGE syndrome comprises coloboma of the eye, heart defects, choanal atresia, growth and developmental retardation, genitourinary anomalies and ear and hearing defects. The association between CHARGE syndrome and T-cell immunodeficiency is recognized, but has not been reported widely in the literature. We report four patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for CHARGE syndrome, who had moderate or severe T-cell lymphopenia complicated by infections.

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