Hypothermia: Pathophysiology and the propensity for infection.

Hypothermia in combination with infection presents a complex challenge in clinical and battlefield medicine. Multifaceted physiological and immunological consequences of hypothermia drastically change the risk, progression, and treatment of a concomitant infection. Managing hypothermia and infection in extreme cold settings is particularly relevant in an era with increased risk of military operations in Polar climates.

Inflammatory disease status and response to TNF blockade are associated with mechanisms of endotoxin tolerance.

The mechanisms of endotoxin tolerance (ET), which down-regulate inflammation, are well described in response to exogenous toll-like receptor ligands, but few studies have focused on ET-associated mechanisms in inflammatory disease. As blocking TNF can attenuate the development of ET, the effect of anti-TNF on the expression of key ET-associated molecules in inflammatory auto-immune disease was measured; changes in inflammatory gene expression were confirmed using an ET bioassay. The expression of immunomodulatory molecules was measured in a murine model of arthritis treated with anti-TNF and the expression of ET-associated molecules was measured in whole blood in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, before and after therapy.

Surveillance of Antimicrobial Use in Long-Term Care Facilities: An Antimicrobial Mapping Survey.

Objectives: To explore antimicrobial management processes in Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs), including antimicrobial prescribing, supply, administration, and documentation to inform surveillance activities.

Design: Voluntary, online cross-sectional survey.

Setting And Participants: The survey was disseminated to all South Australian RACFs (n = 237) seeking participation from an infection prevention and control lead (preferred respondent), a nurse or senior RACF staff member, or an aged care pharmacist.

Vascular adhesion protein-1 blockade in primary sclerosing cholangitis: Open-label, multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial.

Background: Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a progressive inflammatory liver disease characterized by biliary and liver fibrosis. Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is important in the inflammatory process driving liver fibrosis. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of VAP-1 blockade with a monoclonal antibody (timolumab, BTT1023) in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.