Duration of Antimicrobial Treatment in Adult Patients with Pneumonia: A Narrative Review.

Pneumonia remains a major global health concern, causing significant morbidity and mortality among adults. This narrative review assesses the optimal duration of antimicrobial treatment in adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Current evidence about the impact of treatment duration on clinical outcomes demonstrates that shorter antibiotic courses are non-inferior, regarding safety and efficacy, compared to longer courses, particularly in patients with mild to moderate CAP, which is in line with the recommendations of international guidelines.

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.

Laparoscopic Heller myotomy versus peroral endoscopic myotomy in children with esophageal achalasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Currently, laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) are the best treatment modalities for esophageal achalasia in children. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare the efficacy of LHM and POEM.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar and Web of Science for original articles comparing LHM and POEM.

Mpox and Lessons Learned in the Light of the Recent Outbreak: A Narrative Review.

According to the WHO, more than 90,000 cases of mpox have been reported since the 2022 worldwide outbreak, which resulted in 167 deaths, while a new outbreak in Africa since 2023 has resulted in over 18,000 cases and 617 deaths. Mpox is a zoonosis caused by the monkeypox virus, a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which causes smallpox-like illness. Until 2022, cases were predominately located in West and Central Africa, with only sporadic cases and outbreaks reported in other parts of the world.

Effects of long-term corticosteroid use on susceptibility to respiratory viruses: a narrative review.

Background: Synthetic glucocorticoids are among the most commonly administered drugs due to their potent immunomodulatory properties. However, they may put patients at risk for infections. Their effect on the incidence of respiratory viral infections (RVIs) remains unclear.

Intensive Care Unit Mortality Trends during the First Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece: A Multi-Center Retrospective Study.

Data on COVID-19 mortality among patients in intensive care units (ICUs) from Eastern and/or Southern European countries, including Greece, are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ICU mortality trends among critically ill COVID-19 patients during the first two years of the pandemic in Greece and to further investigate if certain patients' clinical characteristics contributed to this outcome. We conducted a multi-center retrospective observational study among five large university hospitals in Greece, between February 2020 and January 2022.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among children in Greece during Omicron variant period.

The Omicron variant is associated with increased transmissibility, but evidence about the impact of Omicron in seropositivity of children is limited. This study aims to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in children during the different variants' subperiods. A prospective multicenter seroprevalence study was conducted in 7 University public hospitals in Greece from November 2021 to August 2022 (3 subperiods: November 2021-February 2022, March 2022-May 2022, June 2022-August 2022).

Epidemiology of respiratory viruses among children during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to assess the prevalence of respiratory viruses among children under the special conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Five databases were systematically searched to assess the pooled prevalence of various respiratory viruses in different age groups, regions, seasons, and in patients with and without confirmed SARS-CoV-2 coinfection. Moreover, we looked at the virus distribution in the first and second half of the pandemic and countries with distinct economic status.

A Narrative Review on the Role of Dalbavancin in the Treatment of Bone and Joint Infections.

Bone and joint infections (BJI) require prolonged antimicrobial treatment, leading to lengthy hospitalizations, high costs, the risk of nosocomial infections, and the development of antimicrobial resistance. Dalbavancin is a novel semisynthetic lipoglycopeptide approved for the treatment of adults and children with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. This narrative review aims to summarize the characteristics of dalbavancin and the current scientific evidence regarding its clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of BJI.

Pregnancy outcomes in ANCA-associated vasculitis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV), namely granulomatosis with polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis constitute a group of rare systemic vasculitides, affecting small vessels. Genders are equally affected, with symptoms most commonly presenting during and/or after the fifth decade of life, but AAV may also present in younger individuals. As advanced maternal age is becoming common and safe over the last decades, it is now more feasible for middle-aged women suffering from AAV to get pregnant.

New Insights into the Fluid Management in Patients with Septic Shock.

The importance of fluid resuscitation therapy during the early stages of sepsis management is a well-established principle. Current Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines recommend the early administration of intravenous crystalloid fluids for sepsis-related hypotension or hyperlactatemia due to tissue hypoperfusion, within the first 3 h of resuscitation and suggest using balanced solutions (BSs) instead of normal saline (NS) for the management of patients with sepsis or septic shock. Studies comparing BS versus NS administration in septic patients have demonstrated that BSs are associated with better outcomes including decreased mortality.

Update of European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases coronavirus disease 2019 guidelines: diagnostic testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Scope: Since the onset of COVID-19, several assays have been deployed for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) published the first set of guidelines on SARS-CoV-2 in vitro diagnosis in February 2022. Because the COVID-19 landscape is rapidly evolving, the relevant ESCMID guidelines panel releases an update of the previously published recommendations on diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2.

Ileal bypass for pruritus relief in a 3-year-old boy with advanced progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis: how effective is it?

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is a group of liver disorders that manifest in early childhood with cholestasis and pruritus resulting progressively in liver failure. We present a case of a 3-year-old boy with advanced PFIC from refractory pruritus. In order to offer an effective treatment of pruritus, our patient underwent ileal bypass and after a 2-month period free of symptoms, unexpectedly relapsed after a Rota viral infection.

Cardiovascular disease and risk assessment in people living with HIV: Current practices and novel perspectives.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection represents a major cardiovascular risk factor, and the cumulative cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden among aging people living with HIV (PLWH) constitutes a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. To date, CVD risk assessment in PLWH remains challenging. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate and stratify the cardiovascular risk in PLWH with appropriate screening and risk assessment tools and protocols to correctly identify which patients are at a higher risk for CVD and will benefit most from prevention measures and timely management.

Pregnancy outcomes in Takayasu arteritis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a systemic disease affecting women of reproductive age. Similarly to other systemic autoimmune diseases, pregnancies in patients suffering from TA are at high risk for adverse outcomes; however, the precise incidence of adverse events has not been assessed in a systematic approach. To evaluate the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in TA.

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Admission on Families: Results from a Nationwide Sample in Greece.

The aim of the present study was to assess the psychological impact of hospitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic on parents and their offspring. We performed a nationwide cross-sectional study in Greece based on an Internet questionnaire survey. A convenience sample of parents whose offspring had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 (including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, MIS-C), diagnosed with COVID-19 but not hospitalized, and hospitalized for another reason during the pandemic were enrolled.

Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among children and their parents in Greece.

Unlabelled: School closures were enforced as measures to restrain the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the assumption that young children may play a key role in SARS-CoV-2 spread. This study aims to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in children and corresponding parents, in order to improve surveillance and estimate the prevalence of asymptomatic or subclinical COVID-19 cases. A prospective multicenter study was conducted between March and June 2021 in Greece.

Performance of point-of care molecular and antigen-based tests for SARS-CoV-2: a living systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Molecular and antigen point-of-care tests (POCTs) have augmented our ability to rapidly identify and manage SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, their clinical performance varies among individual studies.

Objectives: The evaluation of the performance of molecular and antigen-based POCTs in confirmed, suspected, or probable COVID-19 cases compared with that of laboratory-based RT-PCR in real-life settings.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Erythema Nodosum and Risk of Relapse - a 17-Year Study.

Erythema nodosum (EN) is the most common type of septal panniculitis which causes inflammation of the subcutaneous fat, being the result of a hypersensitivity reaction to specific triggers. It usually presents with erythematous painful rounded lumps symmetrically on the anterior surface of the lower limbs. Rarely, it may occur in other areas such as thighs, neck and arms.