Colchicine reduces extracellular vesicle NLRP3 inflammasome protein levels in chronic coronary disease: A LoDoCo2 biomarker substudy.

Background And Aims: Colchicine reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary disease. Colchicine has broad anti-inflammatory effects and part of the atheroprotective effects have been suggested to be the result of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition. We studied the effect of colchicine on extracellular vesicle (EV) NLRP3 protein levels and inflammatory markers, high sensitivity-CRP (hs-CRP) and interleukin (IL)-6, in patients with chronic coronary disease.

Colchicine in Patients With Chronic Coronary Disease in Relation to Prior Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background: Colchicine reduces risk of cardiovascular events in patients post-myocardial infarction and in patients with chronic coronary disease. It remains unclear whether this effect is related to the time of onset of treatment following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Objectives: This study investigates risk for major adverse cardiovascular events in relation to history and timing of prior ACS, to determine whether the benefits of colchicine are consistent independent of prior ACS status.

A mandatory indication-registration tool in hospital electronic medical records enabling systematic evaluation and benchmarking of the quality of antimicrobial use: a feasibility study.

Objectives: Evaluation of the extent and appropriateness of antimicrobial use is a cornerstone of antibiotic stewardship programs, but it is time-consuming. Documentation of the indication at the moment of prescription might be more time-efficient. We investigated the real-life feasibility of mandatory documentation of the indication for all hospital antibiotic prescriptions for quality evaluation purposes.

Clinically relevant potential drug-drug interactions in intensive care patients: A large retrospective observational multicenter study.

Purpose: Potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) may harm patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Due to the patient's critical condition and continuous monitoring on the ICU, not all pDDIs are clinically relevant. Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) warning for irrelevant pDDIs could result in alert fatigue and overlooking important signals.

Association between workarounds and medication administration errors in bar-code-assisted medication administration in hospitals.

Objective: To study the association of workarounds with medication administration errors using barcode-assisted medication administration (BCMA), and to determine the frequency and types of workarounds and medication administration errors.

Materials And Methods: A prospective observational study in Dutch hospitals using BCMA to administer medication. Direct observation was used to collect data.

Doctors' beliefs and knowledge on corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis: identifying barriers to improve prevention.

What Is Known And Objective: Despite the availability of effective treatments for the management of corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis (CIOP), the condition is undertreated. Our objective was to assess prescribers' knowledge and likely prescribing patterns concerning the diagnosis and treatment of CIOP. Another goal was to identify key barriers to the use of preventive therapy in patients using long-term corticosteroids.

[Oral better than parenteral supplementation of vitamin B12].

Vitamin B12 deficiency occurs in 5-10% of the Dutch population. Serum vitamin B12 levels should be determined in patients with haematological or neurological disorders such as megaloblastic anaemia or neuropathy, and in patients with risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency such as atrophic gastritis or intrinsic factor-deficiency. The aim of this article was to explicate the data from the literature on the efficacy of oral versus parenteral vitamin B12 supplementation.

Systematic review of trends in prophylaxis of corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis: the need for standard audit guidelines.

Unlabelled: Corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis (CIOP) is currently undertreated. Systematic review of the literature revealed that the percentage of patients treated adequately is dependent on study quality. Therefore, it remains unknown whether adherence to the guidelines is really so poor.

Corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis prevention: longitudinal practice patterns in The Netherlands 2001-2005.

Unlabelled: We investigated prevention trends and predictors for osteoporosis prevention in long term corticosteroid users. The use of bisphosphonates increased from 2001 to 2005. Longer duration of corticosteroid use and DMARD use were predictors for receiving prevention.

Thalidomide-associated thrombocytopenia.

Objective: To report thrombocytopenia in a patient prescribed thalidomide for multiple myeloma (MM).

Case Summary: A 70-year-old woman was diagnosed in 2003 with MM. At diagnosis, melphalan 0.

Role of L-arginine in the deficiency of nitric oxide and airway hyperreactivity after the allergen-induced early asthmatic reaction in guinea-pigs.

1. Using a guinea-pig model of allergic asthma, we investigated the role of L-arginine limitation in the allergen-induced deficiency of nitric oxide (NO) and airway hyperreactivity (AHR) after the early asthmatic reaction, by examining the effects of various concentrations of the NO synthase (NOS) substrate on the responsiveness to methacholine of isolated perfused tracheae from unchallenged (control) animals and from animals 6 h after ovalbumin challenge. 2.

Deficiency of nitric oxide in polycation-induced airway hyperreactivity.

Using a perfused guinea-pig tracheal tube preparation, we investigated the role of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) in polycation-induced airway hyperreactivity (AHR) to methacholine. Intraluminal (IL) administration of the NO synthase inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 100 microM) caused a 1.8 fold increase in the maximal contractile response (Emax) to IL methacholine compared to control, without an effect on the pEC50 (-log10 EC50).