EchiNam: multicenter retrospective study on the experience, challenges, and pitfalls in the diagnosis and treatment of alveolar echinococcosis in Belgium.

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to collect epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, imaging, management, and follow-up data on cases of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) diagnosed and/or followed up within the Namur Hospital Network (NHN) in order to gather information on the challenges, pitfalls, and overall experience in the diagnosis and treatment of AE.

Methods: EchiNam was a multicenter retrospective study. Patients diagnosed and/or treated for probable or confirmed AE in the NHN between 2002 and 2023 were included in the study.

Atypical case of ecthyma gangrenosum mimicking a breast cancer recurrence.

A 68-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer presented with skin lesions and sternal pain. Clinical examination revealed ulcerative lesions on mastectomy scar and CT scan showed contiguous sternal osteolysis. The main hypothesis was a breast cancer recurrence; however, cutaneous and bone biopsies did not reveal any cancer cells.

Antimicrobial stewardship in long-term care facilities in Belgium: a questionnaire-based survey of nursing homes to evaluate initiatives and future developments.

Background: The use of antimicrobials is intense and often inappropriate in long-term care facilities. Antimicrobial resistance has increased in acute and chronic care facilities, including those in Belgium. Evidence is lacking concerning antimicrobial stewardship programmes in chronic care settings.

Role of proton pump inhibitors in the occurrence and the prognosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients with ascites.

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) facilitate intestinal bacterial translocation. No robust data exist demonstrating that PPIs increase the risk of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and that PPIs worsen the prognosis of SBP patients. PPI use might be unsuitable for cirrhotic patients.