Assessment of De-Escalation of Empirical Antimicrobial Therapy in Medical Wards with Recognized Prevalence of Multi-Drug-Resistant Pathogens: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study in Non-ICU Patients with Microbiologically Documented Infection.

Antimicrobial resistance poses a major threat to human health worldwide and the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs), including antimicrobial de-escalation (ADE), is a multifaceted tool for minimizing unnecessary or inappropriate antibiotic exposure. This was a prospective observational study of 142 non-Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients with microbiologically documented infection who were initially administered empirical antimicrobial therapy and admitted to the medical wards of 6 tertiary-care hospitals in Greece from January 2017 to December 2018. Patients were divided into two groups, the ADE and non-ADE group, based on whether ADE was applied or not, respectively.

The Role of Automated Infrared Pupillometry in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Narrative Review.

Pupillometry, an integral component of neurological examination, serves to evaluate both pupil size and reactivity. The conventional manual assessment exhibits inherent limitations, thereby necessitating the development of portable automated infrared pupillometers (PAIPs). Leveraging infrared technology, these devices provide an objective assessment, proving valuable in the context of brain injury for the detection of neuro-worsening and the facilitation of patient monitoring.

Temporal trends in laboratory parameters in survivors and non‑survivors of critical COVID‑19 illness and the effect of dexamethasone treatment.

Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced changes in laboratory parameters in patients upon admission have been well-documented, information on their temporal changes is limited. The present study describes the laboratory trends and the effect of dexamethasone treatment on these parameters, in patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU). Routine laboratory parameters, namely white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet (PLT) counts, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and albumin concentrations, were recorded upon admission to the ICU and, thereafter, on days 3, 5, 10, 15 and 21; these values were compared between survivors and non-survivors, as well as between those who were treated with dexamethasone and those who were not.

Temporal evolution of laboratory characteristics in patients critically ill with COVID‑19 admitted to the intensive care unit (Review).

In the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), laboratory medicine has played a crucial role in both diagnosis and severity assessment. Although the importance of baseline laboratory findings has been extensively reported, data regarding their evolution over the clinical course are limited. The aim of the present narrative review was to provide the dynamic changes of the routine laboratory variables reported in patients with severe COVID-19 over the course of their critical illness.

Common Pathogenetic Pathways of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are two cardinal manifestations of the metabolic syndrome, which is becoming a growing global pandemic and a health care burden. They constitute a pathogenetic duo, with complex interplay through interrelated, but still partly understood, pathophysiological pathways, which mainly involve lipid toxicity (expressed through increased hepatic de novo lipogenesis, hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance, upregulated lipolysis, lipoprotein abnormalities, hyperinsulinemia), impaired autophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, adipose tissue dysfunction with a consequent latent inflammatory state, inflammasome activation, genetic and epigenetic factors, altered gut microbiota and finally dietary factors. In this review, based on data from recent studies and focusing mainly on common molecular mechanisms, we will highlight the common pathophysiological grounds and the interplay between NAFLD and T2DM.

Epidemiology of Candidemia and Fluconazole Resistance in an ICU before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic Era.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the incidence of candidemia, as well as the factors associated with species distribution and fluconazole resistance, among patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to two pre-pandemic periods. All patients admitted to the ICU due to COVID-19 from March 2020 to October 2021, as well as during two pre-pandemic periods (2005-2008 and 2012-2015), who developed candidemia, were included. During the COVID-19 study period, the incidence of candidemia was 10.

Synchronous cytomegalovirus and Clostridium difficile infection of the pouch: a trigger for chronic pouchitis?

Pouchitis occurs in up to one half of patients after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Clostridium difficile are among the commonest secondary identifiable etiologies. A 17-year-old male with ulcerative colitis underwent IPAA due to refractory disease.

Childhood and adult sexual abuse, rumination on sadness, and dysphoria.

Objective: The study addressed the hypothesis that adults reporting sexual abuse are more likely to exhibit a general tendency to ruminate on sadness. The relations between reported abuse, rumination on sadness, and dysphoria were also examined.

Method: Undergraduate students (101 women and 100 men) reported on childhood and adult sexual abuse and instances of intimidation, as well as completing the Rumination on Sadness Scale [Journal of Personality Assessment 75 (2000) 404] and the Beck Depression Inventory [Depression: Clinical, Experimental, and Theoretical Aspects, Harper & Row, New York].

Dysphoria and decision making: limited information use for evaluations of multiattribute targets.

The hypothesis was that dysphoric relative to nondysphoric individuals use less available, relevant information in decision making because of reduced attentional resources. Dysphoric and nondysphoric Ss evaluated 70 jobs, each of which was described in terms of 5 dimensions (e.g.