Publications by authors named "K Vermeersch"
Aims: The world experienced a huge number of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in birds, which could represent one of the largest registered epidemics of infectious disease in food-producing animals. Therefore, mammals, including humans, are continuously exposed to HPAI viruses leading to sporadic and sometimes unusual mammal infections. The aim of this paper is to assess the risk of crossing the avian/mammalian species barrier by the currently circulating HPAI viruses, focusing on the epidemiological situation of Belgium, a representative country for Western Europe.
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- The study investigates the impact of exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (ECOPD) on global mortality and hospital readmission rates after hospitalization.
- The analysis included data from 65,945 COPD patients, revealing a 6.2% in-hospital mortality rate and significant post-discharge mortality and readmission rates at various intervals.
- Researchers emphasize the need for standardized management of ECOPD and suggest that policymakers prioritize funding for effective therapies to reduce the incidence of recurrent hospitalizations.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted to evaluate COPD patients’ acceptance of outcome and experience measurements during hospitalizations for acute exacerbations, highlighting a lack of standardized assessments.
- An online survey was completed by 200 COPD patients across several European countries, gathering their views on various patient-reported outcomes and clinical investigation methods.
- Results showed that patients found all selected measurements important and preferred specific tools for assessing dyspnoea, quality of life, and hospital experiences, supporting a more standardized, patient-centered approach to care.
Background: Despite hospitalization for exacerbation being a high-risk event for morbidity and mortality, there is little consensus globally regarding the assessment and management of hospitalised exacerbations of COPD. We aimed to establish a consensus list of symptoms, physiological measures, clinical scores, patient questionnaires and investigations to be obtained at time of hospitalised COPD exacerbation and follow-up.
Methods: A modified Delphi online survey with pre-defined consensus of importance, feasibility and frequency of measures at hospitalisation and follow-up of a COPD exacerbation was undertaken.
Background: In the BACE trial, a 3-month (3 m) intervention with azithromycin, initiated at the onset of an infectious COPD exacerbation requiring hospitalization, decreased the rate of a first treatment failure (TF); the composite of treatment intensification (TI), step-up in hospital care (SH) and mortality.
Objectives: (1) To investigate the intervention's effect on recurrent events, and (2) to identify clinical subgroups most likely to benefit, determined from the incidence rate of TF and hospital readmissions.
Methods: Enrolment criteria included the diagnosis of COPD, a smoking history of ≥10 pack-years and ≥ 1 exacerbation in the previous year.