Very low doses of rituximab in autoimmune hemolytic anemia-an open-label, phase II pilot trial.

Introduction: Although rituximab is approved for several autoimmune diseases, no formal dose finding studies have been conducted. The amount of CD20+ cells differs significantly between autoimmune diseases and B-cell malignancies. Hence, dose requirements of anti-CD20 therapies may differ accordingly.

Cerebral Ischemia Protection After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: CSF Nimodipine Levels After Intravenous Versus Oral Nimodipine Administration.

There is accumulating evidence that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of nimodipine correlate with long-term outcome of patients after subarachnoidal hemorrhage (aSAH) by impeding cerebral ischemia. However, pharmacological data on simultaneous serum vs. CSF and intraparenchymal nimodipine values are rarely reported in larger patient groups.

Agreement between CT-Angiography and Digital Subtraction Angiography in Predicting Angiographic Vasospasm in Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is the gold standard in the diagnosis of cerebral vasospasm, frequently observed after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, less-invasive methods, such as computed tomography angiography (CTA), may be equally accurate. To further clarify comparability, this study evaluated the reliability of CTA in detecting cerebral vasospasm.

Progress in von Willebrand Disease Treatment: Evolution towards Newer Therapies.

von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a very heterogenous disease, resulting in different phenotypes and different degrees of bleeding severity. Established therapies (i.e.

Linezolid brain penetration in neurointensive care patients.

Background: Linezolid exposure in critically ill patients is associated with high inter-individual variability, potentially resulting in subtherapeutic antibiotic exposure. Linezolid exhibits good penetration into the CSF, but its penetration into cerebral interstitial fluid (ISF) is unknown.

Objectives: To determine linezolid penetration into CSF and cerebral ISF of neurointensive care patients.