Multidisciplinary Effort Leading to Effective Tuberculosis Community Outbreak Containment in Israel.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the second-most prevalent cause of mortality resulting from infectious diseases worldwide. It is caused by bacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). In Israel, TB incidence is low, acknowledged by the WHO as being in a pre-elimination phase.

Biologic treatments for severe asthma: 4 year experience of a single medical center.

Background: Severe asthma affects up to 20,000 citizens of Israel. Novel biological therapies, which individually have been proven to reduce asthma morbidity in clinical trials, have become available in recent years. Comparative data among different drugs are scarce.

Transitioning from hospital to home with non-invasive ventilation: who benefits? Results of a cohort study.

Background: Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is effective in a variety of acute respiratory illnesses in hospitalised patients. Home NIV is effective for stable patients with hypercapnia due to neuromuscular or chronic pulmonary disease. However, there are little data to guide which patients may benefit from NIV immediately following hospitalisation with hypercapnia.

A novel infrasound and audible machine-learning approach to the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has rapidly spread around the world, causing a global public health and economic crisis. A critical limitation in detecting COVID-19-related pneumonia is that it is often manifested as a "silent pneumonia", pulmonary auscultation that sounds "normal" using a standard stethoscope. Chest computed tomography is the gold standard for detecting COVID-19 pneumonia; however, radiation exposure, availability and cost preclude its utilisation as a screening tool for COVID-19 pneumonia.

Bronchiectasis Exacerbations: Definitions, Causes, and Acute Management.

Pulmonary exacerbations (PExs) are events in the course of bronchiectasis which are defined as an increase in disease symptoms lasting a period of a few days. It is established that the tendency toward having PEx is stable throughout the course of the disease. Certain conditions were found to be associated with an increased risk of developing a PEx.

SARS-CoV-2-Specific Antibodies in Breast Milk After COVID-19 Vaccination of Breastfeeding Women.

This prospective study investigated whether antibodies from SARS-CoV-2 immunization of nursing mothers transferred to infants as a potentially protective effect.

Presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on playground surfaces and water fountains.

The possibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission by fomites or environmental surfaces has been suggested. It is unclear if SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in outdoor public areas. The objective of the current study was to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples collected at public playgrounds and water fountains, in a country with high disease prevalence.

Thoracentesis under clopidogrel is not associated with excessive bleeding events: a cohort study.

Background: Thoracentesis is a low-risk procedure for bleeding (approx. 2%). Data regarding safety of thoracentesis under treatment with clopidogrel is scarce, and current guidelines are not evidence based.

Hyper-Activation of Endogenous GLP-1 System to Gram-negative Sepsis Is Associated With Early Innate Immune Response and Modulated by Diabetes.

Background: Culture-positive gram-negative sepsis induces greater magnitude of early innate immunity /inflammatory response compared with culture-negative sepsis. We previously demonstrated increased activation of anti-inflammatory Glucagon Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone in initial phase of sepsis more pronounced in diabetes patients. However, whether GLP-1 system is hyperactivated during the early innate immune response to gram-negative sepsis and modulated by diabetes remains unknown.

Single Admission C-reactive protein Levels as a Sole Predictor of Patient Flow and Clinical Course in a General Internal Medicine Department.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) blood level is associated with clinical outcomes of several diseases. However, the independent predictive role of CRP in the heterogeneous population of patients admitted to internal medicine wards is not known.

Objectives: To determine whether single CRP levels at admission independently predicts clinical outcome and flow of patients in general medicine wards.

Sepsis-induced activation of endogenous GLP-1 system is enhanced in type 2 diabetes.

Background: High levels of circulating GLP-1 are associated with severity of sepsis in critically ill nondiabetic patients. Whether patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) display different activation of the endogenous GLP-1 system during sepsis and whether it is affected by diabetes-related metabolic parameters are not known.

Methods: Serum levels of GLP-1 (total and active forms) and its inhibitor enzyme sDPP-4 were determined by ELISA on admission and after 2 to 4 days in 37 sepsis patients with (n = 13) and without T2D (n = 24) and compared to normal healthy controls (n = 25).

Characteristics of rotavirus gastroenteritis in hospitalized children in Israel.

Background: Diarrhea is a leading cause of child mortality worldwide. Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of severe diarrhea and dehydration in children.

Objectives: To compare the demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with rotavirus gastroenteritis to those with other causes of gastroenteritis.