Background: Population-wide surveys and large-scale investigations highlighted the presence of cognitive deficits in the acute and postacute stages of severe COVID-19; a few studies documented their occurrence in cases without prior or COVID-19-related brain damage. The evolution of cognitive deficits in the latter population and their relationship to the post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome are poorly understood.
Case Presentation: We report the outcome at 12 months after severe COVID-19 involving an intensive care unit stay and mechanical ventilation in six (five Caucasian and one Asian) patients (age range: 53-71 years, mean age 61.
Although often overlooked immune deficiencies are more common than generally believed. The internist is frequently the first physician to potentially meet affected patients, playing a significant role in detecting these immune deficiencies, whether they are primary (congenital) or secondary (acquired). In both scenarios, early identification and intervention can greatly reduce the morbidity and mortality of these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur Respir J
November 2023
Background: In the context of implementing a new framework for pre-graduate medical education in Switzerland (PROFILES) and the ongoing reform of the medical curriculum at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University of Lausanne, we set out to determine the priority teaching themes of family medicine and to collect expert opinions about the most appropriate teaching methods for family medicine. Such data would contribute to the production of a coherent family medicine teaching programme encompassing its specificities as well as future challenges facing medicine in general.
Method: We mapped the current family medicine courses at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine to obtain an overview of current learning objectives and teaching content priorities.
Interferon -1a (IFN1a) is considered safe in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Drug-induced thrombocytopenia (DITP) is a rare but underreported adverse event that is often confused with other causes of thrombocytopenia. We report the case of a 52-year-old woman who developed limb and oral mucosa petechiae and hematochezia, 10 years after beginning IFN1a.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobiol Spectr
December 2022
Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity have chronic activation of the innate immune system possibly contributing to the higher risk of hyperinflammatory response to SARS-CoV2 and severe COVID-19 observed in this population. We tested whether interleukin-1β (IL-1β) blockade using canakinumab improves clinical outcome.
Methods: CanCovDia was a multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of canakinumab plus standard-of-care compared with placebo plus standard-of-care in patients with type 2 diabetes and a BMI > 25 kg/m hospitalised with SARS-CoV2 infection in seven tertiary-hospitals in Switzerland.
Objective: To investigate how medical students' empathy is related to their mental health and burnout.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 886 medical students from curriculum years 1-6. The cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions of empathy were measured with self-report questionnaires and an emotion recognition test.
We used unsupervised immunophenotyping of blood leukocytes and measured cytokine production by innate immune cell exposed to LPS and R848. We show that COVID-19 induces a rapid, transient upregulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) accompanied by a rapid, sustained (up to 3 months) hyporesponsiveness of dendritic cells and monocytes. Blood MDSCs may represent biomarkers and targets for intervention strategies in COVID-19 patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlternative medicines such as phytotherapy and herbal preparations have been widely used over the past 5 decades. However, they are still poorly known in Western medicine, and because they are considered as natural products, they are often omitted in the review of medication. One of the most used herbal preparations in Europe is Iberogast®, a formulation of 9 medicinal plant extracts, including Greater Celandine that has proven effective in the treatment of functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the advent of long-acting anti-retroviral therapy able to control and prevent infection, a preventative vaccine remains a global priority for the elimination of HIV. The moderately protective RV144 vaccine trial suggested functional IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies were a potential correlate of protection, but the RV144-inspired HVTN702 validation trial failed to demonstrate efficacy despite inducing targeted levels of IgG1/IgG3. Alterations in inserts, and antigens, adjuvant, and regimen also resulted in vaccine induced target quantitative levels of the immune correlates, but drove qualitative changes to the humoral immune response, pointing to the urgent need to define the influence of vaccine strategies on shaping antibody quality, not just quantity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroorganisms
September 2021
Saliva sampling could serve as an alternative non-invasive sample for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis while rapid antigen tests (RATs) might help to mitigate the shortage of reagents sporadically encountered with RT-PCR. Thus, in the RESTART study we compared antigen and RT-PCR testing methods on nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and salivary samples. We conducted a prospective observational study among COVID-19 hospitalized patients between 10 December 2020 and 1 February 2021.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomed Res Int
December 2020
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can result in profound changes in blood coagulation. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence and predictors of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) among patients with COVID-19 requiring hospital admission. .
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