Background: Conestat alfa (ConA), a recombinant human C1 inhibitor, may prevent thromboinflammation.
Methods: We conducted a randomized, open-label, multi-national clinical trial in which hospitalized adults at risk for progression to severe COVID-19 were assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either 3 days of ConA plus standard of care (SOC) or SOC alone. Primary and secondary endpoints were day 7 disease severity on the WHO Ordinal Scale, time to clinical improvement within 14 days, and safety, respectively.
Antimicrob Resist Infect Control
February 2022
Background: There is insufficient evidence regarding the role of respirators in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We analysed the impact of filtering facepiece class 2 (FFP2) versus surgical masks on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 acquisition among Swiss healthcare workers (HCW).
Methods: Our prospective multicentre cohort enrolled HCW from June to August 2020.
Antimicrob Resist Infect Control
January 2022
Background: Despite the adoption of strict infection prevention and control measures, many hospitals have reported outbreaks of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) during the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Following an outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) in our institution, we sought to systematically analyse characteristics of MDRO outbreaks in times of COVID-19, focussing on contributing factors and specific challenges in controlling these outbreaks.
Methods: We describe results of our own CRAB outbreak investigation and performed a systematic literature review for MDRO (including Candida auris) outbreaks which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic (between December 2019 and March 2021).
Trials
January 2021
Objectives: Conestat alfa, a recombinant human C1 esterase inhibitor, is a multi-target inhibitor of inflammatory cascades including the complement, the kinin-kallikrein and the contact activation system. The study objective is to investigate the efficacy and safety of conestat alfa in improving disease severity and short-term outcome in COVID-19 patients with pulmonary disease.
Trial Design: This study is an investigator-initiated, randomized (2:1 ratio), open-label, parallel-group, controlled, multi-center, phase 2a clinical trial.
Oxf Med Case Reports
November 2018
Background: Cancer is one of the major comorbidities in patients with sepsis, and conversely, bloodstream infections (BSI) may precede the diagnosis of colorectal malignancy, in particular when is isolated. We present the rare case of an BSI preceding the diagnosis of rectal adenocarcinoma.
Case Presentation: A 56-year-old man with a history of ocular myasthenia gravis presented with fever and shaking chills, and was diagnosed with BSI of unknown origin.