Publications by authors named "S Gerakari"
Background: In the ACCESS trial, the addition of clarithromycin to standard-of-care antibiotics (SoC) enhanced early clinical response and attenuated the inflammatory burden in adults with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) requiring hospitalisation. A post-hoc analysis was performed to investigate the benefit in specific subgroups.
Methods: The primary endpoint comprised two conditions to be met during the first 72 h: ≥50% decrease in respiratory symptom severity score; and any of ≥30% decrease in sequential organ failure assessment score and favourable change in the kinetics of procalcitonin (PCT, defined as ≥80% PCT decrease or PCT <0.
Clarithromycin for early anti-inflammatory responses in community-acquired pneumonia in Greece (ACCESS): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Lancet Respir Med
April 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study examines whether adding the macrolide antibiotic clarithromycin to β-lactam antibiotics can improve early clinical responses in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia, based on previous observational studies rather than randomized trials.
- Conducted as a phase 3 double-blind randomized controlled trial in Greece, the research involved adult patients with severe pneumonia who were given either standard care plus a placebo or standard care plus clarithromycin for seven days.
- The primary outcome measured included a significant improvement in respiratory symptoms and reduction in inflammatory response after 72 hours of treatment, with both groups being kept unaware of their allocated treatment for unbiased results.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate a blood test that measures MxA and CRP levels to differentiate between viral and bacterial respiratory infections in adults.
- A total of 537 patients were analyzed, leading to the development of a diagnostic equation with high sensitivity for bacterial infections (91.6%).
- The findings suggest that using MxA and CRP measurements can effectively identify the type of respiratory infection, helping guide appropriate treatment.
Article Synopsis
- * The patient experienced a lung abscess two weeks after being hospitalized for COVID-19, leading to sepsis, acute respiratory failure, and the need for mechanical ventilation.
- * Despite treatment with antibiotics and aspiration drainage, the patient unfortunately died 20 days after admission, highlighting the serious risks of lung abscesses in COVID-19 patients, especially those who are immunocompromised.
Background: Omicron-1 COVID-19 is less invasive in the general population than previous viral variants. However, clinical course and outcome of hospitalised patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia during the shift of the predominance from Delta to Omicron variants are not fully explored.
Methods: During January 2022 consecutively hospitalised patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia were analysed.