Favipiravir in early symptomatic COVID-19, a randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Well tolerated antivirals administered early in the course of COVID-19 infection when the viremia is highest could prevent progression to severe disease. Favipiravir inhibits SARS-CoV-2 viral replication with evidence of clinical benefit in open label trials. Placebo controlled studies of people with early symptomatic COVID-19 with regular assessments of SARS-CoV-2 viral load can determine if it has an antiviral effect and improves clinical outcomes.

Assisted hatching of vitrified-warmed blastocysts prior to embryo transfer does not improve pregnancy outcomes.

Objective: This study aims to determine the impact of assisted hatching (AH) on pregnancy outcomes in vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfers, and evaluate if embryo expansion or morphology influences outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed including vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfers at our clinic between 2013 and 2017. Of the 2165 embryo transfers, 1986 underwent laser AH and 179 were non-assisted hatched (NAH).

The diagnosis of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and trichomonas infections by self obtained low vaginal swabs, in remote northern Australian clinical practice.

Objective: To examine the diagnostic performance of self obtained low vaginal swabs (SOLVS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques in the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infection in a variety of clinical practice settings in remote north western Australia.

Design: A cross sectional field study of microbiological collection techniques in women undergoing gynaecological investigation in remote settings performed by a variety of practitioner types over 10 months.

Participants And Setting: 349 women from remote towns and communities in the Kimberley region of north west Western Australia having gynaecological examinations for clinical reasons, well women screening, antenatal screening, and sexual health examinations.

Parasite elimination programs: at home and away.

A more coordinated, national approach to parasite control would have substantial benefits.

Detection of methicillin resistance in primary blood culture isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci by PCR, slide agglutination, disk diffusion, and a commercial method.

The methicillin resistance of 363 coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from blood cultures was determined by a slide latex agglutination (LA) test for penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP 2a), the presence of the mecA gene by PCR, disk diffusion, and Vitek. LA was performed on primary cultures, and PBP 2a expression was induced by placing an oxacillin disk in the primary inoculum. Compared to the PCR results, LA was the most sensitive and specific in the detection of methicillin resistance.