Efficacy of rituximab in the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.

Background: Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is a chronic mucocutaneous disease that is mediated by antibodies that bind collagen VII. The treatment of EBA can be challenging and the use of multiple immunomodulatory drugs is often required. Rituximab has been reported to be an effective treatment for recalcitrant EBA, although the evidence base for this treatment is limited to case reports and case series.

Virtual Interview, Real Anxiety: Prospective Evaluation of a Focused Teaching Programme on Confidence Levels Among Medical Students Applying for Academic Clinical Posts.

Background: In 2020, final year medical students applying for the United Kingdom's competitive academic training posts face an additional challenge because interviews are conducted online rather than in-person. We assessed how this new format influences anxiety and the impact of a targeted course on candidates' confidence levels.

Methods: A mixed-methods national teaching programme including online bespoke mock interviews was delivered to prospective Academic Foundation Programme applicants.

Pharmacokinetic Properties of Rivaroxaban in Healthy Human Subjects.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have predictable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, limited potential for drug to drug interactions, and can be given at fixed doses without the need for routine coagulation monitoring, which makes them a very attractive alternative to vitamin K antagonists. DOACs act by specifically targeting a single coagulation factor, such as Factor Xa or thrombin. Rivaroxaban is a direct Factor Xa inhibitor and has been approved for use in several thromboembolic disorders, such as the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in adults with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and the prevention of recurrent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in adult patients.

Efficacy of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitors in the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure: A Review of Landmark Trials.

Heart failure (HF) is a multi-faceted clinical condition affecting up to 2% of the population in the developed world and is linked to significant morbidity and mortality, therefore posing a major public health concern. To this date, pharmacotherapy for HF has mainly focused on chronic HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) being at the centre of the management plan, alongside angiotensin-receptor-blockers (ARBs), β-blockers (BB) and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs). A novel and recently approved therapy, however, involving angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI), has shown very promising results and comparable to those of ACEi, which raises the question of whether ACEi should remain the first-line treatment option for HFrEF.

Efficacy and Safety of Deep Brain Stimulation in the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure indicated for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Whether similar benefits may be realized by patients with early PD, however, is currently unclear, especially given the potential risks of the procedure. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relative efficacy and safety of DBS in comparison to best medical therapy (BMT) in the treatment of PD.