Patient Experiences and Perceptions with Infections Due to Multidrug-Resistant Organisms: A Systematic Review.

Infections by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) pose significant public health challenges, including increased mortality rates, healthcare costs, and significant impacts on the quality of life for patients. Utilizing a systematic review methodology adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we performed a comprehensive search across three databases, identifying 20 relevant studies that investigated the psychological effects of infections due to MDROs on hospitalized adults. The primary outcomes examined included depression, anxiety, and other psychosocial impacts, while secondary outcomes included patient and caregiver understanding of the infection.

Health Care System Overstretch and In-Hospital Mortality of Intubated Patients With COVID-19 in Greece From September 2020 to April 2022: Updated Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Our previous analysis showed how in-hospital mortality of intubated patients with COVID-19 in Greece is adversely affected by patient load and regional disparities.

Objective: We aimed to update this analysis to include the large Delta and Omicron waves that affected Greece during 2021-2022, while also considering the effect of vaccination on in-hospital mortality.

Methods: Anonymized surveillance data were analyzed from all patients with COVID-19 in Greece intubated between September 1, 2020, and April 4, 2022, and followed up until May 17, 2022.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine mandates in raising vaccination rates among the elderly and general population in Europe: Controlled interrupted time series analysis.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, three European countries (Austria, Greece, Italy) announced and/or implemented mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for high-risk groups in the general population. Besides the ethical justification for this policy, it is important to assess and quantify the effectiveness of the mandate in raising vaccination rates.

Methods: Controlled interrupted time series analysis of first-dose vaccination rates in the targeted age groups (Greece: ≥60 years; Italy: ≥50 years) relative to a control group (Greece: 50-59 years; Italy: 25-49 years) between week 35/2021 and week 50/2022.

Burnout and motivation to study medicine among students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aim: To investigate medical students' burnout and motivation levels in each of the six years of their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify independent predictors of burnout and motivation.

Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional survey was sent to the students of all six years within our school. Burnout was measured with the adapted Oldenburg Burnout Inventory questionnaire (OLBI-S) and motivation with the updated Strength of Motivation for Medical School (SMMS-R) questionnaire.

The impact of seasonal influenza vaccination uptake on COVID-19 vaccination attitudes in a rural area in Greece.

Introduction: Promoting vaccination for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially for high-risk groups such as the elderly and persons with comorbidities, is important for reducing the incidence of severe disease and death.

Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study of factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination, including previous influenza vaccination, among all persons who received medical services in a rural area in Crete, Greece, between October 2020-May 2021.

Results: Among 3129 participants, receipt of influenza vaccination in 2020-21 was strongly associated with COVID-19 vaccination, as was influenza vaccination in 2019-20, albeit to a lesser extent.

Comparative effectiveness and durability of COVID-19 vaccination against death and severe disease in an ongoing nationwide mass vaccination campaign.

As national coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mass vaccination campaigns are rolled out, monitoring real-world Vaccine Effectiveness (VE) and its durability is essential. We aimed to estimate COVID-19 VE against severe disease and death in the Greek population, for all vaccines currently in use. Nationwide active surveillance and vaccination registry data during January-December 2021 were used to estimate VE via quasi-Poisson regression, adjusted for age and calendar time.

Comparative efficacy and safety of vaccines to prevent seasonal influenza: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Influenza is one of the most common respiratory viral infections worldwide. Numerous vaccines are used to prevent influenza. Their selection should be informed by the best available evidence.

Extended Right-Sided Colon Resection Does Not Reduce the Risk of Colon Cancer Local-Regional Recurrence: Nationwide Population-Based Study From Danish Colorectal Cancer Group Database.

Background: It is controversial whether extensive resection of right-sided colon cancer confers oncological benefits.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate short- and long-term outcomes of extended surgical removal of the mesocolon compared to the conventional approach.

Design: This was a retrospective population-based study.

ESCMID COVID-19 guidelines: diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2.

Scope: The objective of these guidelines is to identify the most appropriate diagnostic test and/or diagnostic approach for SARS-CoV-2. The recommendations are intended to provide guidance to clinicians, clinical microbiologists, other health care personnel, and decision makers.

Methods: An ESCMID COVID-19 guidelines task force was established by the ESCMID Executive Committee.

Total patient load, regional disparities and in-hospital mortality of intubated COVID-19 patients in Greece, from September 2020 to May 2021.

Aims: While healthcare services have been expanding capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, quality of care under increasing patient loads has received less attention. We examined in-hospital mortality of intubated COVID-19 patients in Greece, in relation to total intubated patient load, intensive care unit (ICU) availability and hospital region.

Methods: Anonymized surveillance data were analyzed from all intubated COVID-19 patients in Greece between 1 September 2020 and 6 May 2021.

Undergraduate Medical Education During the Pandemic: How do Academic Staff Members in Greece and Cyprus Feel About it?

This study used a questionnaire to examine how academic staff members in Greece and Cyprus feel about the changes in undergraduate medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, e-learning was not considered an adequate way of teaching and was less enjoyable. Participants aged 31-40 years experienced more (= .

Active case finding of pulmonary TB in a European refugee camp: lessons learnt from Oinofyta hosting site in Greece.

Objectives: To report on an active case finding (ACF) intervention that took place in the migrant camp of Oinofyta, Greece, upon suspicion of active TB transmission.

Methods: Upon diagnosis of 3 TB cases among camp residents, an ACF intervention among contacts was implemented. All camp residents were offered two-step screening, that is tuberculin skin testing (TST) followed by chest X-ray in case of positive TST (defined as ≥5 mm).

The coexistence of asthma and COPD: risk factors, clinical history and lung function trajectories.

Patients with concomitant features of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a heavy disease burden.Using data collected prospectively in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, we compared the risk factors, clinical history and lung function trajectories from early adulthood to late sixties of middle-aged subjects with asthma+COPD (n=179), past (n=263) or current (n=808) asthma alone, COPD alone (n=111) or none of these (n=3477).Interview data and pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were obtained during three clinical examinations in 1991-1993, 1999-2002 and 2010-2013.

Effects of Social Distancing Measures during the First Epidemic Wave of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Infection, Greece.

Greece imposed a nationwide lockdown in March 2020 to mitigate transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 during the first epidemic wave. We conducted a survey on age-specific social contact patterns to assess effects of physical distancing measures and used a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered model to simulate the epidemic. Because multiple distancing measures were implemented simultaneously, we assessed their overall effects and the contribution of each measure.

Real-time monitoring shows substantial excess all-cause mortality during second wave of COVID-19 in Europe, October to December 2020.

The European monitoring of excess mortality for public health action (EuroMOMO) network monitors weekly excess all-cause mortality in 27 European countries or subnational areas. During the first wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Europe in spring 2020, several countries experienced extraordinarily high levels of excess mortality. Europe is currently seeing another upsurge in COVID-19 cases, and EuroMOMO is again witnessing a substantial excess all-cause mortality attributable to COVID-19.

Cumulative Occupational Exposures and Lung-Function Decline in Two Large General-Population Cohorts.

Few longitudinal studies have assessed the relationship between occupational exposures and lung-function decline in the general population with a sufficiently long follow-up. To examine the potential association in two large cohorts: the ECRHS (European Community Respiratory Health Survey) and the SAPALDIA (Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults). General-population samples of individuals aged 18 to 62 were randomly selected in 1991-1993 and followed up approximately 10 and 20 years later.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices about vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccinations of children among pregnant women in Greece.

Vaccine hesitancy has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of ten threats to public health globally in 2019. Pregnant women constitute an extremely important group for the study of knowledge and attitudes towards pediatric vaccinations. This is a cross-sectional survey conducted in two maternity hospitals in Athens.