Background: Diagnostic test evaluation requires a reference standard. We describe an approach for creating a reference standard for acute infection using unrestricted adjudication and apply it to compare biomarker tools.
Methods: Adults and children with suspected acute infection enrolled in three prospective studies at emergency departments and urgent cares were included.
Background/objectives: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways affecting over 10% of the global population. It is characterized by airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness, driven predominantly by type 2 helper T cells (Th2) and type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) in a subset of patients. However, a significant portion of asthmatic individuals present with "type 2-low" asthma that is often refractory to standard inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReversed halo sign (RHS) is a radiological feature described as a focal, rounded area of ground-glass opacity surrounded by a ring of consolidation. In this report we describe two unique radiological cases demonstrating diffuse bilateral infiltrates with multiple RHSs in chest CT scans. Both patients were ultimately diagnosed as having tuberculosis (TB) and had been exposed to silica in the past.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMediterr J Hematol Infect Dis
January 2024
Background: Hospitalized hematological patients often require bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Scarce evidence exists regarding the potential risks in patients with very severe thrombocytopenia (VST).
Methods: This retrospective-cohort study included adult hematological in-patients with VST, defined as platelets<20x10/μL, undergoing BAL during 2012-2021.
Background: Concerns regarding positive-pressure-ventilation for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hypoxemia led the search for alternative oxygenation techniques. This study aimed to assess one such method, dual oxygenation, i.e.
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