230 results match your criteria: ""Prof. Dr. Matei Bals" National Institute for Infectious Diseases[Affiliation]"

Importance: Research diversity and representativeness are paramount in building trust, generating valid biomedical knowledge, and possibly in implementing clinical guidelines.

Objectives: To compare variations over time and across World Health Organization (WHO) geographic regions of corticosteroid use for treatment of severe COVID-19; secondary objectives were to evaluate the association between the timing of publication of the RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) trial (June 2020) and the WHO guidelines for corticosteroids (September 2020) and the temporal trends observed in corticosteroid use by region and to describe the geographic distribution of the recruitment in clinical trials that informed the WHO recommendation.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This prospective cohort study of 434 851 patients was conducted between January 31, 2020, and September 2, 2022, in 63 countries worldwide.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The 5Ds of optimized antimicrobial prescription in dental medicine.

Germs

September 2023

DDS, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Implant Prosthetic Therapy, Faculty of Dentistry, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17-23 Calea Plevnei, Bucharest 010221, Romania.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a viral disease with primary pulmonary involvement and systemic impact. This article aims to assess the importance of clinical, biological, demographic and radioimaging parameters in COVID-19 patients in characterizing the incidence and severity of the hepatobiliary involvement.

Methods: We performed an observational cohort study on 132 consecutive patients, evaluating their demographics, hospitalization period, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO) in the ambient air, as well as biochemical markers of hepatobiliary involvement: aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DB), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), serum albumin, total serum proteins, D-dimers; coagulation tests such as prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and international normalized ratio (INR); inflammatory markers: fibrinogen, serum ferritin, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Risk mitigation for vaccine-preventable diseases in the dental clinic.

Germs

June 2023

DDS, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Implant Prosthetic Therapy, Faculty of Dentistry, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17-23 Calea Plevnei, Bucharest 010221, Romania.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The and genera are diverse soil-related bacterial pathogens. In this case report, we describe, to our knowledge, the first report of septic arthritis in a native hip joint in an immunocompetent adult patient caused by and . We describe the case of a 39-year-old Caucasian male patient who sought medical advice for chronic pain on the mobilization of the right hip, decreased range of motion, and physical asthenia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Zapnometinib is an oral, non-ATP-competitive, small-molecule inhibitor of MEK1/MEK2 with immunomodulatory and antiviral properties. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of zapnometinib in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre, proof-of-concept, phase 2 trial, we recruited hospitalised adults with moderate or severe COVID-19 from 18 hospitals in Germany, India, Romania, South Africa, and Spain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chronic otitis with cholesteatoma is a potentially dangerous disease that can lead to the development of intracranial abscesses. Although cerebellar abscess is half as common as cerebral abscess, it is known for its particularly difficult diagnosis, which requires the visualization of the pathological process continuity from the mastoid to the posterior fossa. In this article, we present an extremely rare case from the literature of cholesteatomatous otomastoiditis complicated with meningitis and cerebellar abscess, along with the description of technical surgical details for the plugging of the bony defect between the mastoid and posterior fossa with muscle and surgical glue.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Oral biofilms - pivotal role in understanding microbes and their relevance to the human host.

Germs

March 2023

DDS, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Implant Prosthetic Therapy, Faculty of Dentistry, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 17-23 Calea Plevnei, Bucharest 010221, Romania.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Although ocular disorders can occasionally impact people with HIV over the course of their illness, HIV/AIDS is unmistakably a multisystem disorder. A physician can rule out a wide range of ophthalmic problems with the assistance of an ophthalmologist, from adnexal disorders to posterior segment diseases, including those affecting the optic tract and optic nerve. : Based on patient medical data from the "St.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Back-to-school for university students - can infectious diseases be taught online?

Germs

September 2022

MD, PhD, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Prof. Dr. Matei Balş", No. 1 Dr Calistrat Grozovici street, Bucharest, 021105, Romania.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tuberculosis is a contagious disease that has been a concern for humanity throughout history, being recognized and referred to as the white plague. Since ancient times, starting with Hippocrates and Galen of Pergamon, doctors and scientists have attempted to understand the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and its manifestations in the brain. If, in the medieval period, it was believed that only the touch of a king could cure the disease, it was only in the early 17th and 18th centuries that the first descriptions of tuberculous meningitis and the first clinico-pathological correlations began to emerge.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have been associated with multiple environmental factors, including diet. A dietary pattern characterized by low fiber content, high fat content and high carbohydrate content has been linked to the development of IBD. The objective of the current investigation is to examine the potential link between dietary patterns and the occurrence of IBD and to investigate whether there are any differences in relation to the type of IBD and specific food groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) has since 2012 provided patient-level data on severe influenza-like-illnesses from >100 participating clinical sites worldwide based on a core protocol and consistent case definitions.

Methods: We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the risk of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital death among hospitalized patients with influenza and explored the role of patient-level covariates and country income level.

Results: The data set included 73 121 patients hospitalized with respiratory illness in 22 countries, including 15 660 with laboratory-confirmed influenza.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The rate of thrombotic complications in COVID-19 patients is high and could be associated with the risk of unfavourable outcomes. Moreover, pulmonary thrombotic events can occur even in patients already on anticoagulant treatment. We present the case of a patient with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, without traditional risk factors for thrombosis, who developed massive pulmonary thrombosis (PT) despite therapeutic anticoagulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Accidental exposure to blood or other biological fluids is a common occurrence in dentistry, and its post-exposure management is a key component of infection prevention and control programs designed to prevent the transmission of blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV, HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This narrative review aims to comprehensively review the risk assessment process for each of these pathogens at all steps of the epidemiological process, i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Changes in pNFH Levels in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Motor Evolution after the Loading Dose with Nusinersen in Different Types of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Medicina (Kaunas)

July 2023

Department of Pathophysiology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Prof. Dr. Matei Bals, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila", 1 Calistrat Grozovici Street, 021105 Bucharest, Romania.

The objective of our retrospective study was to investigate the changes in pNFH levels in cerebrospinal fluid, which is a reliable marker of neuronal damage, after the loading dose of nusinersen in different types of spinal muscular atrophy. We analyzed the spinal muscular atrophy types, the number of copies of the SMN2 gene, and the progression of the motor status using specific motor function scales in a group of 38 patients with spinal muscular atrophy types 1, 2, and 3. We found a significant inverse correlation between pNFH levels and patient age, progress on functional motor scales, and nusinersen administration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary thrombotic events occur frequently and are associated with disease severity and worse clinical outcomes. We aimed to describe the clinical and quantitative chest computed tomography (CT) imaging characteristics based on density ranges (Hounsfield units) and the outcomes of patients with COVID-19 associated pulmonary artery thrombosis. This retrospective cohort study included all patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in a tertiary care hospital between March 2020 and June 2022 who underwent a CT pulmonary angiography.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network (GIHSN) was established in 2012 to conduct coordinated worldwide influenza surveillance. In this study, we describe underlying comorbidities, symptoms, and outcomes in patients hospitalized with influenza.

Methods: Between November 2018 and October 2019, GIHSN included 19 sites in 18 countries using a standardized surveillance protocol.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The study aims to describe the frequency of COVID-19 in healthcare workers (HCWs) in a designated hospital for COVID-19 treatment in Bucharest, Romania, and to explore COVID-19 vaccination and other factors associated with the clinical outcome. We actively surveyed all HCWs from 26 February 2020 to 31 December 2021. Cases were laboratory-confirmed with RT-PCR or rapid test antigen.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * PBDAs are derived from a variety of sources like cereals, legumes, and nuts, and can provide similar nutritional benefits to traditional dairy products, making them popular among those with dietary restrictions or health issues.
  • * This paper reviews 148 studies on PBDAs, examining their nutritional, technological aspects, and health implications, while also addressing industrial challenges in their production and preservation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Context: Both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represent systemic diseases that may develop metabolic complications, thus HIV/HCV coinfection metabolic changes need to be depicted.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the body composition changes in patients with either HIV and HCV monoinfections or HIV/HCV coinfection.

Methods: 123 young men divided into three groups: 41 with HIV/HCV coinfection, 42 with HIV-monoinfection, and 40 with HCV-monoinfection were evaluated for total and regional bone and soft tissue body composition assessments using a Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and were compared with 40 healthy men with age and body mass index similar to the study groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mechanisms of COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Thrombosis: A Narrative Review.

Biomedicines

March 2023

Infectious Diseases Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila", 37 Dionisie Lupu Street, 020021 Bucharest, Romania.

COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is frequently associated with pulmonary thrombotic events, especially in hospitalized patients. Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection is characterized by a proinflammatory state and an associated disbalance in hemostasis. Immune pathology analysis supports the inflammatory nature of pulmonary arterial thrombi composed of white blood cells, especially neutrophils, CD and CD lymphocytes, fibrin, red blood cells, and platelets.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This article systematically presents the current clinically significant therapeutic developments for the treatment of COVID-19 by providing an in-depth review of molecular mechanisms of action for SARS-CoV-2 antivirals and critically analyzing the potential targets that may allow the selection of resistant viral variants. Two main categories of agents can display antiviral activity: direct-acting antivirals, which act by inhibiting viral enzymes, and host-directed antivirals, which target host cell factors that are involved in steps of the viral life cycle. We discuss both these types of antivirals, highlighting the agents that have already been approved for treatment of COVID-19, and providing an overview of the main molecules that are currently in drug development.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Strategic and standardised approaches to analysis and reporting of surveillance data are essential to inform antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mitigation measures, including antibiotic policies. Targeted guidance on linking full-scale AMR and antimicrobial consumption (AMC)/antimicrobial residues (AR) surveillance data from the human, animal, and environmental sectors is currently needed. This paper describes the initiative whereby a multidisciplinary panel of experts (56 from 20 countries-52 high income, 4 upper middle or lower income), representing all three sectors, elaborated proposals for structuring and reporting full-scale AMR and AMC/AR surveillance data across the three sectors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF