A Point Prevalence Survey of Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Use in Public Acute Care Hospitals in Crete, Greece.

Background: Both healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance are associated with an increased length of stay and hospital costs, while they have also been linked to high morbidity and mortality rates. In 2016 and 2017, the latest point prevalence survey (PPS) of HAIs and antimicrobial use in European acute care hospitals highlighted an HAI prevalence of 6.5%, while Greece had a higher HAI prevalence of 10%.

coMpliAnce with evideNce-based cliniCal guidelines in the managemenT of acute biliaRy pancreAtitis): The MANCTRA-1 international audit.

Background/objectives: Reports about the implementation of recommendations from acute pancreatitis guidelines are scant. This study aimed to evaluate, on a patient-data basis, the contemporary practice patterns of management of biliary acute pancreatitis and to compare these practices with the recommendations by the most updated guidelines.

Methods: All consecutive patients admitted to any of the 150 participating general surgery (GS), hepatopancreatobiliary surgery (HPB), internal medicine (IM) and gastroenterology (GA) departments with a diagnosis of biliary acute pancreatitis between 01/01/2019 and 31/12/2020 were included in the study.

DPP4 Inhibitor-Induced Bullous Pemphigoid in Patients with Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease: Clinical Case Series.

Introduction: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors (gliptins) are commonly prescribed for glucose control in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) in whom other oral glucose-lowering agents are contraindicated. In the past few years, new reports of drug-induced bullous pemphigoid associated with DPP4 inhibitors have emerged. However, there is not enough information about the renal function of the patients with DPP4 inhibitor-induced bullous pemphigoid, and it remains unknown whether the risk of this complication is increased among patients with CKD.

Migration and newborn screening: time to build on the European Asylum, Integration and Migration Fund?

Purpose: The authors discuss the need for newborn screening in the context of the migration policy of the European Union, and particularly, the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.

Methods: The authors searched scholarly databases (Pubmed, Scopus, Google scholar) and grey literature (LexEuropa, Policy reports) to identify original peer-reviewed research examining the migration to the European Union and the provision of healthcare to infants born to refugees and immigrant mothers. Resources in language different from English, French, German and Greek were not taken into consideration.

[Depressive symptoms and insulin pump therapy in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review].

Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic, multifactorial metabolic disease that requires constant medical care. T1DM is the result of an irreversible destruction of pancreatic β-cells, inevitably leading individuals to chronic exogenous insulin dependence. The prevalence of depression among T1DM is common and affects both the progression and management of the disease.

Validation of the International IgA Nephropathy Prediction Tool in the Greek Registry of IgA Nephropathy.

Background: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is among the commonest glomerulonephritides in Greece and an important cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) with an insidious chronic course. Thus, the recently published International IgAN prediction tool could potentially provide valuable risk stratification and guide the appropriate treatment module. This study aimed to externally validate this prediction tool using a patient cohort from the IgAN registry of the Greek Society of Nephrology.

Inpatient Cost of Stroke Care in Greece: Preliminary Results of the Web-Based "SUN4P" Registry.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to calculate the average operational cost per sub-type of stroke patient and to investigate cost drivers (e.g. ALoS, NIHSS score, age) correlated to cost.

Assessing Staff's and Stroke Patients' Experiences in 8 Hospitals in Greece: Results from a Prospective Multi-Center Study ("SUN4Patients").

Unlabelled: To assess stroke patient-reported experiences and hospital staff experiences, during hospital stay.

Methods: Stroke patient-reported experiences (n=387) were recorded using the translated and culturally adapted NHS-Stroke Questionnaire into Greek and staff experiences (n=236) were investigated using the Compassion Satisfaction and Burnout subscales of the ProQOL questionnaire.

Results: Staff's mean compassion satisfaction score was 39.

Stroke Units Necessity for Patients, Web-Based "SUN4P" Registry: Descriptive Characteristics of the Population.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to present the descriptive characteristics of the Stroke Units Necessity for Patients (SUN4P) registry.

Methods: The study population derived from the web-based SUN4P registry included 823 patients with first-ever acute stroke. Descriptive statistics were used to present patients' characteristics.

Antiplatelet and Antithrombotic Therapy in Type I Diabetes Mellitus: Update on Current Data.

Diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a markedly elevated cardiovascular (CV) risk due to premature atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown that intense glycemic control reduces the incidence of CV disease. Antiplatelet therapy is considered to be a very important therapy for secondary prevention of recurrent atherothrombotic events in patients with DM, while it may be considered for primary prevention in individuals with T1DM with additional CV risk factors.

Inflammatory myoglandular polyp as a cause of recurrent abdominal pain in a patient with quiescent Crohn's disease.

Chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa has been associated with the appearance of inflammatory polyps or pseudopolyps. Among the distinct categories of inflammatory polyps are inflammatory myoglandular polyps (IMGP) usually found in the colorectum. Only one case of IMGP in the terminal ileus has been described since their first description.

Technological Developments and Quality of Life in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Review of the Modern Insulin Analogues, Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Pump Therapy.

Background: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease, which is characterized by an increased prevalence worldwide, which, in fact, tends to take extensive dimensions. The recent rapid development of science and technology has significantly contributed to the improvement of the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus, both in achieving the required euglycaemic regulation and reducing the psychological burden associated with the disease, consequently improving the quality of life of the patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: A literature review from 2010, related to the contribution of the modern insulin analogues, continuous glucose monitoring and the insulin pump, was performed using Scopus, ScienceDirect and PubMed databases.

Hypothyroidism Induced Rhabdomyolysis in a Young Male after a Single Intramuscular Injection: A Case Report.

Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disorder resulting from the inability of the thyroid gland to produce sufficient thyroid hormone for the metabolic demands of the body. Clinical symptoms and signs are often non-specific and subtle. Muscular symptoms are frequently reported.

Acute paraplegia due to thoracolumbar schwannoma following trauma: A case report and literature review.

Spinal schwannomas account for one third of primary spinal neoplasms. Clinical presentation is related to the tumor location. An atypical case of acute paraplegia following a fall, on the ground of a thoracolumbar schwannoma, without intratumoral hemorrhage, in a previously asymptomatic patient is reported.

Congenital lumbar herniae: a systematic review.

Purpose: Congenital lumbar hernia is defined as the protrusion of intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal viscera through a defect of the posterior abdominal wall, present at birth. The aim of our study was to perform a systematic review of this rare pathology, with emphasis on surgical decision-making.

Methods: The English literature (2000-2020) was reviewed, using PubMed, EMBASE and GoogleScholar databases, combining the terms "hernia", "lumbar", "flank", "Grynfeltt", "Petit" and "congenital".

Real-world safety and efficacy data of immunotherapy in patients with cancer and autoimmune disease: the experience of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group.

Background: Data on the safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in patients with concurrent autoimmune diseases (AID) are limited.

Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter review of medical records of patients with cancer and underlying AID who received ICI. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

Abdominal Cocoon Syndrome: An Extremely Rare Cause of Small Bowel Obstruction.

Abdominal cocoon syndrome or encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis is a rare condition causing small bowel obstruction. It is called cocoon syndrome because of the existence of an abnormal membrane that contains part or the entire small intestine. We present a case of a 49-year-old male, presenting to our department with recurrent episodes of obstructive ileus that did not respond to conservative treatment.

The diabetes quality of life brief clinical inventory in combination with the management strategies in type 1 diabetes mellitus with or without the use of insulin pump.

Aims: The aims of this study are to evaluate any differences in the Quality of life among Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII) and Multiple Dose Injection (MDI) insulin delivery, applying the Diabetes Quality of life Brief Clinical Inventory (DQoL-BCI) questionnaire, and assess the diabetes management strategies between the two groups.

Methods: One hundred and ten adult participants (male/female ratio 1:2.7) with type 1 diabetes were recruited in this online survey.

Buried Bumper Syndrome: A common complication of levodopa intestinal infusion for Parkinson disease.

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is required for Levodopa/Carbidopa Intestinal Gel (LCIG) delivery in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as for enteral feeding in a variety of neurological disorders. Buried Bumper Syndrome (BBS) is a serious complication of PEG. The frequency of BBS in patients receiving LCIG treatment has never been reported.

Clinical Significance of Germline Cancer Predisposing Variants in Unselected Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Our aim was to determine the prevalence, prognostic and predictive role of germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (P/LPVs) in cancer predisposing genes in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Germline testing of 62 cancer susceptibility genes was performed on unselected patients diagnosed from 02/2003 to 01/2020 with PDAC, treated at Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG)-affiliated Centers. The main endpoints were prevalence of P/LPVs and overall survival (OS).

Impact of Adverse Drug Reactions in Patients with End Stage Renal Disease in Greece.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) require specialized therapeutic interventions. The decreased renal function that modulates the physiology and presence of comorbidities is often associated with variations in the pharmacological response, thus increasing the risk of adverse drug events or reactions (ADE/ADRs) from co-administered drugs.

Methods: A cross-sectional study to record comorbidities, drug-drug interactions (DDIs), ADE/ADRs in patients with chronic kidney disease of stage five in Greece.

Management of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis during the COVID-19 pandemic-An EAACI position paper.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis is regarded as a chronic airway disease. According to WHO recommendations, it may be a risk factor for COVID-19 patients. In most CRSwNP cases, the inflammatory changes affecting the nasal and paranasal mucous membranes are type-2 (T2) inflammation endotypes.

Acceptability of Self-Sampling for Human Papillomavirus-Based Cervical Cancer Screening.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-DNA testing combined with self-sampling could increase cervical cancer screening effectiveness, utilizing a sensitive screening modality and an easy sampling method with minimal pain or discomfort. Self-sampling acceptability, though, is pivotal. This study is a nested cross-sectional survey within GRECOSELF, a cross-sectional study on HPV-based screening with self-sampling, aiming at investigating self-sampling acceptability among Greek women residing in rural areas, and the factors affecting it.