Chronic spontaneous urticaria remission definition and therapy stepping down: World Allergy Organization position paper.

Background: There is no global agreement on the definition of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) remission.

Objective: Our aim was to generate a consensus for clinical definitions of CSU-related terms focused on remission.

Methods: The World Allergy Organization Urticaria Committee systematically reviewed current available longitudinal articles.

Development and internal validation of El-Shazly-Buchholz's nomogram to predict postoperative complications after PCNL: A multicenter study.

Introduction: A model to predict the risk of surgical complications following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) could be a useful tool to guide clinical decision-making. The aim of this study was to develop a simple and widely applicable stratification tool to be used for patient counseling, surgical planning, evaluation of outcomes, and academic reporting.

Methods: Data of patients who underwent PCNL were retrieved from the database of the collaborating centers including demographics of patients, characteristics of their stones and urinary tracts, and perioperative data.

Severely compromised supply of patch test allergens in Europe hampers adequate diagnosis of occupational and non-occupational contact allergy. A European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD), European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) task forces 'Contact Dermatitis' and 'Occupational Skin Disease' position paper.

Patch testing is the only clinically applicable diagnostic method for Type IV allergy. The availability of Type IV patch test (PT) allergens in Europe, however, is currently scarce. This severely compromises adequate diagnostics of contact allergy, leading to serious consequences for the affected patients.

COVID-19 and Coinfection Analysis in the Intensive Care Unit.

Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019, the global mortality attributable to COVID-19 has reached 6,972,152 deaths according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The association between coinfection with (CDI) and SARS-CoV-2 has limited data in the literature. This retrospective study, conducted at Mureș County Clinical Hospital in Romania, involved 3002 ICU patients.

SLESIS-R: an improved score for prediction of serious infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus based on the RELESSER prospective cohort.

Objective: To develop an improved score for prediction of severe infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), namely, the SLE Severe Infection Score-Revised (SLESIS-R) and to validate it in a large multicentre lupus cohort.

Methods: We used data from the prospective phase of RELESSER (RELESSER-PROS), the SLE register of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology. A multivariable logistic model was constructed taking into account the variables already forming the SLESIS score, plus all other potential predictors identified in a literature review.

Cytokine profile levels and their relationship with parasitemia and cardiomyopathy in people with Chagas disease in Spain. A prospective observational study.

Immunoregulatory networks may have a role in controlling parasitemia in the chronic phase of human Chagas disease. The aim was to describe the serum cytokine profile of Trypanosoma cruzi in chronically infected patients and to evaluate its relationship with parasitemia and Chagas cardiomyopathy.This prospective observational study included adult patients with chronic Chagas disease.

Long-Term Radiological Pulmonary Changes in Mechanically Ventilated Patients with Respiratory Failure due to SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

From the first reports of SARS-CoV-2, at the end of 2019 to the present, the global mortality associated with COVID-19 has reached 6,952,522 deaths as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Early intubation and mechanical ventilation can increase the survival rate of critically ill patients. This prospective study was carried out on 885 patients in the ICU of Mureș County Clinical Hospital, Romania.

Understanding Carbohydrate Metabolism and Insulin Resistance in Acute Intermittent Porphyria.

Porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) haploinsufficiency (acute intermittent porphyria, AIP) is characterized by neurovisceral attacks associated with high production, accumulation and urinary excretion of heme precursors, δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG). The estimated clinical penetrance for AIP is extremely low (<1%), therefore it is likely that other factors may play an important role in the predisposition to developing attacks. Fasting is a known triggering factor.

Effect of semaglutide on fatty liver disease biomarkers in patients with diabetes and obesity.

Aim: This work aims to assess the effect of weekly subcutaneous semaglutide on biomarkers of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), namely the hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, at 24 weeks in outpatients attended to in internal medicine departments.

Methods: This study analyzed patients in an ongoing, multicenter, prospective, pre-post, uncontrolled cohort registry that enrolls unique, consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes treated with weekly subcutaneous semaglutide. Steatosis/fibrosis were determined by HSI (<30 ruled out, >36 steatosis) and FIB-4 (<1.

Which Antibiotic for Urinary Tract Infections in Pregnancy? A Literature Review of International Guidelines.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is considered to be a major problem in pregnant women. It is also one of the most prevalent infections during pregnancy, being diagnosed in as many as 50-60% of all gestations. Therefore, UTI treatment during pregnancy is extremely important and management guidelines have been published worldwide to assist physicians in selecting the right antibiotic for each patient, taking into account the maternal and fetal safety profile.

The European baseline series and recommended additions: 2023.

The European baseline series was last updated in 2019. This article discusses the reasoning behind a further iteration of the series for 2023.

WHO Ordinal Scale and Inflammation Risk Categories in COVID-19. Comparative Study of the Severity Scales.

Background: The WHO ordinal severity scale has been used to predict mortality and guide trials in COVID-19. However, it has its limitations.

Objective: The present study aims to compare three classificatory and predictive models: the WHO ordinal severity scale, the model based on inflammation grades, and the hybrid model.

Experience With the Use of Baricitinib and Tocilizumab Monotherapy or Combined, in Patients With Interstitial Pneumonia Secondary to Coronavirus COVID19: A Real-World Study.

Objective: To describe the experience of treatment with baricitinib (BARI) and/or tocilizumab (TCZ), in monotherapy or combined, in patients admitted for interstitial pneumonia secondary to COVID19, and for 30 days after discharge.

Methods: Medical records of patients admitted with COVID19 and IP with PaO/FiO<300, treated with BARI and/or TCZ, and compared with patients who did not, were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Sixty patients were included; 43 (72%) are males, mean age 67 (SD: 14) years (<50 years: 17%; 51-70: 30%; >70: 53%), with 8.

Clusters of inflammation in COVID-19: descriptive analysis and prognosis on more than 15,000 patients from the Spanish SEMI-COVID-19 Registry.

Uncontrolled inflammation following COVID-19 infection is an important characteristic of the most seriously ill patients. The present study aims to describe the clusters of inflammation in COVID-19 and to analyze their prognostic role. This is a retrospective observational study including 15,691 patients with a high degree of inflammation.

Real-World Treatment Patterns and Clinical Outcomes of Baricitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Spain: Results of a Multicenter, Observational Study in Routine Clinical Practice (The ORBIT-RA Study).

Introduction: Baricitinib is an oral Janus kinase (JAK)1/JAK2 inhibitor approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to investigate patients' characteristics, prescription patterns, effectiveness, and treatment persistence in patients receiving baricitinib in real-world practice in Spain.

Methods: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study conducted in five rheumatology units included adults with RA initiating baricitinib (Sep-2017-May-19) with at least a 6-month-follow-up.

Population-Based Survey Showing That Breastfed Babies Have a Lower Frequency of Risk Factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Than Nonbreastfed Babies.

Breastfeeding provides the best infant food, and closeness to the mother is crucial for successful breastfeeding. However, sharing parents' beds and sleeping on the stomach poses a high risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). There is little information on these practices regarding the Spanish population.

The Use of Corticosteroids or Tocilizumab in COVID-19 Based on Inflammatory Markers.

Background: The inflammatory cascade is the main cause of death in COVID-19 patients. Corticosteroids (CS) and tocilizumab (TCZ) are available to treat this escalation but which patients to administer it remains undefined.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of immunosuppressive/anti-inflammatory therapy in COVID-19, based on the degree of inflammation.

Relationship between Medium-Term Changes in Intraocular Lens Position and Refraction after Cataract Surgery with Two Different Models of Monofocal Lenses.

The aim of this prospective descriptive study was to characterize the variations of the clinical effective lens position (ELP) (considering paraxial optics and postoperative data) and the intraocular lens (IOL) position, using "eye" data gathered from a 6-month follow-up of patients who underwent uneventful cataract surgery. Patients were implanted with two different monofocal IOLs: AcrySof IQ SN60WF (Alcon) (Group 1, 247 eyes) and Akreos MI60L (Bausch & Lomb) (Group 2, 104 eyes). No significant differences were found between groups concerning spherical equivalent (SE), axial length, and clinical ELP changes, from 1 to 6 months after surgery ( ≥ 0.

Population-Based Cohort of Children With Parapneumonic Effusion and Empyema Managed With Low Rates of Pleural Drainage.

The most appropriate treatment for parapneumonic effusion (PPE), including empyema, is controversial. We analyzed the experience of our center and the hospitals in its reference area after adopting a more conservative approach that reduced the use of chest tube pleural drainage (CTPD). Review of the clinical documentation of all PPE patients in nine hospitals from 2010 to 2018.

Effect of newer antihyperglycemic drugs on liver steatosis indices in patients with diabetes and obesity.

Aim: To assess the efficacy of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors agonist (GLP-1RA) therapy on liver steatosis measured by fatty liver index (FLI) and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) at 26 weeks in outpatients with diabetes and obesity.

Methods: Observational, prospective, multicenter study. Patients with steatosis determined by FLI (values <30 rule out and >60 indicate steatosis) and HIS (values <30 rule out and >36 indicate steatosis) who received combination therapy were included.

Low-/high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy: long-term results from a single institution team experience.

Purpose: To compare brachytherapy (BT) boost of low-dose-rate (LDR) and high-dose-rate (HDR) techniques in patients diagnosed with intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

Material And Methods: Between January 2005 and February 2018, 142 patients (50 LDR and 92 HDR) with intermediate-risk prostate cancer were treated with a BT boost, and retrospectively analyzed. Prescribed dose was 45 Gy with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) plus 100-108 Gy with LDR-BT, and 60 Gy with EBRT plus one fraction of 10 Gy with HDR-BT.

Efficacy of Perceptual Learning-Based Vision Training as an Adjuvant to Occlusion Therapy in the Management of Amblyopia: A Pilot Study.

A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate preliminarily the efficacy of perceptual learning (PL) visual training in medium-term follow-up with a specific software (Amblyopia iNET, Home Therapy Systems Inc., Gold Canyon, AZ, USA) for visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) recovering in a sample of 14 moderate to severe amblyopic subjects with a previously unsuccessful outcome or failure with patching (PL Group). This efficacy was compared with that achieved in a patching control group (13 subjects, Patching 2).

Prior Treatment with Statins is Associated with Improved Outcomes of Patients with COVID-19: Data from the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry.

Background: The impact of statins on COVID-19 outcomes is important given the high prevalence of their use among individuals at risk for severe COVID-19. Our aim is to assess whether patients receiving chronic statin treatment who are hospitalized with COVID-19 have reduced in-hospital mortality if statin therapy is maintained during hospitalization.

Methods: This work is a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective multicenter study that analyzed 2921 patients who required hospital admission at 150 Spanish centers included in the nationwide SEMI-COVID-19 Network.