Antibiotic treatment and antimicrobial resistance in children with urinary tract infections.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe antibiotic prescribing patterns and antimicrobial resistance rates in hospitalised children with febrile and afebrile urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Methods: Antibiotic prescriptions and antibiograms for neonates, infants and older children with UTI admitted to a general district hospital in Central Greece were evaluated. Data covering a 5-year period were collected retrospectively from the Paediatric Department's Electronic Clinical Archive.

A prospective study on the epidemiology and clinical significance of viral respiratory infections among pediatric oncology patients.

Respiratory infections in oncology are both common and potentially severe. However, there is still a gap in the literature, regarding the epidemiology of viral respiratory infections in children with cancer. We prospectively enrolled 224 patients, from September 2012 to August 2015.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Rivaroxaban for Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in Greece.

Background And Objective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a major healthcare concern that results in substantial morbidity and mortality with great economic burden for healthcare systems. Hence, the need for effective and efficient treatment of patients with VTE is important for both clinical and economic reasons. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost effectiveness of rivaroxaban compared to standard of care (SoC) with enoxaparin followed by dose-adjusted vitamin-K antagonists for the treatment of DVT and PE in Greece.

Economic evaluation of trimetazidine in the management of chronic stable angina in Greece.

Background: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of trimetazidine (TMZ) as add-on therapy to standard-of-care (SoC) compared to SoC alone in patients with chronic stable angina who did not respond adequately to first line therapy with b-blockers, nitrates or calcium channel antagonists in Greece.

Methods: A Markov model with 3-month cycles and 1-year time horizon was developed to assess the comparators. The analysis was conducted from a third-party payer perspective.

A literature review to evaluate the economic value of ranolazine for the symptomatic treatment of chronic angina pectoris.

To conduct a systematic review of the evidence regarding the economic value of ranolazine relative to standard-of-care (SOC) for the treatment of symptomatic chronic stable angina (CSA). Electronic databases were searched using relevant keywords. The identified studies were independently reviewed by two investigators against pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis in pediatric patients in Greece: Compliance with guidelines and impact of an educational intervention.

Background/purpose: Appropriate antimicrobial prophylaxis (PAP) prevents surgical site infections (SSI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve adherence to PAP guidelines in pediatric patients.

Methods: A three-phase prospective study with a pre-post design was conducted from April 2013 to December 2014.

Ranolazine for the symptomatic treatment of patients with chronic angina pectoris in Greece: a cost-utility study.

Background: To conduct an economic evaluation comparing ranolazine as add-on therapy to standard-of-care (SoC) with SoC alone in patients with stable angina who did not respond adequately to first line therapy, in Greece.

Methods: A decision tree model was locally adapted in the Greek setting to evaluate the cost-utility of ranolazine during a 6-month period. The analysis was conducted from a third-party payer perspective.

Everolimus plus exemestane versus bevacizumab-based chemotherapy for second-line treatment of hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer in Greece: An economic evaluation study.

Background: The objective of our study was to conduct a cost-effectiveness (CE) study of combined everolimus (EVE) and exemestane (EXE) versus the common clinical practice in Greece for the treatment of postmenopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer (BC) progressing on nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors (NSAI). The combinations of bevacizumab (BEV) plus paclitaxel (PACL) and BEV plus capecitabine (CAPE) were selected as comparators.

Method: A Markov model, consisting of three health states, was used to describe disease progression and evaluate the CE of the comparators from a third-party payer perspective over a lifetime horizon.

Comparison of filgrastim and pegfilgrastim to prevent neutropenia and maintain dose intensity of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of prophylactic single fixed dose of pegfilgrastim and daily administration of filgrastim on febrile neutropenia (FN), severe neutropenia, treatment delay, and dose reduction in patients with breast cancer receiving dose-dense adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study with 1058 breast cancer patients matched by age and chemotherapy was conducted. The primary endpoints were FN, severe (grade 3, 4) neutropenia, dose reduction (>10 % reduction of the dose planned), and treatment delay (dose given more than 2 days later).

Economic evaluation of ivabradine in the treatment of chronic heart failure in Greece.

Background: The objective of our study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of ivabradine plus standard care (SoC) in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients with sinus rhythm and a baseline heart rate ≥ 75 b.p.m.

Assessment of hand hygiene resources and practices at the 2 children's hospitals in Greece.

Background: Hand hygiene (HH) is the most effective way to prevent health care-associated infections and the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. The aim of our study was to assess the existing HH resources and current HH practices at 2 hospitals in Athens, Greece.

Methods: Observational HH data and an inventory of HH resources were collected from 13 wards including medical/surgical, oncology/transplant and intensive care units, during 65, 1-hour observations periods.

The humanistic and economic burden of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients: a systematic review.

The objective of this study was to present evidence on the epidemiology, health outcomes and economic burden of cancer-related venous thromboembolism (VTE). Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Econlit, Science Direct, JSTOR, Oxford Journals and Cambridge Journals were searched. The systematic literature search was limited to manuscripts published from January 2000 to December 2012.

Economic evaluation of rivaroxaban in stroke prevention for patients with atrial fibrillation in Greece.

Background: To undertake an economic evaluation of rivaroxaban relative to the standard of care for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) in Greece.

Methods: An existing Markov model designed to reflect the natural progression of AF patients through different health states, in the course of three month cycles, was adapted to the Greek setting. The analysis was undertaken from a payer perspective.

Evaluation of PCR-based preimplantation genetic diagnosis applied to monogenic diseases: a collaborative ESHRE PGD consortium study.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for monogenic disorders currently involves polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods, which must be robust, sensitive and highly accurate, precluding misdiagnosis. Twelve adverse misdiagnoses reported to the ESHRE PGD-Consortium are likely an underestimate. This retrospective study, involving six PGD centres, assessed the validity of PCR-based PGD through reanalysis of untransferred embryos from monogenic-PGD cycles.