Search results: (10000)
News Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Rare Disease with Severe Prognosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) represents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. This rare diffuse primary fibroproliferative involvement of lung tissue is characterized by progressive exertional dyspnea, with antifibrotic treatment being the first-line therapeutic modality.
News Nasal Smear as a Modern and Gentle Diagnostic Method for Allergic Rhinitis
Up to 130 million Europeans suffer from allergic rhinitis. Until now, standard diagnostic methods have been skin prick tests and laboratory blood tests. Both methods, however, present significant discomfort for many patients, and skin prick tests can also yield false-positive results. That's why researchers are focusing on new diagnostic possibilities for allergic rhinitis.
News XR vs. IR Form of Metformin − It’s Not Just About Gastrointestinal Tolerability
It is well known that the XR form of metformin shows better gastrointestinal tolerability. However, research suggests that the two forms of metformin − XR and IR − differ in other aspects as well. In what ways? We will attempt to summarize this in the following text.
News INTERACTIVE CASE STUDY: Treatment of glaucoma medications without preservatives – current trend
The use of glaucoma medications without preservatives has been a trend in recent years. You can try their clinical application in the role of a prescribing doctor in an interactive case study. Practical information about this popular local treatment is based on the evidence-based medicine foundation, provided by its author MUDr. Petr Výborný, CSc., from the Eye Clinic of the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Military Hospital in Prague.
News Overuse of Corticosteroids as a Serious Problem in ITP
Corticosteroids (CS) are a common part of the treatment for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, their administration is associated with significant short-term and long-term toxicity, and the goal should be to minimize their use to the shortest possible duration. Early combination with other medications could be helpful in this regard.
News Interactive Case Study of a Patient with Severe Hemophilia A - Experience from Slovenia
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Irena Preložnik Zupan (University Medical Centre Ljubljana) describes an interactive case study of a patient with severe hemophilia A and progressive cataracts in both eyes.
News Comparison of Enoxaparin and Unfractionated Heparin in Hospitalized Patients in Terms of Clinical and Cost Effectiveness
Thromboembolic disease represents one of the severe complications in hospitalized patients. Low molecular weight and unfractionated heparin are most commonly used during hospitalization as part of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis. An extensive study conducted in the United States evaluated the clinical and cost-effectiveness and safety of both therapy modalities in hospitalized patients at risk of thromboembolic disease.
News How to recognize amyloidosis as a cause of heart failure?
Although the fate of patients with heart failure has improved in recent decades, it remains a disease with a poor prognosis that significantly worsens the quality of life. The prevalence of heart failure is 1-2% in the adult population, but it increases with age and is more than 10% in people over 70. In addition to well-known causes, some rare nosological units, such as amyloidosis, can also be behind the development of heart failure.
News Long-term Safety of Dupilumab in Adult Patients with Moderate to Severe Atopic Dermatitis
Moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) often requires systemic therapy. The long-term safety of dupilumab in patients with this condition was evaluated in an open-label extension (OLE) of the LIBERTY AD study, the results of which were recently published.
News Cost-Effectiveness of Eletriptan in Acute Migraine Treatment
Even in a market dominated by generics, eletriptan 40 mg is among the most clinically effective and cost-efficient triptans for the acute treatment of migraine attacks. This was demonstrated by a systematic literature review focused on the pharmacoeconomic evaluation of this therapy, published by American authors in 2015. Its high cost-effectiveness may be due to its strong efficacy with a reduced need for additional treatment.
News Diabetic Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy: How to Detect This Serious Diagnosis and Why Is It Dangerous?
Diabetic autonomic neuropathy can affect various organ systems. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy is one of its most severe forms with a significant impact on patient morbidity and mortality. How can it be detected in clinical practice?
News Trazodone as a Multimodal and Multifunctional Antidepressant
Substances with multiple therapeutic effects, often depending on the dose, can be described as multifunctional. In low doses, trazodone has hypnotic effects, while its effective antidepressant action is evident at higher doses. This can be more frequently utilized now thanks to a modified-release formulation, which has the potential to improve the tolerability of antidepressant doses of trazodone.
News Current (and Future) Possibilities for Diagnosing Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency
Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AAT) is associated, among other things, with the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with emphysema. Most patients, however, remain undiagnosed and therefore do not receive adequate treatment. Below we summarize the current possibilities for diagnosing this genetic disorder.
News Is exposure to mite allergens in breast milk or house dust a risk factor for asthma and allergies in childhood?
Exposure to mite allergens occurs early in life from both breast milk and house dust (especially bedding). The study presented below examined the impact of exposure to the dominant mite allergen Der p 1 on serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and the development of bronchial asthma in childhood.
News Pharmacotherapy of Hip Osteoarthritis with Unsaponifiable Soy and Avocado Oil – Insights from the ERADIAS Study
Unsaponifiable soy and avocado oil is indicated for the symptomatic therapy of hip and knee osteoarthritis. Research primarily focuses on the effectiveness of the drug in patients with knee osteoarthritis; there are significantly fewer studies focused on the hip area and their results are not consistent. For this reason, an extensive study was conducted by French authors evaluating the impact of the drug on the progression of hip osteoarthritis in several hundred patients over the medium term.
News What Benefits Does the Fixed Combination of Candesartan/Amlodipine Bring?
A relatively new fixed combination used in the treatment of hypertension is represented by candesartan/amlodipine, that is, a sartan and a calcium channel blocker. Its advantage compared to the combination of ACE inhibitor/calcium channel blocker is primarily the lower occurrence of side effects.
News Current Treatment Options for Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for about 10% of all hematologic malignancies. Thanks to advancements in diagnostic methods, it is now understood as a collection of several cytologically distinct plasma cell malignancies. Alongside progress in diagnostics, there has also been rapid development in therapy, significantly improving survival rates for this previously very unfavorable diagnosis, especially in the last 15 years.
News How Does Empagliflozin Stand in Terms of Diabetic Retinopathy Risk? We Have Answers Not Only from Controlled Studies but Also from Real Practice
Modern antidiabetics – gliflozins and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) – significantly help improve the management of type 2 diabetes (DM2). In addition to reliable glycemic control, they offer other benefits. For example, gliflozins are known for their cardio- and renoprotective properties. GLP-1RA also reduce cardiovascular (CV) risk, though clinical evaluation (SUSTAIN-6) suggests a possible higher risk of retinopathy. This is also being investigated with gliflozins. How empagliflozin fares in this respect has been shown by the prospective randomized EMPA-REG OUTCOME study and the real-world EMPRISE evaluation.
News Viral or Bacterial Etiology? Old Question, New Methods...
The gold standard in the differential diagnosis of viral and bacterial respiratory infections is primarily C-reactive protein (CRP), followed by procalcitonin and interleukins. What are the pitfalls of their use, and what new methods of distinguishing the etiology of infectious diseases are currently being developed?
News Effectiveness and Safety of Initiating Treatment for Primary Immunodeficiency with Subcutaneously Administered Immunoglobulins – A Systematic Review of the Literature
The aim of the systematic review of the literature published last year was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of initiating treatment with subcutaneously administered immunoglobulins (SCIG) in patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID) who had not previously been treated with this modality. There was insufficient data available for such a defined population because SCIGs had typically been introduced into studies only after intravenously administered immunoglobulins (IVIG).
News Critical Conditions in Obstetrics 2022: What is Available in the Czech Republic for Managing Peripartum Life-Threatening Bleeding?
On December 10, 2022, a professional meeting entitled Critical Conditions in Obstetrics 2022 was held in the lecture hall of the new building of the National Museum in Prague. Prof. MUDr. Antonín Pařízek, CSc., from the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and General University Hospital in Prague, gave a presentation addressing the issue of peripartum life-threatening bleeding (PLTB), the necessities for its management, and provided an overall perspective on the current situation in obstetrics in our country.