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News Doc. Jitka Fricová: The biggest challenge remains the patient with unbearable chronic pain
Research findings are pushing the boundaries of optimal chronic pain treatment, including better prevention and reduced side effects of analgesics. Algological care is readily accessible in the Czech Republic, yet it faces limitations, such as the less manageable nature of unbearable pain, particularly neuropathic or oncologic. We briefly discuss the topic with the head physician of the Pain Treatment Center at the Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation, and Intensive Care Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and General University Hospital in Prague, Doc. MUDr. Jitka Fricová, Ph.D.
News Effect of Extended-Release Metformin on Cognitive Functions in Older Frail Women with Diabetes and Hypertension
Women have a higher risk of geriatric frailty regardless of age and menopausal status. This risk further increases with the presence of diabetes and hypertension, which also elevate the risk of cognitive dysfunction. According to available data, metformin may reduce the risk of developing frailty in postmenopausal women. A recently published Italian study, LEOPARDESS, aimed to evaluate the effect of extended-release metformin on the cognitive functions of this population of women.
News Domestic application of biological asthma treatment improves quality of life and reduces doctor visits
The benefits of the possibility of home application of omalizumab, a monoclonal antibody indicated for patients with severe allergic asthma, are summarized by Dr. Jakub Novosad, Ph.D., from the Institute of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Charles University Medical Faculty and University Hospital Hradec Králové.
News Pitfalls of Levothyroxine Replacement Therapy
Hypothyroidism (reduced function of the thyroid gland) affects approximately 1-2% of the population. Its prevalence increases with age and it is more common in women. Synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine is used to treat hypothyroidism. It is a widely prescribed medication available in tablets of various strengths.
News Analgesic Effect of Metamizole in Cold-induced Pain
The cold test is used to experimentally induce acute pain – it can thus be used, for example, to test the efficacy of analgesics. The authors of a recently published German study evaluated the analgesic effect and tolerability of metamizole compared to opioid analgesics using this method. They were led by the fact that although the drug has proven clinical efficacy and safety, it has not yet been tested using this procedure, unlike opioids.
News COVID-19 and Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura − Spanish Experience Suggests Surprising Connections
In a retrospective study examining the impact of COVID-19 on immune thrombocytopenic purpura, Spanish authors surprisingly observed a paradoxical effect.
News Hypnotics in the Therapy of Insomnia (Not Only) in the Elderly
Problems with insomnia make up a significant part of the subjective complaints, especially of older patients in our clinics. Up to 1/3 of the population may suffer from chronic insomnia symptoms, and the number of people with this problem is continuously increasing. What are our options in its treatment?
News What has clinical research on the effects of inosin pranobex revealed, and what does it mean for practice?
Inosin pranobex, as an antiviral drug that modulates cellular and humoral immunity, is used in the treatment of many viral infections. It is employed in diseases caused by herpetic viruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus, or in immunodeficient states, especially in cases of cellular immunity disorders. What insights has clinical research offered on this matter?
News Expression of PD-L1 in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
An international team of authors published a systematic review addressing the relationship between the programmed cell death receptor ligand (PD-L1) and important clinical characteristics of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the significance of PD-L1 expression for NSCLC prognosis, and the potential use of this biomarker to predict the response of patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC to therapies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway.
News Transthyretin Amyloidosis in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is considered a warning sign for cardiac amyloidosis. Amyloid deposits are often found in the tenosynovial material removed during surgery. However, the prevalence of concomitant cardiomyopathy is not yet fully understood. Japanese researchers from Kumamoto University recently focused on the relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome and cardiac amyloidosis in their newly published prospective study.
News Doc. Miloslav Salavec: We Still Encounter Delayed Initiation of Biological Treatment in AD and Many Other Diagnoses
Not all patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who are indicated for biological treatment with dupilumab manage to reach centers where the treatment is provided. It's even more unfortunate when there's ample evidence that the effects of this therapy on disease manifestations and overall quality of life extend beyond just the patients. It also impacts the lives of their close ones who care for those with atopic dermatitis. Head of the Clinic of Venereal and Skin Diseases at Charles University and the University Hospital Hradec Králové Doc. MUDr. Miloslav Salavec, CSc., evaluates how dupilumab has performed over several years of real clinical practice and the specific benefits it has brought to patients.
News Is It Necessary to Discontinue Dupilumab in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Italian authors described their experiences with remote treatment of 200 atopic dermatitis (AD) patients using dupilumab during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in spring 2020. Observations from clinical practice, published data, and pathophysiological considerations do not suggest an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in AD patients receiving this biological treatment.
News Effect of Short-Term and Long-Term Stress on Heart Rate Variability
Acute and chronic stress significantly affects the cardiovascular (CV) system. The study presented below examines the effects of both acute and chronic stress on heart rate variability in 50 healthy individuals.
News Intestinal Infection of Multi-Resistant NDM-Producing K. pneumoniae in a Patient with NK/T Lymphoma – Case Study
The incidence of NDM-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae is increasing worldwide. NDM beta-lactamase is a significant cause of multidrug resistance in enterobacteria to various antibiotics, including carbapenems. Currently, the most suitable approach for the treatment of intestinal infections caused by NDM-producing K. pneumoniae is considered to be the combination of ceftazidime/avibactam with aztreonam. The following case study also illustrates its use in more complicated cases.
News Compression Therapy with Zinc Oxide Dressings in Dermatology
Zinc oxide dressings have a long-standing tradition and continue to find their place in modern dermatology. Compression therapy is the cornerstone of conservative treatment for chronic venous insufficiency and lymphatic insufficiency and should not be overlooked even at the stage of venous leg ulcers.
News MUDr. Jana Zárubová: Experiences with buccal midazolam in real practice are positive and we can significantly improve patients' quality of life
Recently, it has emerged as an alternative to traditionally rectally administered diazepam for stopping prolonged convulsive seizures in patients with epilepsy. What can buccal midazolam offer them and how has it proven itself in real practice? MUDr. Jana Zárubová from the Neurological Clinic of the 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital in Prague describes.
News Obeticholic Acid in the Treatment of Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis with Inadequate Response to Ursodeoxycholic Acid in Real Practice
An interim analysis of the OCARELIFE observational study presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) congress in August 2020 attempted to evaluate whether the safety and efficacy of obeticholic acid treatment in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) under real-life conditions after 12 months correspond to the results of clinical trials.
News STADA Brings Innovative Drug for Treatment of Advanced Parkinson's Disease to Czech Republic
STADA PHARMA CZ is introducing a new system for continuous delivery of 3 active substances for the treatment of advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) to the Czech market. It is one of the major innovations in the care of PD patients in the last two decades. The drug, which STADA acquired the rights to in 2020, had already been introduced in the Nordic countries where this treatment is successfully underway. In the Czech Republic, it has been fully covered since April 1, 2022.
News Use of Medical Cannabis in Patients with Fibromyalgia to Relieve Pain and Depression
Medical cannabis is prescribed to patients with chronic pain resistant to conventional treatments. The efficacy of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) therapy in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) was recently evaluated in a German study.