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News Thyroid Function During COVID-19 Illness and After Recovery
Acute infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has varying impacts on different organ systems of the human body. Until now, it has not been certain how precisely it affects the endocrine system, especially the thyroid gland. The study presented below investigated how thyroid function changes in relation to the course of COVID-19 infection.
News Expanded Vaccination Option Against Pneumococci Thanks to 15valent Vaccine
Our arsenal for preventing pneumococcal diseases has been expanded with a 15-valent conjugate vaccine that includes important serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD). The following text briefly summarizes basic information not only about IPD, their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, but especially about the management of vaccination with the 15-valent vaccine in practice.
News Why can probiotics and vitamin D significantly affect human health?
Vitamin D deficiency is the most common hypovitaminosis in developed countries. It is largely related to a lack of outdoor activity. Additionally, the typical Western diet does not support a healthy composition of the gut microbiome. Gut dysbiosis, in turn, is associated with both intestinal and systemic diseases. Alongside a healthy lifestyle, probiotics and oral vitamin D supplementation offer solutions.
News Stabilization of Liver Metastases of CRC with Trifluridine/Tipiracil in 3rd Line Therapy – Case Study
We present a case study of a man born in 1944 who underwent resection of the rectosigmoid for multiple adenocarcinomas in February 2016. Subsequently discovered liver metastases were managed with several lines of palliative therapy in combination with repeated surgical resections. Trifluridine/tipiracil administered in the 3rd line represents a well-tolerated oral treatment for this patient, on which he achieved disease stabilization.
News Effect of 3 Different Doses of Trazodone on QT Interval Length
Patients diagnosed with depression often also suffer from cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure. Given the increased risk of death in such comorbid patients, the safety and efficacy of the antidepressant must be considered when choosing one.
News Is Adding Fibrinogen Concentrate to Transfusion Therapy for Postpartum Hemorrhage an Effective Approach?
Significant postpartum hemorrhage can be managed with fresh frozen plasma transfusion. However, administering larger volumes is associated with several risks. The authors of the Japanese study below investigated whether fibrinogen concentrate added to fresh frozen plasma transfusions is an effective tool in reducing the need for erythrocyte concentrate and whether it helps prevent complications of intensive transfusion therapy.
News Fixed combination tramadol/paracetamol as an effective and safe option for long-term pain treatment even in polymorbid patients
Combined analgesics were historically recommended exclusively for the treatment of acute or postoperative pain, mainly due to the risk of individual components which, although potentiated their analgesic effect, also exhibited significant organ toxicity or led to long-term and difficult-to-resolve abuses. In recent years, however, fixed combinations containing fewer components have increasingly appeared on the market, and thanks to the optimal synergy of their effects, they can be used in smaller and safe doses. One such combination is tramadol with paracetamol, the place and possibilities of which in the treatment of chronic pain are discussed in the following text.
News Anabolic Antiosteoporotic Treatment as a First Step in Patients with Very High Fracture Risk
According to the 2022 opinion of the ESCEO (European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases) working group, it is advisable to identify patients with osteoporosis who have a very high risk of fracture and to use an anabolic antiosteoporotic drug as the initial pharmacotherapeutic intervention, followed by necessary antiresorptive treatment to be addressed over the entire expected length of life.
News The Brain, Too, Has Its Midlife Crisis. How Do These Changes Relate to the Risk of Dementia in Old Age?
The human brain undergoes rapid changes during certain developmental periods. Childhood, adolescence, and advanced old age undoubtedly belong to these. For much of adulthood, it seems that nothing much actually happens. However, it turns out that the brain’s clock begins to accelerate around 40–50 years of age. What impact do these gradual changes have on our future health?
News MD Šimon Kozák: In algology, nothing works miraculously overnight! It is important to seek advice from specialists
Why is it not advisable to rely on one method in pain treatment? What about patients with a mixed type of pain, whose numbers are increasing? And why shouldn’t surgical solutions for back pain be the method of first choice? We discuss all this and other important, current, and practical insights in the field of algology with the head of the pain treatment team at the Clinic of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation of the 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, and the University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, MD Šimon Kozák.
News Options of Anticoagulant Therapy During Pregnancy: Focus on Fondaparinux
The use of most medicinal products is limited during pregnancy either by known teratogenic effects or by lack of safety data for the mother and fetus. A systematic review by authors from the University of Liverpool provides information on the options for anticoagulant treatment during pregnancy.
News How Diabetes Shortens Life or Mortality of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) has a significant impact on overall mortality across age categories. Who is most affected by this disease in terms of age and gender, and what are the current trends in mortality among the diabetic population?
News Medication in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis – What to Watch Out For?
According to current recommendations, the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) should be individualized, considering the severity of the disease, the type of autoantibodies, thymus pathology, and, last but not least, the patient's preferences and comorbidities. What are the usual treatment modalities? What specifics need to be considered when treating comorbidities or acute illnesses in patients with MG? The following text briefly summarizes the answers to these questions.
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 Metamizole – wide possibilities of an analgesic with a unique mechanism of action and different routes of administration
Metamizole is a non-addictive pyrazolone analgesic with antipyretic effects, which differs from other non-opioid analgesics by its spasmolytic action. It is indicated in monotherapy and in combinations for the treatment of severe acute and chronic pain. Its high analgesic efficacy is evidenced by a low number of patients needed to treat to achieve at least 50% pain relief in 4-6 hours. The favorable safety profile of metamizole is supported by more than 100 years of clinical experience.
News What Can We Expect from Sorafenib in the Treatment of Liver Cancer Affected by Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?
Ubiquitous and increasingly common obesity is a risk factor for many cancers. Over the past 20 years, studies have linked obesity to higher incidences of breast and colorectal cancers, as well as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). What is the efficacy and safety of sorafenib in this patient population, and does it differ from patients with liver cancers caused by viral infection or alcohol abuse? This intrigued a team of researchers from Melbourne, Australia.
News Reference Intervals of Prostate Health Index (PHI) in Healthy Men
For more specific prostate cancer screening, apart from prostate-specific antigen (PSA), its free fraction (fPSA) and one of its precursors, [-2]proPSA (p2PSA), are used today. From these parameters, the so-called Prostate Health Index (PHI) can be calculated. However, reference intervals for these parameters in a healthy population were not known until now.
News How Do Sleep and Depression Influence Each Other?
It is known that most patients with depression encounter some form of sleep disorder. In the following text, we briefly explore the complex relationship between depression and sleep and offer some practical recommendations that can help patients improve their sleep.
News Current Insights into the Etiology of Community Pneumonia: Pneumococci Still Leading?
The etiology of community-acquired pneumonias has undergone certain changes since the beginning of the antibiotic era. According to current guidelines, it is still recommended to initiate empirical antibiotic therapy upon diagnosing community-acquired pneumonia. However, there are certain concerns associated with the recommendation of empirical antibiotic therapy, especially regarding the increasing occurrence of bacterial antibiotic resistance. The aim of the study presented below was to specify the most frequently isolated pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia between 1945 and 2020.