Lancet
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
First-line rituximab combined with short-term prednisone versus prednisone alone for the treatment of pemphigus (Ritux 3): a prospective, multicentre, parallel-group, open-label randomised trial.
High doses of corticosteroids are considered the standard treatment for pemphigus. Because long-term corticosteroid treatment can cause severe and even life-threatening side-effects in patients with this disease, we assessed whether first-line use of rituximab as adjuvant therapy could improve the proportion of patients achieving complete remission off-therapy, compared with corticosteroid treatment alone, while decreasing treatment side-effects of corticosteroids. ⋯ French Ministry of Health, French Society of Dermatology, Roche.
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Corrosive ingestion is a rare but potentially devastating event and, despite the availability of effective preventive public health strategies, injuries continue to occur. Most clinicians have limited personal experience and rely on guidelines; however, uncertainty persists about best clinical practice. ⋯ Oesophageal stricture is a common consequence of ingestion and newer stents show some promise; however, the place of endoscopic stenting for corrosive strictures is yet to be defined. We summarise the evidence to provide a plan for managing these potentially life-threatening injuries and discuss the areas where further research is required to improve outcomes.
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The amount of resources, particularly prepaid resources, available for health can affect access to health care and health outcomes. Although health spending tends to increase with economic development, tremendous variation exists among health financing systems. Estimates of future spending can be beneficial for policy makers and planners, and can identify financing gaps. In this study, we estimate future gross domestic product (GDP), all-sector government spending, and health spending disaggregated by source, and we compare expected future spending to potential future spending. ⋯ Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.