Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Review Case Reports
Austrian Syndrome: report of one case and a systematic review of case reports - new insights.
The objective of this review was to gain new insight into the rare condition, Austrian syndrome: the triad of endocarditis, meningitis and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. ⋯ Austrian syndrome is rare but deadly. The true incidence is unknown but is commoner in middle-aged men and in alcoholics. Affected patients are usually critically unwell, often requiring ICU admission and prolonged hospital stays. Treatment is aggressive including prolonged courses of antibiotics and often, surgery. Despite these, the case fatality rate is high, with death occurring in over a quarter of patients. Surgery appears to be associated with better prognosis.
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Comparative Study
Spanish vs USA cohort comparison of prehospital trauma scores to predict short-term mortality.
This study aimed to evaluate three prehospital early warning scores (EWSs): RTS, MGAP and MREMS, to predict short-term mortality in acute life-threatening trauma and injury/illness by comparing United States (US) and Spanish cohorts. ⋯ All EWSs showed excellent ability to predict the risk of short-term mortality, independent of the country.
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Observational Study
Outpatient parenteral antibiotic treatment for infective endocarditis: A retrospective observational evaluation.
Infective endocarditis (IE) requires long courses of intravenous (IV) antibiotics. Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) saves resources, improves the patient experience and allows care in their preferred place; however, questions remain about safety when treating IE patients. This study evaluates OPAT management of IE patients in our region between 2006 and 2019. ⋯ In a setting where there was good adherence to BSAC criteria, treating IE patients using OPAT services was safe. Complications observed were likely independent of treatment location. Significant bed days were saved.
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Review Meta Analysis
Intravenous Iron for Acute and Chronic Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) Patients with Iron Deficiency: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Patients with heart failure (HF) and iron deficiency are at increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes. We searched databases for randomised controlled trials that compared IV iron to placebo, in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). A total of 7,813 participants, all having HFrEF with 3,998 receiving IV iron therapy, and 3,815 control recipients were included. ⋯ A significant improvement in 6-min walk test was noted, with MD 34.87, 95% CI [20.02, 49.72], p < 0.00001. Furthermore, IV iron showed significant improvement in NYHA class, peak VO2, serum ferritin, and haemoglobin levels. Finally, despite the lack of difference in terms of all-cause hospitalisation and HF-related death, IV iron was associated with a significant reduction in HF-related, any cardiovascular reason hospitalisations, and all-cause death; which supports the need for implementation of IV iron as a standard of care in patients with HF and iron deficiency.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Addressing ethnic disparities in neurological research in the United Kingdom: an example from the prospective multicentre COVID-19 Clinical Neuroscience Study.
Minority ethnic groups have often been underrepresented in research, posing a problem in relation to external validity and extrapolation of findings. Here, we aimed to assess recruitment and retainment strategies in a large observational study assessing neurological complications following SARS-CoV-2 infection. ⋯ Recruitment barriers in relation to potentially underrepresented ethnic groups may be overcome with strategies identified here.