Clinical MedicinePub Date : 2024-11-09DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100262
Rabia K Shahid, Qasem Haider, Sunil Yadav, Duc Le, Shahid Ahmed
{"title":"Diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar syndrome in patients with cancer: A multicentre study.","authors":"Rabia K Shahid, Qasem Haider, Sunil Yadav, Duc Le, Shahid Ahmed","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100262","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100262","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar syndrome (HHS) are life-threatening complications of diabetes mellitus. However, limited data about DKA and HHS are available in patients with cancer. The current study aimed to determine characteristics and outcomes of patients with cancer who were admitted with DKA/HHS in a mid-size Canadian city.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Consecutive adult patients with an active cancer who were admitted with DKA or HHS from January 2008 to December 2020 in the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada were retrospectively evaluated. A univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the correlation of various clinical variables with hospital mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the study period 6,555 patients with diabetes and cancer were admitted in one of the three tertiary care hospitals. Among them 33 (0.5 %) eligible patients with DKA or HHS with a median age of 60 years (range 36-94 years) were identified. In 36 % of patients, DKA or HHS was the presenting manifestation of newly diagnosed diabetes. Of all patients, 66 % developed DKA and 73 % had an advanced cancer. Overall, 52 % patients received a systemic cancer therapy prior to the admission, and 41 % received steroids. Ten (42 %) of 24 patients with an advanced cancer died, compared to none of the nine patients with an early-stage cancer (p = 0.032). No clinical factors significantly correlated with hospital mortality.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Although DKA or HHS is uncommon in patients with diabetes and cancer, it is the manifestation of undiagnosed diabetes in about one-third of patients with cancer. It has been associated with high hospital mortality in patients with advanced cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"100262"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11635657/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142615222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clinical MedicinePub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-10-29DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100261
Sean O'Gorman, Arthur Jackson, Karen Fitzmaurice
{"title":"Prescribing for change - safer antimicrobial use in hospitals.","authors":"Sean O'Gorman, Arthur Jackson, Karen Fitzmaurice","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100261","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100261","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest health threats facing humanity and is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, with a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups of patients. The WHO set out its global action plan in 2015 and most countries have their own national plans, which take a whole system One Health approach that includes infection prevention and optimising the use of antimicrobials through stewardship programmes and diagnostics. In hospitals, antimicrobials are some of the most commonly prescribed medications, creating significant selection pressure for emerging resistance. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in hospitals comprises a set of structured interventions that seek to optimise the benefits of treatments while limiting the harms. AMS is effective and has proven benefits such as improved outcomes and reduced spread of resistance in hospitals. This paper highlights key principles for antimicrobial prescribing and highlights recent evidence, some of which has been practice changing.</p>","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"100261"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11614788/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142544156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dynamics of minimal residual disease and its clinical implications in multiple myeloma: A retrospective real-life analysis.","authors":"Weiling Xu, Xinyue Liang, Shanshan Liu, Xingcheng Yi, Mengru Tian, Tingting Yue, Yingjie Zhang, Yurong Yan, Maozhuo Lan, Mengtuan Long, Nan Zhang, Jingxuan Wang, Xiaoxiao Sun, Rui Hu, Yufeng Zhu, Xintian Ma, Yue Cheng, Jiayi Xu, Yun Dai, Fengyan Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100252","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100252","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Minimal residual disease (MRD) testing is a promising approach to tailor the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). However, several major concerns remain to be addressed before moving it into daily practice, most of which stem from the dynamic nature of the MRD status. Thus, it is crucial to understand the MRD dynamics and propose its clinical implications.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively analysed the data of patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) who had flow cytometry-based MRD tests at multiple time points after initiation of therapy. The impact of undetectable MRD (including attainment, duration and loss) on clinical outcomes was analysed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In a cohort of 220 patients with NDMM, attainment of MRD<sup>-</sup> offered favourable outcomes (P < 0.0001 for both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS)), regardless of baseline risk factors. Notably, MRD<sup>-</sup> duration ≥12 months was associated with an 83 % (95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.09-0.34; P < 0.0001) or 69 % (95 % CI, 0.13-0.76; P = 0.0098) reduction in risk of progression/death or death, while the longer MRD<sup>-</sup> was sustained, the better the outcome was. Loss of MRD<sup>-</sup> led to poor PFS (hazard ratio (HR) 0.01, 95 % CI 0-0.06, P < 0.0001) and OS (HR 0.03, 95 % CI 0-0.24, P = 0.0008). Most patients (70 %) who lost MRD<sup>-</sup> status carried high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (HRCAs). While MRD<sup>-</sup> was temporally inconsistent with conventional therapeutic responses (eg ≥ complete remission or very good partial response), it predicted disease progression or recurrence more robustly than the latter. Last, the predictive value of the MRD status was independent of baseline risk factors (eg high-risk cytogenetic abnormality, International Staging System (ISS) or Revised (R-)ISS staging).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Longitudinal assessment of MRD during the treatment course and follow-up is required for monitoring disease progression or relapse, to guide treatment decisions. Accordingly, a prospective study is currently ongoing to investigate the feasibility and benefit of the MRD-tailored therapy according to the longitudinal changes of the MRD status.</p>","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"100252"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11525448/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142371180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clinical MedicinePub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-10-25DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100258
Jo Salkeld, Andrew Duncan, Angela M Minassian
{"title":"Malaria: Past, present and future.","authors":"Jo Salkeld, Andrew Duncan, Angela M Minassian","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100258","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100258","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malaria remains a major global health problem. Transmission occurs in 84 countries across five continents, with almost 250 million cases and over 600,000 deaths each year. Primary and secondary care clinicians in the UK need to be alert to the prospect of malaria presenting in returning travellers. They must be aware of the signs of severe malaria, the need for prompt diagnosis and treatment, and the importance of seeking specialist advice. With emerging resistance, climate change and the roll-out of the first malaria vaccines, the landscape of malaria is changing. Here we discuss the past, present and future of malaria.</p>","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"100258"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11605449/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142567672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clinical MedicinePub Date : 2024-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100268
Tim Crocker-Buque, Ponnusamy Saravanan
{"title":"Infectious diseases at the front door: Focus on the fundamentals.","authors":"Tim Crocker-Buque, Ponnusamy Saravanan","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100268","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100268","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":"24 6","pages":"100268"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142754807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clinical MedicinePub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-10-26DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100260
Edmund Hugh Larkin, Ana Garcia-Mingo, Roopal Patel, Andrew Badacsonyi
{"title":"It all started with a sore throat: Polymicrobial septicaemia, cavitating lung lesions and severe thrombocytopenia.","authors":"Edmund Hugh Larkin, Ana Garcia-Mingo, Roopal Patel, Andrew Badacsonyi","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100260","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We report a case of a syndrome first described by French bacteriologist André Lemierre nearly 100 years ago. A young woman presented with fever, chest pain and arthralgia. Admission investigations revealed thrombocytopenia, cavitating pneumonia and an internal jugular vein thrombus. Blood cultures were positive for Fusobacterium necrophorum and Streptococcus constellatus. Respiratory failure developed within 48 h and was managed with high-flow nasal oxygen in a critical care setting. The investigation findings leading to diagnosis, as well as the antimicrobial and anticoagulation management strategies, are discussed. Lemierre's syndrome is rarely encountered by non-specialists, but a good outcome can be expected with prompt diagnosis and treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"100260"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11582737/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142567666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clinical MedicinePub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100243
B Liu, R A Archbold, J P Greenwood, S Ray, S S Hothi
{"title":"British Cardiovascular Society survey of the provision and structure of cardiology multidisciplinary meetings in England.","authors":"B Liu, R A Archbold, J P Greenwood, S Ray, S S Hothi","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100243","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) are central to clinical decision-making in many areas of cardiology. This study assessed current provision and structure of cardiology MDMs in England in comparison with national guidelines. British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) members were surveyed regarding frequency, core attendees, and organisational aspects of cardiology MDMs for myocardial revascularisation, endocarditis, heart failure, aortic valve, mitral and tricuspid valve MDMs, whether local, regional or outside of the region. Access to electrophysiology (EP), inherited cardiac conditions, and adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) MDMs was also assessed. Survey responses were received from 64 hospitals across England, of which 40 (62%) were secondary care centres and 24 (38%) were tertiary care centres. All units had access to revascularisation MDMs, although 6% of them (all in secondary care centres) lacked any surgical representation. Heart failure MDMs were available in 94% of centres, but 7% reported no attendance by a cardiologist with specialist interest in heart failure, and 23% reported no attendance by a device specialist. 61% of centres had access to dedicated endocarditis MDMs; however, 11% were not attended by a microbiologist or infectious disease physician, and 22% were not attended by a surgeon. Aortic valve MDMs were available in 69% of centres, while mitral and tricuspid valve MDMs were available in 56% of centres. One quarter of centres reported no access to EP, and one third of centres reported no access to ICC or ACHD MDMs. Substantial improvements in provision and structure of cardiology MDMs in England are needed in order to meet national guidance.</p>","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"100243"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11530800/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142281397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clinical MedicinePub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-11-09DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100264
Dr Emma Hayton, Dr Nimal Wickramasinghe
{"title":"Key concepts in diagnosing infection - when to treat and when not to.","authors":"Dr Emma Hayton, Dr Nimal Wickramasinghe","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100264","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100264","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>What tests to send and when? This article examines the evidence for common microbiological tests and discusses their limitations and interpretation. Urine tests, surface swabs, blood cultures and screening swabs are all discussed in the context of a fictional clinical case.</p>","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"100264"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11617389/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142615235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clinical MedicinePub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-11-07DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100265
Ronak J Shah, Ioannis Baltas
{"title":"Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia for the general physician: A narrative review of a metastatic infection with malignant complications.","authors":"Ronak J Shah, Ioannis Baltas","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100265","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100265","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) is a multi-system disease associated with a 20-25% mortality in the UK setting. Many patients with SAB are admitted acutely unwell and are treated by the general physician. This review summarises the key management steps that a general physician needs to be aware of when treating patients with SAB. Successful management relies on appropriate empirical and definitive antimicrobial therapy, effective source control, accurate risk stratification and timely identification of metastatic foci of infection, as well as exclusion of infective endocarditis, which can be present in up to 10% of patients with SAB.</p>","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":"24 6","pages":"100265"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11605464/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142615421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clinical MedicinePub Date : 2024-11-01Epub Date: 2024-10-05DOI: 10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100251
Serena Crucianelli, Alessia Mariano, Federica Valeriani, Nicholas Cocomello, Gianluca Gianfranceschi, Alessia Baseggio Conrado, Ferdinando Moretti, Anna Scotto d'Abusco, Gioacchino Mennuni, Antonio Fraioli, Maria Del Ben, Vincenzo Romano Spica, Mario Fontana
{"title":"Effects of sulphur thermal water inhalations in long-COVID syndrome: Spa-centred, double-blinded, randomised case-control pilot study.","authors":"Serena Crucianelli, Alessia Mariano, Federica Valeriani, Nicholas Cocomello, Gianluca Gianfranceschi, Alessia Baseggio Conrado, Ferdinando Moretti, Anna Scotto d'Abusco, Gioacchino Mennuni, Antonio Fraioli, Maria Del Ben, Vincenzo Romano Spica, Mario Fontana","doi":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100251","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clinme.2024.100251","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The long-COVID syndrome is characterised by a plethora of symptoms. Given its social and economic impact, many studies have stressed the urgency of proposing innovative strategies other than hospital settings. In this double-blinded, randomised, case-control trial, we investigate the effects of sulphur thermal water inhalations, rich in H<sub>2</sub>S, compared to distilled water inhalations on symptoms, inflammatory markers and nasal microbiome in long-COVID patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>About 30 outpatients aged 18-75 with positive diagnosis for long-COVID were randomised in two groups undergoing 12 consecutive days of inhalations. The active group (STW) received sulphur thermal water inhalations whereas the placebo group received inhalations of sterile distilled non-pyrogenic water (SDW). Each participant was tested prior treatment at day 1 (T0), after the inhalations at day 14 (T1) and at 3 months follow-up (T2). At each time point, blood tests, nasal swabs for microbiome sampling, pulmonary functionality tests (PFTs) and pro-inflammatory marker measure were performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The scores obtained in the administered tests (6MWT, Borg score and SGRQ) at T0 showed a significant variation in the STW group, at T1 and T2. Serum cytokine levels and other inflammatory biomarkers reported a statistically significant decrease. Some specific parameters of PFTs showed ameliorations in the STW group only. Changes in the STW nasopharyngeal microbiota composition were noticed, especially from T0 to T2.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Inhalations of sulphur thermal water exerted objective and subjective improvements on participants affected by long-COVID. Significant reduction of inflammatory markers, dyspnoea scores and quantitative and qualitative changes in the nasopharyngeal microbiome were also assessed.</p>","PeriodicalId":10492,"journal":{"name":"Clinical Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"100251"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11570715/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142380211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}