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News Three times on the topic of therapeutic cannabis usage possibilities – case studies from Czech practice
The following case studies from real Czech practice describe three cases of patients with various diagnoses, indicated for cannabis extract administration. In the first case, there was significant pain relief in an elderly patient with vertebrogenic pain syndrome. The second case study outlines the possibilities of using cannabis extract in the treatment of neuropathic pain in a polymorbid elderly patient. The final contribution describes the effect of this preparation in palliative therapy of an oncological patient.
News Nutritional Therapy for Critically Ill Patients in the ICU – Current Recommendations
Critically ill patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) require nutritional support to maintain adequate energy intake. Only by doing so can their clinical condition be prevented from worsening. Therefore, we summarize the current recommendations regarding nutritional therapy as part of care in the ICU in the following text.
News Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension – Overview of Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is defined by the 2015 ESC/ERS guidelines as symptomatic pulmonary hypertension with persistent defects in lung perfusion despite adequate anticoagulation therapy. Significant values for determining a diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension are a mean pulmonary artery pressure > 25 mmHg. However, this condition remains significantly underdiagnosed, mainly due to its nonspecific symptoms.
News ICIS Report: Potential of TPO-RA as Early Immunomodulatory Treatment of Immune Thrombocytopenia
The report from the meeting of the Intercontinental Cooperative ITP Study Group (ICIS) in 2022 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, published late last year in the British Journal of Haematology, discusses the potential of early treatment of immune thrombocytopenia with thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RA) in achieving a disease remission sustainable without further therapy.
News Epstein-Barr Virus – Is the Culprit of MS Revealed?
Could the Epstein-Barr virus hold the answer to the etiology of multiple sclerosis? A dataset of over 10 million American recruits offered intriguing insights. You may have encountered the conclusions of one of the most extensive studies in modern history in the media. Let's take a closer look at the work of Kjetil Bjornevik and his colleagues.
News Thrombocytopenia Following mRNA Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2
In connection with the administration of mRNA-based vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, cases of secondary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) have been described. A commentary published by a large team of authors in the American Journal of Hematology described a series of cases of low platelet counts identified within 2 weeks of vaccination. The data was obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), as well as through direct communication with patients and their physicians.
News Micronized Diosmin and Flavonoid Fraction – What Do They Have in Common?
Micronized diosmin and micronized purified flavonoid fraction are medications from the flavonoid group that are used as venopharmaceuticals/venoprotectives in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency and hemorrhoidal disease. Both have many common properties, which we discuss in the following text. Their differences will be covered in a follow-up article on this topic.
News What Benefits Does the Fixed Combination of Candesartan/Amlodipine Bring?
A relatively new fixed combination used in the treatment of hypertension is represented by candesartan/amlodipine, that is, a sartan and a calcium channel blocker. Its advantage compared to the combination of ACE inhibitor/calcium channel blocker is primarily the lower occurrence of side effects.
News Epilepsy with Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures in an Adolescent Patient – A Case Study
This is the story of Anička, a 16-year-old girl who has been treated for epilepsy since she was 14. Her condition is accompanied by generalized tonic-clonic seizures, which may need to be managed acutely with rescue medication, either at home or at school. Instead of the previously used rectally administered diazepam, a new, safer and more comfortable option for rescue medication is now available: buccally administered midazolam. This modality may also help alleviate anxiety and other psychological impacts related to the condition, as illustrated by our case study.
News Prim. Pavel Jindra: Biosimilars are an accessible and effective treatment modality in hematooncology
“Based on our experience so far, biosimilars represent an effective and safe alternative to original molecules. We are not afraid to use them anywhere in approved indications, and we are not afraid of switching either. Biosimilars are a significant step towards greater accessibility of hematooncological treatment for a wide group of patients,” states the head of the Hematology-Oncology Department of FN Plzeň, MUDr. Pavel Jindra, Ph.D., in our current interview.
News Pilot Program for Lung Cancer Screening in the Czech Republic – Current Interim Results
Since January 1, 2022, a pilot population program for lung cancer screening has been underway in the Czech Republic. At the 7th PREVON conference in December 2023, updates on the progress as of March 31, 2023, were presented. Data for 2022 show a 4.4% detection rate of positive findings using low-dose CT in the targeted population of current or former smokers aged 55-74 years, who have so far undergone screening.
News Memantine Eases Daily Life for Patients and Caregivers
What is the efficacy and safety of memantine in patients with Alzheimer's disease in routine practice in the Czech Republic? And to what extent can it ease the burden on caregivers of these patients?
News Experiences with Long-term Treatment of Psoriasis with Interleukin 17A Inhibitor
The current publication of the long-term extension of the UNCOVER-3 study, which focused on the treatment of psoriasis with ixekizumab, describes the efficacy and safety of 4 years of use of this drug.
News Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 3 Continues to Be the Most Frequent Cause of Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases in the Czech Republic
After 2 years influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cases of invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) has returned to pre-2020 levels. Serotype 3 remains the most frequent cause of IPD for the twelfth consecutive year.
News How to recognize amyloidosis as a cause of heart failure?
Although the fate of patients with heart failure has improved in recent decades, it remains a disease with a poor prognosis that significantly worsens the quality of life. The prevalence of heart failure is 1-2% in the adult population, but it increases with age and is more than 10% in people over 70. In addition to well-known causes, some rare nosological units, such as amyloidosis, can also be behind the development of heart failure.
News Efficacy and Safety of Ozanimod in the Treatment of Relapsing-Remitting MS
The sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) modulator ozanimod has recently been approved for the treatment of active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). We summarize the current knowledge on its mechanism of action and the results of available studies evaluating its efficacy and safety.
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 Indication of Bilastine in Specific Patient Groups − Practical Tips for Clinical Practice
Bilastine is a non-sedating H1-antihistamine, which is very well tolerated by patients. It can be indicated in the therapy of allergic diseases in both pediatric and adult populations. What are the possibilities of its use in specific patient groups?
News Safety Profile of Metamizole – A Systematic Review
Metamizole is a long-established non-steroidal analgesic used for acute and chronic pain management. A systematic review of the literature published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics focused on the safety profile of this drug. Here, we present a summary of the most important findings.
News Dynamics of Allergy Development in Children
The prevalence of allergic diseases in children in developed countries has been steadily increasing in recent decades. Slovak authors attempted to describe the dynamics of the development of allergic symptoms in a prospective cohort of children who developed atopic dermatitis, rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing, urticaria, or food allergy within the first 5 years of life.
News Inclisiran − a new addition to the arsenal of dyslipidemia treatment
At the XXIX Congress of the Czech Society of Internal Medicine ČLS JEP, held November 6−9, 2022 in Prague, lectures on innovative dyslipidemia therapy using the small interfering RNA molecule − inclisiran were presented at the Novartis company symposium.