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News Viral or Bacterial Etiology? Old Question, New Methods...
The gold standard in the differential diagnosis of viral and bacterial respiratory infections is primarily C-reactive protein (CRP), followed by procalcitonin and interleukins. What are the pitfalls of their use, and what new methods of distinguishing the etiology of infectious diseases are currently being developed?
News HPD 2024: Czech data from real-world practice confirm that mucolytic treatment can reduce COPD exacerbations, even in the future
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global issue. Does it create the same burden everywhere? How does it contribute to premature deaths? How do women cope with COPD, and what significant problem does it pose for them? What factors contribute to it not being considered solely a smoker's disease? Why is it appropriate to add mucoactive agents when trying to eliminate COPD exacerbations? What emerged from early COPD screening conducted in the Czech Republic, and what do Czech real-world data show regarding the effectiveness of erdosteine in exacerbations? And what should be included in the proper diagnosis and treatment of this disease? All these topics were covered in a lecture by the head of the Pulmonary Clinic of the Medical Faculty of Charles University and University Hospital Hradec Králové, Associate Professor Vladimír Koblížek, M.D., Ph.D., during the XXVIII Hradec Pneumology Days held from April 24-26, 2024.
News Current Insights into the Antispasmodic and Analgesic Effects of Metamizole on the Gastrointestinal Tract
Brazilian authors published a review of available information on the mechanism of action of metamizole, its impact on gastrointestinal tract motility, its effect on the gastric mucosa, and its antispasmodic effects.
News Updated Recommendations of the European Society of Cardiology for the Treatment of HCM
Newly published guidelines by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) bring several updates in the care of patients with cardiomyopathies. In the following excerpt, we focus on new recommendations for the pharmacotherapy of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in the case of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO).
News Fixed Combination of Candesartan/Amlodipine in the Treatment of Arterial Hypertension
Arterial hypertension is a significant cardiovascular risk factor. A variety of antihypertensives are used in therapy, both in monotherapy and combination treatment. Often, it is necessary to treat patients with a combination of multiple antihypertensives to achieve satisfactory blood pressure values. A popular fixed combination with a favorable pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile is the combination of candesartan and amlodipine, whose effects have been verified by numerous extensive clinical studies.
News Long-term Benefit of Luspatercept Therapy – Fresh Data from the MEDALIST Study
The goal of therapy for low-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is to compensate for anemia, improve or maintain quality of life, and prolong the time to progression to higher-risk MDS (HR-MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To manage anemia, we can resort to transfusion therapy or administer epoetins, lenalidomide, or luspatercept, the first representative of a class of drugs that support erythrocyte maturation. Last year's data from the follow-up of patients enrolled in the MEDALIST study pertain specifically to the latter.
News Inosine Pranobex in the Treatment of Cervical HPV Infections
The aim of the review article published in the journal Infection and Drug Resistance was to evaluate the available data on the potential use of inosine pranobex in the treatment of patients with a positive human papillomavirus finding in a cervical smear.
News Incidence of Brain Metastases and Intracranial Activity of Sotorasib in Patients with NSCLC with G12C Mutation of the KRAS Oncogene
Sotorasib is the first targeted drug approved for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with the G12C mutation of the KRAS oncogene. The newly published study presented below investigated its intracranial activity.
News Innovation in Wound Healing: Zetuvit Plus Silicone Border for Optimal Wound Exudate Management
Excessive wound exudate can lead to delayed healing, skin damage around the wound, or leakage under the chosen dressing. Zetuvit Plus Silicone Border dressing with high absorbent and retention capacity offers confidence in treating both chronic and acute wounds and high comfort for the patient.
News AI Searches for New Antibiotics in Animal Venoms
The development of new antibiotics has stagnated for several decades for a variety of reasons. However, the use of AI could accelerate and reduce the cost of this process. Thanks to artificial intelligence, scientists are already discovering potential antibiotic sources in animal venoms.
News When to Switch to Second-Line Treatment for Primary Biliary Cholangitis?
In patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), the response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment is an important prognostic indicator. To identify patients with an insufficient response to this modality who require second-line therapy, the best practice is to assess the biochemical response to UDCA after 12 months of treatment. A validated and easy-to-use tool is the determination of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and serum total bilirubin concentration. Although treatment response to UDCA is commonly checked after 12 months, a 6-month check has the same discriminatory value.