Neutralizing antibodies in multiple sclerosis patients treated with 375 microg interferon-beta-1b.

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a …

Death following pulmonary complications of surgery before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Association of Surgeons in Training Surgical Summit, online, 17 Oct 2020 - 17 Oct 2020 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting / Surgical Research Society, online, 24 Mar 2021 - 25 Mar 2021, National Research Collaborative Meeting, online, 10 Dec 2020 - 10 Dec 2020, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Academic Surgery Conference, online, 5 Nov 2020 - 5 Nov 2020; The British journal of surgery : BJS 108(12), 1448-1464 (2021). doi:10.1093/bjs/znab336

Subcutaneous interferon β-1a may protect against cognitive impairment in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: 5-year follow-up of the COGIMUS study

ObjectiveTo assess the effects of subcutaneous (sc) interferon (IFN) -1a on cognition over 5 years in mildly disabled patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).MethodsPatients aged 18-50 years with RRMS (Expanded Disability Status Scale score ≤4.0) who had completed the 3-year COGIMUS study underwent standardized magnetic resonance imaging, neurological examination, and neuropsychological testing at years 4 and 5. Predictors of cognitive impairment at year 5 were identified using multivariate analysis.ResultsOf 331 patients who completed the 3-year COGIMUS study, 265 participated in the 2-year extension study, 201 of whom (75.8%; sc IFN β-1a three times weekly: 44 µg, n = …

Delaying surgery for patients with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection

With at least 28 elective million operations delayed during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients who will require surgery after a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection is likely to increase rapidly1. Operating on patients with an active perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection is now known to carry a very high pulmonary complication and mortality rate2. Urgent information is needed to guide whether postponing surgery in patients with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to a clinical benefit, and the optimal length of delay.

Essential strategies in HAI prevention and control: performance assessment through the implementation of the HAI-CoSIP tool of the GISIO-SItI group. A pilot study in a sample of Italian Organizations

Healthcare-Associated Infections are a great concern for worldwide healthcare systems and represent a considerable threat to patient safety, leading to adverse clinical outcomes. A defined panel of indicators represents a key element to guide Healthcare Organizations towards identification of main gaps, implementation of effective actions and continuous improvements on Healthcare-Associated Infections prevention and control activities. A review on accreditation systems conducted by the Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene of the Italian Society of Hygiene Preventive Medicine and Public Health revealed a substantial heterogeneity of implemented standards and led to the development of a co…

Effect of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on planned cancer surgery for 15 tumour types in 61 countries: an international, prospective, cohort study

This international, prospective, cohort study enrolled 20 006 adult (≥18 years) patients from 466 hospitals in 61 countries with 15 cancer types, who had a decision for curative surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic and were followed up until the point of surgery or cessation of follow-up (Aug 31, 2020). Average national Oxford COVID-19 Stringency Index scores were calculated to define the government response to COVID-19 for each patient for the period they awaited surgery, and classified into light restrictions (index 60). The primary outcome was the non-operation rate (defined as the proportion of patients who did not undergo planned surgery). Cox proportional-hazards regression models wer…

Preoperative nasopharyngeal swab testing and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Abstract Background Surgical services are preparing to scale up in areas affected by COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the association between preoperative SARS-CoV-2 testing and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective cancer surgery. Methods This international cohort study included adult patients undergoing elective surgery for cancer in areas affected by SARS-CoV-2 up to 19 April 2020. Patients suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection before operation were excluded. The primary outcome measure was postoperative pulmonary complications at 30 days after surgery. Preoperative testing strategies were adjusted for confounding using mixed-effects models. Results Of 8…

Cognitive impairment and its relation with disease measures in mildly disabled patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: baseline results from the Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis (COGIMUS) study.

Background Cognitive impairment is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS), but the association between cognitive impairment and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease measures in patients with relapsing–remitting (RR) MS is unclear. Objectives To study the prevalence of cognitive impairment and its relation with MRI disease measures in mildly disabled patients with RRMS. Methods Patients aged 18–50 years with RRMS (McDonald criteria) and an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score ≤4.0, who were enrolled in the Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis (COGIMUS) study, underwent baseline standardized MRI complete neurological examination and neuropsychological testing. Results…