0000000000609071
AUTHOR
Gerd Fätkenheuer
Posaconazole concentrations in the central nervous system
more susceptible to the killing activity of caspofungin. This study is the first comparing caspofungin killing activity against the closely related species C. parapsilosis, C. orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis. Killing curves, regardless of the medium used, showed a decreasing order of susceptibility to caspofungin: C. metapsilosis . C. orthopsilosis . C. parapsilosis. Based on high echinocandin MICs for C. parapsilosis sensu stricto, in the case of isolates identified as C. parapsilosis sensu lato low MICs of echinocandins may be regarded as an indicator that an isolate is in fact C. orthopsilosis or C. metapsilosis; in the case of isolates with low echinocandin MICs, DNA-based identificat…
Vaccination in multiple sclerosis patients treated with highly effective disease-modifying drugs: an overview with consideration of cladribine tablets
Infectious diseases are an important consideration in autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Infective episodes may trigger relapses and significantly deteriorate the course of the disease. Some immunotherapies may cause increased rates of infection-related adverse events. Thus, infection and vaccine-related issues should be included in the individualized patient-specific treatment strategy and counseling before starting therapy and regularly on treatment. Clinical and epidemiological studies as well as pharmacovigilance data repeatedly demonstrated the safety of the great majority of vaccines in multiple sclerosis patients. Moreover, studies have shown that vaccinations with kil…
Topical azithromycin for the prevention of Lyme borreliosis: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 efficacy trial
Summary Background Lyme borreliosis develops in 1–5% of individuals bitten by ticks, but with a diagnostic gap affecting up to 30% of patients, a broadly applicable pharmacological prevention strategy is needed. Topical azithromycin effectively eradicated Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from the skin in preclinical studies. We assessed its efficacy in human beings. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial done in 28 study sites in Germany and Austria, adults were equally assigned to receive topical 10% azithromycin or placebo twice daily for 3 consecutive days, within 72 h of a tick bite being confirmed. Randomisation numbers, which were stratified by …
Once-Daily Oral Levofloxacin Monotherapy versus Piperacillin/Tazobactam Three Times a Day: A Randomized Controlled Multicenter Trial in Patients with Febrile Neutropenia
A prospective, randomized, controlled multicenter trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of once-daily oral monotherapy with 500 mg levofloxacin in comparison with 4.5 g piperacillin/tazobactam 3 times a day in patients with low-risk febrile neutropenia. Low risk was defined by oral temperatureor = 38.5 degrees C on one occasion oror = 38.0 degrees C twice within 24 hours and granulocytopeniaor = 500/microL for less than 10 days. The primary end point was defined as defervescence after 72 hours followed by at least 7 afebrile days. Secondary end points were overall response, time to defervescence, survival on day 30, and toxicity. Thirty-four episodes were included. Fever o…