Search results for "Corticosteroid"
showing 10 items of 195 documents
An uncommon presentation of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report
2013
Introduction Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis is a rare and potentially fatal disease if not readily diagnosed. Cerebral involvement is extremely rare and clinical presentation as hemorrhagic stroke is even rarer. Case presentation A 58-year-old Caucasian man was admitted to our medical unit because of a computed tomography-diagnosed hemorrhagic stroke with right-sided hemiparesis and fever. A chest computed tomography scan also revealed multiple bilateral pulmonary infiltrates; coronary artery, and carotid and left vertebral artery calcifications were also observed. Empiric antimicrobial therapy with cephalosporins was promptly undertaken; low-molecular-weight heparin was intr…
A cross-sectional, multicentre study of the therapeutic management of multiple sclerosis relapses in Italy.
2013
Despite the existence of therapeutic guidelines, management of multiple sclerosis relapse remains heterogeneous. Optimisation of relapse outcome demands an improved understanding of the neurologist's therapeutic attitude towards relapse management, which is the aim of this study. Neurologists from 13 multiple sclerosis centres completed a questionnaire every time they assessed multiple sclerosis relapses. The questionnaire requested a guided description of the relapse's clinical characteristics and an indication of the prescribed therapy, supported with up to 3 out of 20 suggested reasons. Over 3 months, 368 questionnaires were collected. Median percentage (%) of 21 relapses resulting in a …
Characteristics and management of primary and other immune thrombocytopenias: Spanish registry study
2017
The natural history and its modulation by treatments administered for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in the clinical practice remains unknown. In addition, little information is available on the characteristics and management of ITP in Spain. We conducted an observational, multicenter, registry in 70 Hematology Services from Spain between 2009 and 2011, which included children from 2 months of age and adults with primary ITP or another ITP diagnosed within the last 6 months (platelet count [PC] 484 patients were included (median [Q1, Q3] age 52 [29,74] years, 87.6% adults), 56% women, 10.5% with secondary ITP. Median (Q1, Q3) PC at diagnosis was 12 × 109/l (4, 32); 72% of patients had bleed…
Severe and uncontrolled adult asthma is associated with vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency
2012
Background Vitamin D has effects on the innate and adaptive immune system. In asthmatic children low vitamin D levels are associated with poor asthma control, reduced lung function, increased medication intake, and exacerbations. Little is known about vitamin D in adult asthma patients or its association with asthma severity and control. Methods Clinical parameters of asthma control and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) serum concentrations were evaluated in 280 adult asthma patients (mean ± SD: 45.0 ± 13.8 yrs., 40% male, FEV1 74.9 ± 23.4%, 55% severe, 51% uncontrolled). Results 25(OH)D concentrations in adult asthmatics were low (25.6 ±11.8 ng/ml) and vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency (vi…
Additive Effects of Salmeterol and Fluticasone or Theophylline in COPD
2000
ss(2)-Agonists and corticosteroids or theophylline can interact to produce beneficial effects on airway function in asthma, but this has not been established in COPD.Eighty patients with well-controlled COPD were randomized to receive 3 months of treatment in one of four treatment groups: (1) salmeterol, 50 microg bid; (2) salmeterol, 50 microg, plus fluticasone propionate, 250 microg bid; (3) salmeterol, 50 microg, plus fluticasone propionate, 500 microg bid; and (4) salmeterol, 50 microg, plus titrated theophylline bid. At each visit, a dose-response curve to inhaled salbutamol was constructed using a total cumulative dose of 800 microg.A gradual increase in FEV(1) was observed with each …
Omalizumab reduces oral corticosteroid use in patients with severe allergic asthma: Real-life data
2010
SummaryBackgroundLong-term oral corticosteroid (OCS) therapy is associated with significant burden on patients and healthcare resources; treatments that may help reduce their use are important to improve asthma management.MethodsFrench and German clinicians prescribing omalizumab for >16 weeks to patients with severe persistent allergic asthma collected OCS use data. OCS use was recorded at baseline and at a non-specific time point beyond 16 weeks from initiation of omalizumab. The number of asthma exacerbations (FEV1 16 weeks. Of these, 166 (48.0%) were receiving maintenance OCS (France, n = 64; Germany, n = 102). Following omalizumab therapy, 84 (50.6%) patients on OCS at baseline reduced…
GOLD 2017 treatment pathways in ‘real life’: An analysis of the DACCORD observational study
2017
Abstract Introduction The 2017 update to the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy document includes recommendations for treatment intensification or step-down in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), although recognises that limited supporting information is available. DACCORD is an ongoing observational, non-interventional study, recruiting patients following COPD maintenance treatment change or initiation, a subset of whom were receiving a long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) plus a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) fixed-dose combination (FDC) on entry. Since there were no requirements in terms of prior medication (and no washout before commencing LABA/L…
D-dimer concentrations in acute urticaria in children
2021
Introduction: Urticaria is a clinical entity presenting as wheals, angioedema, or both simul-taneously. Elevated D-dimer levels were reported in the course of chronic spontaneous urticaria. Data regarding D-dimer levels in acute urticaria in children are limited. Objectives: To assess potential associations between duration of glucocorticosteroid (GCS) therapy and D-dimer concentrations in children with acute urticaria. Patients, materials, and methods: Hospital records of 106 children (59 females), aged 5.57 ± 4.91 years, hospitalized in 2014–2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The study group consisted of pediatric patients admitted to the hospital due to severe acute urticaria resistant …
Asthmatic bronchial epithelial cells have a deficient innate immune response to infection with rhinovirus
2005
Rhinoviruses are the major trigger of acute asthma exacerbations and asthmatic subjects are more susceptible to these infections. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of this increased susceptibility, we examined virus replication and innate responses to rhinovirus (RV)-16 infection of primary bronchial epithelial cells from asthmatic and healthy control subjects.Viral RNA expression and late virus release into supernatant was increased 50- and 7-fold, respectively in asthmatic cells compared with healthy controls. Virus infection induced late cell lysis in asthmatic cells but not in normal cells. Examination of the early cellular response to infection revealed impairment of virus induc…
Predicting in-hospital mortality from Coronavirus Disease 2019: A simple validated app for clinical use
2021
Backgrounds Validated tools for predicting individual in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 are lacking. We aimed to develop and to validate a simple clinical prediction rule for early identification of in-hospital mortality of patients with COVID-19. Methods and findings We enrolled 2191 consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19 from three Italian dedicated units (derivation cohort: 1810 consecutive patients from Bergamo and Pavia units; validation cohort: 381 consecutive patients from Rome unit). The outcome was in-hospital mortality. Fine and Gray competing risks multivariate model (with discharge as a competing event) was used to develop a prediction rule for in-hospital mortality. D…