Big Events in Greece and HIV Infection Among People Who Inject Drugs

Big Events are processes like macroeconomic transitions that have lowered social well-being in various settings in the past. Greece has been hit by the global crisis and experienced an HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs. Since the crisis began (2008), Greece has seen population displacement, inter-communal violence, cuts in governmental expenditures, and social movements. These may have affected normative regulation, networks, and behaviors. However, most pathways to risk remain unknown or unmeasured. We use what is known and unknown about the Greek HIV outbreak to suggest modifications in Big Events models and the need for additional research.     

Effect of early application of social distancing interventions on COVID-19 mortality over the first pandemic wave: An analysis of longitudinal data from 37 countries

ObjectivesTo estimate the effect of early application of social distancing interventions on Covid-19 cumulative mortality during the first pandemic wave.MethodsEcological longitudinal study using multivariable negative binomial regression for panel data. Daily numbers of Covid-19 cases and deaths, and data on social distancing interventions, for the 37 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) were analysed.ResultsCovid-19 cumulative mortality over the first pandemic wave varied widely across countries (range, 4.16 to 855 deaths per million population). On average, one-day delay in application of mass gatherings ban was associated with an adjusted increase in Covid-19 cumulative mortality by 6.97% (95% CI, 3.45 to 10.5), whilst a one-day delay in school closures was associated with an increase of 4.37% (95% CI, 1.58 to 7.17) over the study period. We estimated that if each country had enacted both interventions one week earlier, Covid-19 cumulative mortality could have been reduced by an average of 44.1% (95% CI, 20.2 to 67.9).ConclusionsEarly application of mass gatherings ban and school closures in outbreak epicentres was associated with an important reduction in Covid-19 cumulative mortality during the first pandemic wave. These findings may support policy decision making.     

Double versus single cervical cerclage for the prevention of preterm births

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness double cervical cerclage in reducing antenatal complications and improve perinatal outcomes.

Methods: We searched Medline, Scopus, Clinicaltrials.org, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Google Scholar search engines.

Results: Six studies were included that involved 880 women. Double cerclage was significantly superior to single cerclage in reducing preterm births <34?weeks (734 cases, OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.40, 0.86) and preterm births <28?weeks (645 cases, OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.26–0.73). It also significantly increased the gestational age (380 cases, MD 2.63, 95% CI 0.87, 4.39). However, as a technique, it failed to improve the rates of preterm births <37?weeks (740 cases, OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.72, 1.34) the incidence of chorioamnionitis (740 cases, OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.51, 1.36) and the occurrence of preterm premature rupture of the membranes (796 cases, OR 1.32, 95% CI 0.95, 1.82).

Conclusions: It seems that double cerclage effectively increases the gestational age at delivery and decreases the rates of extremely premature births. However, as a procedure, it does not reduce the incidence of antenatal morbidity or the neonatal death rates. Further research is needed in the field as our meta-analysis is limited by the small number of enrolled studies.     

Oxytocin discontinuation after the active phase of labor is established

Despite the widespread usage of oxytocin, there is still no consensus on its mode of administration. The scope of the present meta-analysis was to assess the effect of oxytocin discontinuation after the active phase of labor is established on maternal fetal and neonatal outcomes. We searched Medline, Scopus, Popline, ClinicalTrials.gov and Google Scholar databases. Eight studies were finally retrieved, which involved 1232 parturient. We observed significantly decreased rates of cesarean sections among parturient that discontinued oxytocin (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.35, 0.74) as well as decreased rates of uterine hyperstimulation (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.19, 0.58). Similarly, cases of non-reassuring fetal heart rates were fewer among women that did not receive oxytocin after the establishment of the active phase of labor (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.41, 0.97). Keeping in mind the aforementioned maternal and neonatal adverse effects that seem to result from infusion of oxytocin until delivery, future practice should aim towards its discontinuation after the establishment of the active phase of labor, as it does not seem to influence the total duration of labor. Future studies should aim towards specific populations of parturient in order to clarify whether different approaches are needed.     

Endothelial progenitor cell capture by stents coated with antibody against CD34: the HEALING-FIM (Healthy Endothelial Accelerated Lining Inhibits Neointimal Growth-First In Man) Registry

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate whether rapid endothelialization of stainless steel stents with a functional endothelium prevents stent thrombosis and reduces the restenotic process. BACKGROUND: A "pro-healing" approach for prevention of post-stenting restenosis is theoretically favored over the use of cytotoxic or cytostatic local pharmacologic therapies. It is believed that the central role of the vascular endothelium is to maintain quiescence of the underlying media and adventitia. METHODS: Sixteen patients with de novo coronary artery disease were successfully treated with implantation of endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) capture stents. RESULTS: Complete procedural and angiographic success was achieved in all 16 patients. The nine-month composite major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) rate was 6.3% as a result of a symptom-driven target vessel revascularization in a single patient. There were no other MACCE despite only one month of clopidogrel treatment. At six-month follow-up, mean angiographic late luminal loss was 0.63 +/- 0.52 mm, and percent stent volume obstruction by intravascular ultrasound analysis was 27.2 +/- 20.9%. CONCLUSIONS: This first human clinical investigation of this technology demonstrates that the EPC capture coronary stent is safe and feasible for the treatment of de novo coronary artery disease. Further developments in this technology are warranted to evaluate the efficacy of this device for the treatment of coronary artery disease.     

Monoclonal Antibody Biosimilars in Oncology: Critical Appraisal of Available Data on Switching

Purpose

With the introduction of biosimilars of anticancer monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in oncology, physicians are potentially confronted with the question whether it is clinically adequate to switch patients who are clinically stable on treatment with the reference product to a newly available biosimilar (or vice versa/from 1 biosimilar to another). For a proper impact assessment of switching, robust, product-specific, and clinically relevant evidence should be required, ideally including data from appropriately designed switching studies. In this article, we assess the current body of switching data available for approved or proposed biosimilars of anticancer mAbs.