Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Emergency Care, Infections, NEJM, Stroke / 09.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Akash Kansagra, MD, MS Assistant Professor of Radiology Neurological Surgery, and Neurology Director, Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology Co-Director, Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Over the past five years, medicine has made enormous strides in stroke treatment. The effectiveness of these therapies has been absolutely astounding, and our ability to get patients to hospitals that can provide this life-saving care has also improved dramatically. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Infections, Pulmonary Disease / 08.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jehan Alladina MD Massachusetts General Hospital Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Boston, Massachusetts MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: During the pandemic, clinicians around the world have shared anecdotal experiences to help inform care of patients with COVID-19. However, these anecdotes and observations, without careful analysis, can bias clinicians; many clinicians have even recommended experimental therapies based on this information alone. To that end, the goal of our study was to rigorously examine the respiratory failure experienced by critically ill patients with COVID-19 and understand their response to the standards of care for respiratory failure. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Lancet, Rheumatology / 08.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Giulio Cavalli MD PhD & Prof. Lorenzo Dagna MD FACP Ospedale San Raffaele and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University Milan, Italy     MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Upon encountering pathogens, our immune system produces pro-inflammatory mediators, called cytokines. Cytokines activate cells from the immune system. In most people, production of cytokines is an appropriate and protective response to infection. However, some individuals develop excessive and detrimental inflammatory responses, which are even more harmful than the pathogen itself to the host organism. We hypothesized that some patients with COVID-19 might develop excessive and detrimental inflammation, and that treatment with anti-inflammatory agents might be beneficial in this population. Anakinra is an inhibitor of the pro-inflammatory molecule interleukin 1 (IL-1). It was originally marketed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, but is now mostly used to treat a variety of pediatric inflammatory diseases. (more…)
Author Interviews, Colon Cancer, Gastrointestinal Disease, Infections / 08.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ulrik Stenz Justesen, MD, DMSc Senior consultant at Department of Clinical Microbiology Odense University Hospital Denmark  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Anaerobic bacteria are bacteria that do not require oxygen for energy production, and live in various environments including the human gut, where they usually do not cause infections directly. Previous studies have reported an association between bacteria from the Bovis group streptococci, Clostridium septicum and colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently associations between different Bacteroides species., Fusobacterium nucleatum and CRC have also been reported. We aimed to investigate this further in a large-scale study.  (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus / 08.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Anirban Basu, Ph.D. Stergachis Family Endowed Director and Professor The Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy, and Economics (CHOICE) Institute University of Washington, Seattle MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The infection fatality ratio (IFR) of Covid19 infections is a key parameter to model the future burden of this pandemic. Case fatality rates at any point in time provide a biased estimate of IFR because of the undercounting in both the reported number of covid deaths (numerator) and the reported number of Covid19 cases (denominator). Instead, this study looked at the temporality or time trend of the CFRs within specific counties in the US (where data were deemed to be mature) to understand the underlying IFRs that these trends allude to. It estimates county-specific IFR to range from 0.5% to 3.6%, with a population average for the US at 1.3% (95% CCI: 0.6% - 2.1%).  (more…)
Author Interviews, Beth Israel Deaconess, COVID -19 Coronavirus, JAMA, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 01.05.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rishi Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School Cardiologist,Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: With more than a million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, there is growing concern that low-income communities and racial/ethnic minorities may be disproportionately shouldering the burden of the pandemic. New York City, which is comprised of 5 boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island) with unique demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, has emerged as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. (more…)
Author Interviews, C. difficile, Gastrointestinal Disease, Imperial College, Infections, Transplantation / 30.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Julian Marchesi PhD Professor of Digestive Health Faculty of Medicine, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction   Dr. Benjamin Mullish PhD Faculty of Medicine, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction NIHR Clinical Lecturer Imperial College London       MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Many patients are colonized with bacteria that are resistant to nearly all the antibiotics that we currently have. This antibiotic resistance is a huge public health problem, not least because it may lead to the scenario where a bacterial species moves from the gut and into the bloodstream, causes an infection, and cannot be treated. Such scenarios particularly occur in patients who are particularly prone to getting multiple and frequent courses of antibiotics; this may include patients with particular kidney conditions (who may be vulnerable to recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)), and patients with blood cancers (such as leukaemia, who have weak immune systems and are therefore prone to infections). Furthermore, in both sets of patients, to help treat their disease, they may be offered transplants, either a new kidney or new bone marrow. When this transplant happens, the clinician needs to ‘switch off’ their immune system to allow the transplant to work. When the immune system is dialled down, it can no longer stop any invading bacteria, increasing the chance of antibiotic resistance bacteria causing infections, which frequently leads to patient death.  (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus / 27.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Mark Czeisler MPhil -2020 Fulbright Future Scholar Australian-American Fulbright Commission Funded by the Kinghorn Family Foundation -Honorary Research Fellow, Institute for Breathing and Sleep Austin Health -Master’s candidate School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health Monash University   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response:  Recognizing the difficult decisions of when and how to manage stringent COVID-19 mitigation strategies faced by health officials and policymakers, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Monash University sought to assess public compliance with and support for the current mitigation strategies (e.g., quarantine, stay-at-home orders). We also assessed the life impact of such stringent tactics. We acquired nationally demographically representative samples from one nation and city with large numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths (US and New York City) and one nation and city with comparatively small numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths (Australia and Los Angeles). (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Weight Research / 24.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Univ.-Prof. Norbert Stefan, MD -Heisenberg Professorship for Clinical and Experimental Diabetology Internal Medicine IV, University of Tübingen -Head of the Department of Pathophysiology of Prediabetes at the Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) of the Helmholtz Center Munich -Visiting Professor Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Working in the field of obesity and cardiometabolic diseases my colleagues and I were very surprised that most of the articles reporting data about comorbid conditions, which may be associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19, did not provide data about body fat mass. Because increased fat mass, and more so higher upper-body fat mass, are known to strongly predict an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease, pneumonia and mortality, we hypothesized that they may also predict a more severe course of COVID-19. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus / 23.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: David B. Douglas, M.D., M.P.H. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Health care workers are facing the major threat of catching COVID-19 through their eyes, yet currently available eye protection is inadequate. Specifically, the use of open-type eye protection allows airborne viruses to float over the top, around the sides or under the bottom of the lenses and contact the eyes. Additionally, eye protection is well known to fog up, which limits usability by making even the most basic tasks challenging. In fact, fogged goggles is a major barrier to use. (more…)
COVID -19 Coronavirus, FDA / 21.04.2020

'The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first diagnostic test with a home collection option for COVID-19. Specifically, the FDA re-issued the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp) COVID-19 RT-PCR Test to permit testing of samples self-collected by patients at home using LabCorp’s Pixel by LabCorp COVID-19 Test home collection kit. “Throughout this pandemic we have been facilitating test development to ensure patients access to accurate diagnostics, which includes supporting the development of reliable and accurate at-home sample collection options,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. “The FDA’s around-the-clock work since this outbreak began has resulted in the authorization of more than 50 diagnostic tests and engagement with over 350 test developers. Specifically, for tests that include home sample collection, we worked with LabCorp to ensure the data demonstrated from at-home patient sample collection is as safe and accurate as sample collection at a doctor’s office, hospital or other testing site. With this action, there is now a convenient and reliable option for patient sample collection from the comfort and safety of their home.” (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus / 21.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. med. Manuel Döhla Associate Researcher, AG "One Health" Institute for Hygiene and Public Health Medical Faculty, University of Bonn Bonn, Germany MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Rapid and reliable testing of suspected cases is an important measure in the fight against the corona pandemic. In PCR diagnostics, 24 hours and sometimes more elapse between testing and notification of the test result. During this period, suspect cases must be isolated pre-emptively so that they do not cause further transmission. This is logistically and personnel-intensive and highly error-prone. The shorter the time between test and result, the more effective containment measures can be. This is why the test we have evaluated, which shows a result within 20 minutes, has aroused our interest. The manufacturer's specifications (sensitivity 70 % in early stage disease (day 4-10), 100 % in late stage disease (day 11-24), specificity 100 %) were promising. (more…)
Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus / 18.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nathan Stall, MD, FRCPC Geriatrics and Internal Medicine (Clinical Associate) Sinai Health System and the University Health Network Hospitals PhD Candidate, Clinical Epidemiology & Health Care Research Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation Eliot Phillipson Clinician-Scientist Training Program
Vasily Giannakeas, MPH Epidemiologist/ Dedicated ICES Analyst Women's College Hospital Toronto, Ontario, Canada   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: As some health care systems approach collapse, a pressing need exists for tools modeling the capacity of acute and critical care systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed an online tool to estimate the maximum number of COVID-19 cases that could be managed per day within the catchment area served by a health care system, given acute and critical care resource availability. The COVID-19 Acute and Intensive Care Resource Tool (CAIC-RT) is open access and available at https://caic-rt.shinyapps.io/CAIC-RT. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Rheumatology / 16.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ellen M. Gravallese M.D. President, American College of Rheumatology Dr. Gravallese discusses the recent guidance document issued by ACR for the treatment of rheumatic disease patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this announcement? Are patients with rheumatic disease at greater risk of severe illness or death from the SARS-CoV-2 virus?  Response: This week the ACR issued a guidance document that is the product of the ACR’s Clinical Guidance Task Force, a newly appointed task force that includes experts in infectious disease, as well as experts in biologic and non-biologic rheumatic disease therapies. This clinical guidance document was prepared to assist rheumatology professionals in the care of their patients during this novel pandemic, and to advise as to how to handle rheumatic disease therapies. There is no data to suggest that patients with rheumatic disease are at greater risk of severe illness or death simply because they have a rheumatic disease. Rheumatic disease patients appear to be at risk for poor outcomes if they become infected primarily because of general risk factors such as older age or comorbid medical conditions, such as significant heart or lung disease. A global alliance has been created by the rheumatology community that has developed an international case-reporting registry to collect information pertinent to COVID-19 infection in patients with rheumatic disease. The ACR has played an active role in helping the Alliance get their message out to the rheumatology community, and we continue to support the Alliance with its data dissemination and communication efforts. We hope this registry will provide valuable data to address additional questions about the best way to manage rheumatology patients affected by COVID-19 and we encourage providers to submit their COVID-19-related cases to the Alliance website at www.rheum-covid.org. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, ENT / 15.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ahmad R. Sedaghat, MD, PhD, FACS Associate Professor Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Cincinnati, OH, USA   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 infects the respiratory tract.  As a rhinologist, I am an expert in diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses, and as the nose and paranasal sinuses (sinonasal cavities) are a major component of the upper airway, we decided to do a systematic review of the scientific literature on the role of the sinonasal cavities in COVID-19. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Diabetes / 14.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Daniel J. Drucker, M.D. Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute Mount Sinai Hospital Toronto  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: This review was prompted by shared mechanistic pathways linking actions of molecules such as ACE2 and DPP4, which are important enzymes with cardiometabolic actions, yet also function as coronavirus receptors. The recognition that people with diabetes and obesity are more prone to severe infection also highlights the importance of understanding the biology We highlight the intersection of pathways shared by coronavirus infection, and how these might impact our understanding of diabetes and its therapies. (more…)
Abuse and Neglect, Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus / 14.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Naveen Vankadari PhD Research Fellow Monash University, Australia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The recent outbreak of pneumonia-causing COVID-19 pandemic is an urgent global public health issue. It is critical to understand and unravel the key difference of COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 with the previous coronavirus (SARS and MERS) infections. Specifically, structural and molecular dynamics which underline the mechanism of viral infection. The study first addresses the structure of COVID-19 spike glycoprotein in both closed (ligand-free) and open (ligand-bound) conformation, which open the arena in understating the viral attachment to the host cell. The study also provides the first and complete sequence alignment of spike glycol protein from COVID19 and SARA-1, showing novel insertions and deletions that highlights the uniqueness of COVID19 and underlies the differential interaction mode. The study also unravels how this new coronavirus camouflages in humans through its unique glycosylation of spike glycoprotein, which makes the most of neutralizing antibodies useless. Furthermore, In addition to known ACE2 receptor in human, the study discovers the human CD26 as another potential receptor of COVID-19 for host adhesion and hijacking.  (more…)
Anesthesiology, Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, OBGYNE / 13.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Alicia Warlick, MD Anesthesiologist at UNC/Rex, American Anesthesiology Raleigh, North Carolina MedicalResearch.com: As a physician working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 battle, how are you addressing expecting mothers’ concerns about the disease and how it might impact their pregnancy? Response: While COVID-19 has disrupted nearly every aspect of healthcare, whether its virtual appointments or delayed surgeries; there are certain things that are inevitable – like childbirth. As this virus continues to take over the country and we learn more about it each day, pregnant women are facing new challenges and fears. For women approaching their due dates, questions about staying healthy, keeping their baby safe and limiting their risk of exposure while in the hospital are all leading to anxiety and stress. And while policies and guidelines are constantly changing, as physicians we need to remind our patients that we are there to alleviate their concerns, address their questions and remind them to not lose sight of the joy the comes with bringing a child into the world. It’s a scary time for everyone, but by working together and supporting one another, we will get through this. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Heart Disease / 12.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Santiago Garcia, MD FACC Interventional Cardiologist, Minneapolis Heart Institute® Researcher, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation® MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?  Response: We analyzed and quantified ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) activations for 9 high-volume (>100 primary percutaneous angioplasties per year) cardiac catheterization laboratories in the US. These centers represent different geographic areas and levels of COVID-19 exposure in the US. The data analyzed was from January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. Participating centers included 1-Minneapolis Heart Institute, Minneapolis, MN, 2- Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Royal Oak, MI, 3- The Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, 4- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 5- UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA, 6- Iowa Heart, Des Moines, IA, 7- Northwell Health Hospital, Manhasset, NY, 8- Prairie Cardiovascular, Springfield, IL, and 9- Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus / 12.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Bart van Straten, Tim Horeman and John van den Dobbelsteen Research team TU Delft, Delft University of Technology, Dpt. of BioMechanical Engineering The Netherlands  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The background for this study was the urgent shortages of mouth masks in several hospitals. Franciscus Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherland requested on 17 March if face masks could be sterilized since they were facing these shortages. The COVID-19 pandemic and its rapid spread has led to imminent shortages of these masks. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Diabetes / 10.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Gian Paolo Fadini, MD PhD Associate Professor of Endocrinology Department of Medicine, University of Padova Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Since the very beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it was suggested that It has been initially suggested that diabetes mellitus is one of the most common comorbidities in infected people, but its exact prevalence is unclear. However, exact numbers were uncertain. We have addressed this issue in a study published as a letter in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Infections, University of Michigan / 08.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Arnold S. Monto, M.D. Professor, Epidemiology Professor, Global Public Health Thomas Francis, Jr. Collegiate Professor of Public Health University of Michigan  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: This is part of a continuing study in families first designed to examine how influenza vaccine is working in the community  We have expanded it to look broadly at all respiratory viruses There are 4 coronaviruses which are known to cause respiratory illnesses each year and we had these data ready to go when the pandemic started. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Vaccine Studies / 07.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Paul B. McCray, Jr., M.D. Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology, and Internal Medicine Executive Vice Chair of Pediatrics Associate Director: Center for Gene Therapy Roy J. Carver Chair in Pulmonary Medicine Pappajohn Biomedical Institute Carver College of Medicine University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA  52242 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is great interest in developing a vaccine that could help protect people from infection with SARS-CoV-2.  Over the last 15 years, my laboratory has helped develop small animal models of the severe coronavirus diseases SARS and MERS to study disease pathogenesis and to test treatments.  In this study, we used a mouse model of the MERS coronavirus to test a vaccine idea in collaboration with Dr. Biao He at the University of Georgia. (more…)
Author Interviews, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, COVID -19 Coronavirus, JAMA, Stanford / 07.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Melissa Bondy, PhD Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health Stanford University  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Faculty researchers in Stanford’s Department of Epidemiology & Population Health and collaborators from Baylor College of Medicine and Stanford’s Department of Dermatology developed an online survey aimed at rapidly assessing public concerns about the COVID-19 crisis. This survey, which was posted on 3 social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and Nextdoor) on March 14, 2020, collected invaluable data about COVID-19, including symptoms, concerns, and individual actions taken by respondents. Twitter and Facebook posts were sharable to facilitate snowball sampling. The survey was comprised of 21 (multiple-choice, single-choice, numeric, and open-ended) questions, which were designed to collect data concerning respondent demographics and recent cold and flu-like illnesses (if any), as well as information about participants’ concerns and any lifestyle changes that occurred as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. All questions were optional, so response rates were variable.  (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Infections, Pediatrics / 07.04.2020

genentech MedicalResearch.com: What are the applicable pediatric and post-exposure indications? Response: We recently announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted a New Drug Application (NDA) as well as two supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDA) for Xofluza® (baloxavir marboxil). The FDA accepted an NDA for a new formulation of Xofluza as one-dose granules for oral suspension (2 mg/mL), potentially offering a more convenient option for children and those who have difficulty swallowing. In addition, the application seeks approval of Xofluza for the treatment of acute uncomplicated influenza in otherwise healthy children aged one to less than 12 years of age who have been symptomatic for no more than 48 hours. The FDA also accepted an sNDA for post-exposure prophylaxis of influenza in people one year of age and older for both the oral suspension and currently-available tablet formulation. (more…)
Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Dermatology / 04.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Amit Gefen PhD Professor of Biomedical Engineering The Herbert J. Berman Chair in Vascular Bioengineering Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Although we are witnessing continuous progress in medical technologies, the design of many of the most commonly used medical devices e.g. oxygen masks or cervical collars has changed very little over a period of decades. Not surprisingly, these devices are also the ones which are frequently associated with device-related pressure ulcers (DRPUs). These DRPUs are frequently a hospital-acquired injury which involves risk of infections (including e.g. sepsis and antibiotic-resistant bacteria), scarring with serious psychological consequences, additional and significant healthcare costs and a basis for liability suits and litigation. The problem is massive in Europe and the US and is most frequently encountered in clinical environments where devices are used intensively, such as in operation theatres, intensive care units and emergency care settings (in both adult and pediatric medicine), but also, in elderly care facilities where patients often have fragile skin. With the current pandemic spread of the coronavirus, facilities worldwide are experiencing a considerable rise in usage of emergency and intensive care equipment, which will very likely considerably escalate the incidence of DRPUs. Early in 2019, a committee of global experts which I have chaired, has met for two days of intensive deliberation in London UK, to start developing the first-ever international consensus document on device-related pressure ulcers . After a rigorous review process by an international review committee of other experts, this consensus report has been published as a Special Edition of the Journal of Wound Care in February 2019 (https://doi.org/10.12968/jowc.2020.29.Sup2a.S1), under the name "Device-related pressure ulcers: SECURE prevention". The publisher has kindly made this publication freely downloadable and thereby accessible and available to anyone, including all professionals who may need guidance in this regard, including clinicians, industry, regulators and academic researches. (more…)