Progression from GOLD A/B to GOLD E: a claims analysis of patients with COPD newly initiating inhaled therapy.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Acute COPD exacerbations are a primary driver of significant burden and contribute to disease progression.

Methods: This retrospective, observational cohort study used the Optum Clinformatics Data Mart database to identify patients with COPD who were classified as Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) A/B0 or A/B1 based on exacerbation history (i.

Comparative Analysis of Scrub Typhus Rapid Kits and Their Relevance in Screening and Diagnosis.

Background:  Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are increasingly recognized as practical tools for the early detection of infectious diseases, particularly in resource-limited settings. These tests offer the advantage of portability, ease of use, and quick turnaround times, making them ideal for point-of-care diagnostics. This study evaluates the diagnostic performance of three commercially available RDTs for scrub typhus, using IgM and IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) as reference standards, to assess their reliability and applicability in clinical and field settings.

Burden of Exacerbations in Patients Newly Initiating an Inhaled Regimen for COPD: A Claims Analysis.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease that has a great impact on healthcare resource utilization (HRU). Large-scale real-world evidence studies evaluating the clinical and economic impact of current maintenance inhaler therapies are scarce.

Objective: To assess annual exacerbation rate and COPD-related HRU in patients with COPD before and after initiation of an inhaled treatment regimen.

Patient Burden and Insights in COPD: A Survey Analysis.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects millions of people and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Patients experience a high symptom burden with impacts on quality of life, which have not been well quantified.

Methods: Phreesia's PatientInsightsquantitative survey was offered in January 2025 to patients with COPD during their check-in process for health care provider (HCP) visits.

Differences in COPD management across clinician type: Maintenance treatment habits and patient characteristics among US pulmonologists, internal/family medicine physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.

ObjectivesTreatment recommendations for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are based on single or combination long-acting bronchodilator therapy (β-agonists [LABAs] or muscarinic receptor antagonists [LAMAs]), with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for those at risk of exacerbations. This study evaluated differences in patient characteristics and treatment patterns among US clinicians.MethodsMedical record data for patients with COPD were abstracted via a retrospective cross-sectional survey by pulmonologists, internal/family medicine physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs).

Physician and patient perspectives on the management of hereditary angioedema: a survey on treatment burden and needs.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disorder caused by genetic mutations that lead to recurrent episodes of swelling in various parts of the body. Prophylactic treatment is common for patients with HAE, and the therapeutic options have expanded in recent years. The current standard of care for prophylactic HAE therapies is subcutaneous treatment, which can be self-administered at home, greatly improving patient quality of life.

Hereditary angioedema patients would prefer newer-generation oral prophylaxis.

Objective: To explore treatment preferences of patients with Hereditary Angioedema (HAE), a debilitating disorder characterized by potentially life-threatening, recurrent episodes of swelling, resulting in significant physical, emotional, and economic burden. With newer oral prophylactic treatments on the horizon, it is important to understand patients' preferences.

Methods: An online survey was conducted in 2018 among United States (US) adult patients diagnosed with Type I or II HAE.

Performance evaluation of Xpert HBV viral load (VL) assay: Point-of-care molecular test to strengthen and decentralize management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection.

Introduction: Estimation of hepatitis B (HBV) viral load (VL) is critical in hepatitis-B cascade-of-care and at present there is no point of care (POC) molecular assay available for the same. This study evaluated the performance of a new near point of care molecular assay Xpert HBV- VL assay against the approved assays.

Materials & Methods: In this study 172 archived previously tested samples, were simultaneously re-tested for HBV DNA on 3 real-time PCR assays: Abbott Real-Time HBV, Roche TaqMan® HBV and Xpert HBV assay.

Cost- Effectiveness of Avatrombopag for the Treatment of Thrombocytopenia in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease.

Background And Aim: Thrombocytopenia is common in people with chronic liver disease, who frequently undergo invasive procedures. To minimize the risk of bleeding, prophylactic platelet transfusions have traditionally been used but carry many risks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of avatrombopag compared with platelet transfusion and lusutrombopag as a treatment for thrombocytopenia in adult patients with chronic liver disease scheduled to undergo a medical procedure.

Prevalence and correlates of antenatal depression among women registered at antenatal clinic in North India.

Objective: Women pass through many stages throughout her lifetime. Among these phases, pregnancy is crucial phase. If women are not able to cope with this stress, it may lead to adverse outcomes of pregnancy.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the screening of cervical cancer among women in New Delhi, India.

Objective: Cervical cancer is one of the major concerns of public health importance in today's world. It is a leading cause of mortality in women of reproductive age group worldwide, mainly in developing countries. Reduction in mortality and morbidity due to cervical cancer is possible through early detection and treatment.

The burden associated with thrombocytopenia and platelet transfusions among patients with chronic liver disease.

Thrombocytopenia (TCP), a common complication of chronic liver disease (CLD), can cause uncontrolled bleeding during procedures. As such, CLD patients with TCP and platelet counts <50,000/μL often receive prophylactic platelet transfusions before invasive procedures. However, platelet transfusions are associated with clinical complications, which may result in increased healthcare utilization and costs.

A retrospective analysis of health care utilization for patients with mitochondrial disease in the United States: 2008-2015.

Background: Mitochondrial disease (MD) is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by impaired energy production caused by abnormal oxidative phosphorylation. Diagnosis of MD is challenging given the variability in how the disease can affect an individual's neurologic, cardiovascular, ophthalmologic, or gastroenterological systems. This study describes the health care utilization and cost in patients diagnosed with MD.

Modernising ophthalmology teaching: introducing a live and interactive video link.

The Health Education Thames Valley (HETV) Ophthalmology training programme holds compulsory weekly afternoon teaching sessions in Oxford. Traditionally, trainees travelled considerable distances to attend this teaching. Commuting is a known stress factor and car use has environmental, monetary and health costs.

Cost estimate of platelet transfusion in the United States for patients with chronic liver disease and associated thrombocytopenia undergoing elective procedures.

Aims: This study aimed to estimate the cost of platelet transfusion in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD)-associated thrombocytopenia undergoing an elective procedure in the United States.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted in two parts: development of a conceptual framework identifying direct, indirect and intangible costs of platelet transfusion, followed by the estimation of the total cost of platelet transfusion in patients with CLD-associated thrombocytopenia before an elective procedure in the United States using the conceptual framework and cost data obtained from a literature search. The cost of the entire care required to raise a patient's platelet count before the procedure was considered.

Should all elective knee radiographs requested by general practitioners be performed weight-bearing?

The aims of this study were to: [1] Assess the number of patients with suspected knee osteoarthritis that underwent repeat weight-bearing(WB) knee radiographs in the orthopaedic clinic following initial non-WB radiograph requested by their general practitioner (GP). [2] Confirm whether repeating WB knee views changed radiology reports. [3] Determine the number of London trusts with protocols for routinely performing WB views.

Duodenal eosinophilia and early satiety in functional dyspepsia: confirmation of a positive association in an Australian cohort.

Background And Aim: Functional dyspepsia (FD), defined by unexplained pain or discomfort centered in the upper abdomen, is common. Diagnosis and treatment of FD based on the symptom-based Rome criteria remains challenging. Recently, eosinophilia in the duodenum has been implicated in the pathophysiology of FD in adults, specifically increased eosinophils in early satiety and postprandial distress, but the association remains controversial.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus without vascular complications and ischemia modified albumin.

Ischemia modified albumin (IMA) is a proven cardiac marker but its role in type 2 diabetes mellitus without vascular complications has not been reported yet. Therefore, IMA was estimated in 60 newly diagnosed patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus and 30 healthy controls along with HbA1c and other investigations (to rule out vascular complications). There was no significant change in IMA levels in type 2 diabetic patients as compared to controls.