Publicaties
The combined effect of systemic antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors on Clostridioides difficile infection and recurrence Universiteit Antwerpen
Background Antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are recognized risk factors for acquisition and recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), yet combined effects remain unclear.Objectives To assess the short- and long-term effects of antibiotics and PPIs on CDI risk and recurrence.Methods Population-based study including all 43 152 patients diagnosed with CDI in Sweden (2006-2019), and 355 172 matched population controls ...
Interobserver variation in the assessment of immunohistochemistry expression levels in HER2-negative breast cancer Universiteit Antwerpen KU Leuven
The classification of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression is optimized to detect HER2-amplified breast cancer (BC). However, novel HER2-targeting agents are also effective for BCs with low levels of HER2. This raises the question whether the current guidelines for HER2 testing are sufficiently reproducible to identify HER2-low BC. The aim of this multicenter interna-tional study was to assess the interobserver agreement of ...
Clostridioides difficile infection-associated cause-specific and all-cause mortality Universiteit Antwerpen
Objectives: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a common healthcare-associated infection and leading cause of gastroenteritis-related mortality worldwide. However, data on CDI-associated mortality are scarce. We aimed to examine the association between CDI and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. We additionally explored contributing causes of mortality, including recurrent CDI, hospital-or community acquired CDI, chronic ...
Pilot study to evaluate tools to collect pathologist annotations for validating machine learning algorithms Universiteit Antwerpen
Purpose: Validation of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in digital pathology with a reference standard is necessary before widespread clinical use, but few examples focus on creating a reference standard based on pathologist annotations. This work assesses the results of a pilot study that collects density estimates of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) in breast cancer biopsy specimens. This work will inform the creation of a ...
Development of training materials for pathologists to provide machine learning validation data of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer Universiteit Antwerpen
Simple Summary The High Throughput Truthing project aims to develop a dataset of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) density evaluations in hematoxylin and eosin-stained invasive breast cancer specimens fit for a regulatory purpose. After completion of the pilot study, the analysis demonstrated inconsistencies and gaps in the provided training to pathologists. Select regions of interest (ROIs) were reviewed by an expert panel, who ...
Pandemics and other health crises Universiteit Antwerpen
Once an emergency has passed, general attention typically returns to dealing with day-to-day system management, and the opportunity to learn from the crisis and improve is missed. Lessons from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis must be learned, and the necessary changes made at all levels, both in terms of improving collaboration and strengthening health systems. This special report provides the conclusion of a workshop held in the ...
The emergence of travel-related infections in critical care units Universiteit Antwerpen Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde
Several tropical or geographically confined infectious diseases may lead to organ failure requiring management in an intensive care unit (ICU), both in endemic low- and middle-income countries where ICU facilities are increasingly being developed and in (nonendemic) high-income countries through an increase in international travel and migration. The ICU physician must know which of these diseases may be encountered and how to recognize, ...
Use of WATCH antibiotics prior to presentation to the hospital in rural Burkina Faso Universiteit Antwerpen Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde Universiteit Hasselt KU Leuven
Background In low- and middle-income countries, the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasing. To control AMR, WHO recommends monitoring antibiotic use, in particular Watch antibiotics. These are critically important antibiotics, with restricted use because at risk of becoming ineffective due to increasing AMR. We investigated pre-hospital antibiotic use in rural Burkina Faso. Methods During 2016-2017, we collected data from ...
Hospital antibiotic prescribing patterns in adult patients according to the WHO Access, Watch and Reserve classification (AWaRe) Universiteit Antwerpen Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Objectives: The WHO Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) classification has been developed to support countries and hospitals in promoting rational use of antibiotics while improving access to these essential medicines. We aimed to describe patterns of worldwide antibiotic use according to the AWaRe classification in the adult inpatient population. Methods: The Global Point Prevalence Survey on Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (Global-PPS) ...