ClinicalKey Updates

Access Latest Clinical Overviews:

Dizziness and giddiness – Dizziness describes any of various symptoms experienced by patients, including giddiness, lightheadedness, spinning sensation, or feeling faint – Read More..

Knee pain (nontraumatic) – Perception of pain in and around the knee may be caused by intrinsic conditions involving supporting structures of the knee (eg, joints, bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, bursae) or referred from elsewhere (eg, hip, lumbar spine); most knee pain is caused by structures supporting the knee joint. Read More..

Nephritic syndrome – Nephritic syndrome is a clinical manifestation of glomerulonephritis, characterized by hematuria, proteinuria, impaired renal function, hypertension, and edema. Read More..

Weakness- Neuromuscular weakness is a common complaint that requires distinction from fatigue, asthenia, and psychogenic disease. Read More..

Updated Clinical Overviews – Selected Topics

Chronic kidney disease – Chronic kidney disease is the decline in function of the kidney characterized by at least 3 months of reduced GFR (less than 60 mL/minute/1.73 m²) or at least 3 months of structural or functional kidney damage. Read More..

Colorectal cancer – Colorectal cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the colon or rectum, most commonly adenocarcinoma; clinical presentation ranges from asymptomatic to imminently life-threatening (eg, perforation, obstruction). Read More..

Coronavirus: novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection – COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a respiratory tract infection due to a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2; global pandemic is ongoing. Read More..

Generalized anxiety disorder – Generalized anxiety disorder is a mental disorder characterized by continuous and uncontrolled worrying without a significant cause. Read More..

Major depressive disorder – Major depressive disorder is a chronic and relapsing disease, characterized by a pervasive sad mood and the loss of pleasure in most activities (anhedonia) Read More..

COVID-19 PRACTICE UPDATES – 23^rd Feb 2021

 The recent Oxford study on optimum prime-boost interval is very important from a clinical and public health policy perspective. Also the interim results of the Sputnik V Phase 3 trials (although not yet approved for emergency use in India) will be of clinical interest. Finally, a study to identify association between COVID-19 and major NCD risk factors, NCDs, healthcare related and social variables in India. Please find some related direct links.

Single-dose administration and the influence of the timing of the booster dose on immunogenicity and efficacy of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine: a pooled analysis of four randomised trials

A 3-month dose interval might have advantages over a programme with a short dose interval for roll-out of a pandemic vaccine to protect the largest number of individuals in the population as early as possible when supplies are scarce, while also improving protection after receiving a second dose.…In the participants who received two standard doses, after the second dose, efficacy was higher in those with a longer prime-boost interval (vaccine efficacy 81·3% [95% CI 60·3–91·2] at ≥12 weeks) than in those with a short interval (vaccine efficacy 55·1% [33·0–69·9] at <6 weeks). These observations are supported by immunogenicity data that showed binding antibody responses more than two-fold higher after an interval of 12 or more weeks compared with an interval of less than 6 weeks in those who were aged 18–55 years (GMR 2·32 [2·01–2·68]).

Safety and efficacy of an rAd26 and rAd5 vector-based heterologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccine: an interim analysis of a randomised controlled phase 3 trial in Russia

This interim analysis of the phase 3 trial of Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) showed 91·6% efficacy against COVID-19 and was well tolerated in a large cohort.

Between Sept 7 and Nov 24, 2020, 21 977 adults were randomly assigned to the vaccine group (n=16 501) or the placebo group (n=5476). 19 866 received two doses of vaccine or placebo and were included in the primary outcome analysis. From 21 days after the first dose of vaccine (the day of dose 2), 16 (0·1%) of 14 964 participants in the vaccine group and 62 (1·3%) of 4902 in the placebo group were confirmed to have COVID-19; vaccine efficacy was 91·6% (95% CI 85·6–95·2). Most reported adverse events were grade 1 (7485 [94·0%] of 7966 total events). 45 (0·3%) of 16 427 participants in the vaccine group and 23 (0·4%) of 5435 participants in the placebo group had serious adverse events; none were considered associated with vaccination, with confirmation from the independent data monitoring committee. Four deaths were reported during the study (three [<0·1%] of 16 427 participants in the vaccine group and one [<0·1%] of 5435 participants in the placebo group), none of which were considered related to the vaccine.

Macrolevel association of COVID-19 with non-communicable disease risk factors in India

COVID-19 disease burden and mortality in India is ecologically associated with greater state-level burden of NCDs and risk factors, especially obesity and diabetes.

There is significant positive correlation (Pearson r) of state-level COVID-19 cases and deaths per million, respectively, with NCD risk factors- obesity (0.64, 0.52), hypertension (0.28, 0.16), diabetes (0.66, 0.46), NCD epidemiological transition index (0.58, 0.54) and ischemic heart disease mortality (0.22, 0.33). Correlation is also observed with indices of healthcare access and quality (0.71, 0.61), urbanization (0.75, 0.73) and human (0.61, 0.56) and sociodemographic (0.70, 0.69) development. Multivariate adjusted analyses shows strong correlation of COVID-19 burden and deaths with NCD risk factors (r ² = 0.51, 0.43), NCDs (r ² = 0.32, 0.16) and healthcare (r ² = 0.52, 0.38).

Access Latest Articles:

• Mucormycosisin COVID-19: A systematic review of cases reported worldwide and in IndiaDiabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews https://bit.ly/3i1E87h
• Mucormycosis-a serious threat in the COVID-19 pandemic?Journal of Infection https://bit.ly/3hPe2E4
• Mucormycosis with orbital compartment syndrome in a patient with COVID-19American Journal of Emergency Medicine https://bit.ly/3hPe3I8
• Recent Trends in the Epidemiology of Fungal InfectionsInfectious Disease Clinics of North America https://bit.ly/3fgsOC4
• Sino-orbital mucormycosis in a COVID-19 patient: A case reportInternational Journal of Surgery Case Reports https://bit.ly/3ugc6qI
• Characterization of Fungal Infections in COVID-19 Infected and Mechanically Ventilated Patients in ICU https://bit.ly/3yxVDBQ
• Infection prevention practices and the use of medical tapes AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control https://bit.ly/3uf9dqn

Dear Doctor,

Greetings from Elsevier.

As we all are aware of the new variant of SARS CoV-2 B.1.1.529 was reported to the World Health Organization. WHO named the B.1.1.529 Omicron and classified it as a Variant of Concern (VOC). Researchers around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and scientists are working with partners to gather data and virus samples that can be studied to answer important questions about the Omicron variant.

Though there is limited information on the new variant, we have tried to compile the most relevant articles published on the emergence, vaccine efficacy, and patient management in one document.

Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant: a new chapter in the COVID-19 pandemic

The Lancet

Emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern Omicron (B.1.1.529)

International Journal of Infectious Diseases

The political theatre of the UK’s travel ban on South Africa

The Lancet

Booster shots prove very effective

NewScientist

Omicron emerges

NewScientist

Access Full Articles: CLICK HERE

We will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available.

Please circulate with your team and do reach out to me for any information needs.