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Immun Inflamm Dis 2021 Jun 21. Epub 2021 Jun 21.

Applied Biological Laboratories, Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Background: Often thought of as a minor health concern, sore throat or pharyngitis is an important public health issue. It is one of the most common symptoms of upper respiratory diseases including COVID-19 and is a leading cause of physician visits and antibiotic prescriptions. However, few over-the-counter medications are proven to heal sore throat inflammation. Read More

Rev Panam Salud Publica 2021 11;45:e67. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG. Zurich Switzerland Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG., Zurich, Switzerland.

Objective: To describe the immunogenicity and safety of a tetravalent dengue vaccine (TAK-003) in healthy adolescents living in Mexico City, an area considered non-endemic for dengue (NCT03341637).

Methods: Participants aged 12-17 years were randomized 3:1 to receive two doses (Month 0 and Month 3) of TAK-003 or placebo. Immunogenicity was assessed by microneutralization assay of dengue neutralizing antibodies at baseline, Months 4 and 9. Read More

Int J Clin Pract 2021 Jun 12:e14511. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Emergency Medicine Specialist, Servergazi State Hospital, Emergency Service, Denizli, Turkey.

Objectives: Sore throat is one of the most prevalent causes of emergency visits. The chief purpose of this clinical report is to investigate the effectiveness of intravenous (IV) dexketoprofen and paracetamol drugs relative to each other in relieving the pain induced by sore throat in emergency visits.

Methods: This prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study was conducted at a tertiary-level emergency unit. Read More

Int J Clin Pract 2021 Jun 12:e14514. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Department of Family Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC, Beirut, Lebanon.

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a global concern that has significant health and economic burden. The inappropriate use of antibiotics is a major cause of antibiotic resistance; this includes both unnecessary and incorrect prescriptions. Most antibiotics are prescribed in primary care, mainly for respiratory tract infections. Read More

J Card Surg 2021 Jun 10. Epub 2021 Jun 10.

Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, Fukuoka Red Cross Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.

Lemierre's syndrome (LS) is characterized by septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein with septicemia and metastatic infection following an oropharyngeal infection. LS is rare but can cause infective endocarditis (IE), complicating IE management. We report a case of IE secondary to thrombophlebitis in the left vertebral vein following pharyngitis (LS variant) with distinctively severe manifestations, including metastatic infection and severe neurological impairment with multiple cerebral infarctions. Read More

Klin Lab Diagn 2021 Jun;66(6):358-363

G.N. Gabrichevsky research institute for epidemiologyµbiology.

Histatins are the most significant antimicrobial peptides (AMP) of saliva and there are 12 types of such AMP. Histatin molecules contain relatively high percent of histidine and tyrosine residues. This property allows to use well known from organic chemistry Pauly reaction for detection of protein bounded histidine and tyrosine residues (BHT), which are in fact characterize the summary content of all histatins in saliva. Read More

Case Rep Pediatr 2021 20;2021:1996430. Epub 2021 May 20.

Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, FL, USA.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that presents in children <6 years of age is known as very early-onset IBD (VEO-IBD). Extraintestinal manifestations in IBD, such as erythema nodosum (EN), pyoderma gangrenosum (PG), and, less likely, leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LV), are more commonly present in Crohn's disease. Association between LV and ulcerative colitis (UC) is not commonly seen. Read More

Can Pharm J (Ott) 2021 May-Jun;154(3):179-192. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Public Health Ontario, Ontario.

Background: Pharmacist prescribing authority is expanding, while antimicrobial resistance is an increasing global concern. We sought to synthesize the evidence for antimicrobial prescribing by community pharmacists to identify opportunities to advance antimicrobial stewardship in this setting.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review to characterize the existing literature on community pharmacist prescribing of systemic antimicrobials. Read More

J Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2021 Jun;30(6):732-734

Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

Acute rhabdomyolysis and elevated transaminases during streptococcal pharyngitis are rare presentations. The proposed pathophysiological mechanisms include direct bacterial invasion and toxin generation. Physicians should be aware of the association between these infections and the above-mentioned complications to facilitate optimal treatment of these patients. Read More

J Surg Oncol 2021 Jun 6. Epub 2021 Jun 6.

Department of Surgery, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA.

Testing is an essential part of containment of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. This review summarizes studies for SARS-CoV-2 infection and testing. Nasopharyngeal samples are best at sensitivity detection, especially in early stages of disease and in asymptomatic individuals. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2021 Jun 4;140:111787. Epub 2021 Jun 4.

State Key Laboratory of Southwest Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China. Electronic address:

Objective: Explore the effects of high-temperature reflux extraction and low-temperature decompressing inner ebullition on Triphala's chemical composition and anti-chronic pharyngitis activity.

Methods: The network pharmacology was used to analyze the material basis, targets and pathways of Triphala for chronic pharyngitis. HPLC were used to compare the fingerprint profile and content of components between the two extracts. Read More

BMJ Open 2021 06 4;11(6):e042816. Epub 2021 Jun 4.

General Practice / Family Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Purpose: The main objective of this review was to describe and quantify the association between (FN) and acute sore throat in primary healthcare (PHC).

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Scopus and PubMed for case-control studies reporting the prevalence of FN in patients attending primary care for an uncomplicated acute sore throat as well as in healthy controls. Only studies published in English were considered. Read More

Cureus 2021 Apr 29;13(4):e14749. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Internal Medicine, Hospital De Cascais Dr. José De Almeida, Lisbon, PRT.

We report the case of a 28-year-old male, with a past history of recurrent pharyngitis and tonsillectomy, who presented to the emergency department with fever, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis. Inflammatory markers were elevated and the patient was initially started on ceftriaxone with remission after four days. However, the symptoms recurred three weeks later and an autoinflammatory disease was suspected. Read More

Cureus 2021 Apr 28;13(4):e14729. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Infectious Diseases, Saint Michael's Medical Center, Newark, USA.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has swept the world with over hundred million of cases and millions of deaths. Upper respiratory tract symptoms including acute pharyngitis are the common symptoms of COVID-19, with a reported incidence of about 5%-17.4%. Read More

Clin Med (Lond) 2021 Mar;21(Suppl 2):11-12

Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; all authors contributed equally.

JMIR Public Health Surveill 2021 Jun 2;7(6):e27590. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Department of Community Medicine, Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.

Background: As a consequence of war and the collapse of the health system in Yemen, which prevented many people from accessing health facilities to obtain primary health care, vaccination coverage was affected, leading to a deadly diphtheria epidemic at the end of 2017.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of diphtheria in Yemen and determine its incidence and case fatality rate.

Methods: Data were obtained from the diphtheria surveillance program 2017-2018, using case definitions of the World Health Organization. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 May 29;18(11). Epub 2021 May 29.

Department of Healthcare Economics and Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.

This study proposes a method for calculating the appropriate medical treatment price level for foreign visitors (FVs) in Japan. Hospital management costs and foreign prices were analyzed from a market principles perspective to determine the medical treatment price. The study involved two stages: a preliminary survey and an extended survey, supplemented by an international survey. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2021 May 12;57(5). Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide 5025, Australia.

: The objective of this study was to assess the T-14 outcomes of the Bizact device for tonsillectomy in a pediatric population. : A case series chart review was undertaken at a public tertiary teaching hospital and private otolaryngology practice, with data collected from pediatric patients who underwent a Bizact tonsillectomy between July 2016 and October 2019 for any indication, whose parents consented to completing the T-14 questionnaire providing a parental perspective of the child's quality of life. Primary outcomes were T-14 scores recorded preoperatively and 6 weeks post-operatively. Read More

J Clin Med 2021 May 3;10(9). Epub 2021 May 3.

Center for Autoinflammatory Diseases and Immunodeficiencies, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy.

Syndrome of undifferentiated recurrent fever (SURF) is a heterogeneous group of autoinflammatory diseases (AID) characterized by self-limiting episodes of systemic inflammation without a confirmed molecular diagnosis, not fulfilling the criteria for periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenopathy (PFAPA) syndrome. In this review, we focused on the studies enrolling patients suspected of AID and genotyped them with next generation sequencing technologies in order to describe the clinical manifestations and treatment response of published cohorts of patients with SURF. We also propose a preliminary set of indications for the clinical suspicion of SURF that could help in everyday clinical practice. Read More

Infez Med 2021 Jun;29(2):268-271

Infectious and Tropical Diseases Service, Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo, Lima, Peru; Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru; Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, Chiclayo, Peru.

In Peru, diphtheria infection was eradicated in the last two decades. However, recently, diphtheria pharyngeal infection was confirmed and reported in a 5-year-old boy (index case). We report two more cases of this outbreak (in the index case parents) with confirmed diphtheria infection and tox gene identified by molecular assay, who were in close contact with the index case and never presented any symptoms. Read More

Cureus 2021 Apr 27;13(4):e14713. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

Internal Medicine, AdventHealth Florida, Sebring, USA.

Lemierre's syndrome is a condition in which an oropharyngeal infection progresses to sepsis and thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein. Although the incidence of this syndrome has fallen dramatically since the widespread use of antibiotic therapy to treat streptococcal pharyngitis, it should still be suspected in otherwise healthy young patients presenting with the triad of prolonged pharyngitis, lateral neck pain, and septic symptoms. In this report, we explore a unique case of Lemierre's syndrome complicated by hypercoagulability and ineffective initial antibiotic therapy. Read More

J Int Med Res 2021 May;49(5):3000605211017686

Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.

Objective: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is an undesirable intubation-related complication after surgery. Several studies have investigated the efficacy of perioperative intravenous dexmedetomidine administration for the prevention of POST, but the results have been inconsistent. We aimed to summarize all existing evidence and draw a more precise conclusion to guide future clinical work. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2021 Jul 13;146:110759. Epub 2021 May 13.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. Electronic address:

Introduction: Arcanobacterium haemolyticum causes pharyngotonsillitis in children and young adults. It is rarely isolated in pharyngeal swabs as testing for it is not routine. Data on complications, management, and antibiotic susceptibility testing is limited. Read More

Pediatr Ann 2021 Mar 1;50(3):e98-e104. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

During the 1920s, acute rheumatic fever (ARF) was the leading cause of mortality in children in the United States. By the 1980s, many felt ARF had all but disappeared from the US. However, although ARF and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) rates remain low in the US today, disease burden is unequal and tracks along other disparities of cardiovascular health. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 May 24;14(5). Epub 2021 May 24.

Department of General and Upper GI Surgery, St James Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

This is a rare case of descending necrotising mediastinitis (DNM) that originated as an oropharyngeal infection, before spreading caudally to include all compartments of the mediastinum and the peritoneum beyond. The mediastinitis was treated early and aggressively with drainage, lavage and debridement in conjunction with broad-spectrum antimicrobial treatment. This case includes a right cervical incision, and a seldom needed surgical laparotomy approach to address the intra-abdominal involvement, and necessity of peritoneal washout. Read More

Asian J Psychiatr 2021 Jul 19;61:102693. Epub 2021 May 19.

National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India.

The risk of neutropenia decreases significantly after the first year of clozapine initiation, and indefinite hematological monitoring is increasingly questioned. Despite comparable risks of neutropenia, the guidelines for antithyroid drugs - carbimazole and propylthiouracil do not recommend routine hematological monitoring. Assuming a similar pathogenic mechanism, data from antithyroid drugs indicate that neutropenia develops rapidly, and indefinite hematological monitoring misses a large majority of cases in the pre-symptomatic phase. Read More

JBJS Case Connect 2021 05 24;11(2). Epub 2021 May 24.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.

Case: A 34-year-old healthy G3P3 woman, 1.5 weeks postpartum, presented with hip pain, fever, and a rash. Clinical examination, laboratory testing, and microbiologic cultures identified bacterial arthritis of the right hip; obstetric/gynecologic examination and cultures identified endometrial, vaginal, and urinary tract infections caused by the same pathogen, group A streptococcus, likely contracted from her 5-year-old son who had streptococcal pharyngitis. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 May 21;14(5). Epub 2021 May 21.

Otolaryngology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

A healthy middle-aged man presents with symptoms of dysphagia and dysphonia following an upper respiratory infection, and is diagnosed and treated for complications of pharyngitis. He presents for evaluation at a tertiary care hospital after symptoms fail to resolve, with the final diagnosis being a carotid artery dissection with compressing pseudoaneurysm. This patient's constellation of symptoms and physical examination findings are consistent with Collet-Sicard syndrome, a rare disorder caused by cranial nerve compression at the skull base. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2021 May 21;21(1):463. Epub 2021 May 21.

Tropical Diseases Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Background: Streptococcus pyogenes causes a profound global burden of morbidity and mortality across its diverse clinical spectrum. To support a new controlled human infection ('challenge') model seeking to accelerate S. pyogenes vaccine development, we aimed to develop an accurate and reliable molecular method for quantifying bacterial load from pharyngeal swabs collected during experimental human pharyngitis. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2021 May 20. Epub 2021 May 20.

Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr Qarib St, Keshavarz Blvd, 14194, Tehran, Iran.

Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome is an autoinflammatory disorder with an uncertain origin. PFAPA manifestations occur in the form of regular attacks accompanied by a rise in inflammatory markers. Regarding the family clustering of PFAPA and its similarities with other autoinflammatory disorders such as familial Mediterranean fever, a genetic basis is suggested for the disease. Read More