A5039809886- Antibiotic Use and Resistance
- Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment
- Ion channel regulation and function
- Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills
- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
- Respiratory and Cough-Related Research
- Nosocomial Infections in ICU
- Electrochemical Analysis and Applications
- Hemodynamic Monitoring and Therapy
- Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Ion Channels and Receptors
- COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
- Emergency and Acute Care Studies
- Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Patient Satisfaction in Healthcare
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Computational Drug Discovery Methods
Cardiff University
2012-2025
Cardiff Metropolitan University
2013-2014
BackgroundAntibiotic resistance is a global public health threat. Antibiotics are very commonly prescribed for children presenting with uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), but there little evidence from randomised controlled trials of the effectiveness antibiotics, both overall or among key clinical subgroups. In ARTIC PC, we assessed whether amoxicillin reduces duration moderately bad symptoms in (non-pneumonic) LRTI primary care, and subgroups.MethodsARTIC PC was...
Despite repeated vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 virus, patients who are immunocompromised remain at very high risk of catching virus and becoming unwell. AZD7442 (Evusheld) is a long-acting monoclonal antibody treatment that has been shown in clinical trials to prevent infection for up year after single dose. Vaccines require healthy immune system generate protective immunity. may individuals not have responded virus. Unlike vaccinations, reaches effective levels within the body few hours...
A minority of patients presenting to hospital with COVID-19 have bacterial co-infection. Procalcitonin testing may help identify for whom antibiotics should be prescribed or withheld. This study describes the use procalcitonin in English and Welsh hospitals during first wave pandemic. web-based survey antimicrobial leads gathered data about testing. Responses were received from 148/151 (98%) eligible hospitals. During pandemic, there was widespread introduction expansion PCT NHS The number...
Blood biomarkers have the potential to help identify COVID-19 patients with bacterial coinfection in whom antibiotics are indicated. During pandemic, procalcitonin testing was widely introduced at hospitals UK guide antibiotic prescribing. We determined impact of this on hospital-level consumption.
Introduction Sepsis is a common, potentially life-threatening complication of infection. The optimal treatment for sepsis includes prompt antibiotics and intravenous fluids, facilitated by its early accurate recognition. Currently, clinicians identify assess severity suspected using validated clinical scoring systems. In England, the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) has been mandated across all Health Service (NHS) trusts ambulance organisations. Like many systems, NEWS2 should not be...
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel virus responsible for the disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although COVID-19 viral illness, many patients admitted to hospital are prescribed antibiotics, based on concerns that may experience secondary bacterial infections, and assumption they respond well antibiotic therapy. This has led an increase in use some hospitalised at time when accumulating resistance major global threat health. Procalcitonin (PCT)...
Abstract Background Many hospitals introduced procalcitonin (PCT) testing to help diagnose bacterial coinfection in individuals with COVID-19, and guide antibiotic decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic UK. Objectives Evaluating cost-effectiveness of using PCT decisions hospitalized as part a wider research programme. Methods Retrospective individual-level data on patients were collected from 11 NHS acute hospital Trusts Health Boards England Wales, which varied their use baseline...
Ryanodine receptors are homotetrameric intracellular calcium release channels. The efficiency of these channels is underpinned by exceptional rates cation translocation through the open channel and this achieved at expense high degree selectivity characteristic many other types channel. Crystallization prokaryotic potassium has provided insights into structures mechanisms responsible for ion selection movement in channels, however no equivalent structural detail currently available ryanodine...
Although no high-resolution structural information is available for the ryanodine receptor (RyR) channel pore-forming region (PFR), molecular modeling has revealed broad similarities between this and equivalent of K+ channels. This study predicts that, as case in channels, RyR a cytosolic vestibule lined with predominantly hydrophobic residues transmembrane helices (TM10). In binding site blocking tetraalkylammonium (TAA) cations Shaker B inactivation peptides (ShBPs), which are stabilized...
Abstract Background Procalcitonin (PCT) is a blood marker used to help diagnose bacterial infections and guide antibiotic treatment. PCT testing was widely used/adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic in UK. Objectives Primary: measure difference length of early (during first 7 days) prescribing between patients with who did/did not have baseline wave pandemic. Secondary: differences hospital/ICU stay, mortality, total days resistant these groups. Methods Multi-centre, retrospective,...
Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for children with uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections, but there little randomised evidence to support the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating these either overall or relating key clinical subgroups which antibiotic prescribing common (chest signs; fever; physician rating unwell; sputum/rattly chest; shortness breath).
To explore and model factors affecting antibiotic prescribing decision-making early in the pandemic. Semistructured qualitative interview study. National Health Service (NHS) trusts/health boards England Wales. Clinicians from NHS Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with clinicians six Wales as part of Procalcitonin Evaluation Antibiotic use COVID-19 Hospitalised patients study, a wider study that included statistical analysis procalcitonin (PCT) hospitals during first wave...
Ryanodine receptors type 2 (RyR2) regulate excitation-contraction coupling. Their dysfunction leads to pathological states, such as arrhythmia, heart failure and sudden death. Our homology model detected comparable structural determinants in the pores of K+ channel KcsA RyR2. A Glycine hinge motif inner transmembrane helix many channels is also found We tested hypothesis that at this position (4864) was critical for RyR2 function, it channels. single substitution by Alanine human sequence...
Abstract Background A minority of patients presenting to hospital with COVID-19 have bacterial coinfection. Procalcitonin testing may help identify for whom antibiotics should be prescribed or withheld. The PEACH study describes the use procalcitonin in English and Welsh hospitals during first wave pandemic diagnose infections guide antibiotic treatment. There is a lack clear evidence support its lung infections, which means some hospitals, clinicians used test decisions COVID-19, whilst...