EMJ Podcast: Insights For Healthcare Professionals

In the second part of this podcast, Jonathan and Mark de Boer, current president of the Dutch Working Party on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB) focus on the ‘marathon’ of antimicrobial resistance and common misconceptions surrounding this topic . De Boer  then outlines the future of infectious disease management, highlighting the crucial role of healthcare professionals, policy makers, and the general public in combatting the ‘slow pandemic’. 

Use the following timestamps to navigate the topics in this episode:

(00:00)-Introduction (00:42)-Antimicrobial stewardship to combat the rise of resistant infections (05:06)-Main findings from de Boer’s study on antibiotic prescriptions in primary care (08:57)-Research in evolving epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (11:29)-Common misconceptions made by healthcare professionals and the public (13:40)-The ‘marathon’ of antimicrobial resistance and perceptions of antibiotics (15:53)-Future of infectious disease management and antibiotic policy (19:41)-Three wishes for global healthcare

Article 'Trends in antibiotic selection pressure generated in primary care and their association with sentinel antimicrobial resistance patterns in Europe': https://academic.oup.com/jac/article/78/5/1245/7099685

Article 'The Dutch Working Party on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB) guideline for the approach to suspected antibiotic allergy': https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1198743X23001787?via%3Dihubhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37068548/

Survey discussed: https://academic.oup.com/cid/search-results?page=1&q=westgeest&fl_SiteID=5269&SearchSourceType=1&allJournals=1#google_vignette

 

This week, Jonathan is joined by Mark de Boer, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), the Netherlands, and the current president of the Dutch Working Party on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB). The pair explore the global scale of the “slow pandemic” of antimicrobial resistance, the learning curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how we can prepare for future infectious disease management. They also discuss disinformation, the importance of collaboration, and implications for patient care following prosthetic joint infection. 

 Use the following timestamps to navigate the topics in this episode:

(00:00)-Introduction 

(02:27)-Why medicine and infectious diseases  

(05:18)-The scale of antibiotic resistance 

(09:52)-Antibiotics use in the food industry 

(11:30)-International collaborations  

(15:00)-Lessons learnt from hospitalised COVID-19 patients  

(20:10)-Future infectious disease management and policy 

(22:47)-Prosthetic joint infection 

Prof. Torsten Witte, Director of the Dept. of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at the Hannover Medical School in Germany, Prof. Andrea Rubbert-Roth, Chief physician and deputy clinic head at the Clinic of Rheumatology, Canton Hospital, St. Gallen, Switzerland and Dr. Alessandro Giollo, lead of refractory arthritis, synovial biopsy and osteoporosis clinics at the Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, in Italy delve into the latest advancements and offer perspectives in the management of rheumatoid arthritis with a specific focus on optimising methotrexate.

This podcast has been funded by Medac Gm-bh.

Evgenia Koutsouki, EMJ Editor, pulls together her favourite moments from the last quarter of the EMJ Podcast. Over the summer, our podcast welcomed an array of great guests, who discussed a multitude of topics, including the links between climate change and mental health, robotic surgery, and disparities in healthcare.

Use the following timestamps to navigate this episode:

(00:00)-Introduction

(00:35)-Richard Cohen discusses the benefits of robotic surgery

(01:37)-Arthur Burnett stresses the importance of the HPV vaccine in urology

(03:02)-Arthur Burnett on the impacts that healthcare disparities have upon survival rates

(03:29)-Samuel Washington speaks about financial barriers impacting outcomes for patients

(04:20)-Christine Ko talks about factors affecting the commonality of skin cancers

(05:16)-Christine Ko goes on to talk about visual perception in dermatology

(06:13)-Eva Parker emphasises the intersectionality between dermatological diseases, mental health, and climate change

(07:42)-Michela Starace questions the quality of life and mental health for patients with alopecia areata

(09:00)-Michela Starace discusses JAK inhibitors in the treatment of alopecia

(10:33)-Morag Griffin provides details on the rare condition paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria

(11:51)-Morag Griffin stresses the importance of international collaboration in rare diseases

(13:00)-Mark Sullivan highlights the difficulties of finding funding, and how this affects drug development

(14:12)-Mark Sullivan talks about access to healthcare as a fundamental human right

Exploring the most important developments in the field of endometrial cancer, this podcast episode features two highly esteemed guests: Bradley Monk, University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, USA, and Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska, USA; and Robert Coleman, Chief Medical Officer, Vaniam Group, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The experts offer their perspectives on recent information presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meetings.   Discussing the most common gynaecological malignancy in developed countries, this episode investigates the challenges associated with disease diagnosis, staging, stratification, and treatment. The discussions in this podcast cover the complexities of endometrial cancer, standard of care biomarkers, and efforts to personalise treatment. The experts also deliver an update on the important ongoing clinical trials that created a real buzz at both congresses.   This podcast was funded by a medical educational grant from GSK, with the purpose of enhancing the fundamental understanding of oncology specialists of key data and the latest advancements in endometrial cancer care.

Silke Gillessen, Director of the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland, joins Jonathan to discuss her specialty of genitourinary oncology, and why personalised and precise treatment is so vital. 

Listen to the following timestamps to navigate the content in this episode:

(00:00)-Introduction 

(03:10)-Gillessen’s origin story 

(04:25)-Differences and similarities in access to care between countries 

(06:26)-Inspiration to start the medical oncology unit for genitourinary cancer Kantonsspital St. Gallen 

(08:16)-Gillessen’s experience in the UK 

(11:00)-How evidence-based medicine can best influence adoption of ESMO guidelines 

(14:18)-The meaning of precision oncology and novel treatments for prostate, testicular, and penile cancers 

(17:17)-How ESMO can help support patients dealing with a cancer diagnosis 

(20:47)-Treatment for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer 

(23:52)-Optimising treatment for metastatic prostate cancer 

(25:51)-Molecular targeted drugs and immunotherapy in prostate cancer 

(27:40)-Three wishes

This week, Jonathan is joined by Sophie Lanzkron, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The pair explores sickle cell disease and advancements in its treatment, including hydroxyurea and blood transfusions, as well as advancements in haplotype transplant and gene therapy. They further discuss challenges in diagnosis and treatment, and how the condition affects quality of life.

Use the following timestamps to navigate the content in this episode:

(00:00)-Introduction

(02:33)-Inspiration to work in haematology and sickle cell disease

(05:00)-Sickle cell disease: what is it and how does it affect quality of life

(08:30)-Efficiency and use of hydroxyurea

(13:00)-Infusion clinic outcomes versus emergency department outcomes

(16:08)-Treating patients with sickle cell disease by blood transfusions

(17:40)-Global prevalence and burden of sickle cell disease

(20:20)-Challenges faced by patients during diagnosis and treatment

(23:53)-Novel sickle cell disease healthcare delivery model

(26:27)-Perfecting treatment for sickle cell disease

(29:15)-Research focus in the future

(31:22)-Lanzkron’s three wishes for the future

This week, Jonathan is joined by Drew Bird, Director of the Food Allergy Center at Children’s Health, Dallas, Texas, USA, to dive into environmental factors that have led to the increase in allergies, including peanut allergy, and oral immunotherapy as a treatment for allergies. The pair further discuss misconceptions and misinformation around allergies, and which allergies need more attention.

Use the following timestamps to navigate the topics discussed in this episode:

(00:00)-Introduction

(02:28)-Bird’s career in paediatric allergy and immunology

(04:50)-Misconceptions in the field

(08:47)-Using food proteins for immunotherapy

(11:53)-Bird’s role as Director of the Food Allergy Center at Children’s Health

(16:46)-Unmet needs in paediatric food allergies

(18:05)-The PALISADE Study

(19:39)-Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome

(21:46)-Environmental factors and emerging allergies

(26:36)-Innovations in the allergy and immunology field

(30:51)-Advocating for young patients to promote effective healthcare

(33:15)-Bird’s three wishes for the future of healthcare

 

Prof Bird has the following disclosures: Consultant for AllerGenis, Allergy Therapeutics, Ltd, Before Brands, DBV Technologies, FARE, Genentech, HAL Allergy, Novartis, and Nutricia; and has received grant funding (institution) from Aimmune, Astellas, DBV Technologies, FARE, Genentech, NIH NIAID, Novartis, Regeneron and Siolta.

Mark Sullivan, Medicines for Global Health (MDGH), Melbourne, Australia, joins Jonathan to discuss global health inequality, the difficulties in finding funding as a Managing Director of a not-for-profit pharmaceutical company, and infectious diseases such as Hanson’s disease and river blindness.

Use the following timestamps to navigate the podcast topics:

(00:00)-Introduction 

(01:55)-What led Sullivan into biochemistry and microbiology 

(03:04)-Sullivan’s subsequent career in Pharma  

(04:36)-The world’s only non-profit biopharmaceutical company 

(7:28)-Approval of moxidectin 

(14:15)-Hansen’s Disease: causes, host response, and treatment 

(19:04)-Innovative medicines to treat the diseases of low- and middle-income countries 

(22:20)-How to tackle the enormous expenditure in low- and middle-income countries 

(30:56)-Product development partnerships 

(34:37)-How healthcare professionals can help 

(37:25)-Three wishes to improve global healthcare 

Speaker: Prof. Dominic Stoop

Topic: “Did you know!” The cycle-to-cycle variability can be influenced by Progesterone

This podcast was sponsored by Besin Healthcare