Projects
Impact of a diagnostic algorithm with a point-of-care C-reactive protein test, with clinical decision support and safety net advice on the prescription of antibiotics and the further treatment of acutely ill children in outpatient care: a multicenter, clu KU Leuven
Children get infections regularly, and these can usually be treated safely on an outpatient basis without antibiotics. However, many children are prescribed antibiotics, which contribute to antimicrobial resistance and a higher dependence on care. GPs often cite diagnostic uncertainty as a reason for prescribing antibiotics. We therefore want to strengthen the assessment of acutely ill children in primary care with an evidence-based ...
The effect of implementing C-reactive protein point-of-care testing for respiratory tract infections on antibiotic prescribing: a mixed methods study in out-of-hours primary care. University of Antwerp
Impact of a diagnostic algorithm including clinically guided point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) testing and safety netting advice on antibiotic prescribing rate and further management of acutely ill children presenting to ambulatory care: multicentre, Ghent University
Community-based tuberculosis triage testing after symptom screening in hard-to-reach African populations: CAD4TB versus C-reactive protein Institute of Tropical Medicine
CAD4TB and POC-CRP as triage tools for community-based TB screening. To test these tools, we will implement
two trials in rural and semi-rural Lesotho and KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
In the first trial -TB TRIAGE+-ACCURACY- we will assess the diagnostic accuracy of POC-CRP and CAD4TB in 1400
presumptive ...
Impact of clinical guidance & point-of-care CRP test in children: the ARON project. University of Antwerp
Reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in acutely ill children: supporting clinical management in ambulatory care KU Leuven
The doctoral thesis will consist of an epidemiological study, a systematic review, and a prospective field study including both quantitative and qualitative research. As the field study will make up the bulk of the thesis, it will be explained in more depth in the following paragraphs. Infections are prevalent in children and can usually be treated safely in an ambulatory setting without antibiotics. However, antibiotics are very frequently ...
Insulin and the immune response to critical illness KU Leuven
In order to survive, the human body has to protect itself against the continuous threat of external aggressions, as well as against endogenous stress caused by ageing, dysfunctional, mutated or damaged cells. In conditions of extreme stress, the organism will either recover quickly and survive, or will succumb. Thanks to innovations in intensive care medicine, patients are nowadays able to survive such acute life-threatening conditions. ...
The role of the innate immune system in the pathogenesis of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: advances in understanding KU Leuven
Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is a severe autoinflammatory childhood-onset immune disorder, classified as one of the JIA subtypes. Patients clinically present with fever, skin rash, enlarged lymph nodes (LNs), spleen and/or liver, and develop arthritis. Haematologically, neutrophilia (including immature neutrophils), leukocytosis, anaemia, and thrombocytosis is noticed. Patients have high plasma cytokine levels of ...
The role of matrix metalloproteinases in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases: new insights and applications. KU Leuven
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic, disabling diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The incidence and prevalence of IBD are increasing world-wide, including developing countries. IBD affects mostly young adults which leads to substantial morbidity and decreased quality of life. Despite extensive research, the etiopathogenesis of IBD is still not completely understood. ...