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To evaluate the complementary roles of beta-type natriuretic peptide
and chest x-ray in the evaluation of congestive heart failure, Knudsen and colleagues studied an international cohort of emergency
department patients with acute dyspnea.
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The electrocardiogram in the Figure shows normal sinus rhythm at a rate of 80 beats/minute. The PR, QRS, and QT intervals are normal. There is an rSR pattern in lead III. The axis is +40°. There is no sign of chamber enlargement. The most remarkable finding on this tracing is the presence of subtle but real ST segment elevation in multiple leads including I, II, aVF, and V2 through V6.
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Since the extended regimen pill Seasonale (Barr Laboratories, Pomona, NY) hit pharmacy shelves in October 2003, it has become the fourth most-prescribed oral contraceptive in the United States. What do you need to know in counseling women about this new option?
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Want to drive more men toward your family planning clinic? You may want to consider adding clinic-based vasectomies. The Womens Health Care Clinic at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center in Torrance has found success in steering its program in this direction.
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Get ready for wider availability of the OraQuick HIV-1/2 rapid HIV test: with a June 2004 waiver issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the test now can be used by more than 180,000 sites in the United States, including outreach clinics, community-based organizations, and physicians offices.
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The 18-year-old patient before you, scheduled for an annual exam, is sexually active and admits that condoms are not always used. What is your next move? If the patient is female, chances are she will be tested for chlamydia, but if the patient is male and asymptomatic, your practice may not include a routine screen for the sexually transmitted disease (STD). New research may have you rethink your approach.
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The following goals were developed for home health care, but may not apply to all areas of home health, says Maryanne L. Popovich, RN, MPH, executive director of the Joint Commission home care accreditation program.
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In proposed rules published May 18, 2004, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes to incorporate these provisions of the BBA into Conditions of Participation (COPs) applicable to hospitals and to extend these requirements to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
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An elderly woman presents with a chief complaint of constipation, with few symptoms of acute abdomen. Would you suspect appendicitis in this patient? You may find a misleadingly benign physical assessment in older patients, despite the presence of a potentially lethal illness, warns Karen Hayes, ARNP, PhD, assistant professor at the School of Nursing at Wichita (KS) State University.
