Articles Tagged With:
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Treatment of Acute Vertigo
In a meta-analysis of published studies of treatment of acute vertigo, the authors concluded that treatment with an antihistamine is more effective than benzodiazepines for the acute symptoms. However, there was no difference between the two medications in terms of resolution within one week or within one month.
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Predicting Coma Recovery in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients
The COVID-19 pandemic presented us with an unprecedented number of critically ill patients with coma. These investigators determined that the degree of hypoxemia determined the depth and duration of coma, but recovery was much better than expected and could be delayed by several weeks.
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Thymectomy for Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis
In this retrospective study of the long-term benefit of thymectomy (median follow-up = 89.5 months), only half of those who had an initial positive response showed a sustained response. There was no clinical factor that predicted a long-term response.
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Inclusion Body Myositis
This is a population-based study of inclusion body myositis (IBM) patients from a region of Sweden over a 33-year period. IBM presents later in life and has an unusual pattern of weakness with finger flexion, quadriceps, and swallowing muscles affected. Although it is described as an inflammatory myopathy, it does not respond to any immune-suppressive medications. It is a progressive disorder that reduces lifespan.
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Lack of Brain Temperature Variation May Predict Mortality Among Patients with Brain Injury
Variations in brain temperature appear to be a normal physiological variable. An absence of brain temperature variation may be a novel predictor of mortality among patients with brain injury.
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Identifying and Treating Non-COVID Viral Respiratory Infections
Respiratory viruses are omnipresent and can cause a variety of clinical manifestations, from asymptomatic infections to life-threatening illnesses with multi-organ failure. About 25 million people visit their primary care physician every year with uncomplicated upper respiratory infections in the United States. Viral respiratory infections are recognized as key triggering factors in exacerbations of chronic respiratory diseases, such as bronchiectasis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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Electronic Orders, Education Boost Requests for Ethics Consults
The electronic order is an important way to streamline ethics consultation requests, but additional, broader efforts will be needed.
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The Trouble with Electronically Tracking Study Medications
Digital pills allow data to be recorded automatically about patients’ medication adherence, but patients and providers have expressed significant ethical concerns.
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Financial Conflicts Reported Inconsistently
It might be time to consider another approach to transparency on financial conflicts.
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Be Careful About Informed Consent if Pelvic Exams Happen While Patients Are Under Anesthesia
Incorporate explicit discussions with patients about pelvic exams conducted while patients are under anesthesia. These discussions should occur during consent processes for gynecologic procedures. Specifically, patients would be told about the potential for medical student involvement in these exams.