Hospital Medicine Alert – August 1, 2009

August 1, 2009

• Severe Respiratory Disease Associated with Adenovirus Serotype 14

  Adenovirus 14 (Ad14) has emerged as a cause of febrile respiratory illness (FRI) and has resulted in pneumonia in a significant number of patients.

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• Is Clopidogrel Plus Aspirin Superior to Aspirin Alone for Atrial Fibrillation? Review #1

  The role of intensive antiplatelet therapy for prevention of vascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation remains controversial. The Atrial Fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial with Irbesartan for Prevention of Vascular Events (ACTIVE) trio of studies is an attempt to clarify this issue.

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• Aspirin and Clopidogrel Combination Effective for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: Review #2

  The combination of aspirin with clopidogrel is better than aspirin alone in reducing the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

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• Treatment of Septic Arthritis in Children

  A randomized study of treatment of septic arthritis in children 3 months to 15 years of age demonstrated that 10 days of treatment, with an initial 2-4 days intravenously followed by oral therapy, was sufficient for most cases, regardless of the infecting pathogen or site of infection.

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• D-Dimer in Aortic Dissection

  The differential diagnosis of acute chest pain includes three entities that can be lethal if missed: myocardial infarction (MI), pulmonary embolus, and aortic dissection.

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