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Although anemia was predictive of adverse outcomes in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, red blood cell transfusion was also associated with an increased risk of death, severe disability or delayed infarction. These results call into question the practice of liberal transfusion thresholds in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage.
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In spite of institutional education regarding appropriate use of prophylactic antibiotics, compliance was achieved only when hospital protocols that mandated specific antibiotic use were implemented.
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The optimal duration of oral anticoagulation therapy after an initial symptomatic deep venous thrombosis remains unknown. Siragusa et al assessed patients by ultrasonography for the presence of residual vein thrombosis (RVT) after three months of anticoagulation for a DVT. Those with RVT were randomized to 9 additional months of anticoagulation versus discontinuation. Among the 70% with RVT, prolonged anticoagulation showed only a non-significant trend for reducing recurrent DVT. For the 30% without RVT, all of whom stopped anticoagulation after three months, only one of 78 patients (1.3%) developed a recurrent DVT. For select patients, the lack of RVT after initial anticoagulation identifies patients in whom anticoagulation may be safely discontinued. The optimal duration of anticoagulation for higher risk patients, including those with RVT, remains undefined.
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Blockage of the harmful effects of tissue plasminogen activator by imatinib (Gleevec) might improve ischemic stroke outcomes.
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Although the ECG is key in the triage of suspected ST wave elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), it is imperfect.
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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 states: "Compared with the many people who consume a dietary pattern with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancers in certain sites [oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, and colon-rectum]. Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as fruits, ... may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease."
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Goal: To explore via fMRI the neuronal pathways potentially involved in acupuncture's effects on salivary flow.
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