Cardiology
RSSArticles
Follow-up Blood Cultures in Gram-negative Bacteremia — Don’t Order Them
Not only does ordering routine follow-up blood cultures in patients with GNR bacteremia seldom produce helpful information, but common false-positive results can lead to longer length of stay, additional inappropriate antibiotic therapy, and increased healthcare costs.
Searching for a Connection Between Silent Myocardial Infarction and Heart Failure
In a large community-based cohort, the development of silent myocardial infarction on ECG was associated with increased risk of future heart failure.
A Closer Look at the Effects of NSAIDs on Blood Pressure
An ambulatory blood pressure monitoring substudy of the PRECISION trial showed that ibuprofen use significantly increased mean 24-hour systolic blood pressure compared to celecoxib. Further, naproxen produced intermediate results despite equivalent pain relief in patients with arthritis.
Assessing Device-assisted CPR Safety
A randomized, prospective, noninferiority study of the safety of two automated CPR devices (LUCAS and AutoPulse) against the standard manual chest compressions in cardiac arrest victims showed that in cases of severe or life-threatening complications, the LUCAS device was noninferior to standard CPR, but more organ damage with the AutoPulse cannot be excluded.
Research Provides More Support for Antiplatelet Therapy De-escalation
The authors of a single-center study randomized post-acute coronary syndrome patients either to remain on higher-potency antiplatelet agents or to change to clopidogrel after one month. The results showed a benefit to de-escalation in terms of both bleeding and ischemic events, regardless of initial platelet reactivity.
Clinical Briefs
In this section: Finding the prescription for the best diet, treating severe acute pain in the ED, and reducing falls among older patients.
Ertugliflozin Tablets (Steglatro)
Ertugliflozin is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The Incidence of Dementia May Be Declining
In community-dwelling people from Bronx County, New York, there was a sharp decrease in dementia incidence in those born after mid-1929, which could not be readily explained by changes in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, higher education, or increased racial/ethnic diversity.
CT Calcium Score vs. Stress Testing
A subgroup analysis of the PROMISE trial showed that CT coronary calcium scores in symptomatic patients at low to intermediate risk for coronary artery disease are more sensitive but less specific for major adverse cardiac events over a two-year follow-up period than stress testing. Consequently, both approaches exhibited similar but modest discriminatory ability.
Hold the Hormones — At Least for Chronic Condition Prevention
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reissued a statement on hormone replacement therapy for the prevention of chronic conditions that reiterates its D recommendation from 2012. It recommends physicians do not prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to prevent medical conditions, but leave the question of using HRT for treatment of menopausal symptoms unanswered.