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The lung-protective effects of low tidal volumes, as demonstrated by the ARDSnet study, are well accepted in patients with acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
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In the issue: 5-á reductase inhibitors and hip fracture in men; the effects of drug-reimbursement policy on outcomes; new guidelines for type 2 diabetes; beta-blocker-associated brady-cardia is linked to CVD events; FDA Updates.
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Investigators in the Department of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, reviewed the charts of patients admitted with myasthenic crisis (MC) between 1987 and 2006 who received either invasive or noninvasive mechanical ventilation.
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Tracheostomy confers patient benefits such as decreasing laryngeal irritation, improving patient communication, and decreasing sedation requirements, but the optimal timing of this procedure in critically ill patients remains a subject of considerable debate.
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Among almost 6000 patients with COPD who were using other classes of respiratory therapies, the addition of tiotropium, compared with placebo, was associated with improvements in lung function, quality of life, and exacerbations during a 4-year period, but did not result in benefits in the rate of decline in FEV1.
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The FDA has extended the approval for the Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent Recombinant Vaccine to include the prevention of vaginal and vulvar cancer. The vaccine, originally approved in 2006, is already approved for the prevention of cervical cancer and genital warts.
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Opinions on the consequences of marijuana use are wide-ranging: Some experts express grave concern that it may induce COPD, increase risk of lung cancer, promote the emergence of schizophrenia, and lead to "heavy drug" use; others essentially dismiss these (potential) adversities as inadequately established to permit accusations that marijuana has any commonplace serious adverse effects.
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Ongoing safety review of tiotropium; raloxifene reduces the risk of endometrial cancer; one-day treatment with famciclovir may be as effective as 3-day treatment with valacyclovir; new Clinical Practice Guideline from the American College of Physicians regarding pharmacologic treatment for low bone density and osteoporosis; FDA Actions.