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The authors concluded that interruption of warfarin therapy in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients increased the short-term risk of death or thromboembolism, especially during the first 90 days of treatment interruption.
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The ECG shown above was obtained from a 22-year-old man in a wheelchair. How would you interpret the tracing? Can you think of a condition that might account for this clinical scenario?
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Biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid open the possibility of diagnosing early or even presymptomatic cases of Alzheimer's disease, thereby expanding the potential window for therapy.
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Dementia and benzodiazepines; effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acid and Ginkgo biloba supplements; and FDA actions.
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Celiac disease (CD), also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy as well as two older and no longer recommended terms,3 nontropical sprue and celiac sprue, is a chronic immune-mediated disorder induced by dietary gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. In CD patients, the ingestion of gluten results in the development of small intestinal mucosal villous atrophy with crypt hyperplasia and mucosal inflammation. Patients may be asymptomatic or may manifest classic malabsorptive symptoms of abdominal pain, bloating, weight loss, diarrhea, and steatorrhea. They also may present along a spectrum with more subtle gastrointestinal and/or extraintestinal symptoms and signs of the disease; virtually every body system can be affected.
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Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune condition that leads to chronic inflammation with salivary and lacrimal gland dysfunction. The diagnosis of Sjogren's often is delayed by several years because the initial presenting symptoms can be non-specific. However, some manifestations of Sjogren's may be life threatening, including brain damage and cancer. It is very important for the primary care physician to recognize the early signs and symptoms and to initiate the appropriate workup and treatment in coordination with consulting specialists to prevent further morbidity and mortality.
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In this study in which all patients with clinically suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia were given prompt empiric antibiotic therapy, whether that therapy turned out to be appropriate for the organisms recovered turned out to be an important determinant of patient outcomes.
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This article provides many excellent suggestions and strategies for improving communication among the members of the critical care team to reduce medical errors.