The New England journal of medicine
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The vascular wall participates in the pathogenesis of sickle cell disease. To determine whether the endothelium is activated in this disease, we studied the number, origin, and surface phenotype of circulating endothelial cells in patients with sickle cell anemia. ⋯ Our studies suggest that the vascular endothelium is activated in patients with sickle cell anemia, regardless of the patients' clinical status. Adhesion proteins on activated endothelial cells may have a role in the vascular pathology of sickle cell disease.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of antiarrhythmic-drug therapy with implantable defibrillators in patients resuscitated from near-fatal ventricular arrhythmias. The Antiarrhythmics versus Implantable Defibrillators (AVID) Investigators.
Patients who survive life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias are at risk for recurrent arrhythmias. They can be treated with either an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator or antiarrhythmic drugs, but the relative efficacy of these two treatment strategies is unknown. ⋯ Among survivors of ventricular fibrillation or sustained ventricular tachycardia causing severe symptoms, the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is superior to antiarrhythmic drugs for increasing overall survival.
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Multicenter Study
Outcome of survivors of accidental deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest treated with extracorporeal blood warming.
Cardiopulmonary bypass has been used to rewarm victims of accidental deep hypothermia. Unlike other rewarming techniques, it restores organ perfusion immediately in patients with inadequate circulation. This study evaluated the long-term outcome of survivors of accidental deep hypothermia with circulatory arrest who had been rewarmed with cardiopulmonary bypass. ⋯ This clinical experience demonstrates that young, otherwise healthy people can survive accidental deep hypothermia with no or minimal cerebral impairment, even with prolonged circulatory arrest. Cardiopulmonary bypass appears to be an efficacious rewarming technique.