The New England journal of medicine
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Comparative Study
Preventive care for women. Does the sex of the physician matter?
Emphasis on ensuring women's access to preventive health services has increased over the past decade. Relatively little attention has been paid to whether the sex of the physician affects the rates of cancer screening among women. We examined differences between male and female physicians in the frequency of screening mammograms and Pap smears among women patients enrolled in a large Midwestern health plan. ⋯ Women are more likely to undergo screening with Pap smears and mammograms if they see female rather than male physicians, particularly if the physician is an internist or family practitioner.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Meta Analysis Clinical Trial
Prehospital thrombolytic therapy in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction. The European Myocardial Infarction Project Group.
The efficacy of thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction depends partly on how soon after the onset of symptoms it is administered. We therefore studied the efficacy and safety of thrombolytic therapy administered before hospital admission and thrombolytic therapy administered after admission in patients with suspected myocardial infarction. ⋯ Prehospital thrombolytic therapy for patients with suspected myocardial infarction is both feasible and safe when administered by well-equipped, well-trained mobile emergency medical staff. Although such therapy appears to reduce mortality from cardiac causes, our data do not definitely establish that it reduces overall mortality.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Oral pilocarpine for post-irradiation xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer.
We evaluated pilocarpine hydrochloride for the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia, a common complication of irradiation of the head and neck. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken to test the safety and efficacy of pilocarpine, particularly in reversing the decrease in the production of saliva and other manifestations of xerostomia. Patients received either placebo or pilocarpine (5 mg or 10 mg orally three times a day) for 12 weeks and were evaluated at base line and every 4 weeks. ⋯ Pilocarpine improved saliva production and relieved symptoms of xerostomia after irradiation for cancer of the head and neck, with minor side effects that were predominantly limited to sweating.