The American journal of medicine
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Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common in men with cardiovascular disease. The introduction of sildenafil citrate, the first oral agent for the treatment of this disorder, has increased awareness about the risks of sexual activity in cardiac patients and raised concerns about the safety of sildenafil in patients being treated for coronary disease. Sildenafil is a potent and selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), the enzyme responsible for the degradation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). ⋯ None of the serious cardiovascular events reported in these trials were considered treatment related by the investigators. There is a small but finite increased risk of developing ischemia or infarction with sexual activity. Therefore, before prescribing sildenafil or any current or future treatment for ED to patients with known cardiac disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors, physicians should discuss the potential cardiac risk of sexual activity and perform a complete medical assessment, including an exercise stress test if appropriate.
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Nutrition and hydration have long been considered to be life-sustaining therapies that are associated with comfort and relief of suffering. This belief is largely based on our own experiences with the sensations of thirst and hunger, which have led physicians to question whether withdrawing or withholding nutritional support from a dying patient can be morally or ethically justified. When considered in light of the available evidence, the underlying premise of this question must be reevaluated. The evidence suggests an alternative formulation, namely, that unrequested nutritional support provided by either the enteral or parenteral route to a terminally ill patient may be both medically and ethically indefensible because it may increase suffering without improving outcome.
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The clinical aspects of acute pulmonary schistosomiasis among nonimmune patients have not been well characterized. ⋯ Pulmonary manifestations during the early stage of schistosomal infection may occur with either S. hematobium or S. mansoni infection. These manifestations may represent an immunologic process, as is thought to be responsible for the febrile systemic response (Katayama fever) to acute infection.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Outcomes and cost-effectiveness of ventilator support and aggressive care for patients with acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Many patients with acute respiratory failure die despite prolonged and costly treatment. Our objective was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of providing rather than withholding mechanical ventilation and intensive care for patients with acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome. ⋯ Ventilator support and intensive care for acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome are relatively cost-effective for patients with >50% probability of surviving 2 months. However, for patients with an expected 2-month survival < or =50%, the cost per QALY is more than threefold greater at >$100,000.