The American journal of medicine
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Hypertension is a major health problem for patients over 65 years of age. Control of elevated blood pressure reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality rates among older hypertensive patients. Increased total peripheral vascular resistance is the primary hemodynamic abnormality in these patients. ⋯ The latter condition might be thought to favor blood pressure control with diuretics and impair the response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy. However, recent studies with lisinopril, a new long-acting, nonsulfhydryl angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, indicate that reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in older hypertensive patients receiving either angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or hydrochlorothiazide monotherapy were not significantly different. These data demonstrate that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor monotherapy can effectively lower blood pressure in older hypertensive patients.
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Pharyngitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia represent the most common respiratory tract infections. With a view to establishing effective management strategies, the origins of these illnesses and the diagnostic techniques that have been developed to discover them are reviewed. Therapeutic regimens with documented efficacy are outlined with emphasis on specific rather than empiric treatment. Although many respiratory tract pathogens remain exquisitely sensitive to penicillin, the emergence of resistant strains underscores the need for safe and effective alternative therapies.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
An attachable silver-impregnated cuff for prevention of infection with central venous catheters: a prospective randomized multicenter trial.
Percutaneously inserted central venous catheters are widely used. Catheter-related bacteremia or fungemia is the most frequent serious complication of these catheters. In an attempt to reduce the frequency of such infections, a subcutaneous cuff constructed of a biodegradable collagen matrix impregnated with bactericidal silver was developed. Our goal was to assess, in a multicenter clinical trial, the effectiveness of this cuff in preventing catheter-related infection. ⋯ This novel, silver-impregnated, attachable cuff can substantially reduce the incidence of catheter-related infection with most percutaneously inserted central venous catheters, can extend the time catheters can be left in place safely, and can prove cost-beneficial.
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Comparative Study
Comparison between measured and fick-derived values of hemodynamic and oxymetric variables in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Previous studies have compared the relationship between directly measured values for cardiac output, systemic oxygen consumption (VO2), and arteriovenous oxygen difference (D(A-v)O2) with those calculated by the Fick principle. However, the validity of Fick's principle in critically ill patients undergoing physiologic changes and pharmacologic interventions is unknown. The purpose of our study was to compare directly measured values for hemodynamic and oxymetric variables with those calculated by the Fick equation in patients with acute myocardial infarction, at baseline and after the hemodynamic changes produced by pharmacologic interventions. ⋯ In patients with acute myocardial infarction, cardiac output, VO2, and D(A-v)O2 indirectly calculated by the Fick principle are equivalent to directly measured values, despite the various degrees of hemodynamic dysfunction and the currently used therapeutic interventions.
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Currently used methods to determine glycemia have certain disadvantages, including cost, heavy labor involvement, and storage problems. Determination of serum fructosamine levels, on the other hand, offers several potential advantages over these current measures. Our goal was to evaluate the utility of serum fructosamine as a measure of glycemia. ⋯ Assay of serum fructosamine appears to be comparable to that of HbA1C for determination of glycemic control. The automaticity, reproducibility, and lower cost for the fructosamine assay argue strongly in favor of this assay in comparison to those for other glycosylated proteins.