Heart & lung : the journal of critical care
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Despite the increased mortality and morbidity in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), its management has been based primarily on anecdotal experiences and physiologic assumptions rather than on prospective randomized controlled trials. The data on diuretics have been conflicting. ⋯ Good evidence that supports the safety and efficacy of the different medications that are routinely used in ADHF is lacking. Unless properly designed prospective clinical trials are done to evaluate the safety of the various ADHF regimens, clinicians might continue to be misguided by the beneficial short-term effects at the expense of long-term mortality and morbidity.
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Comparative Study
Health-related quality of life and subjective neurocognitive function three months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
We compared health-related quality of life (HRQL), including patient-perceived neurocognitive function at preoperative baseline and 3 months after coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery. ⋯ Patients reported improvements in HRQL measures, including two of three subjective neurocognitive measures. Health care providers facilitate preparation for the CABG recovery trajectory by discussing expected post-hospital experience and potential postoperative variations in emotions and neurocognitive function.
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The study's purpose was to describe patients' experiences of minimal conscious sedation during diagnostic and interventional cardiology procedures. ⋯ The minimal sedation protocol was effective for the majority of patients; however, 9% of patients experienced significant discomfort related to preexisting conditions, highlighting the need for individual patient assessment before, during, and after the procedure.