The American journal of emergency medicine
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Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major health problem in the United States and is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Patients with CAP commonly present to emergency departments where physicians must make critical decisions regarding diagnosis and management of pneumonia in a timely fashion, with emphasis on efficient and cost-effective diagnostic choices, consideration of emerging antimicrobial resistance, timely initiation of antibiotics, and appropriate site-of-care decisions. ⋯ These new data and additional guidelines pertaining to the treatment of CAP further our knowledge and understanding of this challenging infection. Furthermore, appreciation of the availability of new diagnostic testing and therapeutic options will help meet the demand for improved management of CAP.
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A recent study showed that increased blood glucose variability was an independent predictor of mortality in cardiac arrest survivors treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH). We hypothesized that the association of blood glucose variability with outcomes would differ depending on the TH phase, as body temperature affects glucose homeostasis. ⋯ The increased MAGC during the TH maintenance phase was associated with mortality and unfavorable neurologic outcome. However, this study cannot prove a causal association due to the retrospective design. In addition, we showed that the hypoglycemia rate increased significantly during the rewarming phase.
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This experimental study was performed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of progesterone on spinal cord ischemia in rabbits. ⋯ The findings from the present study indicate that progesterone effectively protects the spinal cord tissues against ischemic damage in the setting of decreased perfusion.