Current medical research and opinion
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of different depths of anesthesia on postoperative cognitive function in laparoscopic patients: a randomized clinical trial.
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is caused by many factors. This work was conducted to investigate the effect of different depths of anesthesia during combined intravenous-inhalational anesthesia on postoperative cognitive function in young and middle-aged laparoscopic patients. ⋯ These results indicated that the depth of anesthesia, 40 < BIS ≤ 50, under combined intravenous-inhalational anesthesia yielded milder influence on postoperative cognitive function in young and middle-aged laparoscopic patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of ivabradine on numbers needed to treat for the prevention of recurrent hospitalizations in heart failure patients.
Ivabradine, a specific heart rate lowering agent, was shown in the SHIFT study to reduce time to first hospitalization for worsening heart failure (HF) in chronic systolic HF patients and also to reduce recurrent/total hospitalizations over the study interval. We assessed the effects of adding ivabradine in patients with systolic HF on the number needed to treat (NNT) to reduce recurrent hospitalizations. ⋯ In chronic systolic HF the effect of ivabradine on reducing recurrent HF hospitalizations results in a lower NNT compared to the effect on the time for first hospitalization. The effect of ivabradine on recurrent hospitalizations, in addition to first events, may be a more appropriate measure when considering the impact of a treatment with ivabradine on healthcare resource utilization.
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Pregabalin is frequently prescribed for chronic non-cancer pain. No previous study has examined its off-label use. ⋯ The main limitations of the study are patients' low response rate, the recruitment of participants solely from a tertiary pain center and not from the general patient population and a possible recall bias that may have arisen from the retrospective nature of the study.
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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) carries a high prevalence in the United States and worldwide. Therefore, the number of medication classes being developed and studied has grown. The individualized management of diabetes is accomplished by evaluating a medication's efficacy, safety, and cost, along with the patient's preference and tolerance to the medication. ⋯ Members of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Endocrine and Metabolism Practice and Research Network reviewed available literature regarding this therapeutic class. The article addresses the advantages, disadvantages, emerging role, and patient education for sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors. Key limitations for this article include limited access to clinical trial data not published by the pharmaceutical company and limited data on products produced outside the United States.
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It remains uncertain whether remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) could prevent acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Thus, this meta-analysis aiming to explore the renoprotective role of RIC in patients undergoing PCI was carried out. ⋯ RIC may not only confer cardioprotection, but also reduce the incidence of AKI in patients undergoing PCI, ultimately leading to better clinical outcomes. RIC may potentially be a powerful approach conferring protection in patients undergoing PCI in future clinical practice. More large-scale trials are required to obtain a more reliable conclusion.