The American journal of the medical sciences
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To describe the incidence of discordant exudate (DE) effusions, their underlying etiologies and their effect on the accuracy of the Light's criteria to diagnose exudate effusions. ⋯ In a significant percentage of patients, there is discordancy between the results of the PFA and the final clinical diagnosis. DE decreased the accuracy of Light's criteria to identify exudate PE, increasing the risk of misclassifying a transudate as an exudate. Concordant exudates almost universally established the presence of an exudative PE.
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Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are some of the most commonly used medications worldwide. The availability of hundreds of products containing an NSAID, combined with a lack of recognition and understanding of NSAIDs, can increase the potential of consumers to inadvertently exceed the recommended NSAID dosage, which can cause potentially serious side effects. Physician and consumer education regarding the appropriate use of NSAIDs can help prevent NSAID misuse. Evaluations of current consumer patterns of NSAID use and perceptions about NSAIDs are necessary to develop targeted educational programs. ⋯ NSAIDs are widely used and often used in a manner that increases the risk of serious side effects. Sufficient knowledge and understanding of NSAIDs is lacking and educational interventions directed to consumers and physicians are needed.
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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Despite advances in its prevention and management, the prognosis of patients with lung cancer remains poor. Therefore, much attention is being given to factors that contribute to the development of this disease, the mechanisms that drive oncogenesis and tumor progression and the search for novel targets that could lead to the development of more effective treatments. ⋯ Studies involving human tissues have linked lung cancer with abnormalities in this pathway. Furthermore, studies in vitro and in vivo using animal models of lung cancer reveal that targeting this pathway might represent an effective means of treating this disease. As a result, there is significant effort invested in the development of drugs targeting mammalian target of rapamycin and related pathways in the clinical setting.