Disease-a-month : DM
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Disease-a-month : DM · Nov 1997
ReviewCommon cancers--immunotherapy and multidisciplinary therapy: Parts III and IV.
The refractoriness of many solid tumors to cytotoxic chemotherapy has led to the exploration of new therapeutic modalities, including immunotherapy. Immunotherapy does not have a direct cytotoxic effect on the cancer cell but is an attempt to promote rejection of the tumor by the host, chiefly through the cellular arm of the immune system. The clinical success with immunotherapy (primarily adoptive immunotherapy) among patients with unresectable malignant melanoma and cancer of the kidney has not been marked by the large numbers of patients responding but by occasional dramatic effectiveness of therapy for these cancers, which usually are refractory to chemotherapy. ⋯ Many new therapies are on the horizon, including the use of noncytotoxic treatments as an adjunct to a surgical procedure. Such therapies include the use of angiogenesis inhibitors, tumor vaccines, and immunotherapy. Now and in the future, patients will be best served when treated in an environment that can integrate medical, surgical, and radiation oncology actively.
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Thyrotoxicosis is a clinical syndrome caused by circulation of excess thyroid hormones. Classic hyperkinetic thyrotoxicosis is readily recognizable. Atypical presentations, however, can lead to diagnostic dilemmas. ⋯ Extrathyroidal manifestations of Graves' disease include orbitopathy, dermopathy, and acropachy. Therapy includes thionamides, radioactive iodine, surgical intervention, and other adjunctive modalities. Thyroid storm is a medical emergency that necessitates prompt and aggressive therapy.
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Disease-a-month : DM · Jul 1997
Review Historical ArticleCardiopulmonary resuscitation: a promise as yet largely unfulfilled.
After failure of initial external defibrillation, restoration of spontaneous circulation is largely contingent on rapid and effective reversal of myocardial ischemia by both mechanical and pharmacologic means. Despite the introduction of modern cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) more than 35 years ago, its universal acceptance, and its wide implementation, no improvements in outcome excepting early defibrillation have been documented over these many years. The science of CPR therefore is still in its infancy. ⋯ Use of these devices by bystanders is the most promising new intervention since CPR was first proposed in the early 1960s. Postresuscitation ventricular dysrhythmias and heart failure are now called postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction. This complication has been recognized as a leading cause of the high postresuscitation mor
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Comprehensive care of patients in hospitals includes assessment of nutritional status and provision of appropriate support. This approach is facilitated by knowledge of the essential differences in metabolism between starved and stressed states. Nutritional assessment and care of patients in a hospital are based on answers to the following questions: Who gets it? When do they get it? How much do they get? What route is used to administer it? What kind do they get? What are common complications of enteral and parenteral support? What nutritional aspects are pertinent to common diseases?