Annals of internal medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Individualizing nicotine replacement therapy for the treatment of tobacco dependence: a randomized trial.
Despite the well-documented efficacy and different pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of different forms of nicotine replacement therapy, empirical data are insufficient to guide practitioners in selecting a particular form of treatment for individual patients with tobacco dependence. ⋯ Ethnicity, weight, and level of nicotine dependence may help identify smokers who have greater or lesser abstinence rates with either transdermal or nasal spray nicotine.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Mupirocin prophylaxis against nosocomial Staphylococcus aureus infections in nonsurgical patients: a randomized study.
Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage is a major risk factor for nosocomial S. aureus infection. Studies show that intranasal mupirocin can prevent nosocomial surgical site infections. No data are available on the efficacy of mupirocin in nonsurgical patients. ⋯ Routine culture for S. aureus nasal carriage at admission and subsequent mupirocin application does not provide effective prophylaxis against nosocomial S. aureus infections in nonsurgical patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Health plan members' views about disclosure of medical errors.
Various authorities and national organizations encourage disclosing medical errors, but there is little information on how patients respond to disclosure. ⋯ Patients will probably respond more favorably to physicians who fully disclose medical errors than to physicians who are less forthright, but the specifics of the case and the severity of the clinical outcome also affect patients' responses. In some circumstances, the desire to seek legal advice may not diminish despite full disclosure.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Peginterferon-alpha2a and ribavirin combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C: a randomized study of treatment duration and ribavirin dose.
Treatment with pegylated interferon (peginterferon) and ribavirin for 48 weeks is more effective than conventional interferon and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C. ⋯ Treatment with peginterferon-alpha2a and ribavirin may be individualized by genotype. Patients with HCV genotype 1 require treatment for 48 weeks and a standard dose of ribavirin; those with HCV genotypes 2 or 3 seem to be adequately treated with a low dose of ribavirin for 24 weeks.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Excess body weight is not independently associated with outcome in mechanically ventilated patients with acute lung injury.
Despite an epidemic of obesity among adults, the effect of excess body weight on outcome from critical illness is not well studied. ⋯ After risk adjustment, overweight and obese patients with acute lung injury have outcomes similar to those of patients with normal BMI. The lack of interaction between ventilator protocol assignment and BMI suggests that patients with normal, overweight, or obese BMI benefit from lower tidal volume ventilation for acute lung injury.