Annals of internal medicine
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To review the current role of transesophageal echocardiography in the evaluation of stroke. ⋯ Transesophageal echocardiography is most helpful in patients with stroke who are less than 45 years of age and in those without clinical evidence of heart disease. The indications for its use in the evaluation of stroke remain controversial. Further studies are needed using transesophageal echocardiography in patients with stroke and in control groups, not only to determine the natural history of transesophageal, echocardiographically detected abnormalities but also to evaluate treatment options.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
How well do internal medicine faculty members evaluate the clinical skills of residents?
To determine the accuracy of faculty evaluations of residents' clinical skills and whether a structured form and instructional videotape improve accuracy. ⋯ A structured form improved the accuracy of observations of clinical skills, but faculty still disagreed in their assessments of clinical competence. If program directors are to certify residents' clinical competence, better and more standardized evaluation is needed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Recombinant human erythropoietin in the treatment of anemia associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and zidovudine therapy. Overview of four clinical trials.
To assess the effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) on anemia in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who are receiving zidovudine therapy. ⋯ Therapy with r-HuEPO can increase the mean hematocrit and decrease the mean transfusion requirement in anemic patients with AIDS who are receiving zidovudine and have endogenous low erythropoietin levels (< or equal to 500 IU/L). Such therapy is of no apparent benefit in patients whose endogenous erythropoietin levels are higher than 500 IU/L.