Arch Intern Med
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Three patients presented with multisystem disease that shared many of the features of toxic shock syndrome. Bacteriologic and serologic evidence strongly suggested that group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus had caused the illnesses. Group A streptococcal infection may be an underdiagnosed cause of a toxic streptococcal syndrome, a syndrome of multisystem disease apparently mediated by toxins.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Gabexate as a therapy for disseminated intravascular coagulation.
The effects of gabexate mesilate on disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) accompanying neoplastic diseases or severe infections in ten patients were investigated and compared with those of heparin therapy in ten other patients with DIC. Of 11 patients with DIC (control) who did not receive any anticoagulation therapy for DIC, ten died of pneumonia, DIC secondary to the underlying diseases, or pulmonary edema. ⋯ Although the therapeutic efficacy of gabexate was not significantly different from that of heparin, in patients in whom bleeding tendencies were observed at the start of the therapy, the former was successful in four (80%) of five patients, while the latter was effective in only one (25%) of four patients treated. The results of this preliminary and nonrandomized study suggest that gabexate is as effective as heparin for the treatment of DIC, and that it may be more successful than heparin in the treatment of DIC accompanied by bleeding diathesis.
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The doctrine of informed consent has been controversial since its inception. In spite of the professed ideal of improving physician-patient communication, many commentators have argued that it interferes with the relationship. However, the problem may not be the doctrine itself but rather the manner in which it is usually implemented. ⋯ The event model treats informed consent as a procedure to be performed once in each treatment course, which must cover all legal elements at that time. The process model, in contrast, tries to integrate informing the patient into the continuing dialogue between physician and patient that is a routine part of diagnosis and treatment. We suggest that the process model has many benefits.